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The superheroes of Watchmen are mostly based on comic-book heroes from Charlton Comics (1946-1986). In the 1980s most of Charlton's characters were acquired by DC Comics and integrated into the universe of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Alan Moore originally envisioned Watchmen as a story set in the Charlton Comics universe – however, the story arc (which includes the death of some rather significant characters) prompted DC editors to ask that he set Watchmen into its own separate universe. The influences of other characters (from DC, Marvel, and other publishers) can also be seen in the heroes of Watchmen: