Orange and Blue

As of late, when I read Watchmen, I see another character that paralells Dr. Manhattan: Leeloo, from the movie, The Fifth Element. At first glance, they appear to be complete opposites. Dr. Manhattan, a blue, naked man who first graced the pages of comic books in 1986 but will appear on movie screens March 2009 and Leeloo, an orange, semi-naked woman who graced the silver screen back in 1997.

Here's what they have in common: They are both Christ-like individuals. Dr. Manhattan was a nuclear physicist in the late 1950's who was literally blown at an Arizona testing facility only to pull himself together, again literally, and achieve the power to displace matter as he sees fit, using it well into the 1980s, Leeloo on the other hand is the Fifth element, the perfect lifeform and the ultimate protector of life who was destroyed in a spaceship, but is reassembled in a 23rd century bioengineering lab in New York.

In addition to New York City, both characters' stories revolve around another heavenly body both literally and figuratively. Dr. Manhattan retreats to the planet Mars when he couldn't endure the stress he was experiencing on earth, while Leeloo goes to the fictional planet of Fhloston. Both characters come back to earth one last time to complete their objectives. They each have love interests that are at best complicated. Dr. Manhattan's love is Laurie Juspeczyk (the 2nd Silk Spectre).This relationship is complicated because Dr. Manhattan's powers upset Laurie. Leeloo's love interest is Corbin Dallas (bruce Willis' character). Corbin believes that Leeloo is perfect, but because of her vocation, Leeloo knows nothing of love or being loved. It is ultimately Laurie and Corbin that bring about a life changing revelation to both Dr. Manhattan and Leeloo respectively.

And finally, they have similar creators. It is already apparent that Watchmen is created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, The Fifth Element may have been directed by Luc Besson, but it was the artistic collaboration with comic book artists Jean Giraud (Moebius) and Jean-Cluade Meizieres that brought the movie to life.