CAPTAIN OMEN

Real Name: Captain Nathaniel Omen

Identity/Class: Human, technology user, possibly human mutate or mutant (See Comments), , megalomaniac

Occupation: Captain/Ruler of the Infra-World

Group Membership: Infra-Worlders

Affiliations: Aquon, Infra-Worlders

Enemies: Hulk

Known Relatives: Filius (son, deceased)

Aliases: Pater (Latin for "father")

Base of Operations: the Infra-World, at the bottom of the ocean

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#164 (June 1973)

Powers/Abilities: Captain Omen himself had no physical powers.  In fact, he was a withered, hunched old man.  However, he had access to a wealth of advanced technology and an army of superhuman warriors (The Infra-Worlders, (see below), and Aquon - whom he apparently genetically engineered).  His immense submarine, the Infra-World, spent all of its time at a depth of 5000 fathoms (that's six miles to you and me, kids!), and apparently had means of producing oxygen, gaining new power, etc.  (I'm also thinking they ate a lotta fish).  The Infra-World, in addition to housing possibly hundreds of people, also had enormous tentacles able to reel in other, normal-sized submarines, or Hulk-sized people.  It could utilize tractor beams and probably had other weaponry, as well.  Captain Omen equipped the Infra-World with Vista Rooms, which projected holograms of the surface world for the Infra-Worlders.  He also had metal gardens, complete with mechanical birds, so they wouldn't feel like they were missing anything.

Also contained within the Infra-World were "the dreaded Toad-Whales, those awesome, half-mythological creatures, sometimes glimpsed by foolhardy undersea explorers...the one's who are pulled from the sea's embrace with their minds permanently shattered."--???  Anyway, the Toad-Whales served mostly as transportation to the Infra-Worlders.
Captain Omen also designed helmets with a lengthy oxygen supply so that the Infra-Worlders could spend extended times wandering the ocean floor. Allegedly, he could pipe in poison gas to them at any point if they turned against him (at least that's what they told the Hulk).
Omen demanded total obedience from his crew--or else they would face fifty lashes.  He was also quite short-tempered.  Given the size of his cranium and his creative and inventive intelligence level, Omen may have been a mutate or mutant (See Comments).

Height: 4'11"
Weight: 109 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Bald

History: BTS-Approximately forty years ago, Nathaniel Omen realized he couldn't rule the world.  But what was to stop him from ruling 3/4 of it?  He built the Infra-World, and outfitted it with a large group of people with similar desires.  At the bottom of the ocean, Captain Omen's men began to lay claim to the ocean floor, stopping only as it approached the borders of other nations.  Over the years, the Infra-Worlders learned to control the dreaded Toad-Whales.  Omen had a son by an unnamed woman, whom he named Filius.  He also created Aquon to be his secret weapon, in case of attack, mutiny, or what-not.

(Incredible Hulk II#164-165 ) - Captain Omen and the Infra-Worlders observed a submarine on the far end of the losing side of a struggle with the Hulk.  Omen had the Hulk and the sub (I guess everyone else on the submarine died?) brought aboard the Infra-World.  The Hulk was merely annoyed with being on the Infra-World, until he learned that Captain Omen would want him to do his work.  The Hulk busted out of the sub, got a bad case of the bends trying to swim up to the surface, and had to be rescued by the Infra-Worlders and those dreaded Toad-Whales.  In the process of being decompressed, the Hulk turned back to Banner, and everything was fine for awhile.  Then the Hulk couldn't just swim back to the surface,so he stood on the ocean floor and tried to figure out a plan.  Captain Omen was nice enough to send out an oxygen helmet to let him live but then told him that he would have to wander the ocean floor, follow the Infra-World, and obey him, or else he would pump his helmet full of poison gas.

Fortunately for the Hulk, many of the Infra-Worlders were rebelling against Captain Omen, so they helped him back into the ship, in turn.  Captain Omen was furious when he learned of the mutiny and released Aquon, his secret weapon, to route his opposition.  The Hulk fought Aquon, shattering the hull of the Infra-World in the process.  Omen had the ship repair itself and pump out the water, but Aquon got sucked outside in the process.  Captain Omen was forced to concede to the Infra-Worlders and bring them to the surface world, where they began to very rapidly die off.  He quickly re-pressurized the ship and saved the others still on board, but he left everyone else outside to perish--including his son, Filius.  Captain Omen took the Infra-World back to the ocean floor.

(Incredible Hulk II#220 - BTS) - Captain Barracuda was shown occupying a base that Omen had once used and abandoned.  No further explanation was given.

Comments: Created/adapted by Steve Engelhart and Herb Trimpe.

Omen is an anagram of Nemo, to whom I'd have to ASSume he's an homage.  (I always hate putting an "an" in front of words starting with an "H."  Since when is "H" a vowel, anyway?  What's this world coming to? )  Nemo was obviously the crazy submarine guy from Jules Verne's novel 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea which was adapted in Marvel Comics Classics#4 (1976).

--all that pressure must have went to his head! Ha, Ha, Ha,...ah...sorry.

How the frick do you get to be "half-mythological"?

As far as everything else...I guess it all just has to fit DEEPLY under the category of suspension of disbelief.  I'm thinking there had to be some radioactive kelp or something that "evolved" the Infra-Worlders to their pressure-adapted forms in the space of a single generation.  Those guys had some high blood pressure to actually make their entire bodies pop!  They must not have done a very good job of getting the salt off of all of those fish they ate.

You think there'd have been some mention of contact with the Atlanteans, who might have had issues with Omen's claim to the entire ocean floor.

So, Captain Omen's still hanging around down there, with the Infra-Worlders, who apparently learned their lesson.  Not that any of them are that spectacular, but I'd still like to know what they're up to these days.  And I can't think of any reason why Aquon, who's half-fish and tough enough to go toe-to-toe with the Hulk, would have been killed by being sucked out a drain into the ocean.  I'd love to see these guys make an assault on Atlantis.  How could they lose? They've got the dreaded Toad-Whales, after all.

Given the size of his head compared to his body coupled with his scientific advancements, Captain Omen may have been a mutant (born with these attributes) or a mutate (acquiring these attributes later in life due to some type of catalyst).  This would make him a member of the Appendix's M.M.M.S.

Clarifications: Captain Nathaniel Omen had no connection to:

• Nathaniel ??, drunken sailor @ Marvel Team-Up I#12
• Omen, of the Legion of the Night, @ Legion of the Night#1