| Omega The Unknown |
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Information AboutOmega The Unknown |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT OMEGA THE UNKNOWN | |
| characters introduced in 1976 | |
| marvel comics titles | |
| marvel comics superheroes | |
| marvel comics characters with superhuman strength | |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS Unlike many other Superhero titles, the main focus of ''Omega The Unknown'' wasn't on the super-powered man in the iconic costume and cape. Instead the story largely dealt with an unusually mature 12 year old boy named James-Michael Starling . Through the 10 issue run of this comic book it was made clear that there was a connection between the Mute Omega and the strangely analytical James-Michael, with most issues adding to the mysterious nature of their relationship. In the premiere issue, the character of Omega was shown as the last surviving member of an unnamed Alien race. He escaped the mechanical beings who had devastated his planet in a ship headed to Earth. The story then cut to James-Michael waking up in bed having dreamed the events that had just occurred with Omega. In his waking world, James-Michael and his parents are moving to New York City from 'the mountains' so he can improve his socialization skills after years of home-schooling. En route to New York the Starlings' car is driven off the road and both of James-Michael's parents are killed, but not before the boy discovers that both of them were Robots . James-Michael collapses into a coma and awakens a month later in a private hospital exhibiting an eerie lack of emotional response to his parents' deaths. The hospital is later attacked by one of the mechanical beings that had destroyed Omega's homeworld, and Omega himself appears to defend James-Michael. The superhero and the android fight but the conflict ends when James-Michael himself destroys the alien mechanism with energy bursts from his hands (an effect used by Omega himself in James-Michael's dreams). After this beginning, the story follows James-Michael's life as he is fostered to two young women in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. The series explores the problems he encounters in a strange new place, and his trials (and friendships) in a New York City public school. Issues of racism and bullying are addressed, although the stories' focus is on how the reserved and detatched James-Michael relates to the world around him. Meanwhile Omega the Unknown becomes a superhero figure in New York City, fighting minor supervillians such as Electro and Nitro . He tends to appear when James-Michael is in danger and some characters remark that his appearance is identical to what James-Michael would look like as a grown man. As the series progresses Omega and James-Michael eventually meet and interact, although the nature of their relationship remains unclear. Omega himself is killed in the 10th (and final) issue leaving the mysteries of the story unresolved. Two years later, the comics writer Steven Grant created an ending in two issues of The Defenders in 1979. While many fans of the series seemed unhappy with Grant's conclusion, it nevertheless successfully tied up the loose ends of the comic series. 2006 SERIES In 2005, Jonathan Lethem announced he would revive this character in a new series sometime in early 2006. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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