This was discussed somewhat in the Omen backstory discussion thread by a few people, but I want to attempt to go deeper. This will be a long read, and throughout I will definitely be reiterating things we all already know. I just want to lay everything out, including my own thought process, and if anyone would care to comment, please do.
The 3 quotes from the Omen backstory I want to explore in detail are…
“But then Jago started fighting back against Omen, usurping control of the shadow energies the demon had been channeling through his body, pushing himself back to the forefront and ejecting Omen from control.”
…
"Stranger still, the shadow energies that Jago unleashed to dispel the parasitic being did not destroy Omen outright or even force him back to the Astral Plane. Instead these shadow energies congealed as a corporeal form, trapped on the Mundane Plane. "
…and…
“But the Herald of Gargos was dumbfounded when the shadow form of that warrior-monk (the thing known as Shadow Jago) emerged in the aftermath of his possession of Jago. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
…
- While possessed, Jago fought back against Omen by “usurping control of shadow energies” in his body. What this says to me is that not only had Jago been in control of his own soul all along, but once he figured it out, he learned to literally take control of this shadow energy in his body, wrestling control back from Omen.
This “shadow energy” in general is still somewhat of a mystery to me, but it would seem that shadow energy is like chakra (from Naruto) or Ki (from DBZ) as it has been established in the lore that it is a produced resource. Could it be that “shadow energy” is the byproduct of the soul and the body, and that this resource (which Gargos feeds on) can only be produced in the “Mundane plane” and this is why Gargos wants to invade?
…I digress…
At first I thought Gargos had infused Jago with more power under the guise of the Tiger Spirit, but now it is clear that Omen was allowed to possess Jago, and it would seem that while Jago was fighting in the tournament he was producing Shadow energy…which Omen was feeding off of. As Omen was gaining in strength, he was able to exercise his will more over Jago, and somewhat guide / influence him to make him more violent. Once Omen had become strong enough though (again through all the shadow energy that Jago was producing), he was able to force control over Jago’s body, and as Shadow Jago he was able to amass more shadow power and syphon that off to Gargos.
Key thing here…
This produced shadow energy that was being made by Omen in Jago’s body, it would seem that it and the energy produced by normal Jago are somewhat different. To me this would make sense as though they were being produced in the same body, they were being created by 2 different minds. Jago was able to take back his body by doing what Omen did, as once he became strong enough, he was able to syphon off the power of “another being” (most likely because they were sharing the same body) and take control.
In a sense, Jago was able to “possess” Omen by taking over “his body”…Shadow Jago, but at the same time his expelled Omen from him.
I’m getting ahead of myself…
- So…“the shadow energies that Jago unleashed to dispel the parasitic being did not destroy Omen outright or even force him back to the Astral Plane. Instead these shadow energies congealed as a corporeal form, trapped on the Mundane Plane.”
Jago took control of the shadow energy amassed within his body, and used it as a weapon by “unleashing” it in an apparent attack against Omen. The attack didn’t kill Omen though, it just pushed him and a ton / most / all of the amassed shadow energy out of Jago’s body, but the damage was already done.
This is important…
The Shadow energy that was expelled from Jago, congealed and created a separate corporeal form for Omen, and from that point Omen was his own being. But we know that all the shadow energy that Omen amassed in Jago actually altered Jago in some way.
It would seem that since Omen has his own body now, though it is entirely made up of shadow energy, that he can create and amass shadow energy on his own now. One top of that, Omen retained some of Jago human qualities which in turn altered him
“Omen’s brief taste of living inside a corporeal form was intoxicating, and he longs to inhabit human form again, as this construct he inhabits now lacks the ability to enjoy human sensations. For many of Jago’s thoughts, desires and memories were imprinted on Omen’s Astral brain. Love, hate, despair and joy…none of these strange feelings Omen had known before taking over Jago’s flesh. And he craves them like a drug.”
Just as Jago rubbed off on Omen, we know that Omen rubbed of on Jago…we just don’t know in what way right now…or do we?
The finale…
- After Omen was expelled form Jago, he witnessed something that “wasn’t supposed to happen.”
"…the Herald of Gargos was dumbfounded when the shadow form of that warrior-monk (the thing known as Shadow Jago) emerged in the aftermath of his possession of Jago. "
The key term I want to hone in on his the word “emerged” in the above quote.
At first I thought it was meant to signify that Shadow Jago “separated” from Jago along with Omen, but the term emerge doesn’t necessarily mean something separates from something else, rather it means that something “comes forth into view or notice, as from concealment or obscurity”.
It could be that when Omen and Jago forcibly separated, that Omen witnessed Jago STILL as Shadow Jago even after their separation, but when Jago fell unconscious that is when he reverted back to normal. In my mind it’s like Jago took control of the shadow energy that Omen produced, which allowed him to keep some of Omen’s power, just as Omen kept some memories from Jago; the both rubbed off on each other.
Again, we know this experience has changed Jago…
…but Jago seemingly doesn’t know to what extent, and maybe he does know, but just can’t control it yet. Shadow Jago may still exist in canon, but within Jago himself, as new level of power that he can achieve, or a mode he can shift into.
Whether or not Shago is a being who inherently works for Gargos…idk, but I think Omen may think / realize that Jago is a real threat / powerhouse, which is just another reason why he would want to repossess him in the future.