Watcher (comics)

The Watchers are a race of fictional extraterrestrials appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics whose purpose is to watch over the multiverses of the series. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the first Watcher to appear in the comics—named Uatu—appears in Fantastic Four #13 (April 1963).[1]

Watcher
Artwork for the cover of Original Sin # 8 (September, 2014 Marvel Comics).
Art by Julian Totino Tedesco.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceFantastic Four #13 (April 1963)
Created byStan Lee
Jack Kirby
Characteristics
Notable membersUatu
Aron
Inherent abilitiesSuperhuman strength, intellect, stamina, durability and longevity
Energy and molecular manipulation
Psionic powers
Teleportation

The Watchers appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).

Fictional history

The Watchers are one of the oldest species in the universe and are committed to observing and compiling knowledge on all aspects of the universe. This policy of total non-interference came into existence due to a former, well-meant attempt by the Watchers to bestow advanced knowledge on the Prosilicans, who used the nuclear technology gained to create weapons and destroy themselves. When the Watchers returned to Prosilicus, the survivors blamed them for causing the catastrophe by giving the Prosilicans nuclear technology before they were ready for it. The Watchers then took a vow never to interfere with other civilizations.[2][3]

Despite this, the Watcher Uatu has revealed himself to the superhero team the Fantastic Four, telling them of his race.[4] In his first appearance, he made them battle the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes for control of the Moon. He complimented Reed Richards and claimed he would go to a more distant part of the galaxy to observe humanity.[5] He aids them on several occasions against global threats such as the Molecule Man,[6] Galactus,[7][8] and the Overmind.[9] The Leader discovered his existence and tracked him to his world. He transported the Hulk there to get the Ultimate Machine, which contains all the information in the Universe. The Hulk battled the Amphibious Qnax, who had also been sent to recover the machine. The Watcher transported them away from his machines to battle, and when the Hulk won, he transported Qnax back to his homeworld. He then took the Hulk back to his base, where the Hulk took the Machine despite the Watcher's warnings. The Leader transported him back to Earth and tried to use the device. However, the tremendous amount of knowledge proved too much for the Leader. He collapsed to the ground, unmoving, and the Hulk assumed that he died of shock.[10] When the Hulk tried to use the machine himself, Uatu allowed him to hear the voice of Rick Jones, after which the Hulk removed the device. The Watcher then transported the Ultimate Machine back to his planet.[11] After blatant interference with the mission of the Kree soldier Mar-Vell, Uatu is put on trial by his own race, but is released on the provision that he never directly interfere again.[12]

Uatu is later banished by his race for aiding the Fantastic Four against the threat of his rogue nephew, Aron, the Renegade Watcher, who tries to destroy the universe.[13] The Dreaming Celestial later scans Uatu and learns the Watcher has broken his pact of non-interference almost 400 times.[14] The Celestial also reveals the Watchers, like the Celestials themselves, are servants of a concept called Fulcrum, with apparent consequences for interference.[14] Despite this, the other Watchers have interfered in other civilizations' events, though rarely, notably when the world-ending robot Omegex approached the Milky Way and they deemed it dangerous enough to act directly against it.

There is also a tongue-in-cheek, splintered-off faction of Watchers that call themselves The Critics, who not only observe events, but also give dramatic critique as they take place. The only known Critic looks similar to other Watchers, but wears a mustache, goatee, dark sunglasses, and, rather than toga, dresses in a tweed sport coat.[15]

When Nova briefly visits Uatu and witnesses him watching various alternate realities, he learns that Uatu's father was the Watcher who originally gave nuclear technology to the Prosilicans, with Uatu's search of parallel universes being motivated by the desire to find the one world where his father's act of charity was proved to be the right thing to do.[16]

Powers and abilities

The Watchers are cosmic beings, who possess the innate ability to achieve virtually any effect desired, including augmenting personal attributes, time and space manipulation, molecular manipulation, energy projection, and a range of mental powers. They also have access to highly advanced technology.

Known Watchers
  • Acba - A Watcher that was present during the universe's potential collapse.[17]
  • Aron – A renegade Watcher.
  • Critics - A branch of the Watchers that comment on everything they observe.[18]
  • Ecce – The Watcher who first came upon the newborn Galactus. Despite realizing the danger of his existence, he chose not to eliminate him in his helpless state thereby contributing to his evolution into the Devourer of Worlds.[19]
  • Edda - A Watcher that was present during the universe's potential collapse.[17]
  • Egma - A Watcher that was present during the universe's potential collapse where he watched Quasar's fight with Maelstrom and his master Oblivion.[17]
  • Eihu - A Watcher who witnessed and affected the outcome of the battle between the Stranger and Overmind.[20]
  • Emnu - The leader of the Homeworld High Council who opposed the Prosilicus experiment.[21]
  • Engu - A Watcher who was present at the trial of Uatu.[22]
  • Eta - A female Watcher that lives on the floating island called Weirdworld.[23]
  • He Who Summons - The leader of the Watchers who engaged Exitar the Celestial.[24]
  • Ikor - The father of Uatu who proposed the Prosilicus experiment.[21]
  • Ing - A Watcher who was present at the trial of Uatu.[22]
  • Ocam - A Watcher who witnessed and affected the outcome of the battle between the Stranger and Overmind.[20]
  • The One - The repository of the Watchers' collective knowledge and observations throughout the eons.[25] He was later killed by Exitar the Celestial.[26]
  • Otmu - A Watcher who operates in a sector of the Shi'ar galaxy.[27]
  • Qyre - A Watcher who discovered the recluses.[28]
  • Talmadge - A newborn Watcher.[29]
  • Ualu - A Watcher who was present when Quasar fought Otmu.[27]
  • Uatu – Originally assigned to Earth, Uatu was the first Watcher to break with his people's principles of non-interference by allying himself with the Fantastic Four against Galactus.[30]
  • Uilig - A Watcher on Earth-691 who was the survivor of the Hawk God's attack on the Watchers.[31]
  • Ulana – A female Watcher and Uatu's lover.[32]
  • Uravo – A young female Watcher who was sent to find Uatu when he had abandoned his post on Earth.[33]
  • Ute - A Watcher from Earth-374 who told the history of Proctor to the Avengers.[34]
  • Watcher of the Calishee – A Watcher who observed the planet Calishee.[35]
  • Xecu
  • Zoma - A Watcher who was present at the trial of the recluses under She-Hulk.[28]

Other versions

What If

The Watcher Uatu often observes how key events from the Earth-616 Marvel Universe differed in alternate universes and speculates on the related consequences.[36]

Wha... Huh?

The Watcher appears as the host of Marvel Comics spoof. On the first page, he appears as a peeping-tom.

Earth X

In the alternate reality of Earth X (Earth-9997), the Watchers are slaves of the Celestials. As punishment for their non-interference during the birth of their arch-enemy Galactus, the Celestials force the Watchers to observe the impregnation of newly formed planets with their Celestial eggs, and the eventual birth of the Celestial within, which ultimately destroys that planet.[37]

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel alternate universe limited series Ultimate Origins, the Watchers are depicted as machines that speak through a human host (Sue Storm). They choose Rick Jones as their "herald" to help humans survive an "upcoming crisis".[38]

In other media

Music
  • The series was partially the inspiration for the Genesis song, "Watcher Of The Skies", from their 1972 Foxtrot album.

Television
  • Uatu made two appearances in the 1967 Fantastic Four animated series, voiced by Paul Frees.
  • Uatu the Watcher appeared in the "Incredible Hulk" segment of the animated series The Marvel Super Heroes.
  • Uatu made a cameo appearance in the X-Men animated series.
  • Uatu made an appearance in the 1994 Fantastic Four animated series, voiced by Alan Oppenheimer.
  • The Watchers made appearances on the Silver Surfer animated series.
  • Uatu appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Tremble at the Might of...MODOK", voiced by Dave Boat. He makes an appearance at the Big Really Amazing Immense Noggin Convention telling MODOK what happens in Big Head Super Team-Up #141, until MODOK interrupts him stating that he will obtain the Infinity Fractal and use it to overthrow Doctor Doom and defeat the Super Hero Squad. Uatu just states, "Well, this I have got to see." Around the end of the episode, Uatu looks into the window as Doctor Doom uses MODOK as a test subject in his Weapons Testing Chamber. He is later seen in "This Al Dente Earth" sitting in a recliner, eating popcorn, and taking pictures with his cell phone of the battle between the heroes and Galactus.
  • Uatu the Watcher will appear in the MCU Disney+ series "What If...?" voiced by Jeffrey Wright.[39]

Film

The Watchers appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 where their close-up appearances are portrayed by Walt Linscott. They are seen in both in the film and a post-credits scene. In these scenes, an informant of theirs (portrayed by Stan Lee) tells the uninterested group of Watchers about the experiences he has had on Earth when they meet with him on an asteroid. During the post-credits part, the Watchers meeting with their informant take their leave as the informant protests that they are his only ride back to Earth. Director and screenwriter James Gunn has stated that the scene was created because of the online fan-theory that Stan Lee's cameos throughout the franchise are due to his relation to the Watchers.

Video games

The Watchers are referenced in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. If the player asks Uatu about the Watchers, Uatu will bring up a history of the Watchers introducing technology to the residents of Prosilicus.

Web series

The Watcher is the title of a web series that runs on Marvel's official YouTube page hosted and written by Lorraine Cink, featuring news about Marvel comics, film, television, and toys.

gollark: :/
gollark: It's calculating the intersection of the surfaces of four spheres or something.
gollark: The code for my trilaterator is on my pastebin.
gollark: Do what I did and copy the GPS code for it.
gollark: (3D Pythagorean whatever)

References
  1. Wells, John (2015). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 133. ISBN 978-1605490458.
  2. Tales of Suspense #52-53. Marvel Comics.
  3. DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 402. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  4. Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 978-1465455505.
  5. Fantastic Four #13 (April 1963). Marvel Comics.
  6. Fantastic Four #20 (Nov. 1963). Marvel Comics.
  7. Fantastic Four #48 (Mar. 1966). Marvel Comics.
  8. Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 978-1605490557.
  9. Fantastic Four #113 (Aug. 1971). Marvel Comics.
  10. Tales to Astonish #73-74. Marvel Comics.
  11. Tales to Astonish #75. Marvel Comics.
  12. Captain Marvel #37 - 38 (March–May (bi-monthly)1975). Marvel Comics.
  13. Fantastic Four #400 (May 1995). Marvel Comics.
  14. Eternals vol. 7, (Oct. 2008). Marvel Comics.
  15. Sensational She-Hulk #14-17. Marvel Comics.
  16. Original Sin #0. Marvel Comics.
  17. Quasar #25. Marvel Comics.
  18. Sensational She-Hulk #14. Marvel Comics.
  19. Thor #168. Marvel Comics.
  20. Quasar #16. Marvel Comics.
  21. Tales of Suspense #53. Marvel Comics.
  22. Captain Marvel #39. Marvel Comics.
  23. Weirdworld Vol. 2 #3. Marvel Comics.
  24. Fantastic Four #378. Marvel Comics.
  25. Fantastic Force #7. Marvel Comics.
  26. Fantastic Four #400. Marvel Comics.
  27. Quasar #15. Marvel Comics.
  28. She-Hulk Vol. 3 #7. Marvel Comics.
  29. Thing: Freakshow #1. Marvel Comics.
  30. The Fantastic Four #13 (1963). Marvel Comics.
  31. Guardians of the Galaxy #49. Marvel Comics.
  32. FF #13. Marvel Comics.
  33. Hulk Vol. 2 #28. Marvel Comics.
  34. Avengers #363. Marvel Comics.
  35. Thor #419. Marvel Comics.
  36. What If #1 - 47 (Feb. 1977 - Oct. 1984) and What If vol. 2 #1 - 114 (Jul. 1989 - Nov. 1998). Marvel Comics.
  37. Earth X:Issue X (Mar 2000). Marvel Comics.
  38. Ultimate Extinction #1 - 5 (Jan. 2006 - May 2006). Marvel Comics.
  39. http://collider.com/marvels-what-if-announces-massive-voice-cast-of-mcu-stars-jeffrey-wright-as-the-watcher/
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