8 Things You May Have Missed About DC's Watchmen

8. Moore Originally Wanted To Use Preexisting DC Characters

One of the most interesting things to consider in Watchmen's development is that Moore originally wanted to use characters from Charlton Comics, a company that had recently sold its properties in the summer of 1983. DC, however, had other plans for the heroes, adding them into the mainstream DCU two years later during Crisis on Infinite Earths. One such character, The Question, would even be the subject of a long-running series by Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan - one that reimagined the character as a sagely vigilante fighting for social justice, and less of the Steve Ditko-y, more Rorschach-y blend that had defined the original Charlton character.

Charlton's characters formed much of the template behind the Minutemen, with Nite Owl and Doctor Manhattan acting as stand-ins for Blue Beetle and Captain Atom respectively. While Silk Spectre draws many a comparison to Black Canary, the character is actually based on Nightshade, with Peacemaker and Thunderbolt also forming the basis for The Comedian and Ozymandias respectively.

Ignoring the popularity of Watchmen's characters for a second, it is an interesting prospect to consider what the book would've been like had DC given Moore permission to use the original Charlton versions of the characters. It's probably best that he wasn't however, especially since The Question and Blue Beetle went on to enjoy their own critically revered stints in the medium after the series concluded.