Strange and Charm

"At play admits the strangeness and charm" (Chapt. 4, Page 1, Panel 4)

This quote is posted in a broken cabinet above pictures of famous physicists including Dr. Manhattan. This is a phrase that alludes to two properties of quarks. A quark is the name for hypothetical subatomic particles which combine to make protons and neutrons. There are six types of quarks named up, down, charm, strange, top and bottom. These components of atoms relate to the atomic bombs threatening humanity in Watchmen. Since Dr. Manhattan's old picture was in this cabinet he partook in the research going into the creation of the atomic bomb. This is ironic because he later works to stop the madness that his research induced.

~"Quarks definition | Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com. 29 Mar. 2009 .

~"The Quark & Jaguar, Quantum Universe." 29 Mar. 2009 .