Unveiling the Sinister Storyline of The First Omen

The Return of an Underutilized Storyline

The trailer and synopsis for The First Omen hint that the film will bring back an underutilized storyline from The Omen 3. One of the scariest movies of all time is the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows the family that raises a baby named Damien Thorne, who turns out to be the Antichrist. The Omen was so successful that it inspired 3 sequels and a reboot. In 2016, 20th Century Studios announced they would be creating a prequel to the original film titled The First Omen.

Nell Tiger Free looks on in The First Omen

Since the timeline of The Omen includes the birth of Damien, questions come up about The First Omen’s story. The synopsis for The First Omen gives insight into the upcoming film. In this movie, a young woman will discover a conspiracy to bring about “evil incarnate.” Because the trailer shows this woman as a nun at a monastery, it’s likely the conspiracy will involve members of the church. In this case, The First Omen could be bringing back the Disciples of the Watch from Omen III: The Final Conflict or maybe an earlier iteration of the group.

The Sinister Cult: Disciples of the Watch

Omen III: The Final Conflict introduces a cult called Disciples of the Watch that devoutly worships the Devil and Damien Thorne. Like their leader, the group hopes to prevent the birth of the second coming of Christ so that Satan and Damien can bring about Armageddon. The cult is widely spread across all of England and Scotland. Only one member of the cult gets more than a passing glance, though.

The Disciples of the Watch stand in a rocky landmark in Omen III: The Final Conflict.

In order to prevent the second coming, Damien orders a satanic version of the Slaughter of the Innocents – the Biblical event where King Herod ordered the murder of all the boys under two born in Bethlehem. The cult kills every British male baby born on March 24 before dawn. They end up missing the holy baby, ultimately causing the death of the Antichrist at the end of Omen III: The Final Conflict. The cult doesn’t appear in Omen IV: The Awakening and presumably disbands since the second coming of Christ brings about peace on Earth.

The First Omen's Conspiracy Unraveled

While the idea of a satanic cult fits into the storyline of Omen III: The Final Conflict, the movie struggled with its execution. The Disciples of the Watch only kill babies, an action that doesn’t represent their true power. The First Omen can fix this by displaying their vast resources, conspiratorial nature, and evil desires. They can call upon the powers of Satan, establishing them as cherished followers that Satan respects. Lastly, since the movies reference Catholicism, they can create a hierarchy similar to the Pope, cardinals, priests, etc. All these actions would turn them into massive threats in The First Omen that could impact the fate of the world.