Michael Costner
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| OMAC | |
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| Publication information | |
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| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | OMAC #1 (2006) |
| Created by | Bruce Jones Allan Goldman |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Michael Costner |
| Abilities | A former OMAC cyborg partly independent of Brother Eye |
OMAC (Michael Costner) is a DC Comics superhero. He was introduced in OMAC #1 (2006).
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[edit] Fictional character biography
After Brother Eye's downfall, Michael Costner, a former petty thief and drug addict, is left as the last OMAC active. Brother Eye, a sentient satellite, crafted an entire legion of soldiers with nano-viruses infecting unwilling, unwitting members of the general population. The partly decommissioned Brother Eye, thought deactivated, needs Michael's help in its rebuilding efforts. Partly corrupted, Brother Eye is only able to build a shell out of nearby space debris. Its agenda shifts from an effort to control and contain the Earth's metahumans, to an outright war on them. It also intends to rebuild the OMAC army, taking control of the innocent citizens now free from his influence.
Michael at first is unable to control the influence of Brother Eye. Due to a unique combination of his first inoculation with the nano-virus and controlling his drug addiction through willpower, Michael eventually finds a way to rebel. At first he can only slow his powered form down, such as when he fights Firestorm after hearing of Firehawk. Soon he is in open rebellion against the empowering satellite.
[edit] Vienna Barstow
Still on the run, both as an OMAC, and as a thief, he soon crosses ways with Vienna Barstow, a showgirl who takes interest in him. She first helps him escape the consequences of another theft. When Brother Eye, mad at Michael for refusing rebuilding requests, casts him to earth, Vienna is there to give first aid.
Michael saves Vienna from a truck accident. Later he kills her abusive, murderous manager in order to protect her life. Around this time Michael finds he is fully free from OMAC control and can access various powers even while human. The two hide out in a remote cabin, and have sexual intercourse. However, unbeknownst to them, Brother Eye is still maintaining a small connection. Due to the transfer of bodily fluids, Vienna is infected by Brother Eye, and turned her into an OMAC.
Afflicted by a wave of hallucinations, and arrested for squatting the log cabin with Vienna, Michael fakes severe catatonia to avoid further conflict with Brother Eye. In space an assembly of heroes try unsuccessfully to destroy Brother Eye. This fails and Superman is captured. He is imprisoned in a special cell designed to strip him of his powers. Superman makes contact with Michael, encouraging him to fight back for Vienna and their unborn child.
Vienna, fully turned into an OMAC, attempts to kill Michael, but he shocks her back into full control. Michael fools Brother Eye into thinking he is dead.
[edit] Final Battle
Michael returns to space for a showdown with Brother Eye. Superman assists. Vienna pulls a few tricks of her own, fooling Brother Eye and Michael. Vienna is the one to destroy Brother Eye, at the cost of her life. Michael, now de-powered, mourns her alongside Superman.
A still active Brother Eye monitor is seen and Michael says that even now he cannot exclude an eventual return of the villainous satellite.
[edit] Countdown and beyond
The cover for Countdown #51 (first issue) shows an OMAC among the characters assembled. However Michael Costner takes no part in the story, and his status as the last OMAC unit is questioned as Brother Eye is shown as able to rebuild effortlessly an OMAC armada by assimilation of human soldiers and Apokolitan parademons. A captive OMAC, amnesiac and brainwashed into total obedience, falls in Batman's hands during his last tenure with the Outsiders. If he's Costner, it's still questionable.
[edit] Powers
Before being depowered Michael Costner has shown the fullest abilities of every other OMAC before him. Able to access the extensive knowledge on metahumans stored by Brother Eye and shapeshift parts of his body accordingly, or enlarging his body mass.
At first completely unconscious, his main personality submerged under the OMAC main program, a unique set of circumstances gave Michael full control of his abilities. Shortly before being depowered by Brother Eye's destruction he could retain his invulnerability, his heat vision and partial shapeshift even in human form, turning his limbs into tools or weaponry partly covered in OMAC armor, or simply into giant, enlarged, OMAC body parts.
OMAC virus can be transmitted by exchange of body fluids, such as through sex. This can process can then turn anyone—like Vienna Barstow—who makes such contact into another OMAC, though they will still need "activation" by Brother Eye to access their powers. While infected by OMAC virus, Vienna expressed the very same abilities of Michael.
Is stated that there's no known cure for OMAC nano-virus, and EMP disruption can now only put the infection in "remission". Thus, Michael, at least until the creation of a new breed of OMAC cyborgs during the Countdown events, is still the last OMAC, and he can still "spread the infection", though he is unable to access his powers.
