The Past
In Saigon, Dr. Manhattan teleports onto a street and puts on a discarded Dr. Manhattan mask. He goes into Eddy's Bar and finds Angela sitting at a table. Dr. Manhattan picks up two beers from the bar and sits down with Angela, and asks her to have dinner with her the next night. Angela isn't interested and Dr. Manhattan asks if she'll let him sit with her if he guesses while she's drinking there alone. She agrees and Dr. Manhattan says that she's commemorating the anniversary of her parents' death. Angela invites him to sit down, and figures someone at the precinct sent him. She wonders who told him about her parents, and Dr. Manhattan says that she will in 20 minutes. He says that he's Dr. Manhattan and Angela wonders why he's there wearing a Dr. Manhattan mask. Dr. Manhattan says that he doesn't want to be recognized, and Angela talks about the legend of Zeus. He explains that it's a recording of him on Mars, not the real him, and he's been on Europa for the last 20 years. Dr. Manhattan says that he is simultaneous in the bar and on Europa creating life with a wave of his hand.
Dr. Manhattan describes how he created life on the moon of Jupiter, including a man and woman that he maturated from fetuses. He then teleported a manor to Europa from someplace he's connected to from his childhood, and he feels safe there. Dr. Manhattan explains that he's living his whole life simultaneously, and his father was of Jewish ancestry. Jon and his father were brought to the manor in 1936 where the owners gave refugees sanctuary before they were taken to the U.S.
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Hans repairs a watch and sends Jon to get him bread. Jon wanders off into a bedroom and hears people coming. The boy hides in a wardrobe and watches as a man and women come in and have sex. Jon drops an apple and the man hears it, and comes over and finds the boy in the wardrobe. Jon runs off before they can catch him.
Later, the owners find Jon and Hans eating at the dinner table. Hans thanks them for opening their home to them and has Jon introduce himself. The man asks to speak to Jon in private, and the couple take him to the chapel. They say that it's all right that Jon saw them and what he saw was a beautiful thing because they were creating life. The couple had a son that would have been Jon's age, but he fell ill and died. The man says that it's God's will for them to try again, and give him a Bible. The woman says that it contains beautiful stories, including about how God created the world. The couple asks Jon to make it his purpose to create something beautiful when he goes to America, and Jon promises.
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Seven decades later on Europa, Dr. Manhattan fulfills his promise and makes Adam and Evil in the couple's image. Angela congratulates Dr. Manhattan on his imagination, and Dr. Manhattan tells her that in six months a colleague will tell him he lacks imagination. She asks why Dr. Manhattan left, and he says that he left to meet people. Dr. Manhattan tells Angela that he loves her and already was. Angela points out that there was no moment when he realized he was in love, and tells Dr. Manhattan that she's having the opposite of that moment. Dr. Manhattan removes his mask and Angela points out that Dr. Manhattan glows, but he explains that he wants to remain incognito and wants her to be unsure until she agrees to have dinner with him. Angela says that she hates Dr. Manhattan because 40 years ago he went to Vietnam and wiped out the enemy, and that inspired a puppeteer to make a bomb that killed her parents. Dr. Manhattan says that he was trying to be a superhero because people wanted him to, and he regrets it. She asks why he did it if he knew it, and Dr. Manhattan asks her to have dinner with him even though she thinks she'll regret it. Angela asks if she does, and Dr. Manhattan tells her that she is. She says that she won't and he'll stick out when they go out in public. Dr. Manhattan tells her that she comes up with an elegant solution: she'll explain how in two weeks.
Angela goes through the morgue checking bodies, finding three corpses that will be cremated because they have no one. She says that they have paper trails in the real world and tells Dr. Manhattan to pick one. He suggests that she pick one unless she hasn't presented all of the options, and Angela pulls out the corpse of Calvin Jelani, who died of a heart attack. Angela says that she's be comfortable with him, and Dr. Manhattan takes Cal's form. Dr. Manhattan explains that his vocal chords changed in the transformation, and Angela points out that he still has his symbol on his forehead. He says that he's going to forget so much more but that's a conversation for another time.
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Dr. Manhattan refuses to tell Angela what her solution is, and she insists that they won't have dinner. He says that they're together for ten years now and it ends tragically. Dr. Manhattan refuses to be more specific, and says that her favorite song is going to play on the jukebox. It does so, and Dr. Manhattan explains that it's now her favorite song even though she's never heard it before. Angela finds Dr. Manhattan amusing, and he says that in six months she tells him to leave because of it after they make love.
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Angela and Cal make love, and Cal says that he's in the bar on the night they met, just before he created the egg. She tells him to shut up, lays down, and refuses to fight. Cal tells her that the fight will still happen regardless of his intent, and warns that they're close to an argument. He tells her what she's going to say, and Angela wonders why they're together if they're not going to be together. Cal points out that her ability to know the future was reassuring to her before, and he describes her childhood. Angela angrily tells him to stop, and they agree that they're fighting. He describes how he became Dr. Manhattan and was afraid, and Angela wonders how he can be afraid if he knows everything that will happen. Cal apologizes and says that he needs Angela to say it. Angela tells him to leave and Cal teleports away.
Cal goes to Karnak in Antarctica and finds Adrian watching his bank of TV monitors. He complains that humanity keeps making bombs despite the energy resources he's given them, and Cal tells him that they make them feel safe. Adrian realizes that Cal is Dr. Manhattan since he arrived naked. Once Cal puts on a suit, he tells Adrian that it's been 24 years since they last met. He recounts how Adrian tried to destroy him, and Adrian fabricates another "alien incursion". Adrian insists that he's maintaining world peace and tells him that racial appropriation is inappropriate in 2019. He wonders why Dr. Manhattan is masquerading as a human, and figures that love is involved. Cal says that her name is Angela, and explains that he told Angela who he really was the moment they met. Adrian figures that Cal wants to be a mortal, and Cal asks him for his help. His host tells him that he has a profound lack of imagination, and Cal laughs at how Angela told him six months ago that he has a fantastic imagination.
Adrian asks if Cal has a brain, and says that they could insert a ring device into Cal's cortex that would short circuit his abilities so that he could only use them in life-threatening situations. He says that he made it 30 years ago, takes Cal to his study, and says that his attempt to destroy Cal was Plan B. Adrian takes out a case and Cal realizes that he doesn't know what it is in it, and Adrian says that he irradiated the case with tachyon particles. He opens the case, revealing the Dr. Manhattan symbol in metal. Adrian tells Angela to put it in Cal's brain and he'll forget who he is. Cal figures that he and Will have matters to discuss, and Adrian tells him to discuss them while he still knows who he is. Adrian laments that his plans for a great future are ignored, and asks Cal if he'll live to see his utopia. Cal tells him that he will, but not on Earth. He created beings designed to care for others rather than themselves, and he did it on Europa. Their unceasing love and devotion is unsatisfying, so he must leave his creations behind. The creations are still there, waiting for someone to worship. Adrian figures that it sounds like paradise, and agrees to let Cal send him there. Cal wishes him godspeed and teleports him to Europa.
Later, Cal shows Angela the ring and explains that she just pushes it into his head once he makes himself intangible. He admits that he doesn't know if is going to work, and that's why it's a risk. Cal suggests that Angela tell him he was in an accident, and Angela figures they should start over somewhere that people don't know them. She suggests Tulsa, where her family is from, and Cal agrees. Angela wonders if he'll still be him if he forget who he is, and Cal says that she won't lose him.
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Angela wants answers, and tells him to create some life. Dr. Manhattan creates an egg in his hand, and an unimpressed Angela wants to hear about the ten years that they're together. Dr. Manhattan says that they have three adopted children and they don't have his powers, and Angela says that she doesn't want kids and has never wanted them. He tells Angela that they adopt them in Tulsa, and says that she'll tell him that her family is from Tulsa in six months when he gives her a ring. Dr. Manhattan says that there's a period of time he can't see, and all he knows is that Angela is there when it begins and ends.
When Angela smiles, Dr. Manhattan wonders why and she says that it sounds like a tunnel of love.
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Angela wonders if Cal will tell her what happens in ten years, and he says that he will. He gets down on knee and Angela kisses him on the forehead, and says that she loves him. Cal says that he loves her and Angela puts the ring into his brain.
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In the present, Angela looks at the ring she took out of Cal's forehead and tells him that they're in fucking trouble. Dr. Manhattan floats into the air for a moment, and Angela tells him that they're in Tulsa in 2019. She says that bad people are coming to hurt him, and realizes that Dr. Manhattan still has Cal's face. Angela tells him to change back to human for the children's sake, but Dr. Manhattan tells her that he needs to move forward. He remembers White Night and how he instinctively disintegrated one 7K attacker. Dr. Manhattan teleports away, and the girls upstairs yell "Daddy!" Angela runs up and they show her that Dr. Manhattan is walking on their swimming pool. Topher realizes that he looks like Cal, and Angela says that he is.
Dr. Manhattan teleports the children away, and Angela goes to the pool and asks where their children are. He says that she needs to see him on the pool because it's important for later, walks back onto the concrete, and says that the children are with Will who was expecting them. Dr. Manhattan explains that he talked to Will ten years ago when he was in Karnak, after he teleported Adrian to Europa.
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Cal teleports to Nelson Gardner's former mansion where Will is living. When Nelson died, he bequeathed the property to Will. Will doesn't believe him and slams the door in his face, and Cal walks through the walls. After Will agrees to talk, Cal says that he's going to make some changes in his life and wanted to talk to Will. He explains that their lives have become entangled through someone known to both of them, and to ensure an optimal outcome he wants to form an alliance. Cal knows Will is Hooded Justice and says that it's about Will's granddaughter Angela. When Cal explains that Will's son Marcus had a daughter Angela and they met in Vietnam, Will wonders what Cal wants with him. Cal says that Angela wants Will in her life, and it's clear she wants a family despite her denials.
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Angela takes in the fact that Dr. Manhattan is talking to Will "right now", relatively. She asks him to ask Will how he knew Judd was a part of Cyclops.
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Cal asks Will Angela's question, and Will has no idea who Judd is.
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Dr. Manhattan tells Angela that Will didn't know who Judd was, but now he does. Angela realizes that it's her fault, and Dr. Manhattan wonders if it's a bad thing that Judd is dead. He realizes that they created a paradox. Dr. Manhattan teleports into the kitchen and makes waffles, and Angela smashes the floating eggs on the floor. She says that 7K is coming for him, and Dr. Manhattan says that they're in a truck parked across the street. They're armed with a tachyonic cannon that they'll use to involuntarily teleport him and then destroy him. Angela suggests that they stop them, and Dr. Manhattan tells her that they can't.
Angela puts on her Sister Night costume and goes out to fight 7K. Dr. Manhattan stares at her and says that it's the moment when she tries to save him even though she can't. He insists that he's always been in love with her, and Angela goes out and sees 7K setting up their cannon. They spot her and open fire, and the two sides exchange shots.
Dr. Manhattan stands in the house and listens to the gunshots.
Angela kills the driver of one of the trucks, then drives it into the others. She's wounded and the truck stops, and 7K prepare to shoot her. Dr. Manhattan arrives and kills them, and Angela tells him that they win and he was wrong. He tells her that he wasn't, and the remaining 7K fire the cannon, teleporting him away.
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Dr. Manhattan says that his first name is Jon, and he refuses to tell her what happens to them. Angela tells him that she can't get serious with someone when it ends in tragedy. Dr. Manhattan points out that all relationships inevitably end in tragedy, and Angela concedes the point. He asks if she'll have dinner with her the next night, and Angela agrees.
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On Europa, the clones tie Adrian to the trebuchet. They ask him if he'll stay, and when he refuses they smash tomatoes into his face.
Later, Adrian sits in his cell and reads. The Game Warden comes in with a birthday cake and suggests that Adrian wants to suffer. Adrian says that he doesn't want another book and the one he's reading is about loneliness. The Game Warden tells him that he understands loneliness, and was the first clone to emerge from the water. He saw Dr. Manhattan make Heaven before his very eyes, and asks why it isn't enough. Adrian says that his home is Earth, and his children are crying out for him to return. He tells the Game Warden that Heaven isn't enough because Heaven doesn't need him, and the Game Warden angrily tells Adrian to enjoy his cake.
Once he's alone, Adrian blows out the candles on the cake and then sees the edge of the horseshoe in it: the on that Phillips used to try and cut the cake he presented Adrian with earlier. Laughing, Adrian uses the horseshoe to start digging at the wall to make his escape.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 9, 2019