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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
- I've been called OMAC, but my name is Kevin Kho. I was transformed, without my knowledge and against my will into this monstrous form. And I have no way to change back.
- ā OMAC src
Kevin Kho is OMAC, a One-Machine Attack Construct designed as an unstoppable warrior using bio-technology. The sentient satellite Brother Eye created him using New Genesis science as a weapon he could control against Project Cadmus. In his civilian identity he is a Cambodian-American scientist working at Cadmus in genetic research.
History
Origins
Born in Cambodia, his parents and sisters were killed when he was six for speaking out against the rule of rebel warlords. Raised by other family members, he relentlessly pursued education as a way to give his life order and meaning.[1] He would go on to work at Project Cadmus underneath Martin Welman, where he met and proposed to his fiancƩ Jody Robbins.[2]
Omactivate!
Main article: OMAC: Omactivate!
Kho is activated as the OMAC by Brother Eye for the first time during an otherwise normal work day at Project Cadmus. Eye has him nearly level the building to steal their mainframe from the underground facilities, fighting through Dubbilex's telepathic attacks and Mokkari's Build-a-Friend monsters to get there. His girlfriend Jody Robbins is present for the destruction, but she does not realize his dual identity. In the aftermath, Brother Eye reveals himself to have been controlling him and explains their relationship.[2] Eye had been previously imprisoned by Checkmate's leader Maxwell Lord, and is assembling a personal army to end anything that could be considered a threat to his freedom. OMAC's next mission is to recruit Amazing Man by defeating him in combat so he can be assimilated.[3]
They are challenged by the telepathic Psi-Fi Man, although Eye overrides his control and the evil scientist is thwarted. Lord sends a strike team led by Sarge Steel including Maribel and Little Knipper to take OMAC down, although they are unsuccessful.[4] This failure leads Lord to send Mokkari instead, who unsuccessfully attacks while Kho is underground and cannot access his powers through satellite connection. Kevin is not allowed to share the secret with his girlfriend, and she angrily threatens to leave him for lying.[5]
S.H.A.D.E. is called in to take OMAC down, and Father Time sends his top operative Frankenstein. They have an epic battle in the streets of Metropolis and OMAC is nearly executed with the Sword of Michael, but Brother Eye teleports him away before he gets beheaded.[6][7]
During a double-date with his fiancee and obnoxious co-worker Tony Jay, they are attacked by Sweet Leilani of the Female Furies.[8] Superman begins to take interest in OMAC and beats him in a fight, but Brother Eye teleports him away. Eye sends him to infiltrate Command B's underground Evil Factory run by Simyan.
He joins several of Simyan's experiments, a race of humanoid animals, in rebelling against their tormentor. Their leader Prince Tuftan is forced to kill his father, but they defeat Simyan and Eye has OMAC destroy the factory as an abomination.[9] In their final confrontation with Checkmate, OMAC is hunted down by Mokkari's monsters and Steel's strike team while he tries to tell his fiancee the truth. Maxwell Lord outsmarts Brother Eye and destroys him. Eye's final act is to give Kevin his personality back, at the expense of trapping him in the OMAC body forever. Jody begs him to stay, but he declares that Kevin Kho is dead and he is only OMAC.[1]
Justice League International
Main article: Justice League International: Breakdown
OMAC later appears with the newly formed Justice League International. He does battle with the team, more powerful than any of them, and strikes down their most heavy hitters. Screaming in his OMAC voice, he demands to see a doctor.[10] After a grueling battle, Kevin is confronted by Batman, Booster Gold and Batwing in the sewer and instantly calms down. He explains that he discovered Batman had a hand in creating the nanomachines that changed him and came seeking any information the Dark Knight could give him that could lead to him being able to change back. He is unsure why he attacked the JLI and apologizes. Not fully trusting OMAC, but at the same time unwilling to leave him in case he loses control again, the JLI takes him with them to investigate an attack in Paris. It is August General in Iron who makes the first move to reconciliation, as he is all too familiar with being trapped in a body not his own and unable to change back.[11]
Rebirth
Depowerment
As Metal Men's Tin and Lead go to this year's Robocon they meet Kevin Kho there who is one of their fans. As he's about to introduce himself to them Monther Machine's minions attack the Robocon and Tin, Lead, Paul Dennis and a cosplayer as Ilda start beating them back. Meanwhile Brother Eye contacts Kevin and says if he wants to stay alive he has to Omactivate. He does so after he says "I swore off the blue guy years ago." After getting past her's minions OMAC goes to attack Mother Machine and she manipulates him with one simple touch and reveals that he's being controlled by Brother Eye even though he's saying that it's not true and that nanocytes inside of him are New Genesis tech which were born on Apokolips. As she's manipulating his nanocytes now too Brother Eye debates if he should depower OMAC as she could compromise the technology not only OMAC. With that Brother Eye zaps OMAC with a beam which depowers him and leaves him with no powers and the last words "Goodbye, Kevin Kho. Eye will miss you." As Tin and Lead lay unconcious after Brother Eye fried every robot there including Mother Machine, Kevin tries to contact Brother Eye as he feels that OMAC is gone for good this time and gets no response back. He leaves the Robocon and says "Now what do I do...? He's been a part of my life for so long. I'm not sure what to do without him."
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Omactivation: At any place and at any time, Brother Eye can transform Kevin Kho into the powerful OMAC. Using alien bio-technology, Kevin uncontrollable changes with destructive results.
- Superhuman Strength: As OMAC his strength is enhanced to the point where he can hurt Apollo with his blows.[12]
- Superhuman Durability: As OMAC he has survived Midnighter's blows and Apollo's energy blasts and full power punches with little damage.[12]
- Energy Projection: OMAC can project powerful blasts of energy from his hands.[12]
Abilities
Other Characteristics
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Kevin Kho has obsessive-compulsive disorder.[2]
Notes
- Kevin Kho's alliterative name is an obvious reference to the character Buddy Blank, the original OMAC. Buddy Blank was created by Jack Kirby as protagonist in the original OMAC volume, also a corporate nobody who receives incredible powers from Brother Eye. He had been called the One-Man Army Corps.[13]
Recommended Reading
Related
- 51 Appearances of Kevin Kho (Prime Earth)
- 67 Images featuring Kevin Kho (Prime Earth)
- 4 Quotations by or about Kevin Kho (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Kevin Kho (Prime Earth)
External Links
Footnotes
- ā 1.0 1.1 OMAC (Volume 4) #8
- ā 2.0 2.1 2.2 OMAC (Volume 4) #1
- ā OMAC (Volume 4) #2
- ā OMAC (Volume 4) #3
- ā OMAC (Volume 4) #4
- ā OMAC (Volume 4) #5
- ā Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #5
- ā OMAC (Volume 4) #6
- ā OMAC (Volume 4) #7
- ā Justice League International (Volume 3) #8
- ā Justice League International (Volume 3) #9
- ā 12.0 12.1 12.2 Stormwatch (Volume 3) #18
- ā OMAC (Volume 1) #1
Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |