Minutemen

Silhouette, Mothman, Dollar Bill, Nite-Owl I, Comedian, Captain Metropolis, Silk Spectre I and Hooded Justice
The Minutemen are the first vigilante team in the "Watchmen Universe". It all started when a vigilante, Hooded Justice, stopped a gang of men (with guns) from robbing a couple, single handily. This same man stopped a supermarket-stickup. He was describe by the newspaper as "a tall man, built like a wrestler, who wore a black hood and cape and noose around his neck". After him, several other vigilantes started to appeared. One of them, Captain Metropolis, had the idea of forming a team. This team became the "Minutemen". Members were

• Hooded Justice- Mentioned above, he is the most mysterious and first vigilante ever. He is seemly German (hence approval of the Nazis). His real name has never been revealed.
• Nite-Owl I- Hollis Mason was a cop inspired by Hooded Justice and Action Comic's Superman to become a vigilante. However, he couldn't think of a name. One day, a fellow cop (who was tired of him saying no to going out for drinks) called him "Nite-Owl". Liking the name, Hollis donned a tunic made out of chain mail / leather and a owl-like mask.
• Silhouette-She was a lesbian.
• Mothman- He was able to fly via his artificial wings, making him the only member with a power. He used to live in Connecticut.
• The Comedian-Joining the team as a boy, he was the most psychotic member.
• Silk Spectre I- Sally Jupiter became Silk Spectre to become famous, even had an agent Laurence Schexnayder. She attempted to have a relationship with Hooded Justice, but he wasn't interested.
• Dollar Bill- He was former star-football player that became a bank-sponsored superhero. His costume was designed for public appeal by the bank, not him.
• Captain Metropolis-He is a former member of the military, rank unknown. He tried (and failed) to form a second generation of heroes (the Watchmen).

However, the team started to fall apart. The Comedian sexually assaulted Silk Spectre I, in the Minutemen trophy room. Laurence Schexnayder got her to not sue the Comedian for the team's image. Comedian went to make a name for himself in the Pacific. Silhouette was kicked out of the team for being lesbian and was murdered six weeks later. Dollar Bill was shot at point blank-range, when his cape got stuck in a door during a bank robbery. Sally quit crime fighting to marry her agent. The remaining Nite-Owl I, Mothman, Captain Metropolis and Hooded Justice officially disbanded ending the team. Later, Mothman was forced into an asylum, because drugs destroyed his sanity. Hooded Justice went missing in 1955. At the beginning of the Watchmen series, Comedian was thrown out of a window and fell down several stories. Nite-Owl I was killed by a gang thinking he was Nite-Owl II. Before his death, Nite Owl I wrote an autobiography called Under the Hood.
References:http://godisnotelsewhere.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/watchmen-minutemen.jpg
Watchmen (Paperback)