One-Man Army Corps

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caption = Cover to OMAC #6, with the original OMAC. Art by Jack Kirby.
character_name = One-Man Army Corps (OMAC)
publisher = DC Comics
debut =
creators = Jack Kirby
alter_ego = Buddy Blank
full_name =
species =
homeworld =
alliances = Global Peace Agency
aliases =
supports=
powers = Superhuman strength, speed, durability and explosive energy generation provided by Brother Eye

OMAC (One-Man Army Corps) is a superhero comic book created by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. Set in the near future ("the world that's coming"), OMAC is a corporate nobody named Buddy Blank who is changed by an A.I. satellite called Brother Eye into the super-powered OMAC.

OMAC works for the Global Peace Agency, a group of faceless people who police the entire world using pacifistic weapons. The world balance is too dangerous for large armies, so OMAC is used as the main field enforcement agent for the Global Peace Agency.

"OMAC" lasted for eight issues of his own comic, which was cancelled before the last storyline was completed. Later, towards the end of "Kamandi" (after Kirby had left that title), OMAC was tied into the backstory and shown to be Kamandi's grandfather. An "OMAC" back-up feature by Jim Starlin was started in issue #59, but the title was cancelled after the first appearance. It would later finally see print in "Warlord", and a new back-up series would also appear in that title (#37-39, 42-47). OMAC made appearances as a guest alongside Superman in "DC Comics Presents" #61.

In 1991 "OMAC" was featured in a four-issue prestige format limited series by comic artist and writer John Byrne that tied up loose ends left from previous stories. John Byrne would later reuse OMAC in his "" mini-series.

Alternate versions

OMACs

The character, along with the Brother Eye satellite, was rebooted for the "Infinite Crisis" story arc. Although OMACs are now cyborgs who take over human's bodies via a virus in order to assassinate any and all beings with superpowers, they still retain OMAC's familiar mohawk and Brother Eye symbol on their chest. The character is featured in the OMAC Project limited series which leads up to "Infinite Crisis". The character has a new meaning behind the acronym: Observational Meta-human Activity Construct. However, in "The OMAC Project" #5, the acronym was changed to the original One-Man Army Corps. In "The OMAC Project" #6, the acronym was again changed to "Omni Mind And Community"

Countdown to Final Crisis

In "Countdown to Final Crisis" Buddy Blank is featured as a retired, balding professor with a blond-haired grandson. In #34, Buddy Blank is mentioned but not seen, and is referred to as having direct contact with Brother Eye. He is contacted by Karate Kid and Una in "Countdown" #31, and appears in #28 and 27. A version of Buddy from Earth-51 appears in #6 and 5. In the final issue, "Countdown to Final Crisis" #1, Brother Eye rescues Buddy and his grandson from the ruins of Blüdhaven by turning him into a prototype OMAC with free will, resembling the original Jack Kirby OMAC.

Other

*DC Comics', in its Tangent Comics imprint issue "The Joker's Wild" in 1998, self-parodied OMAC with a beta-version automated policeman called "Omegatech Mechanoid Armored Cop".
*DC would later make a nod to OMAC during the "DC One Million" event in 1998. In "Superboy 1,000,000", one of the future Superboys is known as Superboy OMAC, or "One Millionth Actual Clone.", and the title of the story was "One Million And Counting", repeating the acronym. He appeared in the Superboy and Young Justice specials, as well as the "DC One Million" mini-series. His appearance is based on OMAC, and he gains increased power from Brother Eye.
*In "Kingdom Come", Alex Ross created a female version of OMAC named OWAC, (One-Woman Army Corps).
*The "One Million 80 Page Giant" also introduced a female Luthor with OMAC elements who called herself the One Woman Adversary Chamber.

Collected editions

* "Jack Kirby's O.M.A.C.: One Man Army Corps" (hardcover, 200 pages, DC, May 2008, ISBN 1401217907) [ [http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=9008 "Jack Kirby's O.M.A.C.: One Man Army Corps" profile at DC] ]

Notes

References

*comicbookdb|type=character|id=306|title=OMAC (Buddy Blank)
*comicbookdb|type=character|id=6567|title=OMAC (Michael Costner)
*comicbookdb|type=team|id=771|title=OMACs
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=1437|title="OMAC" (1974)
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=1441|title="OMAC: One Man Army Corps"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=70|title="The OMAC Project"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=7971|title="OMAC" (2006)

External links

* [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=162 Review of "Jack Kirby's O.M.A.C.: One Man Army Corps"] , Comic Book Resources