Led by Tigorr, the Omega Men continued to battle the Spider Guild. The core group acquired five new freedom fighters: the Seer, a precognitive whose brain is housed inside a spider-like armor; Dark Flea, who was probably the robotic-looking insect. The other three were named but not clearly identified. Of Cecilia, Chantal and Vandal, one was a reptilian woman resembling Demonia; one a tiny woman with bow and arrow; and the other a masked spectral being. This band — which also included Harpis, Broot, Elu, Artin and Doc — found themselves involved in the affairs of Adam Strange. Strange was on the run from Thanagarians, who sought answers to the destrcution of the planet Rann. (In truth, the Thanagarians coveted Rann's Zeta Beam teleportation technology.) The Omega Men were also investigating Rann's supposed destruction and the Seer had predicted Adam's arrival. The Seer failed to predict a more sinister turn of events, however — one of the Thanagarians' allies, a Durlan, killed Doc and assumed his form to spy on them. (Adam Strange 4)
In the course of their adventure, Adam and the Omegans discovered Rann's Omega Beam, a new teleporter based on the Zeta Beam technology that could also be the most powerful weapon ever created. To escape the Spider Guild, they blew up the satellite on which it lay. Artin sacrificed himself so that the rest could escape, but at the last moment, his head was snatched by Strange and the two of them returned to the Omegans' ship. The band of outlaws then followed a Zeta Beam trail to the planet Maltus, headquarters of the intersetellar law enforcement agency, L.E.G.I.O.N. The Spider Guild also got involved and notified L.E.G.I.O.N.'s commander, Vril Dox that Adam and the Omegans were on-planet. (Adam Strange 5) There, Tigorr and Broot joined Adam while the others "laid low" on their ship. Soon the Durlan masquerading as Doc revealed himself and was quickly dispatched by Strange. Tigorr and Broot were captured by Dox along with Strange. (Adam Strange 6)
Meanwhile, Dox discovered a larger more catastrophic plot afoot by the Thanagarians. He eventually allied with Adam and Tigorr to defeat the Thanagarians' true master: the cosmic vampire, Starbreaker. (Adam Strange 7) Together, the Rannians, the Omega Men, the Darkstars, and L.E.G.I.O.N. destroyed Starbreaker. (Adam Strange 8)
Rann was safe from Starbreaker, but in returning the planet to normal space, it materialized within the orbit of Thanagar. Thanagar's orbti was destabilized and the atmosphere ignited, killing almost all inhabitants. The survivors set out to take Rann as their new home, and an intergalactic war ensued. (Rann/Thanagar 1)
The Omega Men remained in Adam Strange's company until the war began. When they Omegans learned that the Psions were allied with the Thanagarians, they decided it was prime time to return to Vega. Tigorr went off on his own, to helped the Starman, Prince Gavyn, battle the Thangarians on the Throneworld. To no surprise, the Citadel — and Komand'r — also allied with Thanagar, and the Okaarans sided with Rann. For the time-being, the Spider Guild took no part in the Rann/Thanagar war. (Rann/Thanagar 2)
The Okaaran's ships were intercepted by the Psions before even leaving Vega, so much of the fight was left to Adam Strange's band of warriors, which included Hawkman and Hawkgirl. (Rann/Thanagar 3) Meanwhile, Tigorr and Starman were successful in warding off Thanagarians from Throneworld. Tigorr then returned to Rann via Zeta beam to help Adam. (Rann/Thanagar 4)
Tigorr also brought Khund reinforcements with him, but his arrival left a Zeta trail for the Thanagarians to follow. (Rann/Thanagar 5) The Rannians ultimately succeeded in killing the Thanagarians' leader, Onimar Synn, but Komand'r remained a threat. Sadly, there was no time for a victory celebration. A huge rift opened in space, created by the reality altering powers of Alexander Luthor. (Rann/Thanagar 6)
Tigorr returned to the Omega Men, who had discovered shocking news: Thanagar's destruction was not natural. Further investigation revealed that the Superboy of Earth-Prime had caused the unstable orbit. Regardless of this revelation, Alexander Luthor's rift began to generate massive energy waves. These waves destroyed many spaceships in the Polaris system and most forces retreated. Despite all this chaos, Komand'r refused to back down. She coveted these planets for herself, as a new home for the Tamaraneans. (Rann-Thanagar Special)
The Omega Men continued to fight alongside Earth's heroes to stop Komand'r and her Gordanian troops. (Hawkman 49)
After the cosmic upheaval, the Guardians of the Universe renewed their pact with the Psions. Green Lanterns would once again be forbidden to enter Vegan space. Naturally, this accord was soon breached when several Lanterns pursued a distress call from one of their own to Vega. They discovered that many Lanterns were being kidnapped and held in a Spider Guild nest. (GL Corps: Recharge #2)
This band of Lanterns (including Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner) soon discovered that the Spiders had established a web of worm holes used for teleportation. The entrances to these holes lay inside of suns, and one of them led to Oa's sun. (Recharge #3-4)
The Spiders launched a massive attack against Oa, engaging many of the Guardians' newest recruits. Guy Gardner ultimately led a plan to destroy the Spiders' web by traveling back to their nest in Vega. This was considered mutiny by the Guardians, a violation of the treaty with the Psions. The Lanterns' combined power encircled Oa's sun with a green barrier which overloaded the Spiders' subspace teleportation web. The feedback of energy at the source proved too much and the Spiders' home world was decimated.
In the end, the Guardians acknowledged Gardner's leadership, but feared retribution from the Psions. (Recharge #4)
The Omega Men were lucky to escape the Crisis without additional losses, but they would not fare so well in the wake of Lady Styx.
After returning home to Vega, they found that much
of the Vegan system had already been converted to Lady Styx's new
"religion" of subservience. Styx co-opted
the name and power of the former Darkstars;
her brainwashed and "zombified" acolytes also called themselves Darkstars.
The Darkstars appeared to bring unity and peace to its followers, but this
was a mask for the total annihilation of cultures with which she came into
contact. Styx preached enlightenment by way of intolerance. Inevitably, Vega's
self-styled "protectors," the
Omega Men came to clash with the Darkstars on the remains of Tamaran. There,
all but the five Omega Men (Tigorr, Broot, Ryand'r, Elu and Doc) were killed.
In this battle, the Omega Men uncovered Lady Styx's true goal — to acquire the universal Heartstones. These talismans were borne of the universe itself, at the dawn of time, and held great power. If she could collect all four, she could essentially "kill God" and take its place. During the Omega Men's worst hour Ryand'r found one of these stones on Tamaran and manifested great powers of his own. As the newly-christened Darkfire, he finished off those Darkstars. Across the universe, the Spider Guild (also now under Styx's control) put forth propaganda that the Omega Men had mercilessly destroyed a peaceful Darkstar commune.
Styx already possessed one Heartstone, which she entrusted to the Spider Emperor. She also charged the Emperor with acquiring another Heartstone, which lay on Earth, in the depths of the Mariana Trench. They did not know that the last Heartstone also lay on Earth. It was in the possession of a woman named Lianna, who one of several children produced by the Guardians of the Universe and Zamarons. As a child on Oa, she discovered her Heartstone and was transformed into an adult. After this, Lianna and her mother, Mother Zed, moved to Earth (the Phillipines) and began teaching the universal truths they had learned from the Heartstone.
When Tigorr inadvertently transported his band to Earth with a Zeta Beam, the Guardians of the Universe implored Vril Dox to intercept them. At the same time, the Spider Guild attacked Mother Zed's commune to acquire Lianna's Heartstone. The human population and Zed herself were devastated and Dox called in Earth's heroes, who all believed the Omega Men had wrought the destruction. (OM2 #1)
Tigorr was able to reason with Superman, who ultimately questioned Dox's motives. They again used the Zeta Beam to escape, brining Lianna with them. After explaining the importance of the Heartsones, Lianna joined them, claiming they were the universe's last hope. (OM2 #2) Tigorr and the others were not prepared for the biggest shock of all — Styx had resurrected and enlisted all the deceased Omega Men to her cause!
During this campaign, the Omega Men encountered a Spider ship which had been disabled by a sentient being made of thousands of small energy pods. At first, this colony attacked, but after assembling into a singular form it inquired after Ryand'r: "What am I?" (OM2 #3)
Tigorr realized that his wife, Felicity must also be among them. He is shown
the way inside but is attacked by a Spider. her but she has not been fully
resurrected like the others. Lianna realizes that the zombie of her mother
isn't real, and destroys many of them. She gave the rest o fthe Omega Men the
chance to renounce Styx, but they refused. In the battle, most of them fell
easily before her power. She then faces her equal: the Spider Emperor and despite
risking Dox and Tigorr's lives, she chose to kill him.
Vril Dox's former silica creation bonded with the final Heartstone and took the name Silica. Ryand'r interfaced with her and learned that after Vril Dox visited the Phillipines, he sent his Silicia aide to find the fourth Hearthstone. When it found the stone, it gave life and power to the computer being. She realizes that the Heartstones bestow the four fundamental forces of the Universe. Silica employs "the weak nuclear force," a quantum wind; Ryand'r controls the strong nuclear force, fire; Lianna weilds electro-magnetism; and the Spider Emperor weaves dark matter strings of gravity, and thus, the dead.
Meanwhile, Styx spoke to Vril Dox. She asserts that the soul is eternal and that the dark matter of the universe is death, and thus, is gravity. She claims that all things will be equal in the new universe she intends to create. She will become the universe itself — God. (OM2 #4)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
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