Midnight Clock

Panel 5, Page 12, Chapter 4: The symbol on Dr. Manhattan's forehead.

The symbol that is drawn on Dr. Manhattan's forehead was originally drawn being a hydrogen atom. However, it may also be a clock, with both hands at the 12 o'clock time: the "doomsday clock." This is an appropriate symbol for Dr. Manhattan because, although he has the power to create life (and anything he chooses) like God, he also has the power to destroy it. As he said in Chapter 1, life and death are essentially the same to him. Time for him has no meaning, as everything is really happening at once, all at the same time, and so people are really both alive and dead at the same time. Creation and destruction are, to him, in essence the same thing. This is a theme throughout the novel. Veidt destroys the city of New York in order to create a world-wide peace.