University of Panels

21: Comedian

(Edward Blake)

 

Quite possibly the darkest of all the superheroes on this list, Comedian is far from what you'd call heroic. In fact, I'd say he's like a good-guy version of the Joker that works for the U.S. government. He is sadistic, violent, cruel, and would kill you just for looking at him funny or saying something that would upset him. Yeah... Our hero ladies and gentlemen.

 

Despite that, the Comedian does have a layer of sympathy for him that allows readers to be drawn closer to this guy, rather than be disgusted by him. Edward Blake is able to see the darkside of humanity. He understands the animalistic and savage nature that we are capable of. But rather than fearing it, the Comedian chooses to be a parody of it, a joke of it. It show that he's not a completely cold-hearted monster, but is trying to convey how savage mankind is through his own psychotic manner. Another reason that makes the Comedian compelling is that despite being killed in the begining of WATCHMEN, the mystery of who killed him helps drive the plot forward, and it makes the reader question who would have motives to kill him (especially considering his violent nature).