Michael Costner

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OMAC
Michael Costner / OMAC as depicted in OMAC #1 (September 2006).
Art by Renato Guedes.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceOMAC #1 (September 2006)
Created byBruce Jones
Allan Goldman
In-story information
Alter egoMichael Costner
Abilities
  • OMAC physiology
    • Superhuman strength and durability
    • Shapeshifting
    • Heat vision
    • Access to extensive metahuman database

OMAC (Michael Costner) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Michael Costner was introduced in OMAC #1 (July 2006) and was created by Bruce Jones and Allan Goldman.

Fictional character biography

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Michael Costner, a seventeen-year-old petty thief, spent his entire life in Gotham City; first as an orphan in care of the local orphanotrophy,[1] then scraping his life on the streets, stealing to sate his addiction to heroin.

While at the orphanotrophy, Michael is infected with the OMAC nanovirus through a contaminated vaccine. However, Brother Eye never activates Michael's OMAC programming due to losing contact with him. Instead, Brother Eye keeps Michael as a "sleeper agent" who will only activate in times of dire need.

Michael Costner's OMAC programming activates after Sasha Bordeaux destroys Brother Eye. While other OMACs have no personality or qualms with used as killing machines, Michael defies his programming and opposes Brother Eye.[2][3][4]

Despite the inconsistencies in Michae's programming, Brother Eye, having no other choices, trusts him with stealing a hard drive from NORAD.[5] Resenting Brother Eye for forcing him to kill and for stealing his personality, Michael flies to outer space, taking enough control of his OMAC form to jettison the hard drive and Brother Eye. Enraged, Brother Eye casts him on Earth.

While on the run, Michael meets Vienna Barstow, a showgirl who falls in love with him.[1][6][7] Brother Eye restores its body and transforms Vienna into an OMAC, but Michael manages to restore her to normal. As Superman battles Brother Eye, Vienna sacrifices herself to destroy the atomic furnace that sustains it.[8][9]

Powers and abilities

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As an OMAC, Michael is able to access the extensive knowledge on metahumans stored by Brother Eye, shapeshift parts of his body, and enlarge his body mass. He later gains the ability to use his invulnerability, heat vision, and shapeshifting abilities in human form.

References

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  1. ^ a b OMAC (vol. 3) #2 (October 2006)
  2. ^ OMAC (vol. 3) #1 (September 2006)
  3. ^ Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 67. ISBN 9780345501066.
  4. ^ Greenberger, Robert (May 14, 2019). DC Comics Super-Villains: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights from the History of the World's Greatest Super-Villains. Chartwell Books. p. 55. ISBN 9780785836193.
  5. ^ Francis, Allen (February 8, 2021). "The OMAC Project: What Happened to Batman's Brother Eye After Infinite Crisis?". CBR. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  6. ^ Brave New World one-shot (August 2006)
  7. ^ OMAC (vol. 3) #3 (November 2006)
  8. ^ OMAC (vol. 3) #7 (March 2007)
  9. ^ OMAC (vol. 3) #8 (April 2007)