Marvel‘s one-shot Timeless wrapped up 2021 with a tease of what’s to come in 2022. The comic teased the return of Marvelman/Miracleman to comics and it looks like the proper Marvel Universe. 2022 kicks off with another return in the pages of Darkhold: Omega.
Darkhold: Omega wraps up the miniseries that had heroes corrupted, led by Scarlet Witch, to take on Chthon. The event has been an interesting one, feeling slightly off due to its delays.
Spoilers Ahead
With the heroes facing Chthon, an energy ball forms with a character inside. The heroes attack the individual not knowing who he is and thinking they’re competition in defeating Chthon (they’re corrupted, roll with it). The mysterious character stops their attack by finds his energy spent and facing Chthon himself who attempts to cross over to Earth when he’s stopped by Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom.
One of the comic’s endings features Janet Van Dyne confronting the mystery character in Pennsylvania who has crossed over to Earth from Other-Realm.
Who’s the mysterious character?
Omega the Unknown!
Yes, over a decade on the sidelines the classic character is back and what that means is unknown (no pun intended).
Omega the Unknown debuted in March 1976 inOmega the Unknown #1. The character was created by Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes, and Jim Mooney.
Omega is the last remaining member of an alien race and escapes to Earth. The comic also features James-Michael who has dreams and visions he shares with Omega. We find out James-Michael’s parents are robots after an accident where he wakes up later in a private hospital exhibiting a lack of emotion to those events. After being attacked Omega shows up to protect James-Michael and James-Michael eventually shoots bursts from his hands, something Omega has done as well. The series followed the mystery of James-Michael who is fostered by two young women in Hell’s Kitchen and Omega being a hero. What’s the connection between the two?
The series wrapped up after 10 issues leaving a lot of questions unanswered. They were sort of answered in two issues of The Defenders in 1979 written by Steven Grant.
In The Defenders, we learn that Omega and James-Michael are bio-engineered beings engineered by a mechanoid race called the Protars. The Protars decide to create an ideal race of humanoids when they foresee their extinction. At the end of The Defenders, James-Michael destroys himself and Omega is dead after being shot by police in his own series. Basically, the characters were written out of existence by a lot of death.
Last we saw the use of the character was a 2007 10-issue limited series by Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple that delivered a new take on the character.
In Darkhold: Omega, Omega is referred to as model X3Z, a reference to the previous run which teases what readers should be checking out, his 10-issue series and then the two issues of The Defenders. All of them are available on Marvel Unlimited.
It’s unknown exactly what happened to Omega that he wound up in Other-Realm and it’ll be interesting to see where Marvel takes this one. But, with the return and Miracleman and now this? 2022 is sure looking to be an intriguing year that celebrates and brings back some classics.
Written by Rebecca Winters Art by Kuremi Hazama Purchase
While staying at a hotel in Greece, Fran finds an abandoned baby. Just where did the baby come from? Could it be from the tornado the day before? According to the police, the baby’s parents are dead and her uncle Nikolos is desperately looking for her. Nikolos is the CEO of a large company, a man who lives for thrills and pleasure! Or at least that’s what the gossip magazines paint him as—a playboy. But what Fran sees when she reunites him with his niece is a person filled with sincerity. And then he says he wants Fran to accompany him and the baby back to Mykonos, where his family lives…
Marvel Action Spider-Man Vol. 4: Venom
Written by Delilah Dawson Art by Davide Tinto Cover by Davide Tinto Purchase
Collects Marvel Action: Spider-Man #10-12.
Yet another Spider-Man arrives on the scene, but this one is big, bad, and wreaking havoc all across the city. The action continues in this graphic novel adventure for middle-grade readers featuring Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Miles Morales!
Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes Vol. 1
Written by Stan Lee Art by Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Russ Heath, John Romita Sr. Cover by Carl Burgos Purchase
Collects Marvel Boy #1-2, Astonishing #3-6 and Young Men #24-28.
As the ’50s dawned and the Atlas Era was born, the day of the Nazi-stomping super hero had passed, and in its place came a new style of hero reflective of the changing times. Heroes born of bizarre atomic science that battled otherworldly alien menaces, and patriotic poster boys that battled back the Communist hordes. Marvel Boy: Rejecting the tyranny of Earth’s governments, scientist Dr. Matthew Grayson built an experimental spacecraft and traveled to the planet Uranus with his infant son, Robert. In this incredible environment, young Robert developed marvelous powers of telepathy and superhuman strength, combined with a pair of amazing photonic wristbands. These astonishing powers made him Marvel Boy, cosmic protector of the solar system! The Hero Revival: The year was 1953, and with fear of Communism clutching the nation’s attention, Atlas Comics publisher Martin Goodman tapped Stan Lee – along with artists John Romita, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos and Russ Heath – to stage a revival of the most-famous super heroes of the era. Bursting onto the pages of YOUNG MEN, the Human Torch, Captain America and the Sub-Mariner made their explosive return to the comics scene!
Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes Vol. 2
Written by Dick Ayers, Bill Everett Art by Dick Ayers, Bill Everett, Mort Lawrence, Bob Powell, John Romita Sr. Cover by John Romita Sr. Purchase
Collects Men’s Adventures #27-28, Captain America #76-78, Human Torch #36-38, Marvel Super-Heroes #16.
The Atlas Era Hero Revival continues with the adventures of the comics’ most famous trio of Communist conquering heroes: Captain America, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner! Beginning with the Big Three’s anthology adventures in Men’s Adventures, we then dive headlong into Captain America’s complete 1954 solo series. Illustrated by Bullpen legend John Romita in some of his very first super hero stories, you’ll see Cap and Bucky fight Fifth Columnists, Commie spies and even the Soviet Electro! Next up, it’s the Human Torch and Toro! Returned from his slumber by an atomic bomb, the Torch has rejoined his young sidekick in a battle to clean up threats as amazing and entertaining as vampires, killer robots and his 1950s nemesis, the Vulture. Their crime-fighting adventures even take on a global purchase, stretching all the way to the 38th Parallel and Communist Korea! And finally, for a quick taste of what’s to come in Atlas Era Heroes’ next volume, comes an assortment of Bill Everett’s lavishly drawn tales of the lord of the Atlantis, Namor the Sub-Mariner. Considered by many to be the definitive take on the character, Everett’s ’50s Sub-Mariner is nothing less than treasure from the deep! We’d be remiss to leave you without a bevy of historical bonuses, including a rare Human Torch tale that went unprinted for more than a decade, original artwork, Atlas Era house ads and an introduction by Hero Revival scholar extraordinaire Roy Thomas.
Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes Vol. 3
Written by Stan Lee Art by Dick Ayers, Bill Everett, Mort Lawrence, Howard Post Cover by Syd Shores Purchase
Collects Sub-Mariner #33-42.
The Atlas Era Heroes hits the high-water mark of the 1954 revival with the sovereign of the seven seas, the Sub-Mariner! Collected for the first time ever, the Atlas SUB-MARINER series showcases Bill Everett’s most lavish, most manic and most exciting interpretation of his undersea creation. Supported by Namora, Princess Fen and intrepid love interest Betty Dean, Namor faces off against the nefarious Prince Byrrah, his own doppelganger, giant crocodiles and Communists a-plenty in issue after issue of pre-Code action and marine adventure. From all-out invasions of the surface world to the perils of exile from Atlantis, these pages define the Sub-Mariner in a way never before, and perhaps never since, captured in any comic series! Along with Dick Ayer’s Human Torch and backup stories featuring the terrors of the deep, you’ll also be treated to Everett’s tales of the young Namor and how he came to be the hot-headed protector the kingdom beneath the Antarctic ice.
Omega: The Unknown
Written by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak Art by Farel Dalrymple, Paul Hornschemeier Cover by Farel Dalrymple, Paul Hornschemeier Purchase
Collects Omega The Unknown (2007) #1-10.
The story of a mute, reluctant super hero from another planet, and the earthly teenager with whom he shares a strange destiny — and the legion of robots and nanoviruses that have been sent from afar to hunt the two of them down. Created in 1975 by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes, the original Omega the Unknown lasted only ten issues, but was a legend to those who recall it — an ahead-of-its-time tale of an anti-hero, inflected with brilliant ambiguity. One of Omega’s teenage fans was award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, who has used the original as a springboard for a superbly strange, funny and moving graphic novel in ten chapters.
Power Pack: The Kids Are All Right
Written by Marc Sumerak Art by Gurihiru Cover by Gurihiru Purchase
Collects Power Pack #1-4, X-Men And Power Pack #1-4, And Avengers And Power Pack Assemble! #1-4.
It’s all-ages action in the mighty Marvel manner! Marvel’s youngest team of super heroes returns for more awesome action, family fun and Snark-stomping adventures – and this time they’ve brought some very special friends! Hot on the heels of four fun-filled, all-ages solo adventures, everyone’s favorite super-powered siblings team up with Marvel’s merry mutants, the X-Men! Featuring Wolverine, Beast, Nightcrawler and Cyclops! Then, Power Pack returns for another titanic team-up – and this time, it’s Earth’s Mightiest Heroes leading the charge! Featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman and more!
The Wedding Ultimatum
Written by Helen Bianchin Art by Misuzu Sasaki Purchase
Danielle is the daughter of a Spanish aristocrat. Following her father’s death, she and her mother find themselves on the verge of financial ruin. She’s been supporting her mother on her own, but then skilled businessman Rafe offers her a helping hand. Rafe grew up dirt-poor but exudes a dangerous charm and sophistication. He offers her a devilish proposal in exchange for a massive sum of money and support. He wants Danielle to marry him and produce an heir with noble blood!
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