Adrian Veidt Quotes in Watchmen (2009)

Adrian Veidt: I'm not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago.

Adrian Veidt: [Nixon finishes his speech on Veidt's TVs] Do you see? It's your super powers retreating from war. I've saved the Earth from hell. We both have. This is as much your victory as it is mine. Now we can return. Do what we were meant to.

Rorschach: We were meant to exact justice! Everyone's gonna know what you've done...

Adrian Veidt: Will they? By exposing me, you would sacrifice the peace so many died for today.

Dan Dreiberg: Peace based on a lie.

Adrian Veidt: But peace! Nonetheless.

Jon Osterman: ...He's right. Exposing Adrian would only doom the world to Nuclear destruction again.

Laurie Juspeczyk: No... we can't do this.

Jon Osterman: On Mars, you taught me the value of life. If we hope to preserve it here, we must remain silent.

Rorschach: Keep your own secrets...

[the others look as Rorscach leaves, then Jon and Adrian make eye contact]

Dan Dreiberg: Don't even think about it.

[Goes after Rorscach]

Dan Dreiberg: Rorscach! Wait.

Rorschach: [Turns] Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel.

[Leaves the building]

Adrian Veidt: I've made myself feel every death... see every innocent face I've murdered to save humanity.

[Turns to Jon]

Adrian Veidt: You understand, don't you?

Jon Osterman: Without condoning... or condemning. I understand.

Rorschach: [Outside, in the snow, Rorscach comes across a copy of Jon standing in the snow] Out of my way. People have to be told.

Jon Osterman: You know I can't let you do that.

Rorschach: Suddenly you discover humanity. Convenient.

[Takes off his mask]

Rorschach: If you'd cared from the start, none of this would've happened.

Jon Osterman: I can change almost anything... but I can't change human nature.

Rorschach: Of course, you must protect Veidt's new Utopia. One more body amongst foundations makes little difference. Well, what are you waiting for? Do it...

[Jon hesitates]

Rorschach: DO IT!

[Jon makes Rorscach explode into a pile of blood]

Dan Dreiberg: NOOOOOOOO!

Adrian Veidt: It doesn't take a genius to see that the world has problems.

Edward Blake: No, but it takes a room full of morons to think they're small enough for you to handle.

Adrian Veidt: I don't mind being the smartest man in the world, I just wish it wasn't this one.

Jon Osterman: What is this? Another ultimate weapon?

Adrian Veidt: Yes. You could say that.

[Veidt turns on TVs with remote]

Adrian Veidt: Dan. A world united in peace... there had to be sacrifice.

Dan Dreiberg: No! You haven't idealized mankind but you've... you've deformed it! You mutilated it. That's your legacy. That's the real practical joke.

Adrian Veidt: You wanna know my past? Okay. Happily. It's a matter of public record that by seventeen both my parents were dead, leaving me alone. I guess you could say I've always been alone. I mean, they say I'm the smartest man in the world, but the truth is I've often felt stupid at being unable to relate to anybody. Well... anyone living, that is. The only person with whom I felt any kinship died three hundred years before the birth of Christ. Alexander of Macedonia. His vision of a United world, well... it was unprecedented. I wanted... needed to match his accomplishments, and so I resolved to apply antiquity's teachings to our world today, and so began my path to conquest. Conquest not of men, but of the evils that beset them. Fossil Fuels. Oil. Nuclear Power. Like a drug, and you, gentlemen, along with foreign interests, are the pushers.

Lee Iacocca: Now listen.

Adrian Veidt: No. You listen. The world will survive. And it deserves more than you've been able to provide. So let's cut to it, shall we? Privately I'm worth more than all of your corporations combined, I could buy and sell you three times over, which is something you should factor into your decision should you choose to make our disagreement public. I think you know the way out.

Adrian Veidt's Assistant: The toy people wanna talk to you about some new villains for the Ozymandias line. Seems all the old villains are dead.

Lee Iacocca: Mr Veidt?

Adrian Veidt: I think I have some ideas.

Adrian Veidt: The only person with whom I felt any kinship with died three hundred years before the birth of Christ. Alexander of Macedonia, or Alexander the Great, as you know him.

Adrian Veidt: I've known John long enough to see he isn't devoid of emotion. His subtle facial twitches wouldn't have been noticed by the layman but to me, he might as well have been sobbing.

Dr. Manhattan: You're my only remaining link to the world.

Laurie Juspeczyk: I don't want that responsibility anymore.

[to Adrian as she walks out]

Laurie Juspeczyk: He's all yours.

Adrian Veidt: Don't worry John, she'll be back.

Dr. Manhattan: No she won't.

Adrian Veidt: For someone that calls himself The Comedian, I can never tell when you're joking.

Adrian Veidt: What, in life, does not deserve celebrating?

Doug Roth: Mr. Veidt, to date, you're one of only two Watchmen ever to reveal their true identity to the world, the first being Hollis Mason. And you've certainly profited greatly by it turning your superhero alter ego, Ozymandias, into a billion-dollar industry: toys, lunchboxes, genetic engineering. I understand there's a movie in the works.

Adrian Veidt: I'm not hearing a question, Mr. Roth.

Doug Roth: I'm sorry. Do you think...

Adrian Veidt: The other Watchmen resent me for prostituting their struggle? It's a fair question. Yes, it's crossed my mind some of my old colleagues might see it that way, just as you're clearly aware that biased journalism sells more magazines. The merchandising arm of Veidt Industries is funding our work with Dr. Manhattan. We recently expanded our research facility in Antarctica in the hope of developing cheap, renewable sources of energy that we might eliminate the world's reliance on fossil fuels. Now, it doesn't take a political scientist to see that our Cold War with the Russians isn't ideological - it's based upon fear. Fear of not having enough. But if we make resources infinite... ah... we make war obsolete. I would hope the other Watchmen understand that. Wherever they may be. Thanks for your time.

Dan Dreiberg: You look good, Adrian.

Adrian Veidt: Dan. It's been too long. So Rorschach thinks someone's hunting the Watchmen, huh?

Dan Dreiberg: You think it's possible?

Adrian Veidt: Statistically, one murder doesn't equal a trend. Rorschach's a sociopath, Dan. And so was the Comedian. He was practically a Nazi. You know that better than anyone.

Dan Dreiberg: I'm not here because I miss him.

Adrian Veidt: It's occurred to Rorschach that we're the only ones who know each other's identities.

Dan Dreiberg: Actually, the whole world knows yours. That's why I'm warning you first.

Adrian Veidt: Thank you, Dan, but I fear there's something much more real to worry about than Rorschach's mask killer.

Dan Dreiberg: If the Russians do launch their nukes, can Jon really stop them?

Adrian Veidt: The Soviets have 51,000 warheads stockpiled. Even if Jon stops 99 percent of them, the 1 percent that get through could still kill every living thing on Earth. Even Dr. Manhattan can't be everywhere at once.

Adrian Veidt: We can do so much more. We can save this world... with the right leadership.

Adrian Veidt: His vision of a united world... well, it was unprecedented. I wanted... *needed* to match his accomplishments, and so I resolved to apply antiquity's teaching to our world, *today*. And so began my path to conquest. Conquest not of men, but of the evils that beset them.

Adrian Veidt: [Nixon finishes his speech on Veidt's TVs] Do you see? Two super powers retreating from war. I've saved the Earth from hell. We both have. This is as much your victory as it is mine. Now we can return. Do what we were meant to.

Rorschach: We were meant to exact justice! Everyone's gonna know what you've done...

Adrian Veidt: Will they? By exposing me, you would sacrifice the peace so many died for today.

Dan Dreiberg: Peace based on a lie.

Adrian Veidt: But peace! Nonetheless.

Jon Osterman: ...He's right. Exposing Adrian would only doom the world to Nuclear destruction again.

Laurie Juspeczyk: No... we can't do this.

Jon Osterman: On Mars, you taught me the value of life. If we hope to preserve it here, we must remain silent.

Rorschach: Keep your own secrets...

[the others look as Rorscach leaves, then Jon and Adrian make eye contact]

Dan Dreiberg: Don't even think about it.

[Goes after Rorscach]

Dan Dreiberg: Rorscach! Wait.

Rorschach: [Turns] Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel.

[Leaves the building]

Adrian Veidt: I've made myself feel every death... see every innocent face I've murdered to save humanity.

[Turns to Jon]

Adrian Veidt: You understand, don't you?

Jon Osterman: Without condoning... or condemning. I understand.

Adrian Veidt: [a quote from Percy Byssche Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" is placed on a statue of Ramesses II at the top of the stairways in the hall at the arctic base. The poem is said to be inspired by such a statue of Ramesses II, exhibited at the British Museum in London. UK] My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!