Kevin Kho

Origin

Little is known of Kevin’s background before being infected by a virus from Brother Eye. He is employed as a biologist at the Cadmus Laboratories. Brother Eye understood that Maxwell Lord wanted an army of these OMACs so he stole the virus and left Checkmate. Brother Eye chose Kevin as the unlikely recepiant of the virus.

Creation

Kevin Kho was created by Dan DiDio and Keith Giffen, appearing in O.M.A.C. part of DC Comics New 52 initiative.

Character Evolution

New 52

In The New 52, a reboot of the DC Comics universe that launched in September 2011, a Cambodian-American man named Kevin Kho is introduced as the new O.M.A.C. and had worked as a genetic researcher at Project Cadmus. Maxwell Lord is revealed to have had a hand in Kevin’s transformation.

Kevin Kho was give his own solo series but it was cancelled after running eight issues, due to DC’s introduction of a “Second Wave” of new titles. Additionally, O.M.A.C. joined the Justice League International in the title’s final issue.

Rebirth

Kevin Kho returns for DC’s Rebirth initiative in the pages of Blue Beetle. He is a friend of Jaime Reyes that has spent years being home schooled. After seeing monsters in the city and sensing danger OMAC takes control of Kevin and begins fighting. He saves a de-powered Jaime from the clutches of Mordecai’s army. Ted and Jaime eventually convince OMAC to help them fight against the real enemy, Arion. OMAC reluctantly agrees and together with Jaime, Ted, and Dr Fate defeat Mordecai and Arion.

Major Story Arcs

Forever Evil

The Crime Syndicate of America has captured Kevin Kho’s O.M.A.C. form and is planning to use him as a weapon. Harley Quinn, who is working for the Thinker, takes O.M.A.C. and activates him causing him to fire a laser on the mountain which collapses on the two teams inside it. Harley arrives at Belle Reve and drops O.M.A.C. near James Gordon, Jr. James Gordon Jr. also learns that the Thinker is planning to use O.M.A.C. While James Gordon Jr. is talking to Harley, the Thinker has taken O.M.A.C. and begins transferring his mind to it. Now activated, O.M.A.C. proceeds to attack Amanda Waller, James Gordon Jr., Harley Quinn, King Shark, and Kamo.

King Shark begins to attack Kamo, until Amanda Waller is able to lie to both to get them to help her defeat OMAC. OMAC is fighting King Shark and Kamo while Amanda Waller attempts to activate Belle Reve’s failsafe through the Thinker’s computer. Before she is able to do so, Kevin Kho reaches out to her telling her he is trapped within OMAC. As Waller works with Kho, the team returns from the mountains, only to be dragged into the fight with OMAC. Having killed Kamo, OMAC is able to defeat Power Girl, Steel, Unknown Soldier, and King Shark and heads further into Belle Reve. Deadshot and Harley find “magic bullets” that will allow them to gain temporary super human powers. Deadshot fires them into Harley, Waller, himself, and Unknown Soldier and the Squad begins to attack OMAC. Kho is able to regain control of OMAC before Waller has to enact her last resort. But without knowing, Captain Boomerang knocks OMAC into a porthole, sending him to another dimension.

Powers and Abilities

When Brother Eye chooses so, Kevin is transformed into the O.M.A.C. His abilities in this form include enhanced strength and fighting abilities as well as the ability to tap into electromagnetic devices, such as computers. Kevin is mostly powerless when he is under the control of Brother Eye. When in his regular form, he can communicate with Brother Eye through most electronics devices, including televisions, cell phones and personal music players. As a section leader at Cadmus, it can also be assumed that he is relatively skilled in the field of biology and specifically genetics.

Following the destruction of Brother Eye, Kevin gained control over his O.M.A.C. form, but also found himself trapped in this body, unable to revert back to his human state.