Doctor Manhattan May Have Created An Ozymandias in the DCU

As of the release of Doomsday Clock #3, we are now a quarter of the way through DC Comics highly anticipated event, and yet there are more questions now than before the series started.

Fans have all kinds of theories about the ambitious 12-part book, mainly based on the hints and Easter eggs in "The Button," "Superman Reborn" and "Oz Effect" storylines. In 2017, it became clear that the Rebirth and Watchmen universes were somehow colliding. More specifically, various glowing blue clues scattered throughout DC's various series made it hard to ignore Dr. Manhattan’s involvement in some of Rebirth’s biggest mysteries.

The most important question is still where did ten years of the DCU go? While many are sure Manhattan essentially "stole" the decade, nobody knows why. However, perhaps the real mystery to focus on is why Manhattan saved Superman’s father, Jor-El, and put him on Earth. One theory we've been mulling over is whether Jor-Elis essentially the DC Universe's Ozymandias analog. To properly illustrate our logic we need to start with the themes and ideas found in both Watchmen and Rebirth.

First off, the characters in Watchmen (Rorschach, Nite Owl, The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, Silk Spectre) are analogs for superheroes whose adventures were originally published by Charlton Comics (The Question, Blue Beetle, The Peacemaker, Captain Atom, Thunderbolt, Nightshade). While the characters from the seminal graphic novel were never considered part of the DC multiverse, their Earth-4 counterparts were. Put simply, the Watchmen characters are darker versions of heroes that exist in the DCU. It doesn’t take much coaxing, then, by Doomsday Clock writer Geoff Johns for us to accept that Watchmen universe actually is part of the DC multiverse.

Further, when DC finally decided to expand Watchmen universe in 2012 with their Before Watchmen line, they opened up a way for Watchmen characters to one day interact with DC’s proper universe. In Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan miniseries written by J. Michael Staczynski, with art by Adam Hughes, it is established that Manhattan can create, traverse and destroy alternate timelines. It all has to do with quantum observation. The conclusion of the story even has the character demonstrating the ability to create life.

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Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen explores the darker side of superheroics, and suggests what might happen if someone actually did gain superpowers during the Cold War. As soon as he is created, Dr. Manhattan becomes a nuclear deterrent, but conversely, his extraordinary power also starts a worldwide arms race. Despite being a costumed adventurer himself, Ozymandias’ entire plot is to bring humanity together and not have us rely on “superheroes.” To be the best we can be and move past war.

In a very similar vein, the Rebirth soft reboot of the DCU has told stories in a world where humanity is becoming more and more wary of superheroes/vigilantes. In fact, in Justice League, various alien races and entities have made it abundantly clear that Earth's superheroes are the problem, not the answer. Then, in Doomsday Clock #1-3 we learn of the "Supermen Theory" — a conspiracy theory that posits the US government started creating metahumans as a response to Superman revealing himself.

With all that in mind, it makes sense that Jor-El, aka Mr. Oz, is a Doctor Manhattan's DCU version of Ozymandias. We know Jor-El was plucked from Krypton by Manhattan, right before its destruction, and then put on Earth. We’ve also seen how disgusted he is with humanity. After decades on our planet, Superman's father doesn’t believe Earth deserves his god-like son.

It is easy to draw comparisons between Ozymandias and Lex Luthor because of their intelligence, demeanor and anti-superhero stance. Even Ozy himself sought out Lex in Doomsday Clock #3 thinking they could be allies. However, Jor-El is more likely to be revealed as Ozy’s DCU reflection because of his machinations and proposed end game. In Watchmen, Ozymandias plotted to neutralize Manhattan, discredit all other superheroes, and unite all the peoples of the world to avert nuclear holocaust. Jor-El’s plot is similar, but on a larger scale, which is appropriate given the sheer number of super-powered beings in the DCU as opposed Watchmen's more grounded reality. Joe-El seems to be trying to save the universe rather than just one planet (which seems ironic). He is corralling rogue elements of the multiverse to stop the fraying of the fabric of time and space, and, much like Ozy, he wants the “super man” to stop influencing man’s affairs.

In the end, it may be revealed that Doctor Manhattan needed an Ozymandias-like figure to neutralize Superman because he is his opposite number in the DC Universe, the only variable he couldn't guarantee victory over. It has been implied by various characters (Reverse Flash, Rorschach II) that Dr. Manhattan is God, sit's not a stretch to theorize that Prime Earth may be the world he created human life on at the end of Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan. The question now, is, does he just want Superman out of the way so he can judge man, or is there some deeper game at play?