Dr. Manhattan is the only true superhuman in the story, since all the other masked vigilantes are just regular humans wearing costumes. Dr. Manhattan’s character and relationship to regular humans thus parallels popular hero comics, particularly
Superman. Laurie’s accusation that the Comedian tried to rape her mother further suggests that, though many regard him as a hero, he was a deeply flawed, even monstrous figure. Rorschach’s disregard of the Comedian’s “moral lapse” again shows the inconsistency of his moral code, since he is willing to overlook gross conduct as long as someone is properly patriotic.