Ozymandias
Ozymandias (Adrian Veidt) is a fictional character appearing in the comic book limited series Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, published by DC Comics. Named Ozymandias in the manner of Ramesses II, he is a modified version of the character Thunderbolt from Charlton Comics. His name recalls the famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which takes as its theme the fleeting nature of empire.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Watchmen #1 (1986)
Created by Alan Moore (story) and Dave Gibbons (art), based on Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt
In story information
Alter ego Adrian Veidt
Team affiliations Crimebusters
Abilities Peak human agility and strength
Genius-level intelligence
Watchmen Movie - Official Trailer
Adrian Veidt was born in 1939, the son of rich immigrant parents. After his parents' deaths, he inherited their substantial fortune at age 17, but chose to give it all to charity and embark on a vision quest, following the route of his childhood idol Alexander the Great.
Returning to America Veidt named himself Ozymandias and became a costumed vigilante, earning a reputation as "the smartest man on the planet."
In 1975, two years before vigilante crimefighters (superheroes) were banned by the "Keene Act," Veidt retired from superheroism, marketing his image for money. This helped bankroll Veidt's scheme of creating a catastrophic event to deceive the world into uniting against a common enemy. Upon completion of his project, Veidt arranged the murder of all of his accomplices and the exile of the presumably invincible Dr. Manhattan.
Soon fellow masked vigilante Comedian inadvertently learned of Veidt's plans, leading to Veidt personally murdering the Comedian as well. The story of Watchmen begins several hours after the death of the Comedian.[1]
Powers and abilities
Adrian Veidt has been deemed the "smartest man in the world" by many, mainly the media, though this title is deserved. Veidt deftly built both a legitimate and criminal empire large enough to become a global threat through his exploitation of advanced technology and genetics. In one scene, he is shown viewing a wall filled floor to ceiling with television screens, each showing a different image, in order to demonstrate his ability to pay attention to each one simultaneously.
He has ambition matching his intelligence, evidenced by his successful execution of a plan to help Earth towards utopia by ending international hostilities. He is shown to be a ruthless master strategist, swiftly eliminating anybody who dares to get in the way of his plans, while maintaining total secrecy.
Additionally, Veidt is depicted at the pinnacle of human physical ability, to the point of being able to mentally calculate physical reaction times, anticipate the pull of a trigger, and reflexively catch a bullet. He is a superb fighter and martial artist, almost a superhuman unarmed combatant, easily defeating both Rorschach and Nite Owl. His only defeat came early in his career at the hands of the Comedian, whom he later bested and killed.
A world-class athlete, he does acrobatic performances in aid of charity events, performing excellently despite being in his mid-forties. Except for Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandias was easily the most dangerous of the crimefighters in that era.
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