Required Entry #10: Watchmen

Watchmen depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940's and 1960's, helping the United States to win the Vietnam War. In 1985, the country is edging toward nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the government. The story focuses on the personal development and moral struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement. Among the six superheroes in the novel, in my own perspective, Rorschach is the real one or the one who stood out the most. In the beginning of the story, he is introduced as the only remaining active masked vigilante not employed by the government. A ruthless crime-fighter, his beliefs in moral absolutism, good and evil, have driven him to seek to punish evil at all costs. He always seek for what is right. Though he possesses no obvious "superpowers", he merely has his strong will, peak-human physical strength, and finely-honed sense of timing and precision. Rorschach is very resourceful, adapting ordinary household objects into tools or weapons, such as pepper to blind a police officer and the use of a can of aerosol spray in combination with a match to set fire to another police officer, during a confrontation at Moloch's house. I think what differentiates Rorschach with our traditional superheroes like Superman, Spiderman, etc. is that they all possess superpowers that they could easily use when "opponents" attack. Unlike with Rorschach who possesses somehow "real" skills which he uses to fight against evil. Rorschach is well versed in street combat, gymnastics, boxing and even in lock picking. This reflects that having power is not everything. Sometimes, simply being tactically brilliant and skillful make the best superhero.