Why does Ozymandias kill the Comedian?

[Orpheus37]

I was watching the awesome Watchmen film last night night. I was talking about it with my dad and the question came up of why does Ozymandias kill the Comedian? I've read the comic and seen the film but wasn't able to give a good answer. Yes, maybe the comedian "knew too much," but he seemed pretty firmly in retirement and was completely indifferent to life, in other words, he hardly seemed like a threat. Anybody have a good answer?

[Riv86672]

Because he was going to blow the whistle.
Ozy’s plan was too much for even the Comeduan to get a laugh out of.

[Orpheus37]

Thanks for the response. Was Comedian really a threat? He seemed pretty out of it, and there was really no indication that he was going to go on a crusade to stop Ozymandias. Could it be that Ozymandias simply hates the comedian and his views hat saving society is worthless and futile

[Riv86672]

No, it wasn’t a matter of Ozy hating the Comedian.

The Comedian was a top Govt. operative for decades. He obviously had connections in Washington, likely up to the Oval Office itself. If he decided to out Ozy, these ppl would be insane to not at least follow up on his story.
And really, given the Administration in the Watchmen, accusations like this would raise so much paranoia, Ozy would def. be investigated. He couldn’t afford that.

[Timothy Hunter]

To get to the other side of the road.

[Sutekh]

He killed the Comedian because you always put away your tools when you're done with them.

Leave something dangerous lying around (or a loose cannon like the Comedian around to stir up ****), who knows what could happen? Eliminate that variable.

Same as killing all the scientists who engineered his research. Just being tidy, like those (possibly apocryphal) stories of monarchs designing keeps or fortifications, and then murdering the builders afterwards, so that nobody knew the secrets of their construction. Standard villain stuff, and the reason why so many lose (not just because the various crimes committed during the cover-up in such a narrative usually sows the seeds for the original crime to get discovered in the first place), because you just can't get too far after developing a reputation for killing anyone who works for you... (And what help you *can* get, after developing such a reputation, is pretty sub-par.)

[j9ac9k]

Thanks for the response. Was Comedian really a threat? He seemed pretty out of it, and there was really no indication that he was going to go on a crusade to stop Ozymandias. Could it be that Ozymandias simply hates the comedian and his views hat saving society is worthless and futile

We the readers saw the Comedian's demeanor, but Adrian didn't and he might not have said anything, but Adrian couldn't take that chance.(he almost told Molock, after all) He was if nothing else, erratic and emotional about what he knew. Not exactly stable.

[Adekis]

Thanks for the response. Was Comedian really a threat? He seemed pretty out of it, and there was really no indication that he was going to go on a crusade to stop Ozymandias. Could it be that Ozymandias simply hates the comedian and his views hat saving society is worthless and futile

Hey man!

Veidt seems pretty pragmatic - I think he was just tying up all his loose ends. I don't think he'd have killed Blake just because he doesn't like him.

But I think he probably did kind of hate Comedian, or at least his ideas. After all, Comedian making Captain Metropolis look like a joke at the aborted "Crimebusters" meeting was what set Ozymandias down the path toward trying to "save the world" in the first place, right? There's that panel where Ozymandias looks at Captain Metropolis' burning map and he's thinking about it, I think he says or thinks in a caption that was when he decided he had to save the world from itself - no matter what cost. If Comedian's ideology was what piqued Ozymandias so much that he was willing to commit atrocities to prove him wrong, then I bet you're right about him hating Comedian, even though I don't think that's why he killed him.

[DrNewGod]

Ozymadias' entire scheme hinged on World Leaders believing an external threat had dropped by and they'd better unite before it or something like it made another visit. He could not afford even the least hint of suspicion.

Personally, I think that throws an insigificant kink into Watchmen's conclusion. There was no way he was leaving Nite-Owl and Silk Spectre roaming around loose. Dr. Manhattan, he couldn't do a thing about, even if he weren't sure the good doctor was onboard with this plans. But those two, he almost had to dirtnap them.

[Adekis]

I think he just actually trusted Dan and Laurie to keep their word - and I think we're supposed to think that. You can argue one way or another, but really I think if Moore didn't reference Ozymandias being worried about Dan and Laurie, we the audience aren't supposed to think that he is or would be either. Especially in a story as meticulous as Watchmen, if it's not there, it's not there on purpose, I figure.

[DrNewGod]

I think he just actually trusted Dan and Laurie to keep their word - and I think we're supposed to think that. You can argue one way or another, but really I think if Moore didn't reference Ozymandias being worried about Dan and Laurie, we the audience aren't supposed to think that he is or would be either. Especially in a story as meticulous as Watchmen, if it's not there, it's not there on purpose, I figure.

I agree, as I said, the kink is insignificant. It was just something I couldn't quite buy that felt out of character with the rest of the story.

[j9ac9k]

Hey man!

Veidt seems pretty pragmatic - I think he was just tying up all his loose ends. I don't think he'd have killed Blake just because he doesn't like him.

But I think he probably did kind of hate Comedian, or at least his ideas. After all, Comedian making Captain Metropolis look like a joke at the aborted "Crimebusters" meeting was what set Ozymandias down the path toward trying to "save the world" in the first place, right? There's that panel where Ozymandias looks at Captain Metropolis' burning map and he's thinking about it, I think he says or thinks in a caption that was when he decided he had to save the world from itself - no matter what cost. If Comedian's ideology was what piqued Ozymandias so much that he was willing to commit atrocities to prove him wrong, then I bet you're right about him hating Comedian, even though I don't think that's why he killed him.

Just based on memory, so maybe there's a passage that disproves me, but I'd think Ozy probably ended up agreeing with Comedian in many ways about the world. Adrian just decided to do something about it because of his belief in himself and what he could do to effect change rather than Eddie who felt powerless about it so decided to join in and treat it all as a joke. So I don't think he hated Eddie, but maybe thought of him as small-minded and lacking in the fortitude to confront how terrible the world was. (as they saw it)