Omegaman (The Police)

NAME/ORIGIN
Character name	Omegaman
Song/Album	"Omegaman"/ Ghost in the Machine
Act	The Police
Writer	Andy Summers
Release Date	1981
ABILITIES
Powers	-Sees visions "I... seek another vision yet" -See clearly to the horizon "...to see that last frontier" -Invisibility "I disappear" -Can access other dimensions/planes of existence "...when surroundings fade away... the presence of another world comes close to me." "The edge of time closes down"
Skills	-Land safely from great heights "I sit upon the edge now/ Shall I make that leap?"
Attributes	-Has auditory flashbacks (to Vietnam? Korean War?) "jungle sounds were in my ears" -Is hypersensitive to intense sounds "city screams are all I've heard for 20 years." -Reacts to sudden sounds "The echo makes me turn"
Vulnerabilities	-Insomnia "The razor's edge of night/ It cuts into my sleep"
Formidability	Mild. While he has the ability to access other planes of existence, it is not clear he can actually get there. Also does not seem interested in interacting.
Attractiveness	Less than average, at least as far as he is concerned. Avoids others.
Source	May be from another dimension, trapped in this one.
Goals	"searching for a better life"
POSSESSIONS
Weapons	a "paper knife"
Amulets	N/A
Objects	N/A
Clothing	N/A
Vehicles	N/A
Dwelling	A city apartment (speculative)
Milieu	The city, at night "The night came down... city screams are all I've heard for 20 years."
BIOGRAPHY
Gender	Male
Age	N/A. Adult
Physique	N/A
Ethnicity	N/A
Origin	Another dimension (speculative)
Ancestry	N/A
Profession	possibly a vigilante, using skills gained as a veteran, if only to stop the screaming
Education	N/A
SES	Low
Relationships	"I'm not the only one reaching for a perfect life"
Pets	N/A
PERSONALITY
Morality	Moral, but seems self-involved
Intro/extrovert	Introvert: "Always talking to myself"
Intelligence	Above average
Emotions	Haunted, frustrated
Sanity	Sane, but troubled
Enemies	N/A
Narrative Function	protagonist
Other Notes	"Omega" is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. so the term "omegaman," as used in other songs and even movies, often refers to the last man on Earth. This seems unlikely in our case. Someone is screaming, someone is watching all those TVs ("the sky's alive with turned-on television sets."). Even if somehow the city has been emptied and everyone left their TVs on, someone is making and broadcasting those shows. So he's not the last man on Earth. But he could be the last man who is here from... where he is from, which is some other "world." He can see it but not get there; that other world "comes close to" him, but he can't make the cross-over into it. Either he had these hyper-sensitive seeing and hearing powers there, or he developed them here, but he can access them when he opens this portal. He is happiest when he accesses it... but of course, being this close to what he wants but not getting it leaves him more homesick and frustrated once he stops. So he is stuck between three equally bad options: living in our dimension, which is driving him somewhat mad (like someone who can't tune out background noise); trying to get back to his home dimension, which seems impossible; or suicide, which seems against his survivalist nature. His power seem to involve sight-- seeing visions, seeing far distances, not being seen-- and sound. Time is also affected when the "other world" starts to "come close," perhaps not in a way he can control but in a way he can predict. He hates being the only one like himself (the last line is "I'm so tired of the Omegaman") and feels there must be others from his home dimension. But he has been in this one for at least 20 years, and may even have served in one of our jungle-based wars. But as he can affect the flow of time somewhat, he is is not as concerned with not having enough time to get back. Omegaman lives here but dreams of there. He has grudgingly tried to make his way in our world while always trying to get back to his own.