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Robert Deschaines was a young man who possessed psionic abilities. Following his death in 1983, Robert's corpse was decapitated and stolen so that former costumed adventurer and billionaire industrialist Adrien Veidt could clone his brain and use it to create a telepathic squid monster as part of the 11/2 Psychic Shockwave conspiracy.

Biography[]

Robert Deschaines died in 1983 from a stroke at a young age. While his body was unattended on a mortuary slab, his head was cut off and stolen, presumably by someone on Adrian Veidt's payroll. This was discovered by his horrified parents and relatives during his funeral. The local police blamed cultists for the act, while Hector Godfrey of the New Frontiersman made a connection between this incident and the disappearance of prominent creative figures such as Max Shea, although they attributed them to Cuban interests.[1]

Deschaines' brain was cloned, augmented and programmed with horrifying visions and concepts. It was the essential part of the manufactured creature's attributes as upon its death, the cloned brain served both as a psychic resonant device to create such a telepathic shockwave that would wipe half of New York City's population and as a medium for transmitting its horrible images to survivors.[2]

Powers[]

  • Psionics: Possessing innate psychic powers, Robert Deschaines' abilities transcended death. His cloned brain, augmented and programmed, acted as a dual force—functioning as a psychic resonant device capable of generating a telepathic shockwave with the potential to eradicate half of New York City's population. Simultaneously, it served as a conduit, transmitting horrifying images directly to survivors, perpetuating the psychological trauma initiated by his macabre legacy.
    • Mind Manipulation: Endowed with formidable mental prowess, Robert wields the ability to seamlessly manipulate the thoughts and actions of those within his influence. His power extends to reshaping perceptions, instigating confusion, and inducing disorientation among his chosen subjects. Additionally, Robert's capabilities include projecting chilling and nightmarish visions directly into the minds of his targets, instilling a profound sense of fear, panic, and psychological distress.
    • Psychic Shockwave: Even after death, Robert's cloned brain serves as a psychic resonant device. Upon his demise, it emits a powerful telepathic shockwave that has the potential to wipe out half of New York City's population, causing widespread mental distress and devastation.
    • Psychic Resonance: Robert's cloned brain acted as a psychic resonant device, amplifying his psionic powers. This resonance allows him to have a far-reaching impact on the collective consciousness of New York City, intensifying the effects of his telepathic shockwave.
    • Psychic Transmissions: Beyond the shockwave, Robert's brain serves as a medium for transmitting horrifying images directly into the minds of survivors. These images persist, haunting individuals with disturbing visions and psychological trauma.

Trivia[]

  • It appears that Robert Deschaines was seemingly the only person other than Doctor Manhattan within the original series to have actual superpowers. Though the origin of Osterman's abilities were shown as the result of a scientific accident and was mainly portrayed as this world's sole superhuman, Deschaines' powers are never explained, and the series doesn't elaborate or explore how he got them or if more people with such abilities are out there in the world.
    • While in the real world there is no evidence to confirm the existence of paranormal powers in the Watchmen universe, the psychic powers of Robert Deschaines were apparently genuine as evidenced by the effect of the "alien" monster. Telepathy is the only extra-normal power in Watchmen (other than Doctor Manhattan's).
  • In the supplementary content of the HBO series, several mentioned characters are identified with last names resembling or identical to Robert's. Additionally, some of these characters possess their own psychic abilities.

References[]

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