OMAC #8 [1975] – Human Genius vs Thinking Machine

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OMAC comes to a rather abrupt and unsatisfying ending in this issue, as Kirby went on to Marvel and DC decided not to continue the book. It does have its moments, though.

The story opens with OMAC having been reverted to Buddy Blank, with no memory of his activities since turning into OMAC, stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean that Brother Eye has determined is the headquarters of the water-stealing Doctor Skuba. Before Brother Eye can transmit an OMAC “structure print” to convert him, Buddy sinks into the rock and emerges in Skuba’s lair. Buddy is shown around by Skuba’s daughter Seaweed and a young man named Apollo (with various hints given about their origins and how they relate to the monstrous creatures created by Skuba’s “atomic manipulation”. Skuba meanwhile is able to detect Brother Eye’s monitoring of his lair, and decides he needs to kill Buddy before he can be transformed.

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Fortunately Brother Eye is able to intervene and continues to attack Skuba until Skuba is able to track down the location of Brother Eye and causes meteors to bombard Brother Eye, and then uses a heat beam to create a molten prison.

The last panel has a quick explosion of Scuba’s lair caused by overloading from the attack on Brother Eye to pass as an “ending”. The original version of the page has been seen in the Kirby Collector #40 and reveals that the next issue would have been titled “The Walking Dead”, but not much more.

So not a great ending, although it would be interesting to find out what exactly was going on with Seaweed and Apollo, plus if we ever find out what Buddy Blank feels about all of this. There is some really good art, such as the 2-page spread of the interior of Brother Eye and the OMAC “structure print”, the only place we actually see OMAC in this issue.

Mike Royer inks the 18-page story.

Published 1975

One thought on “OMAC #8 [1975] – Human Genius vs Thinking Machine

  1. Henry R. Kujawa

    Dek Baker & Davis Morris finally did OMAC #9 (as a fanzine) in 2002, which picked up exactly where OMAC #8 left off and FINISHED the story. I heard about this in TJKC magazine, and sent away for a copy of it. Totally blew my mind, then and now. That 2 “fans” should do a BETTER job capturing the look and spirit of Jack Kirby & his concept than anybody (and I mean anybody!!!) at Dc has ever, ever done since, is bizarre. DC was really foolish not to strike a deal with Baker & Morris to include OMAC #9 in their OMAC collection. To me, it is the ONLY “legitimate” continuation of the character ever done.

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