Big Figure was a dwarvish gangster with a penchant for cigars who, during the Watchmen story, was incarcerated in Sing Sing prison. Though very little of his past is revealed in the story, it is mentioned that he'd been imprisoned mainly due to the actions of Rorschach.
Walter Kovacs' was immediately threatened upon his arrival in prison by Big Figure and his small army of henchmen. Even in prison "Figure" still commanded his organization on the outside; his first meeting with Kovacs is highlighted by threatening the family of a prison guard who stands watch on Kovacs' isolated cell.
Big Figure later arranges for a prison riot with the simple intent of distracting the prison's guards to gain entry to Kovacs' cell, wanting revenge. Unfortunately for Figure, Kovacs proves to be much craftier than his attackers; he binds the hands of the bigger man, Lawrence, to the cell's door when the man lunges for him. Figure orders his second goon to kill Lawrence; Lawrence's body had been blocking the door's lock housing. When the second man, Michael, finally opens the door with an acetyline torch, Kovacs shatters his toilet bowl causing a small flood of water to make contact with the torch's frayed power cord, electrocuting Michael. Big Figure retreats, with Kovacs right behind. Kovacs finds his adversary hiding in a men's room and drowns him in a toilet just before he's rescued by Nite Owl and Silk Spectre.