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Warning: contains spoilers for Sentinels #1One of Wolverine’s most iconic and brutal enemies, the monstrous but semi-redeemed Omega Red, has a deadly mutant ability that is the polar opposite of Logan’s intense healing factor. This ability – the power to drain and absorb any creature’s “life force” – finally gets a real world scientific explanation in Sentinels #1, explaining what exactly life force is in the Marvel Universe, and how Omega Red uses the stolen energy.
Omega Red, or Arkady Rossovich, is a former serial killer and Russian state agent who became a key member of Krakoa’s X-Force team, before the nation of Krakoa fell during World War Orchis.
Sentinels #1, from writer Alex Paknadel with artists Justin Mason and Federico Blee, sees a team of new human-Sentinel hybrids under the command of Lawrence Trask sent after Arkady. An internal file detailing Omega Red’s abilities states that his life force absorption actually drains adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, a real world biochemical compound that supports a number of key systems in living cells.
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Life Force Lore Runs Deep In The Marvel Universe
Many characters absorb, transfer, or transform life force with their abilities
The concept of “life force” has been around at Marvel for decades now, and there are dozens of heroes and villains across the Multiverse that interact with life force as a natural part of their superhuman abilities. Characters like Black Tom Cassidy, Morlun, Rogue, and even a member of the Dark Riders whose codename was literally “Lifeforce,” as well as objects like Thor’s iconic Mjolnir or White Fox’s Yaewoo Guseul, all utilize some form of life force absorption. Life force absorption is a complex power to wield, and while not innately an “evil” ability, it can certainly corrupt the user, seeing as the absorption typically helps the wielder to heal, gain strength, or maintain their youth. Beloved characters like Rogue have spent decades learning to control and ethically use their life force absorption.
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Omega Red has simply never been one of those ethical characters, using his life force absorption powers to murder countless innocents in a quest for more strength and energy. While in some ways Arkady “needs” to absorb life force, because the carbonadium in his body is slowly killing him, he also appears to get great joy out of sucking the life out of someone until they are a husk. Knowing now that life force absorption is actually the draining of ATP, there could be some truly fascinating stories written about Marvel scientists attempting to harness life force in creative ways! While it may appear to be a small update to Marvel lore and canon, it is actually quite significant, because it gives a definitive scientific explanation for how someone’s life energy can be taken or enhanced, while in the past the process could be seen as supernatural or involving the “soul.”
Adenosine triphosphate is a biochemcial compound that provides the molecular energy that various cellular systems need to function, including the use of muscles, nerves, and the transfer of energy. In many ways, ATP is the literal “life force” of a living cell, and is found in all biological life on Earth.
Wolverine Is Omega Red’s Perfect Enemy
Omega could drain Logan’s life force forever
Wolverine’s healing factor is one of the most powerful in the entire Marvel Universe, with the ability to regenerate and heal his body even after something as horrific as a nuclear explosion. For this reason, Wolverine is the perfect enemy for Omega Red, who craves and thrives on absorbing life force. Technically, Omega could keep Wolverine imprisoned and have an endless supply of life force to drain, allowing the mutant to life as an essentially immortal and mega-powerful being. While the Krakoan Era seemed to squash the beef between Logan and Arkady, Omega Red is one of those characters who will most likely not remain a hero, or even antihero, and will probably clash with Wolverine again.
The Marvel Universe is made up of countless mystical, magical, and scientific energies, and readers finally have clarity on at least one of those energies, the essential life force. Hopefully, beings like Omega Red will one day be able to synthesize extra adenosine triphosphate without needing to harm anyone else, but until then it is at least helpful to know exactly how life force absorption truly works.
Sentinels #1 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.
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