Dream Weaver Reprise: Clockwork Angels is the evolved Stand of Steiner Optics, featured in the fan-part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJo: The Lighted Stage
Clockwork Angels is a mysterious Stand with its own primary goals and objectives. While it has rarely participated in the main conflict of The Lighted Stage, its influence can be seen throughout the story as it tries to create the "“Best of All Possible Worlds".
Appearance
Clockwork Angels takes after its prior form with its squid-like appearance and dark body suit. However, its mask has been removed, with tentacles sprouting from the top of its head, and its face replaced with a mouth of large teeth. Its hands have also changed to have claw-like fingers as opposed to extendable tentacles. As well, its body suit has morphed into its body, with no discernable seams, although it still has buckled straps. Clockwork Angels now possesses a large glowing star-shaped crown which wraps around its forehead. It has a similar glowing emblem over its left pectoral. Finally, several small spikes protrude from its body on its shoulders and hips.
Color Schemes
Personality
Abilities
Clockwork Angels is an extremely powerful Stand, with its powers far exceeding the capabilities of Dream Weaver. It is a fully autonomous Stand and does not follow its user's will, and while its full capabilities are unknown, it possesses a practically unbeatable ability which it uses to in its mission to create the "best of all possible worlds".
Reversed Existence
Clockwork Angels primarily ability is its innate existence in a backwards flow of time. Unlike humans and other Stands that exist in linear time, Clockwork Angels' existence starts at the end of time and continues back towards its beginning. Relative to everything else, all of Clockwork Angels' actions appear backwards. To remedy this, the Stand chooses to speak and act backwards, which to regular people appear to be normal (although slightly distorted).
Because it has existed since the beginning of time, the Stand has knowledge of future events, since they have occurred in its past. Inversely, the Stand's future is the past of everyone it comes across. This means any actions it takes will succeed, as relative to everyone else, they have already occurred. For example, Clockwork Angels states that it will arrange for Steiner Optics to be chosen in the military draft for the Vietnam war, which has already occurred in Optics 'past, to ensure he gains the Stand Dream Weaver.
Similarly, Clockwork Angels puppets the future corpse of Optics to send a newspaper reporting on Jazmine's death to his past self. This action initiates a course of events that ultimately results in Optics confronting Weston Archer, leading to him getting hit with a second dose of Gypsy eyes in a memory of the Vietnam war (creating Clockwork Angels) and dying at the hands of Weston so his corpse may be used.
Body Manipulation
Similar to Dream Weaver, Clockwork Angels has the ability to manipulate its body, although to a far greater extent. Clockwork Angels was shown able to wrap its entire body around the corpse of Steiner Optics, opening its mouth wide enough to fit his head out. The Stand can also manifest tentacles across its body at will, such as the one it sprouts to wrap around Optics' neck.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- The Lighted Stage Chapter 24: Winding Back the Clock. The Past Where it All Began.
- The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
Quotes
Quotes- “worrY noT. youR strikE waS simplY neveR meanT tO reacH itS enD. sucH iS thE shapE oF thiS universE, westoN archeR”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 24: Winding Back the Clock. The Past Where it All Began.
- “indeeD. oR thaT I waS anD aM nO morE. A seconD awakeninG giveS birtH tO neW forM... I aM dreaM weaveR reprisE: clockworK angelS.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 24: Winding Back the Clock. The Past Where it All Began.
- “I aM nO longeR beholdeN tO youR whimS, steineR opticS. mY allegiancE iS pledgeD tO a gloriouS dreaM.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
- “withiN youR pockeT iS a photograpH oF a speedinG bulleT, buT I aM afraiD iT wilL dO nothinG tO halT mY missioN. thE dreaM iS nO longeR a fantasY.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
- “I waS borN tO fulfilL a dreaM. anD sO I walK thiS worlD froM thE enD oF timE tO itS beginninG. youR futurE iS mY pasT. aS sucH, I havE takeN thE libertY oF speakinG iN reversE sO thaT yoU maY understanD mE iN youR lineaR timelinE.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
- “havE yoU eveR playeD witH dominoS? iF yoU seT theM uP iN a linE, onE tinY pusH wilL causE a chaiN reactioN. thE fabriC oF timE iS mucH likE thiS. aT eacH nexuS I shalL placE a dominO, untiL I reacH thE beginninG oF thiS chaiN. alL tO creatE ‘thE besT oF alL possiblE worldS.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
- “youR destinY haS alreadY beeN writteN, i’M afraiD. iT iS whaT yoU seE beforE yoU. tonighT I seT dowN onE oF thE dominoS. I aM afraiD youR heaD wilL bE necessarY foR deliverinG thiS dreadfuL newspapeR tO youR pasT selF.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
- “yoU damageD sO mucH oF thE fabriC oF timE usinG thaT poweR. I aM herE tO undO thosE wrinkleS and unitE eacH timelinE intO a universE suiteD tO youR mosT wonderfuL dreaM.”—Clockwork Angels, The Lighted Stage Chapter 25: The Nightmare Behind These Eyes. Clockwork Angels’ Perfect Future.
Gallery
Clockwork Angels' Key Art
Clock Angels possessing the body of Steiner Optics
Trivia
- Clockwork Angel's goal to create the "Best Of All Possible Worlds" is a reference to Gottfried Leibniz's theory on the problem of evil. This theory is also referenced in Clockwork Angels' namesake album, Clockwork Angels by the Canadian progressive rock band Rush
References