From: Watchmen #11 by Alan Moore (script) and Dave Gibbons (art) The world of popular culture is filled with villains who are all talk but no action. Adrian Veidt, aka, Ozymandias, is not one of those villains. In the penultimate issue of the critically acclaimed Watchmen series, Ozymandias describes in lurid detail his master plan of staving off a nuclear holocaust by manufacturing an alien invasion that would kill millions, but also unite the U.S. and the Soviet Union against a common enemy. When Veidts former Watchmen teammates try to talk him out of this plan, he lets them know that the plan has already been put into action, and theres no way to stop it. I did it thirty-five minutes ago ranks up there as one of the most shocking and haunting reveals in comic book history an instance where the bad guy actually succeeds and does so without demonstrating an inkling of remorse. Millions of people are wiped out because of one mans actions, and the heroes of the story are absolutely powerless to do anything about it. True to the Percy Shelling poem the character is named after, Ozymandiass actions speak to the fleeting nature of empires. In effect, Alan Moore uses this scene to detonate his own nuclear bomb on readers. Through Ozymandias, Moore lets readers know that the projection of unstoppable power can be rendered moot via the actions of one person.
7. Wolverines Turn
From: The Uncanny X-Men #132 by Chris Claremoent (script and co-plots), John Byrne (pencils and co-plots) and Terry Austin (inks) Years before Wolverine was one of the worlds most popular and overexposed superheroes, he was best known for his diminutive attitude and surly nature. That all changed in Uncanny X-Men #132, which is a part of the memorable Dark Phoenix Saga. In this comic, Wolverine is left for dead in the sewers by a mind-controlled Jean Grey and the evil Hellfire Club, but in just one image, Chris Claremont and John Byrne manage to depict him as one of the toughest S.O.B.s in the Marvel Universe. Artistically, Byrne frames the scene perfectly: Wolverines lip is curled and his claws are unsheathed as a silhouette of the sewer great above him casts a shadow on him as he emerges from the dank water. Claremont brings it home with just a wonderful line from Wolverine: Youve taken your best shot! Now its my turn! Anyone who did not become a huge fan of Wolverine after that scene is lying to you and/or himself. This panel instantly transforms him from just another guy on a team to a living legend capable of taking a licking and coming back for more, armed with a snappy retort to boot.
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
