In an alternate history where costumed vigilantes are real, a godlike being (Dr. Manhattan) gives the US decisive advantage in the Cold War. Vietnam is won, Nixon stays president, and the Doomsday Clock approaches midnight. A retired hero engineers a fake alien attack to unite humanity against a common enemy, killing millions to save billions. The story deconstructs heroism by asking whether absolute power corrupts absolutely, and whether peace through mass murder is still peace.
Relevant to deterrence theory, false flag operations, the trolley problem at civilizational scale, and whether the ends justify catastrophic means.
Domains: Governance and Political SystemsWarfare and Weapons TechnologyEthics and Philosophy of Technology
Scenario Types: Ethical dilemmaThought experiment / What-if
Outcomes: Ambiguous / MixedCautionary