Take a gang of superheroes including the likes of a ruthless Comedian, a scantily-clad Silk Spectre, and the all-powerful Dr. Manhattan; add in the gripping and grimly twisted story of a graphic novel; mix together with the breathtaking cinematic style of 300 director Zack Snyder; place in a record-breaking 3,611 theaters nationwide (the most ever for an R-rated film)... and you have the recipe behind the highly-anticipated, epic superhero action flick Watchmen. It is a visually stunning piece of film and although I am unfamiliar with the original graphic novel, Watchmen, I am sure, is set to exceed many superhero enthusiasts' expectations.

The film opens upon a scene of American history we are familiar with. The United States is in the heart of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Rumors of stockpiled weapons have the entire world on edge with the thought that nuclear warfare is imminent. In a time that has long passed, citizens of the US have looked to a band of masked superheroes to aid and protect them against threats local and abroad, but mistrust mixed with questionable actions on behalf of the superheroes themselves have turned them into all but outlaws in the new society. Now, with World War III looming above them, the once tight-knit group of masked men and women begins to reconsider their purpose and their super-human ability to protect the world against harm. When one of their own, the Comedian, meets an untimely end early on, a search is triggered that leads each individual hero on a unique journey that ultimately will tell what their role is in saving the world and whether or not it is worth saving at all.

Rorschach, one of the original Watchmen and a sort of vigilante member, is the first one on the case of the Comedian's demise. His darkly poetic journal entries give a glimpse into his beliefs about society and how it is linked to the mistrust of the Watchmen. He sees the evils of society grow greater and human behavior deteriorate more and more every day. As one who believes his purpose is to fight evil, he struggles to differentiate between the two. If your mission is to save the world from evil, what happens when the world itself becomes that which is the most evil? Does one fight to save the world from itself? For Rorschach there is no end to fighting evil, no matter how entrenched in society it becomes, which is why he continues to pursue the Comedian's killer and pays visits to each of the remaining Watchmen, warning them they could very well be next.

His next stop is Dan Dreiberg, or Nite Owl II. Although Dan is skeptical about the plot to pick off all remaining Watchmen, Rorschach's appearance causes him to begin recalling their time as superheroes. This is further driven home as Laurie Jupiter, or Silk Spectre II, also makes a dramatic re-entry into his life. Dan has become accustomed to normal life again and has become comfortable with just being a regular guy, living life day to day. His time as the Nite Owl was invigorating, satisfying, purpose-fulfilling even, but is now so far in the past that he feels, as we often feel about times of spiritual high in our lives, that it is never to come again. When he sees his Nite Owl goggles in Laurie's hand he recalls with fondness, "No matter how black it got I could put those goggles on and I could see."

When we are closest to Christ, truly within His Will for our lives, we also have that same ability to see, no matter how black it gets. I often think the exact same thoughts as the Nite Owl, recalling the times I felt the closest to my Savior, and then at times when I stray, wondering if I will ever be able to have that same feeling, that same purpose ever again.

Dan was so far gone from his Nite Owl identity that he had a hard time even imagining himself in the suit again. He is eventually driven to the point, though, that he simply can't live without it. He says, "I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of being afraid of this suit and how much I need it," and with that he puts it back on and re-enters into the greatest time period of his life once again. Just as it almost seemed the superhero was calling back to him, Christ calls back to us until we are finally tired of being afraid of Him and how much we need Him and just give in to Him, truly entering back into our best lives.

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