History ComicBook / Watchmen

* LetsYouAndHimFight: Referenced and played with, like most ComicBookTropes in Watchmen. [[spoiler:Ozymandias and The Comedian]] do this when they first meet, but [[spoiler:it's revealed that The Comedian recognized Ozy, but attacked him anyway, using the excuse that]] "For some reason it happens a lot when costumed crimefighters meet for the first time."

** Manhattan has one when, y'know. He's about to die.

** Silhouette is shown in kissing the nurse in Times Square on V-J Day (taking the place of a sailor in the original Alfred Eisenstadt photo).

* DifferentWorldDifferentMovies: The existence of superheroes led to superhero comics not being popular, so most of comics known from our world don't exist. Instead comics about pirates are very popular.

* DatingCatwoman: A villain named Twilight Lady had a crush on Nite Owl II. Dan accuses her of having had a "fixation" and having been "sick", but there are clear suggestions it's something of a hypocritical excuse, what with his own implied moderate costume fetish and the fact that he kept her picture and has a dream about her before the it turns into one about Laurie. Still a bit of a {{deconstruction}}.

* [[spoiler: ShootTheShaggyDog]]

** How about those two [[AllThePresidentsMen Washington Post reporters]] found [[StuffedInTheFridge dead in a garage?]]

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* DatingCatwoman: A villain named Twilight Lady had a crush on Nite Owl II. Dan accuses her of having had a "fixation" and having been "sick", but there are clear suggestions it's something of a hypocritical excuse, what with his own implied moderate costume fetish and the fact that he kept her picture and has a dream about her before the it turns into one about Laurie.

* DatingCatwoman: A villain named Twilight Lady had a crush on Nite Owl II. In a bit of Deconstruction, Dan notes that the woman was obviously mentally ill for having such feelings.

* OrIsIt: When Dr. Manhattan first discusses his recent inability to see the future, he speculates that a nuclear war would be capable of causing it. [[spoiler: Later on it's revealed that Doctor Manhattan's ability to see the future was being short-circuited by Ozymandias through the use of tachyons. However, Dr. Manhattan's parting words and the end of the book make it possible that Doctor Manhattan's original assumption was correct. After all, Ozymandias's other attempt to use technology against Dr. Manhattan was... unsuccessful. He may have been wrong twice.]]

* TheBadGuyWins: Because he did it thirty-five minutes ago. Except it went exactly as he predicted, so maybe he wasn't the bad guy after all, depending on whether you think temporary world peace was worth the millions of deaths.

* [[{{Ptitle7beegrwp}} We Didn't Start the Billy Joel Parodies]]: It's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fQmjTZhpLg got one]].

* TruffautWasRight: Alan Moore wasn't quite intending for Rorschach to have as big a fanbase as he does.

In 1983, DCComics acquired the rights to the character lineup of the defunct CharltonComics. In an effort to reintroduce these characters in a big way, DC approached veteran ''SwampThing'' scribe AlanMoore and asked him to write a story around these characters that was set in TheDCU. Upon reading his initial outline, however, DC higher-ups changed their minds and asked Moore to either create new characters (and a new [[TheVerse 'verse]]) or write a story that ''wouldn't'' render all of the characters completely unusable going forward. Moore chose to create new characters, and in 1985, the classic {{Deconstruction}} of the superhero genre made its debut.

''Watchmen'', {{Alan Moore}}'s MagnumOpus, is a twelve-issue MiniSeries about an alternate reality where incognito vigilantes -- inspired by a number of successful pulp style mystery-men -- became a real event until the government outlawed it ([[SuperRegistrationAct the Keene Act]]); one actual superhero with real powers actually exists, due to a FreakLabAccident, and helped the US win the VietnamWar. One of the "masks" -- Edward "The Comedian" Blake, also a former American Black Ops technician -- has just been murdered, and the mystery behind his death (who killed him, and for what purpose) drives the series from murder mystery to SuperHero {{Deconstruction}} to the revelation of a one-man GovernmentConspiracy.

* [=~Sure, Why Not?~=]: The fate of [[spoiler: Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis]] has been a source of speculation owing to a couple resembling the two appearing on panel (and in focus) after their supposed demises. Dave Gibbons stated it wasn't intentional, but was far too good of a theory to refute.

* [=~Wouldn't Hit A Girl~=]: Beats up, shoots and stabs this trope.

** For an out-of-story example, no character ever uses the words "who watches the watchmen," or for that matter even refers to the characters as "watchmen."
*** Actually the words do appear several times painted on buildings and such, as an anti-vigilanteism slogan. However they are not shown in their entirity until the end of the comic.

''Watchmen'', {{Alan Moore}}'s MagnumOpus, is a twelve-issue MiniSeries about an alternate reality where incognito vigilantism -- inspired by classic comics -- became a real fad until the government was forced to outlaw it ([[SuperRegistrationAct the Keene Act]]); one actual superhero with real powers actually exists, due to a FreakLabAccident, and helped the US win the VietnamWar. One of the "masks" -- Edward "The Comedian" Blake, also a former American Black Ops technician -- has just been murdered, and the mystery behind his death (who killed him, and for what purpose) drives the series from murder mystery to SuperHero {{Deconstruction}} to the revelation of a one-man GovernmentConspiracy.

* OldShame: Alan Moore has come to regret writing the book, given all the later comic writers who tried to capitalize on his {{Darker And Edgier}} style while {{Completely Missing The Point}}.

It's FilmNoir. It's RaygunGothic. It's a [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superhero story. It's a [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] superhero story. It's a [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] superhero story. It's SciFi. It's CyberPunk. It's ThePirateJenny. It's AlternateHistory. It's [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical Political]]. It's a {{Deconstruction}} of superheroes. It's [[GenreBusting a lot of things.]] It's ''Watchmen,'' and it's one of the most influential pieces of literature ever.