Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons sits undisputed as one of the most influential graphic novels all time. Set in an alternate universe, where masked vigilantes are normal, Watchmen tells the story of what happens when our heroes are turned against each other by a mysterious 'mask killer'. Since the comic was published, fans haven't been short on adaptations, with spinoff comics such as the popular Doomsday Clock. Let's not forget about the awesome 2009 movie and the hit 2019 HBO drama, too. As with any popular story, questions are always asked about the characters, such as who would win in a fight, or which one is the smartest. Today we'll be looking at the latter.
Who watches the Watchmen? Or, at least, who is the smartest character in Watchmen? From the smartest man on the planet Earth to the man humans call God, here are 10 characters in Watchmen ranked by their intelligence.
10 Silk Spectre (Laurie Juspeczyk)
Laurie Juspeczyk continued with the name Silk Spectre after her mother -- the former Silk Spectre -- had retired. If this were a list of the strongest Watchmen characters, she would most definitely make it higher, but for intelligence, she just about sneaks in.
Apart from fighting (which she's really good at) Laurie doesn't have too many skills, but she's spent a hell of a lot of time with people who do. You only need to look as far as Doctor Manhattan, who she was in a relationship with. And the way Jon talks, it's likely she got a wide amount of knowledge and wisdom from him alone. Let's not forget about her other relationship with Daniel Dreiberg, a genius mechanic.
9 Moloch
Edgar Jacobi, overwise known as the villainous Moloch the Mystic, was a criminal genius and enemy of the Minutemen. Jacobi actually has been known to practice occultism, though it's unknown how magic his tricks actually were. Moloch had an awful upbringing. When he was born he was already deformed. His parents decided to keep him but did little to take care of him. In school, he was bullied but he finds his trade in magic. It doesn't take long before he turns to evil. He turns his simple magic tricks to do evil in the world, and of course, this sparks the awareness of the Minutemen. After a while, he even faces off with Doctor Manhattan ... which doesn't end well.
Now you might be asking what makes him so clever. Well, not too much, which is why he's not higher on this list. But at his peak as a villain, Moloch was able to use his knowledge of magic to commit some bad crimes. He became a criminal mastermind that had a huge influence on criminals.
8 Nite Owl (Hollis Mason)
Unlike his successor, Hollis Mason wasn't as genius of an inventor as Dan Dreiberg, the man who later took over the reins as Nite Owl. However, he still possessed adequate knowledge of mechanics during his time working at Moe Vernon's Auto Repairs. Well, enough knowledge to merit his eighth place on the list.
He was a member of the Minutemen since 1939, before retiring in 1962 to form his own mechanics business and write his memoir, Under the Hood. Once retired, he used his knowledge of fighting to teach Dreiberg how to box. But ultimately, Hollis was always more powerful with his fists than with his head.
7 Rorschach (Walter Kovacs)
Everyone's favorite rogue vigilante! Rorschach, or Walter Kovacs, is an incredibly deep thinker, always believing in the moral side of fights. He is a proven detective and decides to go alone to figure out who was killing off masked heroes, uncovering many clues on his journey.
Compared to other characters, he doesn't possess the same intelligence in terms of mechanics or business. However, he knows his way around solving a mystery. He's also very good at covering his tracks, as we all know from how he moved his journal over to the press before he was killed.
6 Mothman
Byron Lewis, otherwise known by his vigilante alter ego Mothman, was born in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Before his affiliation with the Minutemen, Byron began to show his intelligence from a young age. Before long, he made his fortune as an engineer and inventor. His inventions all fall within the aviation industry, which is expected, seeing as though, during his time as a masked vigilante, flying was an ability he had. It's particularly impressive how resourceful he is by building moth wings out of bedsheets.
It's a shame he can't rank any higher on this list, but despite his impressive knowledge, he hasn't always put it to good use. Unlike others, Byron has a history of failing.
5 Nite Owl (Daniel Dreiberg)
Acting as a successor to the original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason, Dan Dreiberg took the word vigilante to new heights with an array of super cool gadgets. He invented several Nite Owl crime-fighting weapons, including Archimedes, one of the most iconic and beloved gadgets in Watchmen.
The name of his ship is taken from the wizard Merlin's pet owl in T.H. White's classic retelling of the Arthurian legend, The Sword in the Stone. Dreiberg is quite clearly a genius inventor with a deep knowledge of electrical engineering and mechanics. His gadgetry remains unrivaled in the Watchmen universe. Let's not forget about that time he guessed Ozymandias' password either!
4 The Comedian
Ah, the Comedian! Eddie Blake was gifted with knowledge. Much like Rorschach, his most apparent ability (except for fighting, of course) comes in his investigation and analysis skills. He always seems to be one step further than any other character in his investigations.
In many ways, it was ultimately his knowledge and curiosity that got him killed, being the first man to realize Ozymandias' elaborate plot. His intelligence is apparent throughout his entire timeline. It's just a shame that with every bit of knowledge he possesses, there's even more violence. Eddie doesn't have much of a filter for violence, actually finding enjoyment in inflicting pain upon people.
3 Captain Metropolis
The actions of this Nelson Gardner (aka Captain Metropolis) defined a generation of vigilanteism. Growing up with asthma was a struggle for him, but he managed to defy all the hurdles in his way and play football, eventually making a name for himself as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marines. However, what really sets him apart from the rest is his ideas for getting rid of crime. He created the Minutemen and brought together the likes of Hooded Justice, Silk Spectre, Silhouette, Nite Owl, the Comedian, Mothman, and Dollar Bill.
If he had never formed the Minutemen, then Watchmen would never have happened. His intelligence might not be as apparent as others on this list but, as a visionary, his idea for a team of masked vigilantes changed the world.
2 Ozymandias
The top two pick themselves. This time, Adrian Veidt falls just shy of the top spot, although many fans might derive some strong arguments for him claiming the top spot and rightly so. Veidt is the undisputed most intelligent human in the world. It was his plan to save humanity that was the central plot of Watchmen. Even after retiring from being a vigilante, he didn't stop there, he only went and become a successful businessman.
Veidt is a simple man when it comes to getting things done. He doesn't procrastinate or worry, he just gets it done. It's his actions that make him so intelligent. Everything he has done -- from running his business to creating a giant squid to save the world -- has been convincing enough to prove his intelligence can't be touched.
1 Doctor Manhattan
If there's one character in Watchmen who possesses intelligence beyond human comprehension, it is Jon Osterman, better known as Doctor Manhattan. Even though Adrian Veidt is clearly the most intelligent human on this list, it would be difficult to argue with Doctor Manhattan.
There are fundamental things about the universe that Adrian Veidt doesn't know and probably wouldn't understand. He knows everything that has happened, and everything that will happen. It's a little unfair on Veidt, who possesses more raw intelligence rather than getting it through a freak nuclear physics experiment. The man possesses god-like powers -- you just can't top that.