Omega the Unknown

This 1970s series took the old formula of super-hero/boy sidekick and gave it a novel twist. The title character, Omega, was the creation of the Protar, an alien mechanoid race. The Protar had foreseen their own death, and had created Omega as a prototype for a line of artificial humanoids who would survive them. Omega eventually arrives on Earth, hotly pursued by his race’s old enemies. After at least temporarily defeating them, he winds up being drawn to a small boy, James-Michael Starling. The shocked boy knew only that he and Omega shared a sympathetic bond. Little could he know that he was actually the final “model” of the Protar’s artificial humanoids!

This series ended on a tragic note in issue #10 with Omega being shot dead. James-Michael eventually learned his full origin in The Defenders #76 and committed suicide in the following issue.

Jump to issue:

#1

Mar 1976

Cover: $0.25

W: Mary Skrenes, Steve Gerber · A: Jim Mooney

1st appearance of James-Michael Starling; 1st appearance of Omega the Unknown (Model X32); Marvel Value Stamp Series B #58

11 copies from $11.50
#2

May 1976

Cover: $0.25

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes · A: Jim Mooney

Marvel Value Stamp Series B #85

12 copies from $4.99
#3

Jul 1976

Cover: $0.25

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes · A: Jim Mooney

Versus Electro; Marvel Value Stamp Series B #100

14 copies from $5.00
#4

Sep 1976

Cover: $0.30

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes · A: Jim Mooney

1st Appearance of El Gato

12 copies from $1.50
#5

Nov 1976

Cover: $0.30

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes · A: Jim Mooney

Versus El Gato

15 copies from $1.25
#6

Jan 1977

Cover: $0.30

W: Mary Skrenes, Steve Gerber · A: Jim Mooney

1st Appearance of The Wrench (Kurt Klemmer)

13 copies from $1.50
#7

Mar 1977

Cover: $0.30

W: Scott Edelman · A: Jim Mooney

Man-Brute changes name to Blockbuster

10 copies from $2.99
#8

May 1977

Cover: $0.30

W: Roger Stern · A: Lee Elias

1st appearance of Foolkiller (Greg Salinger); Versus Nitro

14 copies from $2.25
#9

Jul 1977

Cover: $0.30

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes · A: Jim Mooney

1st appearance of FoolKiller II (full appearance); Death of Blockbuster

5 copies from $7.00
#10

Oct 1977

Cover: $0.30

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes · A: Jim Mooney

Death of Omega the Unknown; Final Issue; Storyline continues in Defenders #75

10 copies from $1.50
Book #1

Dec 2005

Cover: $29.99

W: Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes, Scott Edelman, Roger Stern, Steven Grant, Mark Gruenwald, Ed Hannigan · A: Jim Mooney, Pablo Marcos, Mike Esposito, Lee Elias, Herb Trimpe, Al Milgrom, John Romita Sr.

Collects Omega the Unknown, plus Defenders #76-77, 78; Omega the Unknown Classic

2 copies from $14.99