Watchmen Allusions & Cultural References

Literary and Philosophical References

• Book of Common Prayer, Burial of the Dead. (II.9.1-4, II.12.1, II.15.8, II.16.1-3, II.18.8-9, II.19.1-9)
• Genesis chapter 18, verse 25 (III.28.4)
• William Blake, “The Tyger” (V.28.10)
• Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, The Threepenny Opera (Chapter E.1)
• Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzche (VI.28.9)
• Job Chapter 30, Verses 29-30 (VI.9)
• Eleanor Farjean, “Hallowe’en” (VIII.28.8)
• C.G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections (IX.28.4)
• Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ozymandias” (XI.28.14)
• Norman Vincent Peale (Chapter K.2)
• Juvenal, Satires, VI, 347 (unmarked last page)

Political References

• President Truman (I.1.4, Chapter F.3)
• Vice-President Gerald Ford (I.1.8, Chapter K.1)
• NATO (II.9.5)
• Pearl Harbor (Chapter B.8)
• Adolf Hitler (Chapter B.8, Chapter D.II)
• Third Reich (Chapter B.8)
• John F. Kennedy (III.5.5, IV.14.3, IV.15.7, IV.16.1, IV.19.3, XI.18.8-9, XI.19.1, Chapter K.2)
• House Un-American Activities Committee (Chapter C.11)
• Hiroshima (IV.3.3, IV.12.8, IV.20.2, IV.24.6-7, VI.16.6, VI.12.8, XII.25.2)
• Fidel Castro (IV.9.2)
• President Nixon (IV.19.3, VI.27.2, VI.12.6, Chapter K.1)
• Viet Cong (IV.20.1)
• Fat Man—bomb dropped on Nagasaki (IV.27.1)
• Politburo (Chapter D.III)
• J. Edgar Hoover (Chapter E.1)
• Greenham Common (VII.12.9)
• Woodward and Bernstein (IX.20.4)
• G. Gordon Liddy (X.3.3)
• Versailles (Chapter K.2)
• Mikhail Gorbachev (XII.19.4)
• The Kremlin (XII.19.5)

Pop Culture References

• “Neighborhood Threat” by Iggy Pop (I.10.1)
• Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row” and “All Along the Watchtower” (I.26.8, X.28.8)
• Richard Wagner, “Ride of the Valkyries” (Chapter A.1,3,4)
• Doc Savage (Chapter A.5)
• The Shadow/Lamont Cranston (Chapter A.5)
• ACTION COMICS (Chapter A.5)
• Superman/Clark Kent (Chapter A.5, IV.13.1, Chapter D.2)
• Margo Lane (Chapter A.5)
• Lois Lane (Chapter A.5)
• Blondie—the comic (II.4.3)
• Mae West (II.4.3)
• Gordon’s Gin (II.14.4-5)
• Coca Cola (II.25.3)
• Pagliacci (II.27.7)
• Elvis Costello, “The Comedians” (II.28.8)
• Casablanca—“Here’s looking at you, kid” (III.9.9)
• ABC (III.11.3, III.14.3, VII.15.6)
• Elvis Presley (Chapter C.13, IV.9.3)
• The Beatles (Chapter C.13)
• The New York Times (IV.3.3, IV.12.8)
• General Motors (IV.15.4)
• Time Magazine (IV. 24.6-7, VII.12.8)
• Gloria Vanderbilt (V.13.7)
• MTV (V.13.7)
• Hustler (V.21.3)
• DC Comics (Chapter E.1)
• Joe Orlando (Chapter E.1-2)
• Julius Schwartz (Chapter E.1)
• Gil Kane (Chapter E.3)
• Alex Toth (Chapter E.3)
• G.I. Joe (VII.6.6)
• Disney’s Sword in the Stone (VII.7.5)
• Devo (VII.10.2-3, VII.20.3)
• Billie Holiday and “You’re My Thrill” (VII.10.3, VII.25.7-VII.26.7)
• Nellie Lutcher (VII.10.3)
• Louis Jordan (VII.10.3)
• Looney Tunes (VIII.14.1)
• The Lone Ranger (Chapter H.2)
• Spock (IX.20.6)
• Madison Square Garden (X.5.4, X.23.7, XI.6.1, XII.1.1-2)
• Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Chapter K.1)
• Mick Jagger (Chapter K.2)
• Bruce Springsteen (Chapter K.2)
• Jackie Coogan (Chapter K.2)
• John Cage (Chapter K.4)
• Karlheinz Stockhausen (Chapter K.4)
• Krzysztof Penderecki (Chapter K.4)
• Andrew Lang (Chapter K.4)
• Pierre Henry (Chapter K.4)
• Terry Riley (Chapter K.4)
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (XII.3.1)
• Robert Redford (XII.31.2)
• John Cale and “Sanities” (XII.32.8)

Grab Bag: Science/Fine Art/Mythology/History/Education

• Halley’s Comet (IV.2.3, V.7.4)
• Einstein (IV.3.6, IV.4.2, IV.28.5)
• Princeton University (IV.4.2, IV.5.3)
• Ernst Hartwig (IV.11.1)
• Edward Teach a.k.a. Blackbeard (Chapter E.2)
• Harvard University (VII.5.7)
• Ku Klux Klan (VIII.12.2, (Chapter H.2)
• Athena (Chapter G.1, 4)
• Kandinsky (Chapter G.2)
• Monet (Chapter G.2)
• Max Ernst (Chapter G.2)
• Muybridge (Chapter G.2)
• T.A. Coward (Chapter G.4)
• Paul Revere (Chapter H.1)
• The Alamo (Chapter H.1)
• Gettsyburg Address (Chapter H.1)
• Boston Tea Party (Chapter H.2)
• Anubis (X.20.4)
• Rameses (X.21.6-8, XI.11.2, XI.22.4)
• Karnak (X.21.4)
• Alexander the Great (XI.8.6-9, XI.10.1-9, XI.22.4, XI.24.4, XI.25.5)
• Ptolemy (XI.11.1)