#omen analysis

[Reference: Animation Memes]

Omen’s hands. Specifically, his “claws”

that he doesn’t [always] have.

Okay immediately off the bat I’m gonna clarify that any writers or artists that give Omen claws out there, I have no beef with you. This is an analysis and I love clawed Omen as much as you do.

So I’ve stared very well at Omen for drawing and analysis purposes. One of the biggest things people tend to hyperfixate on is his claws. Most of the time they are depicted as sharp and monstrous (ESPECIALLY in fanfics). In canon, this is not the case.

In these pictures they actually seemed to be filed down to purposefully be blunt. Notice how straight the tips are especially in the third and fourth image.

However, even Riot depicts his claws as sharp in some art works like these.

There’s also a third type of depiction where he has almond shaped nails.

Now, I know we all love a sharp claws Omen. But for this post I’d like to advocate for blunt nails Omen. Why? Because I think there’s an interesting meaning behind it if that’s the case.

Think about it. Not only would that mean biologically his body is still ‘alive’ enough to have that function (despite not having the capacity to consume things at the same time), but more importantly emotions wise he’s taking steps to ensure he’s not hurting others or himself.

I’d also like to note that he does seem to wear a thick or at least double layered kind of gloves. Meaning his nails would be useless anyway in combat. He is hiding and filing away at a “monstrous” part of himself. He is trying to keep himself tamed.

It would be easy for him to just continue his bandaging over his palms and call it a day, we know full gloves aren’t part of Protocol’s rules because other agents have fingerless gloves. Omen chose to have thick gloves.

You could argue that it’s part of him wanting to cover up his skin entirely and that’s valid, but take note that either way he’s using them to hide his monstrous self.

There’s also another interesting point to be made regarding the fact he doesn’t just flat out cut them. He keeps his nails at such an intentional length that his gloves were formed based on it. Which means again, he wants it this way.

He wants to keep his nails long, but he doesn’t want them long for violent intent. Perhaps he keeps it that way more as a reminder to himself that he isn’t normal. Every part of him is now shaped to be a weapon. From his phantom skin, to the tips of his nails.

On the map pearl, if the match starts with Omen on the defending team, he takes note of the statues behind spawn. There is a statue of Jett, Phoenix, Sage, and of course, Omen.

These are in dedication to the Omega variants of these agents.

An Alpha Omen stares in shock.

“This is unexpected.”

If you saw my last post, I’m aware this took a bit more than “a few minutes” but I got busy, sorry—

It’s crazy to think about how Alpha Omen is the worst version of himself. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong but, he likely can’t show himself in public due to being in Protocol. He probably would never even want to anyway. Everything he is goes against societal standards.

But then he steps into another world. Another Earth with another him and everything is different. He’s a hero. He’s treated like a hero. People want to remember him and they put up monuments for him and his comrades. Radiants are looked up to. He is looked up to. He is celebrated and adored. People draw comics of him, people buy merch of him, people praise him for existing.

Then he goes back home. Then he must hide again. Never to be known. Never to be seen. A shadow of even himself.

I feel like he’d be jealous. How could he not be? He knows what his counter part is doing is wrong, obviously, but he is praised for it. His “wrong” self is loved. Why can’t he be? Why must every death he sows be a tragedy for that other world? Why must everything he do here equate to nothing in the eyes of the public, that same public that deems his comrades enemy.

The world turned on him only to show him a better life and shout “Look! Look at what you could have been! Look at the love you could have received! A hero! Not a monster! Such a shame you came out this way, no? Too bad. Now go ‘home’. Forget you saw anything.”

Meanwhile, Omega Omen gets to walk around in public. He gets to order a coffee with the wrong name written on the drink. He gets to be in people’s eyes without terrible consequence. He is welcomed. He is written. He is loved and known. For a while, he may even be able to trick himself into thinking he’s human. Even if he knows he isn’t one, he’ll always know he’s a beloved radiant. In that way, he’s human in the eyes of the public.

No wonder they want each other dead. No wonder they want each other’s memories. Alpha Omen discovers his truth in the past. Omega Omen discovers what could have been in the present.

And still.

Both are incomplete.