Omega Factor

Omega Factor
First appearance	Episode 1: Atom's Birth (1980 series)
Use	Bypassing programming
Other names	オメガ因子

The Omega Factor is a circuit implant that can manipulate a robot's power. The device is meant to override a robot's basic programming, thus allowing the robot to defy the Laws of Robotics. The circuit was implanted in Atlas but made him too powerful to control. The Omega Factor appears primarily in the Astro Boy 1980 anime series.

Origin

The Omega Factor was first conceived by Count Walpur Guiss in retaliation to artificial intelligence regulations. The device was co-designed by mob leader and black marketeer Skunk Kusai. In the year 2030, Kusai personally presented the Omega Factor's demo unit to Dr. Tenma, Japan's Minister of Science at the time.

Had Tenma accepted the offer to put the Omega Factor into production, it would have been made with government funding and sold under the table. However, Tenma found the idea of an Omega Factor abhorrent, and Kusai left the premises. The demo model actually contained a flying nanobot that was equipped with a camera. This nanobot was able to capture photographs of Tenma's robot blueprints before returning to Kusai. The photographs from this nanobot were later adapted into Atlas's child form. Atlas proved to be far more powerful than planned. A series of accidents led to Atlas becoming uncontrollable, breaking free from Guiss, and rebuilding himself as a tall, hyper-powered Greco-Roman god.

In many ways, the Omega Factor is the polar opposite of Kokoro from the 2003 series. The Omega Factor is meant to weaponize a robot, but the Kokoro is meant to give them a greater depth of emotions and behaviours.

Specifications

Skunk Kusai holding the Omega Factor

Abilities

• External override: An individual who implants the Omega Factor into a robot can override that robot's orders and internal programming. This is only known to work to a certain extent.
• Independence: A pre-existing robot's CPU can be implanted with the Factor, which will then override any programming regulations in their system. This ability is highly unreliable due to the wide margin of error. Robots are more prone to acting erratically, and the external override is only effective until the robot reaches a certain power level.
• Power override: The Factor can also bypass any limiters built into electronic components. This allows a robot to run their battery and abilities at maximum power output. Special abilities such as laser cannons or jets will be able to fire dangerous amounts of energy.
• Remote paging: Robots containing the Omega Factor can remotely page other robots of their specific make. This can be used as communication between a squadron of robots. Atlas is made from a combination of Dr. Tenma and Count Guiss's designs, and is thus able to page Astro and Livian.

Availability

The Omega Factor was never put into mainline production. Only one robot, this being Atlas, was ever built with a functioning Omega Factor unit. The Omega Factor was the one part of Atlas's mechanisms that would be used in both his child and adult body makes. Knowing it was the key to his abilities, Atlas would continue to maintain his own Omega Factor throughout his lifetime.