DC Shatters the Fourth Wall by Introducing an Evil Version of Marvel’s Watcher

Warning: contains spoilers for Outsiders #7!

DC just shattered the fourth wall in a horrifying way, introducing an evil version of Uatu the Watcher. The publisher’s new Outsiders title has taken fans on a wild, meta-textual journey through the DC Universe, and this is carried to its terrifying extreme in issue seven. There, fans learn of the existence of a mysterious force that is watching and waiting for the moment to strike.

Outsiders #7 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Robert Carey. The issue tells about Jakita Wagner, the last survivor of the Wildstorm universe story, following her through the New 52 and Rebirth eras. Finally, during one of DC’s multiversal Crisises, she encounters the Final Knight. Outside of time, space and all reality, he warns Jakita of a force he calls “the Observer.”

The Final Knight does not know much about the Observer, only that they exist—and are lurking out there with an unknown agenda.

An Evil Version of the Watcher Is a Scary Idea

Since its launch, DC’s Outsiders has trafficked in high-concept, metafictional stories–and the mysterious Observer is the purest distillation of it yet. Described as someone who merely “reads,” the Observer shares some common traits with Marvel’s The Watcher. Hailing from one of the universe’s oldest races, Uatu the Watcher chronicles events in the Marvel Universe, sworn to never interfere. Of course, Uatu has broken this vow on several occasions. Uatu is powerful but largely harmless, in stark contrast to the Observer, who seemingly has sinister plans. The lack of information in the Observer only heightens the mystery.

Given the meta-textual nature of Outsiders, it is also easy to draw parallels between the Observer and the fans themselves. The Final Knight actually refers to multiple Observers, all watching and somehow affecting events. Jakita finds herself in the New 52 universe, only for it to be destroyed later and replaced with another incarnation of the multiverse. Fans balked at the New 52, leading DC to back-pedal away from it after a few years. The Observers became a stand-in for loyal DC fans, whose reactions and opinions ultimately shaped the destiny of the universe.

Could the Observers Be Benevolent After All?

They Are Causing Crisis-Level Events

What fans learn from the Observers in Outsiders #7 was filtered through the Final Knight’s perspective. This means the Observers could be more benevolent than the Final Knight is letting on. If so, this puts them more in league with The Watcher than before. However, as seen in this issue, the Observer’s actions are causing Crisis-level events in the DC Universe, leading to serious questions about their moral compasses. Unlike the Watcher, who is sworn to not interfere, the Observers take a vested interest in the DC Universe, but to what end remains unknown.

Outsiders #7 is on sale now from DC Comics!