This wasn’t really emphasized in the movie, but in the book, V has extensive access to the government’s computer network without their knowledge.
Except for Superman, Supreme, Swamp Thing, Tom Strong, Promethea, Miracleman, and most of the cops in Top Ten.
Well, there always have to be exceptions! 
Although Swamp Thing is shining and principled? Many times during Moore’s run he appeared more than willing to let people die if it didn’t affect him directly (he’s very detached from humanity in general) or to kill people if they got in his way. The others you mention I have not read.
That’s because he was a nature god. He wasn’t a superhero. He recognized death as part of nature, and as such, lots of times it didn’t bother him.
Johnny Walker Red struck me as the most egregious bit of product placement since Superman threw Zod into the Marlboro Truck. I don’t think it was any more a “coincidence” then one of us opening a magazine after signing off and seeing an ad for JWR.
I think the legs kicking also could be explained as actor 101 for HOW TO PRETEND TO BE STRUNG UP BY THE NECK UNTIL DEAD & the Director Guild’s guidelines on HOW TO FRAME A MAN BEING CHOKED SHOT.
“There are no coincidences – there is only the illusion of coincidence” - V.
I think the point is pretty clearly made that if V is sick, Larkhill - that is, the government - is what made him so. Their experiments did not harm him physically (that we know of, except for the fire), but they twisted his mind. The result is that he lost all fear, and much if not all empathy. With a mind clear of these things, it allows him the ruthlessness needed to carry out his vendetta against the Larkhill employees and, by extension, the leaders that made Larkhill possible. This is more clearly presented in the comic book - which I had to run out and read immediately - but given that Alan Moore has said that he wants nothing to do with the film, I think the focus should only be what the film tells us.
V’s lack of inhibition doesn’t mean, however, that he tortured Evey on a whim. V needed to create a successor, and the only way she would be successful would be to remove her fear entirely. The only way he knew how to do that was to subject her to the sort of environment he came from. It is only because of what Larkhill did to him that he was able to torture someone he ostensibly cares about. But in so doing he also added the key ingredient in his own transformation - Valerie’s letter - which provided V’s (and also Evey’s) motivation to hang on to integrity and hope. The best indication that there’s some justifcation for V’s actions is that Evey thanks him. If V were truly a sadist, or she did not ultimately benefit from what happened, she’d never have done that.
No, I don’t think V was ever intended to be a hero. But just because he was sick doesn’t mean he wasn’t right.
Oh, I agree totally - that’s why I wouldn’t characterize Swamp Thing as a shining, principled hero, though. Nature elementals/gods rarely are.
A little comparison - I’m wondering what the Amazon.com sales ranks are for some of Moore’s books:
V for Vendetta: #15
From Hell: #42,374
Watchmen: #145
Promethea: #31,135
Supreme: #34,599
Tom Strong: #52,379
I think it’s fair to say that he’s noted for works that don’t have the shining principled heroes in them (or where the shining, principled heroes are completely ineffective). He writes other stuff with shining, principled heroes in it, but they aren’t necessarily his most famous work.
Oh, yeah, and that’s what makes the movie so interesting - it’s like a bargain with the devil to get rid of pestilence. On the one hand, there’s an evil, oppressive, fascist government - the kind we love to hate. On the other hand, the guy doing the most for freedom is a sadistic torturer who might have been a good guy under different circumstances, but is most certainly not “good” by many people’s moral standards.
I dunno, I thought the themes of devil’s bargains and anarchy vs. authoritarianism were stronger than the theme of coincidences throughout the movie. The coincidences might make the movie much more interesting on re-veiwing, though. I’ll have to find out some time.
I hope it’s not too late to bump this thread but one thing I noticed while seeing it again last night. In a beginning scene where the little girl with glasses sticks her head out the window to hear the music, she has the same hair style as V does.