AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Dr. Manhattan Kills Rorschach' meme is an exploitable image macro taken from the comic series 'Watchmen' by DC Comics. It depicts a significant climactic moment where Dr. Manhattan, a superhuman being, uses his supernatural powers to obliterate Rorschach, another central character. In the image, Dr. Manhattan is seen extending his hand towards Rorschach, who seems to disintegrate under a massive energy surge, illustrated by a vibrant pink backdrop. This scene is often used as a reference to dramatic conclusions and is adapted into various object labeling memes to describe over-the-top reactions or finality in humorous contexts.

OriginWho did it first?

The meme derives from a panel in the last issue of the 'Watchmen' comic miniseries, written by Alan Moore and released in October 1987. In the storyline, Rorschach, unwilling to compromise on his strict moral code despite the resolving plot, confronts Dr. Manhattan, leading to his demise under the latter's immense powers. The image used for the memes specifically captures Rorschach being disintegrated by Dr. Manhattan's psychic blast. This scene spans two pages in the comic, with select panels commonly used to craft the meme. An early example of this scene used humorously can be traced back to October 30th, 2015, when DeviantArt user Zody created a comic using characters Beavis and Butthead in place of Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. The artwork can be viewed on DeviantArt.^[1]

Origin: 2015