The Comedian (Edward Morgan "Eddie" Blake) is a fictional character who debuted in the
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
limited series
In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'', published by
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. The Comedian was created by writer
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
with artist
Dave Gibbons
David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story " For the M ...
. As with most of the main characters in the series, he was an analogue for a
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic-book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T. W. O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line (comics), line was a divi ...
character; in this case, the
Peacemaker
Peacemaker or The Peacemaker may refer to:
Individuals and groups
* UN Peacemaker, a project of the UN to support international peacemakers and mediators
* Peace makers, a list of contemporary individuals and organizations involved in peacemaki ...
. Moore imagined the Comedian as a mix between the Peacemaker with "a little bit of
Nick Fury
Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...
" and "probably a bit of the standard
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
patriotic hero-type".
Fictional character biography
Events of ''Watchmen''
The story of ''Watchmen'' starts with the aftermath of Edward Blake's murder in 1985. Fellow crimefighter
Rorschach, independently investigating the murder, discovers that Blake was in fact the Comedian. The main plot of ''Watchmen'' initially involves Rorschach's suspicion of a plot to kill costumed heroes ("masks"); his continuing investigation into Blake's murder leads to a much larger, more horrifying secret. The Comedian's appearances in ''Watchmen'' consist of
flashbacks of the other characters. He is also mentioned in ''Under the Hood'', the fictional
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
of Hollis Mason (Nite Owl I) that appears in ''Watchmen'' issues 1–3.
The Comedian was a
cigar
A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...
-chomping, gun-toting
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
-turned-
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
agent. When he first became a costumed adventurer in 1939, he dressed in a
clown
A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...
-like costume with a simple
domino mask
A domino mask is a small and (often) rounded mask covering only the area around the eyes and the space between them. The mask has seen special prevalence since the 18th century, when it became traditional wear in particular local manifestations ...
. A brutal
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
, Blake manages to expunge most
organized crime
Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...
from the
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
harbor. He became the youngest member of The Minutemen, a prominent group of heroes.
After one particular photography shoot of The Minutemen, Blake attempted to rape his comrade
Silk Spectre
Silk Spectre is the name of two fictional superheroines in the graphic novel limited series ''Watchmen'', published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Silk Spectre, Sally "Jupiter" Juspeczyk, was a member of the c ...
; she escaped only when another Minuteman,
Hooded Justice, interrupted the assault and beat Blake, breaking his nose. The Comedian was then expelled from the group—but Silk Spectre's entertainment agent persuaded her not to press charges against him for fear of what it would do to the group's image. During a secret and consensual encounter years later, Blake impregnated Silk Spectre with her daughter and successor, Laurie.
In the 1940s, Blake updated his Comedian uniform, after being stabbed by a small-time hood. He adopted a leather outfit that served as light
body armor
Body armour, personal armour (also spelled ''armor''), armoured suit (''armored'') or coat of armour, among others, is armour for human body, a person's body: protective clothing or close-fitting hands-free shields designed to absorb or deflect ...
, adorned with short star-and-stripe-themed sleeves and a small
happy face button. He retained the small domino mask and began carrying a pistol. He fought in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, becoming a war hero in the
Pacific theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. It is also implied, but not directly stated, that he murdered Hooded Justice in revenge for the beating he suffered.
By the late 1960s, Blake had begun working as a covert government operative. Hollis Mason, the original
Nite Owl
Nite Owl is the name of two superheroes in the graphic novel Limited series (comics), limited series ''Watchmen'', published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Nite Owl, Hollis T. Mason, was a member of the crimefi ...
, had published his autobiography ''Under the Hood'' by this point and in it disclosed the Comedian's sexual assault on Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre. In 1966, he was invited to join the Crimebusters by Captain Metropolis, but he quickly ruined the older hero's hopes of a new team by mocking him, and pointing out that old fashioned crime fighting methods would not save the world from nuclear war.
Alongside
Doctor Manhattan
Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jonathan "Jon" Osterman) is a fictional DC Comics character created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. He debuted in the graphic novel, limited Limited series (comics), series graphic novel, ''Watchmen.''
Follo ...
, the Comedian played a major role in the United States'
war with Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. Shortly after Manhattan's godlike powers forced the
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
ese to surrender, Blake was confronted by his lover, a pregnant Vietnamese woman. He told her bluntly that he planned to leave the country immediately without her, and in a rage she slashed his face with a broken bottle. Blake shot and killed her, but the attack left his face permanently disfigured with a scar running from his right eye to the corner of his mouth. After this incident, he began wearing a leather
gimp
Gimp or GIMP may refer to:
Clothing
* Bondage suit, also called a gimp suit, a type of suit used in BDSM
* Bondage mask, also called a gimp mask, often worn in conjunction with a gimp suit
Embroidery and crafts
* Gimp (thread), an ornamental tr ...
-style mask when dressed as the Comedian.
The costumed adventurers faced massive backlash and rioting in 1977; in response, Congress passed the Keene Act, requiring all heroes to register with the government if they wished to remain active. The majority of them "retired" in anonymity; while others, such as Rorschach, continued their activities in open defiance of the law. Doctor Manhattan and the Comedian were two of the few who registered and were employed by the government. Blake enjoyed his new role in the government and the protection it offered, even going so far as to suggest to members of President Nixon's staff that he had killed
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for ''The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the honorific title of associate editor though the Post no longer employs ...
and
Carl Bernstein
Carl Milton Bernstein ( ; born February 14, 1944) is an American investigative journalist and author. While a young reporter for ''The Washington Post'' in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward, and the two did much of the original ne ...
before they could reveal the details of the
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...
, as well as being behind the assassination of
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
(on Nixon's orders). The
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis () began on November 4, 1979, when 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the Embassy of the United States in Tehran, with 52 of them being held until January 20, 1981. Th ...
in 1980 was resolved when Blake freed the captives after an assault.
It was during his return from a government mission in 1984 that Blake discovered the island where Adrian Veidt (
Ozymandias
"Ozymandias" ( ) is a sonnet written by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was first published in the 11 January 1818 issue of '' The Examiner'' of London.
The poem was included the following year in Shelley's collection '' Ros ...
) was conducting his experiments that would ultimately destroy New York City. Shocked and appalled by what he finds, Blake realizes that no one will believe him if he reveals Veidt's plan. He drunkenly breaks into
Edgar Jacobi's house and cryptically describes the plan, knowing Jacobi will not understand but not realizing Veidt has the bedroom bugged. Veidt, to ensure that Blake does not compromise his operation, confronts Blake in his high-rise apartment and throws Blake out of the window, killing him.
''Before Watchmen''
In ''Before Watchmen: The Minutemen'' #1, additional details are revealed about the Comedian while material from the main story is somewhat
retcon
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
ned. It is revealed that the Comedian got his start as a costumed adventurer at the young age of sixteen and had a prior criminal record for assault. Unlike the rest of the costumed heroes of the Minutemen, he is shown to be driven by greed and an inherent love for violence. In particular, he assaults a bartender after breaking up a bar fight and steals liquor and money from the cash register. The issue also implies Blake may have been a victim of severe child abuse as he claims that a "caseworker" told him what he suffered was the cause of his violent outbursts, though Blake's status as an
unreliable narrator
In literature, film, and other such arts, an unreliable narrator is a narrator who cannot be trusted, one whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in a wide range from children to mature characters. While unreliable narrators are al ...
makes the claim uncertain.
''Before Watchmen: Comedian'' #1 rewrites the character's back-story further. It is revealed that Blake was friends with
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yo ...
and
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
as well as
Jackie Kennedy
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...
. This contradicts the main ''Watchmen'' series, which cast Edward Blake as a friend and employee of
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
. The mini-series reveals that Blake was responsible for the murder of
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
(ordered by Jackie Kennedy, behind her husband's back) as well as revealing that, despite strong innuendo from both Blake and Ozymandias, that he did not kill John Kennedy and was attempting to confront
Moloch
Moloch, Molech, or Molek is a word which appears in the Hebrew Bible several times, primarily in the Book of Leviticus. The Greek Septuagint translates many of these instances as "their king", but maintains the word or name ''Moloch'' in others, ...
when he found the villain watching the live coverage of the assassination, including Kennedy's death, which caused the two foes to commiserate in their grief. It is implied that a former FBI agent with a resemblance to Blake may have been behind it.
''Doomsday Clock''
In the sequel comic book ''
Doomsday Clock'', the Comedian seemingly turns up alive when he confronts Ozymandias at the time when he was in the DC Universe meeting with
Lex Luthor
Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
. It is revealed that Doctor Manhattan has captured the Comedian from moments before his death, causing him to wash ashore outside the city of Metropolis and greeting him. The Comedian continues on the trail of Mime and Marionette. He catches up to
Joker, Mime, and Marionette when they attend an underground villain meeting held by
Riddler
The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in O ...
to discuss the Superman Theory. He makes himself known by shooting
Typhoon
A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
in the face. While pursuing them, he evades
Giganta
Giganta is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, commonly as a recurring adversary of the superhero Wonder Woman, and an occasional foil of the superhero the Atom (Ray Palmer), Atom. She debuted as a brutish ...
's attacks, shoots Riddler in the leg, and uses a grenade to defeat the other villains present. When Mime and Marionette are in bed together the next morning, the Comedian catches up to them, planning to use them to find Ozymandias. Before the Comedian can do anything, Joker comes to Mime and Marionette's rescue where he uses a joy buzzer on the Comedian. As Batman gets free and fights Joker, Mime and Marionette escape with the Comedian and the Lantern Battery. Upon catching up with Ozymandias and shooting him, Luthor shoots the Comedian with a device which returns him to the moment he was taken from, leaving him to die which horrified him and feeling denied of his revenge.
Character inspiration and origin of name
Alan Moore has stated that the Comedian, besides his comic book inspirations, was based on
G. Gordon Liddy
George Gordon Battle Liddy (November 30, 1930 – March 30, 2021) was an American lawyer and FBI agent who was convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping for his role in the Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration.
Work ...
, a former FBI agent and a figure in the
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...
as the chief operative of the
White House Plumbers
The White House Plumbers, sometimes simply called the Plumbers, the Room 16 Project, ODESSA or more officially, the White House Special Investigations Unit, was a covert White House Special Investigations Unit, established within a week of the pu ...
during the
Nixon administration
Richard Nixon's tenure as the 37th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1969, and ended when he resigned on August 9, 1974, in the face of almost certain impeachment and removal from office, the ...
. Liddy was convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping for his role in the scandal.
Moore imagined the Comedian as Liddy with "comic book muscles".
In the comic,
Rorschach explains that Blake's moniker of "The Comedian" stems from his cynical and selfish world perspective that "in an insane world", one can only laugh, as if everything is "a joke". Moore took the idea of the name from
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century.
Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...
's novel ''
The Comedians''.
Powers and abilities
The Comedian was a skilled hand-to-hand combatant in excellent physical condition, even at the time of his death at the age of 67. Blake was proficient with his
M1911
The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911, Colt 1911, Colt .45, or Colt Government in the case of Colt-produced models) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge.
History
Early hist ...
.45 caliber pistol
A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...
,
MAC-10
The Military Armament Corporation Model 10, officially abbreviated as "M10" or "M-10", and more commonly known as the MAC-10, is a compact, Blowback (arms), blowback operated machine pistol/submachine gun that was developed by Gordon Ingram in ...
submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine (firearms), magazine-fed automatic firearm, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to descri ...
and
pump-action
Pump action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by moving a sliding handguard on the gun's forestock. When shooting, the sliding forend is pulled rearward to eject any expended cartridge (firearms), cartridge and typically to co ...
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
and was shown using a variety of conventional weaponry in his adventures (
flamethrower
A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World W ...
s,
grenade launcher
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially designed, large caliber projectile, often with an explosive, Smoke screen, smoke, or tear gas, gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary gre ...
s, etc.). His government-sanctioned activities suggest that he received training in covert operations and unconventional warfare.
Smiley face badge
Throughout the work, the Comedian is typically seen wearing or in close proximity to the "
smiley face
A smiley, sometimes called a smiley face, is a basic ideogram representing a smiling face. Since the 1950s, it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram or as a form of communication, such as emoticon ...
" button, which is closely associated with him, and has become the iconic symbol of the ''Watchmen'' series as a whole. At the beginning of the series, the button is stained with a single drop of blood which, if the button is viewed as a clock face, is at the position of the minute hand of the
Doomsday Clock at the time of the series, five minutes to midnight.
In other media
Television
*The Comedian appears in ''
Watchmen: Motion Comic'', voiced by
Tom Stechschulte
Thomas Andrew Stechschulte (November 1948 – June 7, 2021) was an American film and television actor. His most prominent role may have been that of the presidential candidate Robert Arthur in '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (2004). He has also had ...
.
*The Comedian appears in the ''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'' (2019) episode "
This Extraordinary Being", portrayed by an uncredited actor.
Film
*The Comedian appears in ''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'' (2009), portrayed by
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022) and its spin-off '' The Walking Dead: Dead City'' (2023–present ...
.
* The Comedian appears in ''
Watchmen Chapter I'', voiced by
Rick D. Wasserman.
Video games
The Comedian appears in ''
Watchmen: The End Is Nigh'', voiced by Mark Silverman.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comedian, The
DC Comics film characters
DC Comics male superheroes
DC Comics military personnel
DC Comics spies
Fictional American spies
Fictional assassins in comics
Fictional characters from New York City
Fictional murdered people
Fictional soldiers
Fictional Vietnam War veterans
Fictional World War II veterans
Male characters in film
Peacemaker (character)
United States-themed superheroes
Watchmen characters