Watchmen: Chapter III - page 6

PAGE 6

Panel 1:  The woman speaking, from whose dialogue the caption box ending the previous page came, is Janey Slater – Dr. Manhattan’s first girlfriend. 

Note that this is taking place at the Nova Express offices, which is the paper mentioned by Bernie the news vendor as holding its front page and delaying delivery.

Janey’s remarks that “[Dr. Manhattan] couldn’t relate to me.  Not emotionally.  Certainly not sexually” emphasizes what just happened between Dr. Manhattan and Laurie. 

The “sixteen-year-old [running around] in her underwear” was of course Laurie.

Panel 2:  Janey’s remark that “One day, [Jon]’ll find out . . . what it feels like” is coming true on this very day.

Janey’s “condition” is that she has cancer, just like Moloch.

Panel 4:  Janey’s dialogue, “. . . nobody’s gonna miss me . . . especially not him” not only refers to Janey but also to the image in this panel of Laurie leaving the military center.

The cab in the foreground is from the Promethean.  The deep reds used in these panels with Laurie foreshadows what is coming – both in this chapter with Dr. Manhattan leaving for the “red” planet of Mars and for the whole world with the imminent threat of nuclear war.

Panel 6:  Janey’s dialogue, “I kept quiet all these years, but then this latest thing happened and I had to let it all out . . .” is also a commentary on Laurie’s decision to leave Jon and the contemplation she is going through in this panel regarding that decision.