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365 DC Comics Heroes & Villains Paper Cut-Outs

Doctor Manhattan

Following a bizarre laboratory accident, atomic physicist Jon Osterman gains the ability to observe and manipulate matter at the subatomic level. The United States government dubs him ‘Doctor Manhattan’ due to his enormous destructive potential. He originally uses his powers to act as a superhero yet ultimately finds the matter trivial.

As Manhattan further explores the upper limits of his powers, he becomes increasingly detached from others and disaffected toward his understanding of the human experience.  The world is on the brink of nuclear annihilation, yet Manhattan has become ambivalent over using his near-omnipotent abilities to save humanity from itself. 

The megalomaniacal Ozymandias has covertly acted to compound Manhattan’s sense of alienation, all in an effort to drive the former hero from earth.  He needs Manhattan out of the way in order to execute an enormous hoax that he believes will save the world.  Ozymandias plans a massive psychic attack concurrent with the teleportation of a giant facsimile of an alien invader.  Millions would be killed, yet it would cause the world governments to put aside their differences and come together so to defend against the superordinate threat of an alien invasion.

Dr. Manhattan’s former lover, Laurie Juspeczyk, is able to convince him not to turn his back on mankind.  Yet his choice comes too late and Ozymandias succeeds in his plan.  It appears that Ozymandias’ ruse will work and Manhattan chooses not to intervene; he even kills his one time colleague Rorschach so to prevent him from telling the world of Ozymandias’ crime.  Manhattan then departs Earth so to explore the broader universe and see what else might be out there.  

There are two continuations of Dr. Manhattan’s story.  In one he returns to earth and falls in love with a woman named Angela Abar, suppressing his powers so that the two might have a life together.  In another, Manhattan discovers the multiverse and is drawn to the primary DC Comics continuity.  Here he meets Superman and is ultimately able to regain his belief in the goodness of humanity.