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Millennium Edition: Watchmen Vol 1 1

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""At Midnight, All the Agents..."": This story is reprinted from Watchmen #1.

Millennium Edition: Watchmen #1 is a one-shot with a cover date of January, 2000.

Synopsis for "At Midnight, All the Agents..."

This story is reprinted from Watchmen #1.

NYPD Detectives Steve Fine and Joe Bourquin investigate the murder of Edward Blake, who was thrown out of his apartment window and fell many stories to his death. The detectives conclude that Blake's assailant(s) were rather strong, citing Blake's large and stronger physique as well as the strength of the glass window that Blake was thrown out of. The detectives decide to cover up the investigation in order to avoid interference from the vigilante Rorschach.

That night, however, Rorschach enters and searches Blake's apartment, finding a compartment containing weapons, a leather costume, and a picture of the Minutemen. Rorschach realizes that Edward Blake was the American government-sponsored costumed adventurer known as the Comedian.

Meanwhile, Dan Dreiberg is visiting Hollis Mason at the latter's home where they discuss their time as Nite Owl. After their discussion is over, Dan returns to his apartment to find his door broken in and Rorschach awaiting him while helping himself to a can of cold beans. Rorschach informs Dan of the Comedian's death, who proposes moving their discussion to the workshop in the basement where Dan stores his Nite Owl equipment. Rorschach tells Dan that he has been investigating Blake's death. Dan suggests that given Blake's services and history, his murder could have been a political killing in response to his actions in toppling Marxist Republics in South America. Rorschach proposes another theory that someone is attempting to eliminate costumed heroes. Dan is skeptical of this idea, but Rorschach points out that the Comedian had made a lot of enemies over the past forty years. Rorschach soon leaves but not before giving The Comedian's blood-stained smiley face badge that he found to Dan.

Rorschach later takes his investigation to a seedy bar called Happy Harry's, where the owner and patrons very fearfully know him well. He talks to Harry, asking who killed Edward Blake. A man named Steve mocks Rorschach, who then starts breaking the man's pinky and index fingers while continuing to ask the entire bar who killed Edward Blake. A man speaks up and claims that none of them know, so Rorschach releases Steve and leaves.

Rorschach visits Adrian Veidt, a retired hero formerly known as Ozymandias and a current billionaire, at his office. Veidt shares the same suggestion that Blake's murder was a political killing, perhaps committed by the Soviets. Rorschach considers otherwise, as the Soviets never dared to antagonize America because of the latter's possession of the superhuman operative Dr. Manhattan since 1965, and sticks to his costume killer theory. Veidt further explains that the Comedian had many political enemies other than the Soviets, claiming that Blake's reputation made him "practically a Nazi." Rorschach defends Blake from Veidt's remark, stating that Blake stood up for his country, never allowed anyone to retire him, and never sold his image - unlike Veidt. The billionaire remains unaffected by Rorschach's words, as he explains that he chose to retire prior to the passing of the Police Strike and the Keene Act that outlawed unsanctioned vigilantes.

Rorschach then goes to warn Doctor Manhattan and Laurie Juspeczyk at Rockefeller Military Research Center. The couple were already informed of Blake's murder by their government superiors in which Manhattan recalls that the C.I.A. suspects the Libyans were responsible. Manhattan remains unconcerned when Rorschach proposes his costume killer theory, explaining that he sees life and death as "unquantifiable abstracts." Laurie is very unsympathetic toward Blake, calling him a monster due to the fact that he had tried to rape her mother when they were both in the Minutemen. Her statements on Blake ends up in an argument with Rorschach. Due to upsetting Laurie, Manhattan teleports Rorschach outside of the facility.

Laurie decides to invite Dan Dreiberg out for dinner at Rafael's. Manhattan politely declines to join as he is occupied on finishing his research that would validate supersymmetrical theory. Laurie explains to Dan how she regrets her old life as the second Silk Spectre and her relationship with Jon. She mentions that the government kept her at Rockefeller Military Research Center to keep Jon relaxed and happy. Laurie and Dan then enjoy recalling the story of an old villain that only pretended to be a super-villain to get beaten up, laughing at their times as costumed heroes.

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Synopsis for "Under the Hood"

This story is reprinted from Watchmen #1.

Chapter I

Hollis Mason starts his book by recalling his decision to write a book by turning to a writer named Denise, who had written forty-two stories but never published them, for advice. Denise told him to start with the saddest thing he could think of to get sympathy, "after that, believe me, it's a walk." Hollis dedicates his book, Under the Hood to Denise.

Hollis's story began when his father brought his family to New York City from his grandfather's farm in Montana. In 1928, Hollis' father worked in Vernon's Auto Repairs off of Seventh Avenue and made enough income to support the family. In hindsight, Hollis realized his father's dedication to his job in repairing cars means to him. Hollis made occasional trips to the auto repair shop with his father and met the employer, Moe Vernon who was a opera buff and has a peculiar sense of humor.

One day in 1933, after Hollis' seventeenth birthday, he was with his father at the repair shop when Joe Vernon received a letter from his wife Beatrice and learned that for two years she has been sleeping with Vernon's senior and trusted mechanic, Fred Motz, and she has withdrew all the money from their joint bank number and left with Motz for Tijuana. Vernon became emotionally devastated, in which he had his gramophone playing "The Ride of the Valkyries" at maximum volume until he emerged wearing his gag breast harness to tell his employees that his wife committed adultery. His staff misinterpreted this gesture and laughed uproariously at what seemed an inspired bit of humor. But eventually everyone realized of their mistake and one of them went to apologized Vernon, who then claimed that he is fine.

After the employees left that night, Vernon committed suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide fumes. Vernon's brother took over his business and later re-employed Fred Motz. Since then, Hollis considered "The Ride of the Valkyries" the saddest thing he could think of due to Vernon's death.

Chapter II

By 1939, at the age of twenty-three, Hollis had taken a job on the New York City police force and tried to examine what could lead him to that career choice, his first notion being his grandfather, who introduce a certain set of moral values and conditions upon Hollis. Throughout his career, Hollis became disgusted with the types of people that he dealt ranging from pimps, pornographers, protection artists, pedophiles, and rapists. Because of this, Hollis upset his parents by loudly wishing he was back in Montana.

In the autumn of the same year, Hollis learned of a news story concerning of an attempted assault and robbery in Queens. A young man and his girlfriend were walking home from a movie theater when they are set upon by a gang of three armed men. They stole the couple of their belongings before beating up the young man while threatening to assault his girlfriend. At this point, a masked figure attacked the criminals with such severity that they required their hospitalization, and that one man lost the use of his legs due to a spinal injury. The witnesses' recounting was confused and contradictory.

A week later, the same masked figure appear again in stopping a stick-up robbery at a supermarket. The robbers surrendered immediately when one of them was brutally beaten by the vigilante. Eyewitnesses described the vigilante as a 'tall man, built like a wrestler, who wore a black hood and cape and also wore a noose around his neck.' The news press dubbed the masked adventurer in their headlines as 'Hooded Justice.' Hollis became fascinated by the Hooded Justice and decided to be 'the second.' He has found his vocation.

Appearing in "Under the Hood"

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Notes

  • This issue reprints Watchmen #1. For further notes, see the original comic.



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