DC Comics Hasn't Solved Its Biggest Watchmen Mystery Yet

Watchmen may have a larger role in the DC universe, but DC Comics dragged their feet in answering one of the big questions about the story.

Warning! Contains spoilers from Dark Crisis: Big Bang #1!

Despite the franchise's prominence in the DC Universe over the past few years, one major question remains unanswered about Watchmen. Dark Crisis: The Big Bang Theory #1 raises the big question of where this story fits in DC's reorganized multiverse.

While the acclaimed superhero deconstruction story has been a standalone story for years, Over the past few years, Watchmen has become a more integrated part of the DC Universe. Batman discovering the comedian's smiley button and Doctor Manhattan's watchful eyes were omnipresent plot points throughout the DC Rebirth era, right up to the publication of the Doomsday Clock. While this may seem like a one-off story, the merger of the Overwatch worlds in the DC universe is not over, as several legacy characters such as Clark Dreiberg or Cleopatra Pak will play major roles in DC's new Golden Age events. ^However , DC seems to have missed a great opportunity to clarify the relationship between the Overwatch universe and the rest of the DC universe. In Mark Wade, Dan Jurgens, and Norm Rappmond's The Big Bang Theory #1, Barry Allen takes The Flash on an important mission. With the return of DC's Infinity Universe once again, the Anti-Monitor is once again a potential threat to the multiverse. The two travel through infinite worlds, noticing how Earth is different from Earth along the way. After disposing of the Anti-Monitor, Barry put together a sort of "cheat sheet" of the worlds that make up the new multiverse. Part of the new structure features the world of Superman '78 or DC Super Hero Girls. Strangely though, none of the 80 Earths listed are the setting for Overwatch.

DC Comics' exclusion of the Warden Realm from its official multiverse listing is somewhat odd. After all, it has to be somewhere, considering several heroes from its world, including Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, have visited Prime Earth. Granted, it's possible for Watchmen to be set in other parts of DC's Omniverse, but until a location is assigned, it's creating a huge mystery for DC, whether it's intentional or not.

Where In The DC Universe Is Watchmen's World?

The Watchmen's involvement in the DC universe is controversial to some, but for better or worse, it exists somewhere in the divine continuum. The question is where and what really separates It comes from everything else. The question of which Overwatch and its legacy heroes will play a major role in the future of DC is likely to be answered sooner than fans think. Before any progress is made on the Overwatch front, readers may wish to familiarize themselves with the new structure of the multiverse in Dark Crisis: The Big Bang Theory #1, available now.

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