8 Watchmen Characters Based On Charlton Comics
Find out which classic Charlton's Comics characters inspired Alan Moore's masterpiece.
Doomsday is upon us, and with it comes the start of DC's most anticipated crossover event, Doomsday Clock. The event, centered around the return of characters from Alan Moore’s Watchmen miniseries, is set to turn the DC universe on its head, by introducing characters like Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach, to fans of heroes like Batman and Superman.
The crossover seemed destined to happen, as the unique cast of heroes brought to life in both the Watchmen graphic novel and the 2009 film of the same name, have gained a tremendous following in the comic book community.
Most fans of the Watchmen series are aware that Moore used classic heroes as inspiration for his band of misfits. Alan wanted to use characters that DC recently acquired from Charlton Comics, hoping to base the Watchmen story around them. DC turned down his idea, so instead he modeled the Watchmen around some of Charlton’s most famous properties.
With a few changes here and there, Moore was able to pay tribute to the past while blazing a trail for the future. That being said, here are 8 Watchmen characters based on classic Charlton Comics characters!
8. Mime & Marionette / Punch & Jewelee
It’s important when writing a sequel, that you not expand upon its mythology. Geoff Johns did just that when he took on the unbelievable task of writing Doomsday Clock. His work on the book fits the Watchmen universe, and in Issue #1 he adds more members to Moore's menagerie, with the inclusion of criminal couple Marionette and Mime.
Not much is known about the deranged couple, other than the fact that they are dangerous, fiercely loyal to one another, and have a son together. Whether it is ripping throats out with their bare teeth, or working as hired help for Ozymandias, this couple truly an enigmatic addition to the mythos.
While some may have seen Mime and Marionette as doppelgangers to DC’s Joker and Harley Quinn, Geoff John’s is actually paying homage to Alan Moore by modeling the couple after Charlton characters Punch and Jewelee.
Punch and Jewlee first appeared in under the Charlton Comics banner in 1967 in the pages of Captain Atom #85. They were high school sweethearts who turned to a life a crime after years of performing in the circus. When it comes to crime they are also a devoted, unpredictable, very dangerous duo.