Dollar Bill - Before the Watchmen (2012)

The alias of William Brady, Dollar Bill was one of the many crime fighters to audition for the Minutemen, being accepted into their ranks by Captain Metropolis without even needing to prove himself due to his fame.

Among his employees was the National Bank, who had created the role to act as their super-hero sponsor and ensure that customers felt that they were being well treated and safe, with the test audiences adoring the concept. It was a shameless cash grab opportunity, one that the creators of the project would openly admit to Brady. However, due to the nature of the costume and the perceived image of it being "gay", Brady was the 14th person to audition for the part.

Within a few weeks of him taking on the mantle of Dollar Bill, every National Bank had his image on them, as well as being known throughout town. He would shoot promo shoots pretending to stop bank robberies to build his hype and encourage new customers for the bank.

A month after joining the Minutemen, he accompanied them on their first official mission to stop a smuggling ring transporting weapons into New York Harbour, which turned out to be in fact illegal fireworks that blew up the warehouse when they were caught alight from a lit smoke bomb. The failure was covered up and he was given glory for his act of patriotism.

Called to a robbery at one of his own national banks, Dollar Bill needed much convincing to talk him into helping, worried for his personal safety more than the hostages the robbers had taken. However, after a talk from Captain Metropolis, he was persuaded to do something about it, sneaking around the back with the help of Hooded Justice and Nite Owl. "Disgusted" by his cowardness and seeing the other heroes fight, he charged at the robbers and knocked them down, recapturing much of the energy from his college sporting days. He was praised for his actions by Captain Metropolis, filling him with pride.

Feeling himself become more of a hero, his life was cut short during his attempt to stop a robbery at his own bank. Chasing them outside, Dollar Bill's cape got stuck in the revolving door. Before he could detach it, he was shot in the head and point blank range.

A funeral was held for him and the members of the Minutemen gave him a final send-off, with Metropolis giving him a eulogy and calling him brother. His death had a great impact on Mothman, who could not believe that someone so young and full of life could go before he did and wondered if people would still remember and honour Dollar Bill now he was gone. However, Metropolis replied that they would, pointing to a young kid who was role-playing the hero in his honour.

William Benjamin Brady - Before the Watchmen (2012)

An American citizen born on the 4th of July 1917, William Benjamin Brady was raised in a Nebraskan farming town. Bullied when he was younger, his high school days turned around drastically due to his prowess at sport, in particular, American Football which he eventually was scouted as a potential student for a scholarship.

Choosing to attend Dartmouth because of the sports programme, he excelled at everything other than his academic work. All was going well until the final game of 1939 season when he was tackled by a member of the Texas Christian University's Horned Frog's in the fourth quarter.

His injury ended his football career and he was saddened by the pro-recruiting scouts not even speaking to him upon learning that he was in no position to play. His father helped him to graduate that spring, just barely getting the grades, before moving to New York in search of finding a job and his new career. However, every job that he looked at in the New York Daily Gazette required skills that he didn't have. On the verge of giving up and returning back to his home town, he was swayed by an advert for a part in a chorus for the new Broadway Review. Although not having any background in singing or dancing, he believed that due to his good looks - which girls in high school compared to a movie star - he would be able to get the gig.

Despite being told that he had the look, the director dismissed him, rudely adding that he should expect to hear from them and not to bother leaving his resume.

In a depressed state, he spent the next several days at home drinking beer, considering what he should do. William concluded that he had the looks of a Hollywood actor and could try there at least, but was unsure how he would get a train ticket. Almost giving up, he saw an advert for the First National Bank - 122 Rockefeller - and applied, arranging an interview for the next day.

As he was leaving the elevator, he was taken aback by one of the other candidates making a homophobic remark about the state of the Dollar Bill costume. Considering leaving, he was quickly called into the boardroom, where he met with the representatives of the Dollar Bill scheme. Seeing the costume, Willaim scoffed at the costume as not being able to see "any straight guy" wearing it and added that it looked as though someone had "vomited up the American Flag". Looking the costume over, he added that the cape was totally impractical for fighting crime.

After a moment of hesitation and realising that he had no other choice, Brady accepted the role of Dollar Bill. He would go on to do tv commercials, eventually impressing his employees enough for them to ask him to answer an advertisement in the newspaper for a group of costumed adventurers. Reminding them that he was an actor, not a real hero, they countered with the instruction to act as a costumed hero. They reassured him that the add was nothing more than a publicity stunt and that no one would get harmed.

Attending the tryouts that next evening, he expressed his belief that they all were the same behind the masks and deserved a shot, causing one of the other auditionees to leave in annoyance. Left waiting for over three and a quarter hours, he was the last to audition that evening in front of Metropolis, Silk Spectre, Nite Owl and Spectre's agent Larry Schexnayder. Telling them the truth that he had no powers or skills to speak off, the team admitted that they had already made up their mind that he was in just because of how popular and well known he was, hoping to make the Minutemen just as much of a household name as he had become.

Earning himself great respect from his teammates and the public, he tried to get a job in Hollywood, but due to being Dollar Bill he could not find any work for the sake of being typecasted.

Returning to New York, he would continue on as Dollar Bill, opening a new branch of the National Bank and renting a new apartment for himself. Watching tv one night, he was shocked to hear about the murder of his former teammate Silhouette, who had been killed alongside her lover in their apartment. However, despite drinking a toast to her memory, he couldn't let his more conservative side not think that the murder was an act of God for her sexuality.

Throwing himself into his work as Dollar Bill, he was tragically killed by robbers while giving pursuit.

Harvey Charles Furniss - Watchmen (1986)

A citizen living in New York, Harvey Charles Furniss was a multiple time rapist that had managed to avoid being arrested by the N.Y.P.D.

At some point in time, he became an enemy of Rorschach, who beat him to death and left his body outside of the Police Headquarters with a note saying "never" tied to his chest, both as an act of his brand of justice and a defiant direct response to the '77 Keene Act's proposal for compulsory retirement of all costumed adventurers who didn't have the backing of the US Government. 

Jimmy the Gimmick - Watchmen (1989)

A costumed criminal in New York City during the career of Nite Owl, Jimmy the Gimmick fought Hollis Mason and other masked adventurers several times.

During one his numerous times in prison, Edgar William Jacobi - formerly Moloch the Mystic - was suspected to have made acquaintances with him, leading Rorschach to suspect that Gimmick had something to do with both the death of The Comedian and the attempted assassination of Adrian Veidt.

Captain Axis - Watchmen (1986)

The alter-ego of Hans von Krupp, Captain Axis was an enemy of the Minutemen during the second World War, running missions of espionage and sabotage in America.

He was once flawed by a left hook from Nite Owl I during an encounter.

In 1945, whilst fighting Hooded Justice on an Allied submarine that was sailing near the Arctic Circle, Axis was flung into the sea, leaving him to drown, die of hypothermia or both.

However, how much of this can be backed up by official criminal records remains at the moment unknown.

Underboss - Watchmen (1986)

Taking up the alias of the Underboss, the New York criminal was responsible for creating an army out of the homeless living in the subway system beneath the city. He had fought against Nite Owl and other costumed adventurers, leading to his arrest.

According to some his real name was Anthony Rizzoli, and was a much-feared American crime boss. In 1965, his operations were disrupted by Nite Owl ii and Rorschach working together, eventually being arrested by the pair 1968.

Whilst in custody, he was supposed to have met Moloch the Mystic, which would lead him to become a suspect in a private investigation being headed by Rorschach in 1985 following the death of the Comedian.

One source said he was murdered in prison at some point after 1985.

King of Skin - Watchmen (1986)

A costumed criminal and adversary of the Crimebusters, the King of Skin were one of the many still living criminals that Rorschach suspected was responsible for killing the Comedian Edward Blake, as well as hiring Roy Victor Chess to assassinate Adrian Veidt.

Screaming Skull - Watchmen (1986)

A former criminal operating in the 1940s, the Screaming Skull was an enemy of Nite Owl I, being constantly foiled and arrested for his crimes. After at least a dozen times in jail, he eventually reformed and gave up the mantle.

Turning to Christianity following his release from prison, he settled down in New York City with a wife and two kids.

Whilst out shopping, he ran into Hollis Mason – the retired Nite Owl – and got chatting, trading addresses with one another and laughing about the old days.

The Keene Act - Watchmen (1986)

In response to the police strikes and anti-vigilante protest, Senator Keene pushed for an emergency bill that would outlaw vigilantism in America. The bill was passed by majority vote, as well as being signed off by President Richard Nixon, immediately going into effect on the 3rd of August 1977.

The bill stated that it was illegal for any vigilante to operate in America, only making an exception for any who pledged themselves fully to the American government. Because of this, Dr Manhattan and The Comedian were the only two legally operating costumed adventurers in the county. 

Both Silk Spectre and Nite Owl retired from crimefighting, with the latter refusing to reveal his identity to the public.

Rorschach, on the other hand, refused to accept this act of suppression from the government, making  his protestestations loudly heard when he left the dead body of a serial rapist on the steps of the N.Y.P.D Headquarters with a note reading "never." He had been on the run ever since. 

The Act has continued to be in effect since its passing, with no signs of it being relaxed or appealed. Despite this, it has been consistently undermined by Rorschach, as well as Nite Owl and Silk Spectre, who in 1985 sprung the arrested Walter Kovac's from Sing Song Penitentiary. 

Captain Carnage - Watchmen (1986)

An unnamed masochist from New York, Captain Carnage was a costumed villain created for the sole purpose of getting sexual relief from being beaten up.

Committing a robbery from a jewellery store, he was confronted by Silk Spectre, who at first was unaware of what was going on. Due to his increased breathing, she believed he may have been suffering from an asthma attack.

Due to the close-knit nature of the New York crime fighters, his schemes were largely ignored by the heroes who didn't even bother to do anything about him, aware he was not committing any crimes of significance that would hurt others. On one occasion Nite Owl ii even told him to "get lost" after he shouted after him in the street in broad daylight begging to be punished.

However, Carnage's attempt on Rorschach did not go the same way, with the vigilante dropping him down an elevator shaft.

Twilight Lady - Watchmen (1986)

The alter-ego of Leslie Chadwicke, - according to one source with questioning validity - Twilight Lady was a costumed criminal operating in the '60s, seeing it as a method to relieve herself of the boredom she was feeling in her life. Over the years her crimes developed from harmless to the creation of an illegal brothel and drug ring.

She was arrested in 1968 by Nite Owl and remained there until eventually being released in 1970

At some point in time, Twilight Lady sent Nite Owl a signed provocative picture of herself along with a message wishing him love; something Nite Owl kept as a trophy to remember her by after she disappeared.

Senator Keene - Watchmen (1986)

An American politician and elected representative of the Senate, Senator Keene proposed for the passing of a bill that would regulate the presence of masked vigilantes in America and forcibly retire any that do not have the approval of the American Government.

In 1977, after numerous police strikes and riots, the Keene Act was eventually passed, leading to the retirement of both Nite Owl and Silk Spectre, as well as Rorschach becoming a wanted criminal by the N.Y.P.D.