If you’ve seen the movie, you think you know V. You think he’s a romantic freedom fighter in a cool mask who saves the girl and blows up the bad guys to the tune of the 1812 Overture. Honestly? You’re kinda wrong.
The original V for Vendetta, written by the famously eccentric Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd, isn’t a superhero story. It’s a messy, terrifying, and deeply uncomfortable manifesto about anarchy. Not the "chaos in the streets" kind of anarchy people usually talk about, but a specific political philosophy.
Moore didn't write a blockbuster. He wrote a warning.
The Thatcher Years and the Birth of Norsefire
In the early 1980s, the UK was a tense place. Moore was watching Margaret Thatcher’s government and felt a genuine, bone-deep fear that the country was sliding toward fascism. He didn't just imagine a "bad government." He imagined Norsefire.
In the comic, Norsefire isn't just a generic group of villains. They are a "Nordic supremacist" party that took over after a limited nuclear war. They didn't just seize power; the people, desperate for security and order, essentially handed it to them. This is a crucial detail. The book blames the public as much as the politicians.
Moore’s version of London is silent. It’s a city where "The Eye" watches you, "The Ear" listens to your dinner conversations, and "The Voice of Fate" broadcasts propaganda into your living room 24/7. It’s bleak. It’s grainy. It feels like a bad dream you can’t wake up from.
👉 See also: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
That Iconic Mask Was Almost a Joke
David Lloyd is the guy we have to thank for the Guy Fawkes mask. Before they settled on the 1605 conspirator, the designs were way more traditional. We’re talking capes and spandex. Lloyd suggested the Fawkes look as a theatrical "theming" for the character, and Moore loved it because it connected the story to real British history.
They wanted to reclaim the image of the "traitor" and turn him into a symbol of resistance.
What the Movie Got Totally Wrong
Alan Moore famously refuses to watch the film adaptations of his work. He’s been very vocal about how much he dislikes the 2005 movie produced by the Wachowskis.
Why the hate? Because the movie turned a complex philosophical debate into a "Liberal vs. Conservative" battle.
In the film, V is a bit of a gentleman. In the comic, V is a monster. He is a victim of the Larkhill resettlement camp who has had his humanity burned out of him. He doesn't just "save" Evey Hammond; he tortures her. He puts her through a mock imprisonment to "free" her from her own fears. It’s psychological warfare.
✨ Don't miss: Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus Explained (Simply)
- The Movie: V is a hero fighting for "freedom" and "democracy."
- The Comic: V is an anarchist fighting for "the Land of Do-As-You-Please"—a world without any leaders at all.
There’s a massive difference there. Moore argues that the movie made the audience feel safe by giving them a hero to follow. But in the book, V’s whole point is that you shouldn't follow anyone.
The "Anarchy" Most People Miss
We use the word "anarchy" to mean riots. Moore uses it to mean "without rulers."
In V for Vendetta, V is very specific about the difference between chaos and anarchy. He believes that for a society to be truly free, the old, corrupt structures have to be completely leveled. This is why he blows up the Old Bailey and Parliament. He’s not just hitting buildings; he’s deleting the symbols of authority from the human psyche.
One of the most haunting parts of the book is the character of Adam Susan, the Leader. In the movie, he’s a screaming caricature on a TV screen. In the book? He’s a lonely, pathetic man who is literally in love with the government’s supercomputer, Fate. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain; he’s a cog in a machine that he doesn’t even fully control.
This makes the story way scarier because it suggests that fascism isn't just one "bad guy"—it's a system we all participate in.
🔗 Read more: Big Brother 27 Morgan: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
The Real Legacy of the Mask
It’s wild to think that a comic book from 1982 created the visual identity for modern protest. From the Occupy movement to the hacker group Anonymous, the Guy Fawkes mask is everywhere.
David Lloyd has said he finds it "brilliant" that the image has become a tool for people to hide their identity while standing up to power. Moore, ever the hermit, is a bit more skeptical, but even he admits the irony is fascinating. A symbol of a failed 17th-century Catholic plot is now the face of 21st-century digital activism.
Is It Still Relevant?
Honestly, yeah. Maybe more than ever.
We live in an age of mass surveillance. We have algorithms that track our preferences and "Voices of Fate" in the form of social media feeds. The themes of V for Vendetta—the trade-off between security and liberty, the power of propaganda, and the responsibility of the individual—haven't aged a day.
If you’ve only seen the movie, go buy the trade paperback. The art is moody and uses a limited color palette that makes London feel like it’s choking on its own air. It’s a dense, difficult read that doesn’t give you easy answers.
Practical Steps to Dive Deeper:
- Read "Behind the Painted Smile": This is an essay by Alan Moore often included in the back of the graphic novel. It explains the "Doll" idea and how the story evolved.
- Compare the "Evey" arcs: Notice how Evey in the book is a desperate 16-year-old forced into prostitution, whereas the movie version is a professional adult. This change fundamentally alters the stakes of her transformation.
- Look at the "Valerie" Letter: This is the heart of the story in both versions. Read it closely. It’s based on the real-world persecution of the LGBTQ+ community during the 80s and remains the most humanizing part of the entire narrative.
The real takeaway from Moore’s work isn't that we need a man in a mask to save us. It’s that we need to stop waiting for one.