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Jonathan Osterman




Dr. Manhattan Alias: Dr. Manhattan


Date of birth: 1929


Eyes: White
Hair: None
Other distinguishing features: Jon has blue skin
Race: Human


Occupation: Adventurer, scientist employed by U.S. military.
Legal Status: U.S. citizen with no criminal record
Marital Status: Single
Identity: Publicly known


Story: Jonathan was the son of a watchmaker. When Jonathan's father saw the bombing of Hiroshima in a newspaper he decided that repairing clocks was obsolete. The future was in nuclear physics. He therefore stopped his son's education in clocks and made him study physics.

In 1958 Jonathan had a Ph.D. in physics. He started at the research center at Gila Flats in may 1959.

In august 1959, when retrieving a watch for his girlfriend Janey Slater, he was accidentally trapped in the test chamber at the lab. In the test chamber they removed the nature field, dissolving Jonathan. During November 1959 the particles that was Jonathan slowly reassembled ending on November 22nd.

Jonathan was given the name Dr. Manhattan, after the Manhattan Project. In the following years Dr. Manhattan worked as crime fighter, as Pentagon thought it would be good for his image.

In 1971 president Nixon asked Dr. Manhattan to enter the Vietnam war. Dr. Manhattan won the war for Nixon in two months.


Skills & abilities: Jonathan controls material on atomic level. This includes moving particles by teleportation.


Continuity: DC Universe, Watchmen Elseworld
Company: DC Comics
First app.: Watchmen (vol. 1) #1 (1986)
Creator(s): Alan Moore
Dave Gibbons
Country of origin: USA USA


Related links/characters:
- Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias
- Daniel Dreiberg/Nightowl
- Edward Morgan Blake/Comedian
- Hollis Mason/Nightowl
- Laurie Jupeczyk/Silk Spectre
- Walter Joseph Kovacs/Rorshach


Cross cultural references:
If you enjoyed this character/series, you might enjoy
Erica Pierce/Mothergod: The woman behind Unity (Valiant). Similar powers.
Jan Arrah/Element Lad: Legionnaire from the pre-crisis version of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Transmutation of elements.
Phil Seleski/Solar: The Man of the Atom from Valiant. Similar powers.
Philip Solar: The original Dr. Solar, Man of the Atom from Gold Key. Similar powers.