OMAC (comics)
- This article is about the fictional cyborgs created for Infinite Crisis derived from the One-Man Army Corps. For the original character created by Jack Kirby see One-Man Army Corps
An OMAC is a powerful cyborg that exists in the DC Universe.
Organization History
The OMAC Project
OMAC (One-Man Army Corps) was originally a superhero comic book created by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. OMAC was a corporate nobody named Buddy Blank who was changed by an A.I. satellite called Brother Eye into the super-powered OMAC.
The character, along with the Brother Eye satellite, was recently rebooted by Greg Rucka for the Infinite Crisis storyline. Although OMACs are now cyborgs who take over human bodies via a virus (created from Brainiac-13-derived nanotechnology acquired by the U.S. Department of Defense and Lexcorp, which was then secretly introduced into general vaccine supplies) in order to assassinate any and all beings with superpowers, they still retain OMAC's familiar crest, now turned into simple additional plating to cover the human brain underneath [1], and Brother Eye symbol on their chest. The OMACs are featured in the OMAC Project mini-series that leads up to Infinite Crisis.
The new OMACs (acronym variable in meaning between "Observational Meta-human Activity Construct", "One-Man Army Corps" and the current "Omni Mind And Community") are controlled by the Brother I satellite. Brother I was created by the Batman, and programmed by Pseudopersons Inc. scientist Buddy Blank, in this retelling of the story a consociate of Wayne Industries [2], to keep an eye on all metahumans, both villain and hero, after he grew distrustful over the Justice League's mindwiping (see Identity Crisis). Alexander Luthor, Jr. later gave the satellite sentience as part of his plans, and Maxwell Lord subverted the original mission of the Brother I satellite by inculcating a fear and suspicion of all metahumans when he rose to the top rank of the government agency Checkmate. Ironically enough, the first test subject activated shared his name both with his "father", both with his alternate version, being called "Buddy Blank" himself. [3]
However, OMACs history may be more recent than Brother MK I's himself. Equus and Pilates, formerly featured in Superman: For Tomorrow are later denounced as supposed former iterations of the OMAC concept, and in JLA Classified an all mechanic OMAC is featured as an enemy for the Metal Men. Since then the design has improved to the current form, with none or little changes on the base model, aside for Sasha Bordeaux.
Sacrifice
When Maxwell Lord brainwashed Superman to kill Batman, Wonder Woman, and possibly the rest of the JLA, Wonder Woman broke Lord's neck to free Superman from his control.
Brother I, rechristening itself Brother Eye, initiated the "KingIsDead" protocol specifically designed to be used in the event of Lord's death, ordering all the OMACs (all 1,373,462 of them) to attack and kill all the metahumans on Earth. A group superhero effort stopped the attack, reducing the numbers of OMACs to roughly two hundred thousand by disabling the majority with an EMP blast as well as a "Shut Down" command given by Sasha Bordeaux, who had become a third generation cyborg linked to Brother Eye, designated "Blacknight 1". These measures effectively freed the OMAC hosts from their nanotech forms.
Infinite Crisis
"Truth and Justice"
In response, the satellite broadcast footage of Wonder Woman executing Maxwell Lord, preceded by the word MURDER, to media outlets all over the world, destroying her reputation. After this, Brother Eye initiated the final protocol "Truth and Justice", by having all the remaining OMACS invade and attack her homeland Themyscira to wipe out all of the Amazons.
It was revealed that Alexander Luthor was the one who wrested control of Brother Eye away from Batman. He used it to calculate the coordinates of where the multiverse Tower would concentrate its energy as part of his attempt to re-create Earth-Two. Brother Eye continues to aid Alex Luthor and helps guard the tower.
The downfall of Brother Eye
Batman leads a collection of superheroes to Earth's orbit, including: Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Green Arrow (Oliver Queen, only called because Batman is attempting to trust people again and contacted Queen to see if he'd come), Mister Terrific, Black Lightning, Black Canary, the new Blue Beetle, Metamorpho, Booster Gold and Sasha Bordeaux. Blue Beetle manages to reveal Brother Eye in orbit by negating its vibrational frequency. Brother Eye sends OMACS and the two groups clash.
With the two Green Lanterns fighting off the OMACS, the ship crashes into Brother Eye, Metamorpho providing an oxygen supply as Blue Beetle and Booster Gold remain behind on the ship to guard it. Batman goes to distract Brother Eye by attempting to shut down the central computer (Although Brother Eye tries to distract him by showing him Nightwing's confrontation with Superboy-Prime). Sasha, linked to Oracle, goes to upload every computer virus on Earth into Brother Eye's system as well as trying to prevent the artificial gravity from shutting down. Black Canary goes to the surveillance room to try using her sonic scream to blind the Eye. Black Lightning and Mr. Terrific go together so that Black Lightning fries as much circuitry as possible while Mr. Terrific, invisible to machines and electronics, delivers the real blow by knocking Brother Eye off orbit.
It works and Brother Eye is deactivated. All of the activated OMACS shut down, releasing their hosts. Brother Eye tries to take Batman down with him, asking Batman if he can ever trust the costumed heroes again after what they did to him. Batman, however, says that he'll take his chances, and accepts Hal Jordan's aid in getting him to safety (an uncharacteristically trusting leap of faith as Batman views Hal Jordan as a bitter disgrace because of Jordan's fall from grace at the hands of Parallax).
After crashlanding in Saudi Arabia, Brother Eye tries to download his system into Sasha as a means of self preservation. However, Sasha manages to destroy the satellite, freeing her from the nanobots infecting her.
DCU: A Brave New World/OMAC
On June 28, 2006, DC released "DCU: A Brave New World" which is the prelude to six new miniseries, one being called OMAC.
Brother Eye has not been fully decommissioned, and it lies in a Norad facility. Michael Costner is the last OMAC unit, kept as emergency backup, and Brother Eye calls to him.
This Brother Eye has corrupted programming and now believes that all humans need to be subjugated and/or exterminated, whether metahuman or not. It has also recently begaun to manifest disassociative behavior with at least two "personalities" now being heard in the OMAC's internal conversations. Trying to make Costner rebuild him, Brother Eye is forced to face his wrath when Michael regains control of both his forms, human and OMAC, and subsequently destroyed again, but a tiny fraction of it, too insignificant for being detected and prove a present threat, is still active.
Powers
Brother Eye can activate the OMAC virus in any infected person, at any time, in planetary range. Once activated, the person is covered in cybernetic armor, and becomes a thrall to Brother Eye's commands.
An OMAC unit has archives on almost every metahuman on file, and can simulate the powers of a variety of superheroes and supervillains in order to target its opponent's weaknesses. Among the powers displayed were the ability to fly, shoot fire, needles of artificial cellulose (against Alan Scott), dispense flame-retarding foam, and fire various energy beams from its eyes and hands, with caustic, concussive, or blinding effects. In addition, the OMAC unit can morph its extremities into blades and pincers. It is also able to simulate Shazam's lightning and force Mary Marvel to revert to her human form. It can disable the Eradicator effortlessly.
OMACS are very vulnerable to Mr. Terrific, as he cannot be detected by technology.
The only weakness an OMAC has are that they are human, beneath their shells (which was meant as a deterrent for heroes from using lethal force against them). Other than that, the OMACs are dependent on their assessment of individual heroes. When fighting multiple opponents, they require a few seconds to adapt their countermeasures for each hero. Atom Smasher was able to stop an OMAC attacking the JSA, by stomping it before it could assess his threat level.
Notes and references
- ^ Greg Rucka on the OMACs' Mohawks; "The Mohawk isn't actually a Mohawk; don't mistake it for hair. What's the most vulnerable place on your body? Soft tissue in the brain. So the Mohawk serves as a defense for the head, protecting the process network."[citation needed]
- ^ Countdown, #30 (Oct 3, 2007) DC Comics
- ^ Countdown to Infinite Crisis