Yellow Eyes

Image Credit: Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Chapter 2 in Who Watches the Watchmen?

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An owl watches over the city, looking at the different characters that walk past him. Some call out, tempting him to fly down from his tree but the owl chooses to stay put.  In Watchmen, the Nite Owl watches the conflict unfold around him and chooses not to engage. Dan Dreiberg, the second Nite Owl, carefully considers all the consequences and risks, and feels they are far too threatening to his retired life. The Nite Owl’s eyes are all over the story, with Dan’s glasses, goggles, and his ship Archie, it is clear that he, and even Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl, are aware of everything that happens around them but do little to interact with the conflict of the story. The Nite Owl hero is a parody of Batman, a seemingly normal, rich white man who has a secret identity and a skill for making gadgets and dealing with technology. When Dan is the Nite Owl, his character is seen as strong and masculine, but without the costume, Dan is a nervous, fumbling, and less confident person.  

The Nite Owl is represented by two very different personalities. The Nite Owl is a legacy superhero, first taken on by Hollis Mason and then Dan Dreiberg; however, Dan’s Nite Owl depends on more technology and gadgets than Hollis Mason’s version did. It is clear that at the start of the book, Hollis Mason’s Nite Owl, though simpler, was the better hero, as Dan corrects him, when he is trying to say Dan was the better Nite Owl, “Hollis, we both know that’s bullshit, but thanks anyway” (Moore I. ix. 5). The first Nite Owl did not depend on goggles or a ship like Dan does. What both Nite Owls do have in common at this point is that they are both retired, but for different reasons. Hollis Mason is now an older man; Dan however went into hiding and gave up adventuring after the Keene Act. In this same meeting the reader can notice that in a photograph of the Minute Men the first Nite Owl only wore a domino mask, and Hollis Mason does not wear glasses or goggles like Dan does (Moore I. ix. 1). Dan and the Nite Owl’s eyes begin to show up everywhere in the book as the plot moves forward, which show that Dan is behind the scenes, watching everything that goes on.

Dan was always interested in birds and flight. In the article he wrote for the American Ornithological Society, “Blood from the Shoulder of Pallas” he compares a younger and an older owl. This comparison relates to him and Hollis Mason, “ears straining for the weird scream that meant an old bird was out combing the dark for sustenance, a mad hermit screech, glaringly distinct from the snoring hiss of a younger owl” (Moore VII). If Hollis Mason could still be a hero he would be, like a younger owl. Dan on the other side seems to be okay with being forced into retirement, like a tired older owl. In this article, the younger owl should be Dan and the older owl should be Hollis Mason; however, in many ways Dan is the older owl. Dan is retired, not in the best physical shape, wears glasses, and is seen as a pushover, while Hollis Mason is older but seems to have the desire to be out adventuring. Dan says this in his article, “Perched with disconcerting stillness upon its branch for hours, drinking in the darkness through dilated and thirsty pupils…” (Moore VII). The imagery of the owl eyes patiently waiting appear once again as this particular bird is waiting for food like Dan is waiting to get back in the game, which is why this article was placed right after him and Laurie have sex and he comes up with the idea to spring Rorschach from prison.

The Nite Owl character is always watching and listening to the rest of the story but does not really engage until the end. Hollis Mason’s Nite Owl was a more confident superhero and unlike Dan’s version it did not wear goggles, only the domino mask. The goggles along with the entire costume is what makes Dan more confident and aggressive. Eventually the costumes are what leads him and Laurie to having sex successfully. While helping Laurie see through he goggles, Dan says, “As I remember, they work pretty good. No matter how black it got, when I looked through these goggles… everything was clear as day” (Moore VII. ix. 9). Dan feels more comfortable with his goggles as he is more confident when he is the Nite Owl persona. He feels that everything makes sense, the conflict is clear, and the problem is easier to solve. Dan has been watching the events of the book unfold and was warned by Rorschach but chose to remain hidden for his safety and because he was afraid to go back in his costume; however, he has taken all these precautions and still feels that he is being watched. His Nite Owl costume has been watching him, tempting him to go back to his adventuring days. Dan tells Laurie in two panels of a close up of the Nite Owl costume and goggles, “These days, I feel like something’s watching my every move” (Moore VII. x. 9).  After this chapter, Dan finally stops watching everything going on around him and decides to take part in the conflict by springing Rorschach from prison.

Dan and Archie are very similar. His ship represents him better than his costume does. When Rorschach first comes to warn him, there are two symmetrical panels. There is a close up of Dan’s face, only half of it showing, and on the next page there is a similar view of Archie, who is covered up in the basement, with only one eye showing (Moore I. x. 7). This not only provides a comparison of the two but shows how Dan is now involved in the plot even if he did not want to be. Now that Rorschach has warned him, and he is aware of the danger, he is half involved in what will go on for the rest of the story even if he does not take any physical action yet. The panels of Archie and Dan are very different from the panel of him and his costume. Dan is drawn as crumpled up, slouching, frustrated, and worried. His glasses are off which shows that he is confused and is not sure what to make of the Comedian’s death. Meanwhile, his costume is erect and ready for action, sure of itself and confident (Moore I. xiii. 4). This panel shows how helpless and useless Dan is as a retired superhero. His masculinity is frail and weak, and how he sees himself is unclear. Without his owl eyes, Dan is only halfway there.

Dan interacts mostly with the same three characters: Laurie, Rorschach and Hollis Mason. With Hollis Mason he is mostly reminiscing of the past, but with when he is with Rorschach the reader sees him engaging the most with the problem of the mask killer until Laurie and he fail at having sex and then rescue the people from the fire.  After having successful sex with Laurie, Dan says, “I feel so confident it’s like I’m on fire. And all the mask killers, all the wars in the world, they’re just cases—just problems to solve” (Moore VII. xxviii. 5). Now that his googles and costume were back on, suddenly the world around him has become very clear. His point of view on adventuring and the mask killer have now changed that he is back in his costume and feels confident and strong again, different from how he felt earlier in the same chapter when he first put the goggles back on. He says, “It’s this war, the feeling that it’s unavoidable is makes me feel so powerless. So impotent” (Moore VII. xix. 7). The failed sex, dream, and goggles make him realize the problem going on in the story and his own dependency on his costume. This scene finally wakes him up and gives him the idea to spring Rorschach from prison.   

Dan knows throughout the story just how much he really depends on his costume but never fully acts upon his thoughts until his dream. After attempting to have sex and failing, Dan and Laurie fall asleep on the couch and Dan has a dream where he, while wearing his regular clothes and glasses, sees the Twilight Lady and runs toward her. After getting to her they peel each other’s clothes and skin off to reveal Dan naked on the inside is dressed as the Nite Owl and the Twilight Lady is Laurie in her Silk Spectre costume (Moore VII. xvi. 1). At this point the reader knows that Dan’s true naked self is the Nite Owl, that is himself in his most honest and authentic form. He even has the goggles on as he is about to kiss Laurie, which foreshadows them having sex in Archie later with their costumes. Right after the dream Dan goes to his workshop and puts on his goggles, but not the costume, he just stares at it (Moore VII. xix. 1). At this point he is hesitating in becoming the Nite Owl again and facing his Nite Owl personality head on as he looks at the stiff upright costume. He finally gives into the temptation when Laurie suggest they go out adventuring and his transformation is complete.

Dan’s glasses are the exact opposite of the Nite Owl’s goggles. While the goggles and the costume represent a powerful man, Dan’s glasses are dorky and nerdy. He fumbles with them so much that they add to his shy, anxious personality. While Dan is cleaning his glasses, Laurie takes them and says, “No, but seriously, you look terrific without glasses. If we could just do something with this stupid hair…” (Moore VII. xiii. 5). Dan fiddles with the glasses, and it makes his character seem weak and unsure all the time, unlike his goggles which make him seem stronger and more masculine as well. When Dan wakes up in the middle of the night after his dream and goes downstairs to the basement, the goggles are drawn with a gleam that makes it seem like they are tempting him to put them on (Moore VII. xviii. 9). This whole time, Dan is constantly being lured in by his costume and Archie that have been watching him carefully and now, finally, he gives in. After realizing just how much he needs the Nite Owl, he puts on the goggles, and the first thing he sees with them is Archie, who also seems to be tempting him to go out adventuring (Moore VII. xix. 2). Once Dan rescues the people from the fire, his character is now ready to spring into action and solve the problem of the mask killer.

The Nite Owl’s eyes are all over the story, especially Archie’s lenses in the workshop. The reader first sees Archie as Rorschach and Dan talk about the Comedian’s death, where one of Archie’s eyes is peering from beneath a tarp (Moore I. xi. 8). This continues the watching motif seen through the book by the Nite Owl’s eyes. As Rorschach looks through the workshop, he stops and smears his finger along the side of the ship, saying, “Neither have you. Lot of dust” (Moore I. xii. 1). Both Archie and Dan are retired but have now been drawn into the conflict. The mask killer may come for him next, but Dan chooses to stay in the sidelines watching. He is mostly depicted as a push over, and the reader can assume he will not contribute much to the problem of the story. Rorschach tried to get Dan involved but was not able to do so; however, Laurie does something very similar to what he attempted to do. As she walks around the workshop, she also wipes dusts off Archie and accidentally starts a fire. This foreshadows Dan reawakening as the Nite Owl when he says, “This is great, remembering which switches; which sequences. It’s like the old instincts are imprinted on my fingertips…” (Moore VII. xxii. 1). When Dan takes on his role as a hero again he is really excited to finally take part of the action. He says to Laurie about his sexual appetite and his appetite for adventuring and hero work, “You’re right. It has a big appetite” (Moore VII. xxviii. 6). He is finally himself again, the person in his dream, underneath everything it was the Nite Owl and now he can finally be that person.

After the fire rescue and start of his relationship with Laurie, Dan becomes more confident and assured as he begins to plan Rorschach’s escape. There is a turn of how the costume was represented, here it is crumpled over itself on a chair while Dan is erect and walking around with Laurie. He is no longer slouching or looking weak, but now strong and masculine (Moore VIII. v. 5). In chapter one the suit was upright and ready for action, but now it seems to be left behind in Archie. Dan has realized he needs the costume, but that does not mean he needs to wear it all the time. He can have the mindset of the Nite Owl hero without the costume. At the end of the story Dan and Laurie have changed their identities but are still adventuring or at least planning on to, “‘Nite Owl and Silk Spectre’. Sounds neat” (Moore XII. xxx. 3). Dan is no longer wearing glasses, and when meeting Sally he is confident and smooth. He no longer needs the glasses that he hid behind, but he still wants his costume and still wants to be the Nite Owl.

Laurie prefers how Dan is with the confidence and assuredness when he is the Nite Owl, but after learning about her who her real father is and Veidt’s plan she seeks Dan, not the Nite Owl. At this point, the vision of the Nite Owl has provided clarity to both characters, as Laurie says about Jon, “Oh I dunno. He confuses me, and I don’t need confusing” (Moore XII. xxi. 6). Now that they have both been exposed to Veidt’s plan, there is a lot of frustration and confusion of what is to come. This is why Laurie wants to see Dan without the goggles and costume, just a man and woman enjoying life and ignoring at least for now what just happened with the giant squid in New York. She says, “Here… take these off. I want to see you. I want to see you and taste you, just because I can” (Moore XII. xxii. 5).  For now, they can just be regular people, and regular people don’t need costumes or night vision googles or an owl ship that can fly. This idea of regular people goes away later when they visit Sally and seem to be back at adventuring. Just as much as Dan resisted with his costume and hero personality, Laurie also resisted her hero persona, the Silk Spectre, but found out how much she enjoyed the adventuring the same night Dan did.  She says, “Children? Forget it. Not yet. You were talking about adventuring, and I’m not staying home changing diapers” (Moore XII. xxx. 2). When she put on the Nite Owl’s goggles they provided some clarity for her as well and also showed her that she enjoyed being a hero more than she cares to admit.

Dan is a bystander for the first part of the book, while his costume and alter ego are waiting for him to go back to adventuring and being a superhero. The Nite Owl’s eyes are constantly watching the events of the book but staying behind the scenes because Dan fears for what his retired life will become if he becomes involved with the conflict of the story. Dan depends so much on his costume for his masculinity and sex drive, but he does not really realize how much he wants to be the Nite Owl until after he and Laurie have sex in Archie. The Nite Owl’s eyes often provide clarity for Dan and for Laurie as well. They help these two characters make sense of what is happening around them. The owls in this story watch the plot carefully and finally participate once Dan has reawakened as the Nite Owl.

Works Cited

Moore, Alan and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen, New York: DC Comics, 2005.