Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's the vigilante Hooded Justice is introduced -- a character who, thanks to HBO's Watchmen series, has gone from overlooked to amazing.
In the comics Hooded Justice is named the first masked vigilante. He becomes known after beating up a gang to stop an assault, and for stopping a robbery at a supermarket (an origin adapted for the TV series as well). Hooded Justice s the Minutemen roster, where he begins a relationship with Nelson Gardner a.k.a. Captain Metropolis that is hidden from the public. According to Mason's writing, Hooded Justice retired from vigilantism after the United States government requested the unmasking of anonymous heroes... sending Hooded Justice into hiding. His identity was never revealed, despite intense speculation.
HBO's Watchmen used Hooded Justice's mysterious persona to create a heartbreaking origin and identity for the previous unmasked hero. Taking cues from Moore and Gibbons' Watchmen tale, Hooded Justice became a central figure in the show as his gaps from Under the Hood were poignantly filled in.
The Real Origin of Hooded Justice Is So Much More
In Mason's Under the Hood, Hooded Justice is speculated to be circus strongman Rolf Müller. It's never confirmed Müller is the man behind the mask, but he did disappear at the same time as Hooded Justice. Müller's body is later found on the coast of Boston with a bullet through his head. In the conservative paper The New Frontiersman, it is implied Müller was a communist who was killed by higher-ranking officials.
In HBO's Watchmen, it's revealed Will Reeves (Louis Gossett Jr.) is actually Hooded Justice. While there are aspects of his story that were correct, like his secret relationship with Captain Metropolis, Reeves wasn't a white strongman from - he was a black man intentionally hiding his identity. Born in 1914, Will escaped Tulsa after being smuggled out with a young baby girl (June) via wagon during 1921's KKK's attack on Black Wall Street. This backstory is further explored when Angela relives his memories as Hooded Justice thanks to Will's Nostalgia pills, experiencing her grandfather's past personally.
Reeves moves with June to New York City and becomes a cop after being inspired by his childhood hero, lawman Bass Reeves. He connects to Superman after hearing about Action Comics #1, as just like like Kal-El, he's shipped away from death and destruction in hopes of a better life. Will experiences racism firsthand throughout his police duties, from both criminals and his fellow officers. When a man setting fire to a Jewish deli is released, Will is warned that ignoring the powers behind the scenes could get him killed.
When he is later jumped by his fellow policemen, the officers stage a hanging, sending Will a message... and leaving him with a hood on his head, and a noose around his neck.
Hooded Justice's True Mission is Personal
Looking the part, the true Hooded Justice is only born when Will immediately encounters a group of men attacking a couple (as his comic origin stated). He beats the attackers to a pulp, but without knowing his true identity, newspapers call this hooded defender a hero. Reeves wears white makeup around his eyes to trick people into believing he is a white man - a choice he makes to combat race relations at the time. His identity is so well-hidden, both Hollis Mason and Watchmen's "American Hero Story" series depict Hooded Justice as Caucasian.
Hooded Justice is eventually invited to The Minutemen, but despite thriving and inspiring the public as a hero, and developing a secret relationship with Captain Metropolis, he realizes his disguise doesn't change his priorities. The Minutemen don't follow his lead about the KKK's 'Cyclops' plan to incite black citizens to turn violent through hypnotic strobe lights. A threat with particular significance to him (for reasons he can't share with his colleagues), Reeves investigates himself. killing everyone involved.
Will Reeves' Revenge Gives 'Watchmen' Its Future
Reeves is a mysterious figure when he re-emerges in Tulsa. It is eventually revealed that years after the events of the original Watchmen comic, Dr. Manhattan met with Will before casting off his memories to become Cal Abar, and that his life is more intimately tangled with Dr. Manhattan's and Angela's than anyone had previously known. By revealing the existence of his grand-daughter, Dr. Manhattan allows Angela (in the future) to speak with Will (in the past). In the process, making this Watchmen sequel one big time loop. When Sister Night asks Hooded Justice why he killed her boss, a clan er, Will is given the target that sets the entire story in motion.
This time-spanning tale is brought to its conclusion when Angela meets with Will in the very same Tulsa theater where he first witnessed the story of Bass Reeves -- the origin of both his civilian and vigilante identities. Their reunion is an emotional one, but for the larger story of Watchmen, it may be the most important event to ever occur. Considering that the first season ends with Angela potentially gaining Dr. Manhattan's powers.
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In the original Watchmen comic, Hooded Justice is nothing but a background character, hinted at being something more than just muscle for The Minutemen. The Watchmen TV series fully realizes the character's potential, making Hooded Justice an integral part of the Watchmen universe. While the truth about Will Reeves' story remained a secret in the comics, his new origin simultaneously fits with his previously established comic persona, while presenting a more complex, far richer take on the character. Will is shaped by severe tragedy and racism in his life, but thanks to his costumed persona, he gets his happy ending. Cyclops is defeated as Will begins a new relationship with his long-lost granddaughter - even if it took a god-like figure to bring them together. It's a fitting ending for Will, and Watchmen as a whole.
