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{{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}}
#REDIRECT ] {{R to section}}
{{Superherobox| <!--Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Comics-->
image=]
|caption=The Comedian from ]. Art by Dave Gibbons.
|comic_color=background:#8080ff
|character_name=The Comedian
|real_name=Edward Morgan Blake
|publisher=]
|debut=''Watchmen'' #1 (1986)
|creators=] (story) and ] (art), based on ]
|alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
|status=Deceased
|alliances=
|previous_alliances=] government, Crimebusters, Minutemen
|aliases=
|relatives=] (Silk Spectre II, daughter)
|powers=Olympic-level strength, great fighting prowess, an expert in practically any type of weaponry.
|}}


'''The Comedian''' ('''Edward Morgan Blake''') is a fictional character, a ]/] featured in the acclaimed 1986 ] series '']'', published by ]. He was created by ''Watchmen'' writer ] and illustrator ], although, like all characters in the series, he was based on a ] character, in this case ], created by writer ] and artist ].
⚫ ]

==Character background==
The story of ''Watchmen'' starts with the aftermath of Blake's murder in 1985. Fellow crimefighter ], 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 appearances in ''Watchmen'' consist of ]s of the other characters, as well mentions in ''Under The Hood'', the fictional biography of Hollis Mason (Nite Owl I) that appears in ''Watchmen'' issues 1-3.

The Comedian was a ]-chomping, gun-toting ]-turned-] agent. When he first became a costumed adventurer in 1939, he dressed in a ]-like costume with a simple ]. A brutal ], Blake manages to expunge most ] from the ] harbor. He became the youngest member of The Minutemen, a prominent group of heroes. After a photography shoot, he attempts to rape fellow Minuteman ]; she escapes only when another Minuteman, ], interrupted the assault and beat Blake, breaking his nose. The Comedian was expelled from the group&mdash;but Silk Spectre's agent persuaded her not to press charges against him for fear of what it would do to the group's image. He impregnated Silk Spectre with her daughter and successor, Laurie, during a secret, consensual encounter years later.

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 ], adorned with short star-and-stripe-themed sleeves and a small ] button. He retained the small domino mask and began carrying a pistol. He fought in ], becoming a war hero in the ]. 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 ], 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 ], 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 ], the Comedian played a major role in the United States' ] ]. Shortly after Manhattan's godlike powers forced the ]ese to surrender, Blake was confronted by his lover, a pregnant Vietnamese woman; she is referred to as "Liao Lin" in ]'s '']'' draft.<ref name="Watchmendraft0">]. ''''. September 26, 2003. Accessed on December 8, 2008. 21.</ref> 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 ]-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 go so far as to suggest to members of President Nixon's staff that he had killed ] and ] before they could reveal the details of the ], as well as being behind the execution of ] (on Nixon's orders). The ] in 1980 was resolved when Blake freed the captives after an assault.

It was during his return from a government mission that Blake discovered the island where Adrian Veidt (]) 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. Veidt, to ensure that Blake does not compromise his operation, confronts Blake in his high-rise apartment and throws Blake out the window, killing him.

In ]'s '']'' script draft The Comedian was born in 1944 and he dies in 2005.<ref name="Watchmendraft0"> </ref><ref>Stax, "." '']''. September 9, 2004.</ref>

==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 61. Blake was proficient with a 1911 .45 caliber pistol, MAC-10 sub-machine gun and pump-action shotgun, and was shown using a variety of conventional weaponry in his adventures (flamethrowers, grenade launchers, etc.). His government-sanctioned activities suggest that he received training in covert operations and unconventional warfare.

==The smiley face badge==
Throughout the work, the Comedian is typically seen wearing or in close proximity to the "]" 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 smeared 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 ] at the time of the series, five minutes to midnight.

==Film==
]
] portrays the character in the ] based upon the series.<ref>]''; ], ]]</ref> Morgan commented on the brutality of the Comedian's character, and implied that the scene involving the murder of the Vietnamese woman would be included in the movie, as he does appear to have gained his facial scar due to the event.<ref></ref> However, the scar does not connect to his mouth in the film, taking away the visually symbolic "smile" present in the comics. Prior to Morgan being cast, ] was in talks for the part. ] was considered for the part in the early 1990s when ] was to direct the film.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Watchmen}}

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Revision as of 10:43, 31 December 2008

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Comics character
The Comedian
File:The-Comedian-Watchmen.jpgThe Comedian from Watchmen. Art by Dave Gibbons.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceWatchmen #1 (1986)
Created byAlan Moore (story) and Dave Gibbons (art), based on The Peacemaker
In-story information
Alter egoEdward Morgan Blake
Team affiliationsUnited States government, Crimebusters, Minutemen
AbilitiesOlympic-level strength, great fighting prowess, an expert in practically any type of weaponry.

The Comedian (Edward Morgan Blake) is a fictional character, a superhero/anti-hero featured in the acclaimed 1986 comic book series Watchmen, published by DC Comics. He was created by Watchmen writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons, although, like all characters in the series, he was based on a Charlton Comics character, in this case Peacemaker, created by writer Joe Gill and artist Pat Boyette.

Character background

The story of Watchmen starts with the aftermath of 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 appearances in Watchmen consist of flashbacks of the other characters, as well mentions in Under The Hood, the fictional biography of Hollis Mason (Nite Owl I) that appears in Watchmen issues 1-3.

The Comedian was a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent. When he first became a costumed adventurer in 1939, he dressed in a clown-like costume with a simple domino mask. A brutal vigilante, Blake manages to expunge most organized crime from the New York harbor. He became the youngest member of The Minutemen, a prominent group of heroes. After a photography shoot, he attempts to rape fellow Minuteman Silk Spectre; she escapes only when another Minuteman, Hooded Justice, interrupted the assault and beat Blake, breaking his nose. The Comedian was expelled from the group—but Silk Spectre's agent persuaded her not to press charges against him for fear of what it would do to the group's image. He impregnated Silk Spectre with her daughter and successor, Laurie, during a secret, consensual encounter years later.

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, 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, becoming a war hero in the Pacific theater. 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, 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, the Comedian played a major role in the United States' war with Vietnam. Shortly after Manhattan's godlike powers forced the North Vietnamese to surrender, Blake was confronted by his lover, a pregnant Vietnamese woman; she is referred to as "Liao Lin" in David Hayter's Watchmen draft. 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-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 go so far as to suggest to members of President Nixon's staff that he had killed Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein before they could reveal the details of the Watergate scandal, as well as being behind the execution of John F. Kennedy (on Nixon's orders). The Iran hostage crisis in 1980 was resolved when Blake freed the captives after an assault.

It was during his return from a government mission that Blake discovered the island where Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias) 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. Veidt, to ensure that Blake does not compromise his operation, confronts Blake in his high-rise apartment and throws Blake out the window, killing him.

In David Hayter's Watchmen script draft The Comedian was born in 1944 and he dies in 2005.

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 61. Blake was proficient with a 1911 .45 caliber pistol, MAC-10 sub-machine gun and pump-action shotgun, and was shown using a variety of conventional weaponry in his adventures (flamethrowers, grenade launchers, etc.). His government-sanctioned activities suggest that he received training in covert operations and unconventional warfare.

The smiley face badge

Throughout the work, the Comedian is typically seen wearing or in close proximity to the "smiley face" 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 smeared 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.

Film

File:The-comedian-filmver.jpg
Morgan as The Comedian in the film

Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays the character in the upcoming film based upon the series. Morgan commented on the brutality of the Comedian's character, and implied that the scene involving the murder of the Vietnamese woman would be included in the movie, as he does appear to have gained his facial scar due to the event. However, the scar does not connect to his mouth in the film, taking away the visually symbolic "smile" present in the comics. Prior to Morgan being cast, Ron Perlman was in talks for the part. Gary Busey was considered for the part in the early 1990s when Terry Gilliam was to direct the film.

References

  1. ^ Hayter, David. WATCHMEN --3rd draft--. September 26, 2003. Accessed on December 8, 2008. 21.
  2. Stax, "The Stax Report: Script Review of Watchmen." IGN. September 9, 2004.
  3. Watchmen Cast Confirmed!" superherohype.com; Hollywood Reporter; July 26, 2007
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