WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Doomsday Clock #12 by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank Brad Anderson, Rob Leigh and Amie Brockway-Metcalf, on sale now.
In 1992, the Watchmen universe faced nuclear annihilation after the truth of Adrian Veidt's crimes were revealed in Rorschach's journal. The doomsday that Ozymandias tried so hard to avoid began again, which set the events of Doomsday Clock into motion. While much of the events of the series took place in the DC Universe proper, Doctor Manhattan finally sets things right on his homeworld in its final moments
Inspired by his encounter with Superman, Manhattan heads back to his Earth and apparently removes all nuclear weapons in existence. This finally gives his world a chance to attain peace, with people protesting to stop world governments from creating any more weapons. Manhattan then sacrifices his power in order to heal the world of Watchmen both physically and spiritually.
In Doomsday Clock #12, Manhattan learns that everything ends after all, but with any ending comes a new beginning. Doomsday Clock may be over, but the story of this reborn Earth is only getting started.
Let the Punishment Fit the Crime
Adrian Veidt is responsible for many atrocities from which he has managed to escape persecution. After killing millions in New York, no one turned the former hero in to the authorities, and Ozymandias fled his world and escaped justice when Rorschach's journal revealed the extent of his crimes,. In the end, Adrian's goal to find Doctor Manhattan worked—the world was saved, but Adrian's actions finally caught up with him.
In the final pages of Doomsday Clock #12, Ozymandias reveals that he orchestrated the events of the series to bring Manhattan and Superman together. If the Man of Steel could convince Jon to set things right, all would be well in the world. Even after the Comedian shoots Adrian and leaves him to die, everything is now complete. He will die a hero and everyone will remember him fondly, just like he planned.
While Lex Luthor zaps the Comedian back to his death at the beginning of Watchmen, Rorschach has a different plan for Veidt. Instead of wanting revenge on the man who is responsible for his father's death, Reggie Long wants justice, so he saves Veidt's life. Instead of dying, Ozymandias is imprisoned within the confines of his company's headquarters. He is locked away under the watch of armed guards, where he will not be able to enjoy the fruits of his labors.
However, the book ends with Adrian's legacy being picked up by a mysterious girl named Cleopatra Pak. She is obsessed with Ozymandias and, together with a full-grown Bubastis, will one day take on the identity Nostalgia. Whether she ultimately becomes a hero or a villain is yet to be seen.
A Hero is Made Right
One of the most widely held misconceptions about the original Watchmen series is that Rorschach is a hero. Whatever Walter Kovacs initially set out to do, he became irreparably damaged by the trauma he experienced and evolved into a monster who murdered in the name of vengeance—a legacy Reggie Long took on all too well.
Unhinged after the effects of the attack on New York City, Reggie was damaged in a way similar to his predecessor. He became another violent vigilante lost in his quest to do the right thing, but everything changed for him before the end of Doomsday Clock. Thanks to the kindness showed to him by Alfred, Batman and Byron Lewis, Reggie finally sees just how broken Kovacs really was.
In Doomsday Clock #12, he comes to understand that the original Rorschach had actually disheartened his father before his death. The same hatred and poisoned thinking that Kovacs suffered from had also begun to affect Reggie's revered father. He now saw his predecessor as a monster, which he ultimately rejects.
Batman convinces Reggie to continue using the Rorschach identity, but also make the mask a symbol to represent something else. He decides to seek justice against Adrian Veidt, not just revenge. We see him for the last time saying goodbye to Byron Lewis, who helped him in a time of need. Reggie is still dressed as Rorschach, seemingly signifying that he will take Batman's advice and turn the identity into that of a hero.
The Last Son of Manhattan
The last remaining mystery of the series is resolved in the closing pages of Doomsday Clock #12. Early on in the series, Manhattan spared two criminals, the Mime and Marionette, because their child was destined to play a meaningful role in Silk Spectre's life. This issue reveals that Manhattan took in the criminals' son and named him Clark to create a better version of himself for future generations.
The baby was stolen from the hospital by Doctor Manhattan and raised to childhood. Mime and Marionette never learn what happened to their child, but they are given a happy ending, as Jon leaves them in the DC Universe so they can raise the daughter they will soon have together. He also requests that they stay there to give their son a connection to this world that he will one day need.
Manhattan then imbues the child with his remaining energy before sending him to live with Dan Dreiberg and Laurie Blake—the retired Nite-Owl and Silk Spectre—and their daughter, Sally. Jon realizes that he could never be the hero his world needed him to be because he did not have the same upbringing that Superman had amd sends the child to live with a loving family so that he can grow up to have the same values as the Man of Steel.
What Does the Future Hold?
Doomsday Clock leaves the world of Watchmen with a new status quo set up for more stories to tell. Has Rorschach let go of his anger and fear in order to become a new hero for a better world? What will become of Adrian Veidt and the child who one day grow up to follow in his footsteps? Who will Clark grow up to become, and how can he make this world a better place?
This finale brings Doomsday Clock's story to a close, but it also sets the stage for something new. While it would be the perfect, optimistic way to say goodbye to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' world, these characters seem primed to reappear again in some capacity. While there's no indication of a sequel series on the horizon, Doomsday Clock firmly makes the world of Watchmen part of the larger DC Multiverse, where nothing ever really ends.