Alias: Jonathan “Jon” Osterman
Debut: Watchmen #1 (1986)
Affiliation: Hero, Neutral
Another one of Alan Moore’s masterpieces, Doctor Manhattan has been mentioned on this site on several occasions, mostly as the most powerful fictional character ever created. Still, in this context, he is not the best, but he is undoubtedly among the best. What is most interesting about Dr. Manhattan is not his might – although he can do practically anything he wants – but rather his mind and the psychology behind the character. He is a human being who became god in the most literal possible sense of the word. He is a being that had to dehumanize himself, that had to destroy everything he was, in order to become something more. He surpassed the limits of human knowledge and perception, becoming an omniscient and omnipotent being, and the process of him coping with these issues was masterfully written by Moore. On one hand, he yearns for his human side, but on the other, he is aware that there is little human left in him. His further evolution in the Doomsday Clock narrative was likewise brilliant, as it showed him reconciling with his human side and humanity. There is no doubt that Dr. Manhattan deserved a spot on this list.
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