![]() Like the Comedian, Ozymandias operates from a curious position of moral ambiguity unlike the Comedian, Ozymandias commits heinous acts in the name of benevolence. Nope, Veidt’s brand of expansionist power transcends nationalist politics and aspires to global conquest. He encapsulates a component of Watchmen’s larger commentary on the decline of the American empire-one that is averse to the Comedian’s representation of the specifically American ethos. ![]() Specifically, Ozymandias’s technological empire is impelled by his dominance of commercial enterprise. Aided by modern technology, Ozymandias is empowered to expand his sphere of influence beyond anything that Alexander the Great himself could have ever imagined. More thematically, it strikes upon Veidt’s representation of classical imperialism contextualized in the contemporary era. For one thing, it starkly characterizes his inconceivable brainpower. The recurrent portrayal of Ozymandias calmly soaking in the rays emitted by his myriad screens is iconic. ![]() Veidt is portrayed sitting before the screens, unfeasibly consuming all the information transmitted by them simultaneously. Among other things, Veidt’s Antarctic hideout is known for its room with a wall covered floor-to-ceiling with television screens all displaying different world events. Manhattan even further, Veidt installs tachyon generators around his complex to prevent Dr. To conceal his machinations from the all-encompassing perception of Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias later builds a similar base in Antarctica, which he names Karnak after the Karnak complex in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Hidden Empireīecause his secluded island base was not remote enough to escape detection by the Comedian and Dr. By 1970, he has amassed enough wealth to buy a small island from which he plans and executes his schemes. By the time masked superheroes are banned by the Keene Act of 1977, Ozymandias has already broken away to build a commercial empire of his own. Thanks to his calculative braininess, Ozymandias foresees the fall of masked vigilantes to public disgrace. In the ’60s, Ozymandias attempts to organize the Crimebusters, but his attempts at leadership are foiled by the reductive condescension of the Comedian. Manhattan has a destabilizing effect on Cold War relations and secretly contrives to undermine him despite working closely with him. Manhattan, despite finding him to be insurmountably fascinating. The Comedian and Ozymandias despise each other from their initial encounter with one another when both are attempting to track down Hooded Justice. ![]() Early on, Ozymandias captures the attention of both the Comedian and Dr. The significance will not be lost on you, dear reader, of Adrian Veidt’s fervid identification with two of the most prominent empire-building military leaders of antiquity.Īs a costumed avenger, Ozymandias coordinates with former Minutemen to dispel evildoers and human malignancy. As a superhero, he costumes himself in the style of Alexander the Great and takes on the name Ozymandias, the Greek name for Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II. After their deaths, he donates their fortunes to charity and embarks on a spiritual pilgrimage that traces Alexander the Great’s conquests.ĭuring this pilgrimage, aided by his romantic identification with Alexander the Great of Macedonia and by a healthy dose of hashish, Veidt attains the enlightened realization that he must devote his life to tempering the evils of mankind by becoming a superhero. His wealthy parents die when he is a teenager. He is referred to in the media as the “smartest man in the world.” In his youth, Veidt is highly idealistic. Veidt’s primary skill is his supernormal intelligence. His malice is more subdued than this other DC villain’s, but his intellect seems just as otherworldly. When you think of Ozymandias, think Brainiac. Ozymandias, despite his polished manner and lofty ideals, proves to be the true scheming villain of Watchmen.īecause Veidt ultimately distances himself from his crime-fighting alter-ego more than any other Watchmen hero, you will see me refer to him as Veidt and as Ozymandias interchangeably. For all the Comedian’s brutish hostility and open treachery, he is ultimately perturbed by Ozymandias’s detached ability to use other people as dispensable pawns. You may even consider Ozymandias to be the inverse of the Comedian. He is closely associated with the Comedian, his true nemesis, through both their indomitable physical prowess and their morally ambiguous association with secretive governmental operations. Over the course of the series, this dubious hero amasses more power, clout, and fame than any other Watchmen character. Adrian Veidt, or Ozymandias, of Watchmen is as imperial and hubristic as his chosen name would suggest.
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