The world of Watchmen may not have traditional superheroes, but that hasn't stopped Superman from having an impact on its universe. An account from the first Nite Owl reveals the role the Man of Steel played in shaping another world of heroes.

Though technically part of the DC Omniverse, the world of Watchmen has always been an outlier. While it is a world that does contain masked adventurers and even has its own godlike beings living within it, Watchmen didn't have a conventional superhero universe. It did have a collection of Golden Age heroes throughout the '40s, as well as a brief stint of Modern Age heroes in the '70s and '80s. But aside from a handful of masks, the world was largely absent of the kinds of heroes that are so ubiquitous on other Earths. Granted, their world did have Doctor Manhattan, but aside from that walking, talking nuclear superpower, the universe was sorely lacking in regard to heroes.

Superman Inspired One of the First Watchmen Heroes

However, just because Watchmen doesn't physically have DC heroes in its universe doesn't mean the world isn't affected by them. Watchmen #1 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons contains the supplemental material from "Under the Hood", the autobiography of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl. Mason goes into detail about what drove him to become a hero. Though Hollis was a beat cop, he describes a fascination he had with pulp heroes such as Doc Savage or the Shadow. But the character that had the biggest impact on him came from a comic book he borrowed from children on his patrol: Action Comics #1, and its featured character of Superman. Mason describes how the hero's strength and morality resonated with him and put him on a path to becoming one of the world's first costumed adventurers.

While superhero comics are a relic of a bygone era in Watchmen and have been replaced with stories of pirate adventures, they were still commonplace before the age of the Minutemen. And those comics told the same stories that can be found in the real world: the story of a man who uses his natural abilities to stand up for the little guy and fight injustice wherever he sees it. Even though Superman isn't 'real' on Watchmen's Earth, he was integral to shaping some of the most noble heroes in the story.

Superman Kept the Spirit of Heroism Alive in Watchmen

Hollis notes in his memoirs that he wasn't the first hero to appear in his world (that honor goes to Hooded Justice). But Mason notes that he was determined to be the second, inspired by the heroic actions of Superman. Had he not read Action Comics #1, Mason may not have become Nite Owl at all, robbing the Minutemen of one of their truly genuine heroes. And if Mason never became the first Nite Owl, Dan Dreiberg never would have become the second, again, removing an earnest presence from their world. If it wasn't for Superman, Watchmen would have been devoid of some of its greatest heroes.