Dr. Manhattan

Lore & Background

Jonathan Osterman is born in 1929 to a Jewish-American family of German descent. He plans to follow in his father's footsteps as a watchmaker, but when the U.S. drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, his father declares his profession outdated and forces Jon to work toward a career studying nuclear physics. Jon attends Princeton University and earns his Ph.D. before working as a research assistant at Gila Flats. In late 1959, he moves to a research base at Gila Flats, where experiments are being performed on the "intrinsic fields" of physical objects. Here he meets Janey Slater, a fellow researcher; they eventually become lovers. During a visit to an amusement park, Janey's wristwatch breaks and Jon promises to fix it. The same day he returns the repaired watch, Jon realizes he left it in his lab coat inside a test chamber. When he goes inside to retrieve it the test chamber door closes behind him locking him inside. Researchers outside are unable to open the door or override the countdown, and the force of the generator tears Jon to pieces. A series of strange events and ghostly appearances occur over the next few weeks. After a series of partial bodily appearances, it becomes apparent that Jon is gradually reforming his body. Each time, the appearance lasts for only a few seconds: first a disembodied nervous system including the brain and eyes; then a circulatory system; and then a partially muscled skeleton. Jon eventually reappears as a blue-skinned man, glowing with a "flare of ultraviolet".

In Their Own Story

At the start of Watchmen, Manhattan works at the Rockefeller Military Research Center, where he lives with Laurie Juspeczyk. Rorschach informs them of the murder of Edward Blake, aka the Comedian, and warns them that all former costumed adventurers are being targeted by a "mask killer". Because he works for the U.S. government, Manhattan is exempt from a federal law outlawing costumed heroes. During a talk show appearance, a reporter ambushes Manhattan with allegations that he caused cancer in his former associates, including Janey. Seeking solitude, Manhattan transports himself to Mars. The Soviet Union exploits his absence by invading Afghanistan, sparking an international crisis. Eventually, Manhattan brings Laurie to Mars to discuss why he should aid humanity. Laurie inadvertently wins the argument after the shocking realization that her father is Blake, a man she despised for sexually assaulting her mother. Manhattan is amazed by the improbable events that occurred to result in the birth of Laurie, a chain of events he sees as a stunning "thermodynamic miracle". Realizing that such a miracle can apply to any living thing on Earth, Manhattan is persuaded to return to protect humanity. It is discovered that Veidt framed Manhattan as part of his plot to avert World War III by attacking New York with an engineered monster, killing half of the city in the process. Manhattan decides to depart Earth again, suggesting that he desires to find a galaxy "less complicated than this one". When Veidt asks if his plan worked out in the end, Manhattan replies, "In the end? Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends".

Reader's Guide

Jon Osterman begins as a brilliant but emotionally distant physicist seeking to understand the fundamental nature of reality. His arc transforms him from a man trying to fix his life into a cosmic entity who realizes he can no longer participate in it meaningfully. His powers include matter manipulation, teleportation, immortality, and non-linear time perception. He can create complex objects instantly or dismantle them at the atomic level. Defining moments include his accidental creation, his role in preventing nuclear war during the Cold War, and his final decision to leave Earth to explore the multiverse.

Did You Know?

• Doctor Manhattan is partially based on Charlton Comics' Captain Atom, although he has more in common with Gold Key Comics' Solar.
• Manhattan's forehead is marked with the atomic structure (specifically the Bohr model) of hydrogen, which he put on himself, declining a helmet with the atom symbol.
• Gibbons reused the blue skin motif from his earlier character Rogue Trooper for Manhattan, as it visualized electrical or atomic energy while still resembling human skin tonally.
• Manhattan made his first live-action debut in the 2009 film Watchmen, played by Billy Crudup.
• In 2016, as part of DC Comics' Rebirth relaunch, Manhattan became a major character in the DC Universe.