DC

Dr. Manhattan, formerly known as Jon Osterman, is a pivotal character from the film Watchmen, released in . He first appeared in the Watchmen comic book series published by DC Comics. Osterman was a physicist who, in , was caught in an intrinsic field generator during an experiment gone wrong.

The accident fundamentally altered his atomic structure, disassembling and then reassembling him as a being of immense power and near-omnipotence. Stripped of his humanity, he gained abilities such as manipulating matter at a subatomic level, teleportation, precognition, and an apparent detachment from human emotions.

Dr. Manhattan's existence significantly alters the course of world events in Watchmen. His power serves as a deterrent to global conflict, but also creates tension and distrust. He eventually chooses to leave Earth, seeking a new purpose among the stars after becoming disillusioned with humanity and its inherent flaws.