The Watchmen question

[misskim86]

Ok so I saw the uncut version of The Watchmen and one thing I don't get.

They tried to start that group late 60s called Crimebusters right? But The Comedian killed that idea.

So just what was "The Watchmen"? Did they actually form a group in the 70s called "The Watchmen"?

 

[Leroy]

The term 'Watchmen' comes from the phrase "Who watches the Watchmen?" graffiti scribbled on a wall in the graphic novel, As far as I know there is no actual group called 'Watchmen', the Crimebusters group never formed in the comic but was discussed if I remember right.

 

[ElScoob]

That was probably the one unfortunate oversimplification in the film... they basically renamed the Crimebusters "The Watchmen", it seems. Guess someone thought that the term 'watchmen' being used in a strictly metaphorical fashion might confuse the audience.

So for the film's purposes, the Crimebusters were instead the Watchmen.

--g

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I find the discussion somewhat Juvenal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quis_custodiet_ipsos_custodes?

 

[T'Girl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quis_custodiet_ipsos_custodes%3F

Indeed........................"Who cleans up after the Janitors?"

 

[shivkala]

It's also related to the 50's group of heroes in the movie/book, The Minutemen, of which the original Nite-Owl and Silk Spectre were members alongside the Comedian. Both also keep with the time-piece symbolism of the story (the Doomsday Clock and the importance of clocks/time to Dr. Osterman/Manhattan).

 

[misskim86]

So when Night owl , comedian and the others work together , they're not an actual group?

 

[shivkala]

During Dan's flashback to the days right before the Keane Act where he and the Comedian are putting down a riot, it seems to be as if they were not working together all that much at the time. Dan knew about Laurie, Manhattan, and Rorschach, but the Comedian didn't know what was going on, as he was busy working for the government.

I got the impression that they were never a group, officially. The Comedian worked for the government and "teamed-up" somewhat with Manhattan in Vietnam. Nite-Owl and Rorschach fought crime together before Rorschach had his breakdown and began thinking Dan was too soft. Laurie and Manhattan worked together as they were romantically involved. But I don't think all five of them teamed-up together at any point.

 

[misskim86]

Alright, because I was always under the impression after reading the comic and watching the movie that they did infact have a group in the 70s called "The Watchmen". Thanks for straightening that out