Analysis of Doomsday Clock by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Brad Anderson and published by DC
(Sequel to The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons)
It’s about time.
1 of 12 January 2018
Cover-Rorschach aka Walter Kovacs graces the lenticular cover of my variant. True to form, his ink-blot face mask changes throughout the comic as did Rorschach in Watchmen. Here the ink-blot pattern changes with an ink blot suggesting Superman/Wonder Woman/Batman. Rorschach’s attire seems like the Rorschach of old, except his hat here, has a purple rim.
Page 1.
Frame 1- “The End is here” date is Nov. 22–23, 1992. That was either a Sunday or Monday that year. The Soviet Union had collapsed 11 months before. Yeltsin had come to power. On Nov. 23, 1992, 10 million cell phones were sold was the only article of news I found interesting. The Balkan war raged on. “The end is near” could be third person story teller telling us how it will all end, or it could just be an ironic way to start this 12 issue series.
Frame 3- “(presumably Make) America Safe Again sign” reference to Trump’s Make America Great Again. Mention of the “Undeplorables” (reference to Hillary Clinton disparaging the deplorable values of some of Trumps supports. Trump supporters adopted the moniker deplorables. Trump, in his campaign, had also called Hillary folk deplorable several times) “Their tolerance is a one-way street.” This entire frame seems to reference the deplorables mentioned by Clinton who are very intolerant of those outside there groups.
Frame 4- “totalitarians stand their ground”… “preaching for a return to a rose-colored republic”…(for them) “the good old days weren’t so good.” This was a common critic in 2016 of the desire to Make America Great Again; there were many people for whom America was never great. Minorities, women, and others were not excited to return to such “Great” times.
Frame 5- like handing a five-year-old a straight razor. This could be a reference to Rorschach as a boy who had a horrific up-bringing, either Rorschach of the Watchmen or this incarnation of him.
Frame 6- cockroaches will go to war with the maggots, “the bugs will be all that’s left.” It was common in the early nuclear age to warn against nuclear war with the myth that only cockroaches could survive such destruction. This was rhetoric still, at the setting for this story in the early 1990s.
Frame 7 “Unless we bring god back down.” The bible refers to a return of god to earth. Matthew 16:27 et al.
“maybe the world should burn this time”…”we don’t deserve it.” This could be a reference to the many evangelicals that appear to by hypocrites given their stated religious beliefs that sharply contrast with their intolerance (See “Deplorables”, above).
Page 2-
Frame 3- “Vice president has shot and killed the attorney general.” Analogously, on February 11, 2006, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney shot Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney while participating in a quail hunt on a ranch in Riviera, Texas. Both Cheney and Whittington called the incident an accident.
Frame 4- “The President scored a hole in one earlier today…” In less than a year, President Trump has played 79 rounds of golf costing the taxpayer more than 90 million dollars. This is more than any previous president in the same amount of time.
Frame 5- Russian Aggression as troops in Belarus threaten Poland — This seems related to The joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland was secretly agreed to in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed on 23 August 1939. In our timeline, of course the Soviet Union doesn’t exist at this point. But it does here. This is the first major clue that there are two contradictory realities that are coming to a head discussed more in relation to what’s on pages 34–35.
Frame 7- “North Korea now capable of hitting Texas” read this as opposed to our reality where only on November30, 2017 did BBC report that North Korea is capable of striking anywhere on the US mainland. “Hundreds have broken through the wall and flooded INTO Mexico. Thousands more are expected to follow.” (In 2016, a major Trump campaign promise was to build the Wall to stop illegal immigration from Mexico. This reference seems to refer to that wall, but rather being used to keep people in the United States from fleeing to Mexico. Perhaps the wall’s stated purpose was at some point perverted.)
Frame 8. Golf scene and Korean missiles scene with reporter saying “We are still waiting on a statement from the president” again with the golfing, see note Page 2 Frame 4, above.
Page 3-
Frame 1- Adrian Veidt “arrest and conviction will…” He is … “Russian Intelligence insists the president and his cabinet were willing participants…” 2017’s news cycles were dominated by allegations of Russian/Trump collusion to sway the election in Trump’s favor. As of December, 2017 there were 2 convictions coming out of that investigation and more expected as Mueller investigates the connections. Adrian Veidt is Ozymandius. This Ozymandius seems different from Superman’s Action Comics Dr. Oz(ymandius who turned out to be Jor-El, Superman’s father. Yet this connection seems not so unlikely when we consider that Superman’s Action Comics is fast approaching its 1000th issue. An issue that will come out sometime during the publication of Doomsday clock.
Frame 2- “Re-elected on a campaign promise to capture (Veidt)” Redford’s second term. Veidt was unmasked in 1975. –In 2008, Barak Obama promised to capture and kill the infamous terrorist, Osama Bin Laden.
Frame 4- Murder of 3 million people in a “bizarre ruse” (This is a reference to the end of Watchmen where Ozymandius launched an attack on New York with a psychic Squid.)
Frame 5-At large: Dr. Manhattan (Dr. Manhattan disappeared at the end of Wathcmen and went to another planet. He reappeared during DC’s Rebirth and implied that he had created DC’s The New 52 as a thought experiment); There is a reminder the Comdeian is dead; Nite Owl (probably Dan Dreiberg who was actually Nite Owl II) and Rorschach have been inactive for a long time; Silk Spectre Vanished (also a Watchmen character, Laurie Juspeczyk.) Ozymandias remains at Large (is this the same Ozymandius as in Action Comics — Jor-El? See note to Frame 1, above.)
Page 4-
Frame 1-“New York Gazette…shut down” (President Trump has repeatedly called mainstream news, especially the New York Times, “Fake News”. There have been calls from his supporters and attempts by his administration to shut down, shut out, and inhibit the “fake news” from reporting and/or gaining access to sources of news.)
Frame 2- National News Network is begun (In 2017, President Trump and his re-election campaign (2020) launched Real News Update that is a pro-Trump news source touted to fight against the “Fake News” sources. This frame has references to a pharmaceutical drug commericial (Travodart is the named drug, the analogous drug might be Avodart, a drug used to fight Male Pattern Baldness).
Frame 3- All news companies being shut down (CNN; BBC; and many others. See Frame 1 note, above).
Frame 4–5 references to a news caster, Howard, encouraging people to rise up before the feed is cut. Howard might be referring to Howard K. Smith, one of Edward R. Murrow’s crew. Smith was known for his WWII reporting.
Frame 6–8 progressive close up of a light on a skull leading into the National News starting up.
Page 5-
Frame 2- William F. Buckley Jr. reports on behalf of the president (an American conservative author and commentator. He founded National Review magazine in 1955, which had a major impact in stimulating the conservative movement; hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line (1966–1999), where he became known for his transatlantic accent and wide vocabulary. The portrayal of Buckley Jr. as a supporter for President Redford strongly suggests that Redford is a staunch conservative. ) announcing Russia has invaded Poland (we suspect it is a lie since none of the other news agencies had reported it, and this is the first thing we hear from the National News.)
Frame 3–4 Buckley says the President is threatening Russia with retaliation; evacuations are ordered across the US.
Frame 5–9 show a prison and an inmate trying to break out. The guard goes down.
Page 6-
Frame 1- Rorschach has the keys and is kneeling over the unconcious? Dead? guard. This looks like the classic Rorschach from Watchmen.
Frame 2–4 The inmate sees Rorschach and opts to stay locked in his cell.
Page 7-
Frame 1 –Rorschach talking about “last day on earth” and eating pancakes. He often uses incomplete sentences, without subjects.
Frame 2- Rorschach is still talking about breakfast and how it was violently interrupted. He still is mostly talking in incomplete sentences.
Frame 3–6 Rorschach is walking past cells, trying to remember the right number …13 or 31? This could be a reference to the biblical mustard seed parable: He set another man before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.” — Matthew 13:31–32
Frame 9- Rorschach is opening cell 31.
Page 8-
Frame 1,2 4–8 involves nuclear launch protocols being begun in US silos
Frame 3, 9 shows Rorschach opening cell 31
Frame 7 “Veidt’s Globabl Data Exchange program from “89 has left eh country exposed”… The Russians could wipe out “our entire infrastructure…” 1989 in our world had the International Seismic Data Exchange which was designed to monitor nuclear non-proliferation. This seems relevant to the story so far)
Page 9-
Frame 1–8- inside cell3 1 is: Erika Manson, The Marionette” Marionette and Mime are the Watchmen versions of Punch and Jewelee, Johns revealed at a press event during New York Comic Con. Their child was born while they were imprisoned — which explains both why he was separated from them and why they don’t know where he is. Rorschach gives a countdown of 3 hours 36 minutes before the “prison becomes ash.” He still speaks incorrectly leaving out subjects and articles. His diction is almost as a Russian person might speak English.
Left to right: Jewelee, Punch and Bronze Tiger in Batman #11. Tom King, Mikel Janin/DC Comics
Frame 5- Marionette references Rorschach threatening to throw her down an elevator shaft the next time they meant. Rorschach says that wans’t him.
Frame 9- Rorschach pulls off his left glove revealing a black skinned hand.
Page 10-
Frame 1- Rorschach is adamant he is Rorschach.
Frame 2- Rorschach gives Marionette payment for a job.
Frame 5- Marionette inquires about the original Rorschach.
Frame 8- Marionette is looking a t a photo of a toddler that Rorschach give her.
Frame 9- her job is to find the boy.
Page 11-
Frame 1- Marionette attacks Rorschach.
Frame 2- Marionette demands to know where her son is (the kid in the photo?).
Frame 3- Rorschach explains they need to “Find god. Save world.”
Frame 4- Rorschach updates countdown to 3 hours 34 minutes more or less.
Frame 5-Marionette agrees to do the job, to see her son, but not without her husband.
Frame 6- Rorschach balks at this.
Frame 9- Rorschach agrees to free Marionette’s husband, Marcos Maez, The Mime. (Punch see page 9, above).
Page 12-
Frame 1–7 Prison riot/escape scene.
Frame 8- “The Mute” (The Mime) is staring at the rioters from behind his bars.
Page 13-
Frame 1–8 Rioters taunt and beat The Mime
Frame 8- Rioters hear “Baby!” and look up exclaiming “That’s not HIM, is it?”(Rorschach)
Frame 9- Rorschach and the Marionette are looking down at the scene “Come on! We’re Leaving!”
Page 14-
Frame 1–8- The Mime performs/escapes, violently. (It should be noted that the Mime looks a lot like the Joker with their crazy smiles and violent tempers. Some think Mime will become the Joker. I do not subscribe to this theory, in part because the Mime is mute.)
Page 15-
Frame 1- Reunion of the Mime and the Marionette.
Frame 3-The Marionette says Rorschach isn’t the real one. Rorschach insists he is.
Frame 4–6 The Mime is missing something
Frame 8- Rorschach gives count down as three hours and no idea how much more time than that.
Frame 9. The Mime needs his weapons and Marionette won’t leave without them.
Page 16-
Frames 1–9 Marionette opens an evidence locker and put’s on invisible weapons. It’s an amazing page with the set up for Frames 8–9 as the punchline.
Frame 9- Rorschach “You have big problems.”
Page 17-
Frame 3. Rorschach and company are breaking out of prison through a hole in a fence.
Frame 4–5 Arguing about the job and their get-away car.
Frame 6- Rorschach says he lives in the car
Frame 7- The Marionette is in the car holding an empty fast-food container “Borscht Burgers”. (further fuel for the new Rorschach being Russian)( Burgers ’N’ Boяscht. Burgers ‘N Borscht is a fast food store.(also spelled Burgers ’N’ Borscht) is a restauraunt chain founded in 1985. It replaced the Gunga Diner after that restaurant was destroyed by the appearance of Veidt’s monster. It also demonstrated a move away from isolation and colonialism (represented by the Gunga Diner) towards globalism and, in particular, smoother relations with the Soviet Union (as borscht is a Russian soup dish). At the end of Watchmen Chapter XII, Seymour buys burgers from Burgers ’N’ Boяscht and brings them to the New Frontiersman office. Hector Godfrey prohibited him from saying the latter half of the name, as he doesn’t allow Russian to be spoken in his office.
Frame 8. Rorschach is driving and his mask noticeably has changed images from previous views.
Page 18- Urban escape scene.
Frame 3- Husband and wife arguing about whether to get her mother who lives in Queens (NY) Husband says I told her not to vote for Redford. (Robert, the actor beat Nixon in this parallel time line in 1988 and was re-elected in 1982, this doesn’t seem to fit with the espoused political views of our Robert Redford, but whatever).
Frame 4–7 Public Announcements about mandatory evacuations and safety not being guaranteed for those who disobey the evacuation orders.
Page 19-
Frames 1–4 Rorschach is leading his companions through the what looks like a sewer system, but he is confused on which way to go.
Frame 5–7- the Mime pulls his “gun” on Rorschach who says “Don’t point imaginary guns at me.” Probably my favorite part of the story is Mime, so far.
Page 20-
Frames 1–6- The Mime and The Marionette threaten Rorschach, who isn’t fazed. Rorschach eventually takes a right turn.
Frames 7–9- after some hesitancy, Marionette and Mime follow Rorschach.
Page 21-
Frame 1- large double doors “Danger Flood Door”.
Frames 3–5 Rorschach raps on the door and waits.
Frame 6–9- The door swings open “into the light.”
Page 22-
Rorschach and company arrive at a lair.
Frame 3- The Nite Owl’s ship is there. Rorschach says “Archie…” (“Owlship” or “Archie” (after Archimedes, Merlin’s pet owl in The Sword in the Stone), equipped with a variety of offensive and defensive devices.).
Frame 6- The Marionette asks if the rumors are true, that Rorschach killed Nite Owl and Silk Spectre before committing suicide. Rorschach denies the rumors.
Frame 7- There is a closet with Nite Owl’s costume. Marionette asks if Rorschach is partnered with Nite Owl.
Frame 8-Off page voice says “No. He’s Not.”
Page 23-
Frame 1- Ozymandius says Rorschach is working for him and he failed to bring Nite Owl back. He holds a red cat with really long ears-Bubastis is Adrian Veidt’s female genetically-engineered red and black-striped lynx created as an experiment.
Frame 3- Ozymandius says he needs The Marionette.
Frame 4–5 Marionette threatens Ozymandius and Rorschach to get her son.
Frame 6- Marionette asks the price on Ozymandius’s head- 10 or 20 Million?
Page 24-
Frame 1- Ozymandius says his reward would be much higher
Frame 3- Ozymandius talks about the first Rorschach being cruel but principled.
Frame 4- Rorschach stops Ozymandius from psychoanalyzing him (the new Rorschach).
Frame 5–9 Rorschach and Ozymandius argue and begin again.
Page 25-
Frames 1–3 questions about finding god.
Frames 4–6 Ozymandius is referencing what he did (the giant squid attack on New York)
Frame 7 News reporter claims the countdown is 2 hours until Russian troops must withdraw from Poland. (This appears to be the countdown Rorschach had been referring to)
Frame 8- Ozymandius looks really angry and the caption above his head reads “do not believe their lies.” (“Do not believe their lies” is a phrase I could not find a source for, yet it is mentioned by Europes Red Army Faction; New age prophesies; Illuminati; Free Masons; and a lot of other propaganda.)
Frame 9- Ozymandius claims to have cancer and Rorschach calls him an asshole. (We know it is brain cancer; and ironic in that Ozymandius created Dr. Manhattan by trying to overdose him with radiation in an attempt to induce terminal cancer in him).
Page 26-
Frame 1- A memorial with the tag “Die Veidt” on it.
Frame 3- An outside scene with a USSR/US poster asking for One World.
Frame 4- Ozymandius claims to lack the power to save the world and laments his dead dream.
Frame 4–6 Ozymandius claims Dr. Manhattan can save the world.
Frame 7- Flashback to Ozymandiusm being told by Dr. Manhattan that he is leaving “this galaxy for one less complicated.” (Not seen again until he wrapped up the New 52 into DC’s Rebirth.)
Frame 8-Ozymandius says their mission is to find Jon (Dr. Manhattan, aka god)
Page 27-
8 Frames narrowing in on a home in Metropolis.
Frame 3. Night stand with Walden Two on it. (Superman is reading Walden Two which is a utopian novel written by behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner, first published in 1948. In its time, it could have been considered science fiction, since science-based methods for altering people’s behavior did not yet exist. Such methods are now known as applied behavior analysis.
Walden Two is controversial because its characters speak of a rejection of free will, including a rejection of the proposition that human behavior is controlled by a non-corporeal entity, such as a spirit or a soul. Walden Two embraces the proposition that the behavior of organisms, including humans, is determined by environmental variables, and that systematically altering environmental variables can generate a sociocultural system that very closely approximates utopia.
Frame 6- Bed with Superman and Lois Lane in it.
Frame 8. Superman seems to be having a troubled sleep.
Paeg 28-
Young Superman flashback to when his parents dropped him off at the Senior Prom. Superman is jealous of Lana whom he hadn’t asked to the dance.
Page 29- Superman’s parents are killed in an auto accident after dropping him off at the dance.
Page 30-
Frame 1- Superman wakes from his nightmare.
Frame 3- Lois tells him he was yelling and the room was shaking.
Frame 4- Superman is floating above the bed. Lois begs him to come down.
Frame 5- Superman recounts his dream
Frame 6–7 Superman says he’s never had a nightmare. (It’s powerful scene; it gives some character growth to superman. Well done).
Frame 8 quote “He meets some fragment, huge and stops to guess what powerful but unrecorded race once dwelt in that annihilated place. “ –Ozymandius, Horace Smith. Beneath the quote is a doomsday clock/button with superman’s crest at the 12 o’clock position and the small hand at midnight and the large hand at about 12 to midnight (12 issues?).
Page 31- Page 31 is black with a Dedication to Len Wein (Leonard Norman Wein; June 12, 1948 — September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics’ Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics’ Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men (including the co-creation of Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus). Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons’ influential DC miniseries Watchmen.)( Before he died, Wein had completed the script for the first issue of a new series about the vegetation-covered monstrosity formerly known as Alec Holland, which would be illustrated by his 2016 Swamp Thing miniseries partner Kelley Jones. While we won’t ever see this series come to fruition, EW can exclusively reveal that fans will get a chance to read the first issue of the planned series in 2018 when DC Comics releases Swamp Thing Winter Special #1 (on sale Jan. 31), which will present the story in both its original script form with art by Jones.)
Page 32–33 Splash news articles.
Articles from the New York Gazette dated November 2, 1992. Two articles covered:
1: The Strange Case of Roger Jackson by Doug Roth. Regards an FBI investigation. Mentions The New Frontiersman. (Doug Roth is a journalist from Nova Express.
In 1975 he traveled to Antartic resort Karnak to take an interview from Adrian Veidt.
He was the first to observe a connection between the cancers of Wally Weaver, Janey Slater and Moloch with Dr. Manhattan. After an interview with Slater, he attempted to make him speak about these connections during Benny Anger’s live TV show.
New Frontiersman calls him a “cocaine-advocator”.)
2: Nuclear Disarmament Stalls by Martha Gellhorn dated November 5, 1992. Discusses Veidt, Redford, Gorbachov and Yeltsin and nuclear disarmament deals.( Martha Ellis Gellhorn (November 8, 1908 — February 15, 1998) was an American novelist, travel writer, and journalist, who is now considered one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. She reported on virtually every major world conflict that took place during her 60-year career. Gellhorn was also the third wife of American novelist Ernest Hemingway, from 1940 to 1945. At the age of 89, ill and almost completely blind, she died in 1998 in an apparent suicide. The Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism is named after her.)
3: The Great Lie by Jack N. Anderson. Photo of the Institution for spatial studies with squid arms coming out. Photo by James Nachtwey. Claims President Redford, who is behind in the polls on the eve of the re-election vote, claims the monster that attacked New York was a hoax. Redford explained that Operation Commodus” was operated by him since early 1992. The article and redford seem to like Veidt/Ozymandius. (Jack Northman Anderson (October 19, 1922 — December 17, 2005) was an American newspaper columnist, syndicated by United Features Syndicate, considered one of the fathers of modern investigative journalism. Anderson won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his investigation on secret American policy decision-making between the United States and Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. In addition to his newspaper career, Anderson also had a national radio show on the Mutual Broadcasting System, acted as Washington bureau chief of Parade magazine, and was a commentator on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America for nine years.
Among his exposés was reporting the Nixon administration’s investigation and harassment of John Lennon during its fight to deport Lennon, the continuing activities of fugitive Nazi officials in South America, and the savings and loan crisis. He revealed the history of a CIA plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, and was credited for breaking the story of the Iran–Contra affair under President Reagan. He said that the scoop was “spiked” because the story had become too close to President Ronald Reagan).
Page 34–35- More splash news articles
1. Full article by Martha Gellhorn on nuclear disarmament. Claims Redford was propelled to presidency through his disarmament stance. Gorabchev balked however. Yeltsin came to power and joined Redford. Veidt has a global data exchange program for nuclear disarmament. Israel is mentioned as recalcitrant to the talks. Redford terminated the “Nuclear Free” Program and withdrawn from talks.
2. The Strange Case of Roger Jackson full story. Walter Kovacs is mentioned as being Rorschach. Seymour David found Rorschach’s journal but was beaten to death. Roger Jackson was blamed, a thief. Now the FBI is seeking to overturn his conviction. They are looking for Rorschach’s journal. Advertisement for Combination Plier. Dad’s. From Dad’s drop forge and tool Co., Brooklyn, Ny. Six tools in one.there is an ad for 1909 Ad Utica Drop Forge Tool Combination Pliers but not from any such company. And there is a Drop Forge Co. but it is in Hudson, NY.
3. Byron Lewis Obituary. Died October 11, (1992?) at the age of 80. Born in Bethlehem, CT. An Engineer. Died at Waterville, Maine. Donations to a gas explosion at the Fitzgerald Mental Home encouraged. He was a philanthropist for NY survivors. (Mothman was the fourth masked adventurer to spawn, and was one of the eight members of the Minutemen. His real name was Byron Lewis. Byron was a bored playboy who fought crime to add spice to his life.)
4. Morning Joe’s menu (where Rorschach ate and had a violent encounter?)(Morning Joe (Joe Scarborough) is a popular TV talk show that used to be conservative bent, but since Trump’s ascendancy has taken a strong stance against him).
5. Schrodinger’s Clock and Watch Repair business card. This card is the focal point of the splash page, and I think the most important clue in this issue as to what might be happening. (Erwin) Schrodinger’s cat obvious refers to the quantum physics existing and not existing until checked theory. “Broken is a state of mind” is the card’s logo. There is the image of a wrist watch with the time being 10 minutes to 2. They specialize in antique and grandfather clocks. Servicing Manhattan for over _0 Year. It seems a reference to the Doomsday clock that can be fixed by Dr. Manhattan who both exists and doesn’t exist until he is discovered. Dr. Manhattan may tinker with who is alive and who is dead. He, or Superman, may repair things. “Watch” repair suggests that the Watchmen Universe may be repaired, perhaps by Superman.
