Omega The Unknown Classic

Written by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes, with Scott Edelman, Roger Stern, Steven Grant, Mark Gruenwald, and Ed Hannigan
Art by Jim Mooney with Palbo Marcus, Mike Esposito, Lee Elias, Herb Trimpe, Steve Mitchell, Al Milgrom, and Chic Stone

This was being given away free with the purchase of any two graphic novels at a terrific local store this summer. They had a small selection of books to choose from for the giveaway, and this one immediately caught my eye. I really enjoyed the Jonathan Lethem/Farel Dalrymple recent re-examination of Omega, and thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the source material - especially since there was no cost.

What I got was some classic Marvel 70s comics. The books reprinted here - the ten issues of the Omega series, two issues of The Defenders that wrapped up the story, and a couple of random Defenders pages that had some significance - represent a period where Marvel was willing to try just about any idea. They allowed Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes to write a story where the main character doesn't speak (until later issues that have been guest written), and where almost nothing is explained.

The story is remarkably similar to the newer version of a couple of years ago. Omega shows up on Earth around the same time that a young, precociously intelligent, boy ends up in New York after a car accident claims the lives of his parents, who happen to be robots. The boy has some strange powers, and hears voices, and goes to live with a nurse from a mental clinic, where he is exposed to bullies. Now, in the 70s, bullies just beat you up, whereas in the 00s, they play with guns. Also, in the 70s, everyone you make friends with are white, and doctors smoke pipes in hospitals. And nurse's roommates speak some strange version of jive. And nurse's old boyfriends are hunted by the Foolkiller. And old women get killed by bad guys named The Wrench. In other words, there's a lot of ridiculous going on here.

As the series progresses, you begin to feel the demands of Marvel editorial. Suddenly, Omega is fighting more established bad guys, like Nitro, and he can talk. Once the series is cancelled, there is a quick wrap-up in the pages of the Defenders, and the story takes an ironic twist. I don't know if that was the ending Gerber had intended, but it did manage to wrap up the story and dump the characters so that they would never return (until the 00s).

Art wise, this looks like classic Marvel stuff. Artists like Mooney and Trimpe are true journeymen of the craft - their work is not immediately recognizable as theirs, but it does the job -which can be difficult when one bad guy is a girl with a big red ball for a head, that can change shape into hands and stuff (gotta miss the 70s).

I enjoyed reading this book, and am thankful to the guys at The Labyrinth for giving me the opportunity, as this is not something I would have ever purchased on my own.