Publisher: DC Comics
Created by: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank
1st appearance: Doomsday Clock #1 (January 2018)
Nationality: American
Team Affiliations: None
Legal Status: Unknown
Height: 5’9 Weight: 180 lbs
Eye color: Brown Hair color: Black
Relatives: Malcolm Long (father, deceased), Gloria Long (mother, deceased)
Skills and abilities: Reggie is a very capable fighter, having been trained by Byron Lewis in the different fighting styles of the Minutemen; making him a “one-man minutemen”. Reggie did not feel that these skills were enough and went on to also adapt the extreme brutality of the original Rorschach.
Rorschach’s mental instability is well known and this reputation lives on even after the death of Walter Kovacs. Reggie uses this to his advantage when he takes up the mantle on his earth. Due to Reggie’s similarly brutal methods, and the distinct mask he wears, criminals mistake him for Kovacs and flee at the sight of him.
Powers: None.
Weaknesses: Due to his proximity to the “alien invader” attack, Reggie suffered severe mental damage from the psychic shockwave. For a time he was driven insane, becoming extremely violent and seeing images of those killed by the monster constantly. It wasn’t until he met Byron Lewis, who helped him through his time at the Fitzgerald Mental Home, that he was able to overcome this by “seeing what he wants to see”. As a side effect of this ordeal, Reggie speaks in simple, broken English.
Biography
When Ozymandias unleashed his creation in New York, Reggie Long was caught in the shockwave and his parents, Malcolm and Gloria Long, were killed. He was taken to Fitzgerald Mental Home where he slowly descended into madness, seeing the people killed by the monster. The staff and the other patients treated him inhumanely, which led to him attempting suicide by jumping off a roof. He was stopped by Byron Lewis, the former hero known as Mothman who had also gone insane. Reggie was caught and returned to his cell but was able to watch as Byron flew off the roof.
Over the years, Lewis would fly away and bring back contraband to the mental home. One night, he brought all of Malcolm Long’s things relating to Rorschach and Lewis began to teach Reggie the fighting styles of the Minutemen. Reggie became more vicious and eventually became inspired by Rorschach. On October 11th, 1992, Reggie and Byron saw on television that Veidt was behind the monster. Byron told Reggie that the government was transferring anyone who survived Veidt’s monster to a private facility to obtain information about Veidt, and Reggie decided to escape. He set fire to the mental home and escaped, but Byron returned inside to kill himself. He left Reggie a letter and tickets to Antarctica, as well as Rorschach’s mask. Reggie used the ticket to go to Veidt’s Karnak base, where he found Ozymandias grieving over his mistake. Reggie, now the new Rorschach, pulled a knife out and held it to Veidt’s throat, drawing blood, until Veidt showed remorse and regret in his eyes, and Rorschach dropped his knife. Veidt recruited the new Rorschach, and they left Karnak.
Doomsday Clock
On November 22nd, 1992, with the world on the edge of total nuclear war, Reggie reflected on the events that had led humanity to the brink as he broke into the Sing Sing Prison to recruit the Marionette and the Mime for a job.
After escaping Sing Sing with the two inmates, Reggie led them through the sewers of New York to the old base of Nite Owl, where they encountered Adrian Veidt. Veidt informed the rest of the group what the job was: to find Doctor Manhattan and bring him back to Earth so that he might repair the damage that had been done. The team boarded the Owlship, which Ozymandias had reconfigured for quantum tunneling, and left their universe.
They arrived on Prime Earth and crash-landed in Gotham City, where Ozymandias and Reggie split up to find the world’s two smartest men: Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne. Ozymandias went to speak to Luthor at LexCorp, while Reggie went to find Wayne at Wayne Manor. Rorschach broke into the Batcave, where he was confronted by Batman.
Reggie gave Batman Walter Kovacs’ journal and explained to him that he was in search of Doctor Manhattan, who was believed to have left their Earth and went here. Batman feigned cooperation, leading Reggie to investigate Arkham Asylum. Once there, Batman locked Reggie in a cell.
Believing him to be simply insane, Batman walked away as Rorschach threatened, begged, and screamed to be let out.
He was listed as John Doe by the prison authorities, who were tipped off by Batman about his presence. He was handled like any other inmate, though a special psychologist by the name of Matthew Mason was assigned to work with him. Unbeknownst to Reggie, Dr. Mason was Batman in disguise, covertly monitoring him. Regardless, Reggie said nothing during their meeting. He reflected on his life during his stay at Arkham before being unexpectedly freed by the time displaced Saturn Girl, who brings him along to find the one man who can help them: Superman.
He and Saturn Girl happen upon Johnny Thunder and save him from some thugs. He then inquires Johnny about the lantern. They are later picked up by Ozymandias in the Owlship. He happens upon Batman, Mime, Marionette, Joker and Comedian and witnesses Adrian summon Dr. Manhattan. When Manhattan reveals Adrian lied about having cancer, he became furious and attacked him.
