This week sees the release of the first 'must see' movie of the year as Zack Snyder's Watchmen, at long last, gets it's release.
The comic book series, which only spanned twelve issues, was created by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins between 1986 and 1987.
The movie brings together an ensemble cast of Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson as the caped crusaders who try to bring law and order to the land.
FemaleFirst takes a look at some of the comic world's most famous, and best loved characters.
Walter Kovacs/Rorschach
Born in 1940 Walter Kovacs' mother was a prostitute and after partially blinding a boy in a vicious he became a ward of the state.
At the age of sixteen his mother was killed in a gruesome murder by her pimp. But he went on to find work as an unskilled garment worker becoming fascinated by a new fabric made possible through technologies developed by Doctor Manhattan.
Two viscous liquids, one black and one white, between two layers of latex, continually shifted in response to heat and pressure, forming symmetrical patterns like a Rorschach inkblot test while never mixing to produce a grey colour.
When a young woman decides not to buy a dress made with the material Walter takes the dress home and makes a mask out of the material, a mask he believes his true face.
After the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964 Walter decides to become an avenger for the powerless victims of crime. After discovering the horror that faced a young girl that was murdered in 1975 Walter's mind snaps and he assumes the identity of Rorschach.
After the 1977 Keene Act outlawed costumed vigilantes, demanding his retirement, he grew even more violent, murdering notorious multiple rapist Harvey Charles Furniss and leaving his corpse in front of a police station. Rorschach remained an active "adventurer" in open defiance of the law.
Daniel Dreiberg/Nite Owl II
Daniel Dreiberg used the inheritance that he received from his father to build crime fighting equipment in a bid to emulate his hero Nite Owl.
When Nite Owl retired Daniel wrote to him to ask if could carry on his work and his name and, after seeing the equipment he had built, his wish was granted.
By 1965 Nite Owl II had teamed up with fellow masked crime fighter Rorschach to tackle organised crime. But believing that their efforts come to very little and the passing of the Keene Act, which banned costumed superheroes Nite Owl retires.
But almost a decade later he regrets his decision to turn his back on that life. After becoming involved with Silk Spectre II he returns to vigilantism breaking Rorschach out to prison and attempts to halt Ozymandias' scheme.
Laurie Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre II
Laurie followed in her mother's footsteps taking over her role as Silk Spectre when Sally Jupiter retired.
However her mother tried to protect her from the harsher sides of crime fighting life. Silk Spectre II began working with Dr Manhattan but she was unhappy with being a vigilante and the way her relationship with Manhattan was taken advantage of by the government.
When the Keene Act of 1977 was introduced she retired.
She becomes romantically involved with Nite Owl and the pair don their costumes on a whim but the pair find themselves saving the occupants of burning building.
Watchmen is released 6th March
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Watchmen