Doomsday

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Lore & Background

Doomsday Clock is part of the DC Rebirth initiative, continuing the narrative established with the 2016 one-shot DC Universe: Rebirth #1, the 2017 crossover event "The Button" and other related stories. It is a follow-up to the 1986–1987 miniseries Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins, introducing that story's characters into the DC Universe, alongside a few original characters created for the book. Although Dan DiDio (then DC's co-publisher) confirmed that it is a sequel to that miniseries, Johns originally declined to characterize it as such, viewing it as a standalone story, saying, "It is something else. It is Watchmen colliding with the DC Universe." The story includes many characters, but it has a particular focus on Superman and Doctor Manhattan. Johns felt there was an interesting dichotomy between Superman—an alien who embodies and is compassionate for humanity—and Doctor Manhattan—a human who has detached himself from humanity. This idea led to over six months of debates amongst the creative team about whether or not to intersect the Watchmen universe with the DC Universe. Johns explained that Doomsday Clock was the "most personal and most epic, utterly mind-bending project" that he had worked on in his career. Johns also explained that Doomsday Clock is a stand-alone story with no tie-in material. However, it "will have an impact on the entire DC Universe. It will affect everything moving forward and everything that has come before. It will touch the thematic and literal essence of DC." So by the time the final issue is released, "the rest of the universe will have caught up to it—and the repercussions of the event will become known."

In Their Own Story

In the Watchmen universe, seven years after the massacre in New York City, the details inside Rorschach's journal have been published, exposing Ozymandias's role in the event. Now a fugitive, Ozymandias gathers several others to find Doctor Manhattan and bring him back to save the world. Reggie Long, the new Rorschach, attempts to enlist the help of Batman, while Ozymandias consults Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, in the DC Universe, during the present day, the Supermen Theory, a conspiracy theory that accuses the federal government of the United States of creating its own metahumans, has created international conflict and led to an arms race, with various governments around the world recruiting metahumans and creating sanctioned superteams. Dr. Manhattan, who is thought to have deliberately manipulated the post-Flashpoint universe, has a vision of the future in which he believes he and Superman will try to kill each other.

Reader's Guide

Doomsday Clock features characters from Watchmen and the DC Universe, and it also introduces some new characters, such as Reggie Long, the son of Malcolm Long, who becomes the new Rorschach; Mime and Marionette, a married couple of criminals searching for their missing son; and Bubastis II, a clone of the original Bubastis. Other returning characters include the Comedian, Doctor Manhattan, Mothman, and Ozymandias, alongside Alfred Pennyworth, Batman, Black Adam, Firestorm, Johnny Thunder, Joker, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Pozhar, Saturn Girl, Superman and Wonder Woman. The series received acclaim from critics. On the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, it holds an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 from professional critics, based on 438 reviews. Following the release of the final issue, Geoff Johns stated that he and Gary Frank were considering the possibility of a sequel for Doomsday Clock. The events of Doomsday Clock have been referenced in later works of the DC Universe: Dark Nights: Death Metal (2020), Generations (2020), Infinite Frontier relaunch (2021), Flashpoint Beyond (2022), The New Golden Age (2022), and DC All In relaunch (2024).

Did You Know?

• Doomsday Clock was revealed on May 14, 2017, with a teaser image displaying the Superman logo in the 12 o'clock slot of the clock depicted in Watchmen.
• The series was originally scheduled to release monthly and end in December 2018, but delays pushed the final issue to December 18, 2019.
• Geoff Johns described Doomsday Clock as the 'most personal and most epic, utterly mind-bending project' he had worked on in his career.
• The series introduces original characters such as Reggie Long (the new Rorschach), Mime and Marionette, and Bubastis II.
• On Comic Book Roundup, Doomsday Clock holds an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 from professional critics based on 438 reviews.