A question about the Black Omen

[TowaruTsura]

I wanted to ask something I don't understand about Black Omen, namely it's temporal existence.

When it rises, there's two possibilities for it's existance in time. These are as follows.

A: It existed that long, naturally crossing into each time period simply by just staying there. The problems with this are twofold: If that was true, wouldn't the people remember it always being there? If I remember correctly, the people of the subsequent time periods speak of it just being there in an instant, not as if it always had been there, and another problem is that it doesn't explain how it went BACK in time to prehistoric times.

B: It began to exist in all time periods at once, putting it outside the normal rules of space/time. This would explain it just popping into existance from the people's perspectives, and it being in all time periods (This is assuming that it was in 1999 AD, which I believe is a sound assumption.) However, if it did indeed exist in all time periods at once, that brings the problem of raiding the Black Omen several times: it should be impossible. If it existed in all time periods at once, then raiding it in one time period should clean it out in ALL time periods it exists in, shouldn't it?

Can someone clear this up?

[ZeaLitY]

Don't worry; number one is correct. The villagers actually talk about it in passing reference, noting how it "sparkles in the sun" rather than fretting about some evil floating palace that suddenly appeared. Additionally, it isn't in 65000000 B.C.; take the Epoch for a spin and see for yourself. It simply rose in 12000 B.C. and floated for several thousand years until being destroyed in whatever era you chose to blow it up in. Canon probably has it destroyed in 12000 B.C., as a floating, black palace would be pretty weird.

[ChronoMagus]

Also in 2300 AD the doors are shut down, due to the fact Lavos already destroyed life.
One question though... Why is it that the computers and mutants are only in 1000 AD... are they only finally developed in 1000 AD, or do you just face them once regardless of era (I always did 1000 AD then 600 AD then 12000 BC to get most exp)...  I mean I am grateful I don't have to face the mutants again, but it is disturbing.

[ZeaLitY]

I think it's just game design. If they still existed, you could get many Speed Tabs (correct me if I'm wrong) and a ton of other high class items off the Mutants.

But in all likelihood, it's probably just the code. They are bosses, and were coded to disappear after death without consideration about other eras. The other monsters are random enemies, and appear even if you enter and exit a room (I think).

[TowaruTsura]

Okay, thanks for answering me.

But now I have another one. A friend of mine claims that if you destroy Lavos in one time period, he ceases to exist in any other. I don't remember this as being true, could you please confirm/deny this?

[ChronoMagus]

Its probably true, because Lavos lives in a pocket dimension.  He is not directly linked to time, and the way you fight him is being teleported to the PD.  If you were to destroy him in the PD at any time period, he could not teleport or be summoned into any other era.

[CyberSarkany]

You can just fight Lavos in 12.000 BC and 1999 AD (the black omen Links to 1999 if you fight him I think). If you kill the outer Shell in 1999 AD, and go back and finish the Ocean's Palace, Lavos still has a working shell. Any other way you try to fight him, the shell is broken. This may just be based on ingame stuff, because otherwise you couldn't go on. The destruction of the Ocean's Palace Lavos' shell means you have to fight part 2 and 3, and you can't go on with the story if it's automatically defeated.

[Julford]

You can also fight Lavos in 600 AD and 1000 AD, if you destroy the Black Omen in those times...

The front of the shell remains destroyed in all instances after it's been destroyed, with the possible exception of the Uber-Lavos shell fight in the Ocean Palace. I have never tried it, and cannot confirm/deny whether or not you have to fight Lavos there or not, but I'd imagine you would fight him/her/it, for reasons that CyberSarkany stated.