X-O Manowar Part 4: X-O Manowar #3 (April, 1992)

Aric faces wizards and bandits as he learns more about his new home. Meanwhile, another wizard watches…

I have this issue in the X-O Manowar: Retribution Trade Paperback.

After spending some time learning some English from a preschool book, Aric enters a room to find Solar touching his Good-Skin (that came out a little dirtier than I meant it to). Solar speaks to him, but Aric can’t understand what the wizard in red is saying. Solar disappears and Aric chases after him.

He doesn’t find Solar of course, but Aric does find a great forest in the middle of all the castles which reminds him of home (Central Park). Aric removes the Good-Skin to be more comfortable when he’s confronted by ten thugs. He kills all of them, without using the Good-Skin, and then dons the armor and tries to find his way back to his castle when he’s hit from behind.

The bandit/wizard responsible manages to knock him into a building before Aric gains the upper hand, but when he hears K’nn’s voice, Aric realizes the villagers around him are getting hurt in the crossfire. He tells the bandit/wizard to follow him to the great forest where they can continue the battle, but gets knocked around again. Things turn really ugly when the bandit/wizard actually breaks the Good-Skin, and Aric crushes his enemy’s arms. Despite wanting more battle, Aric takes K’nn back to their castle.

Notes of Interest:

1) The “bandit/wizard” is Sniper - a Soviet assassin hired by Toyo Harada - to kill what Harada thought was another Spider-Alien threat.

2) Harada was watching the battle through Sniper’s eyes and was shocked when Aric tried to continue the battle away from bystanders, thus proving Harada’s initial opinion incorrect.

3) Aric’s language barrier continues to be a problem, but his desire to communicate is stronger than ever as shown by his desire to insult Sniper’s mother.

4) Sniper was originally called X-Caliber in the first printing of this issue. The name was changed in subsequent reprints following a lawsuit from Marvel.

5) Religion is brought up again as Aric talks to the armor as though it was both a gift from Lugh and a means to talk to Lugh. When the armor gets damaged Aric hears screams of agony, but dismisses them, since a gift from a god can’t know pain.

6) This is the first time Aric actually meets Solar.

WTF? Moment: I guess my concerns over Aric getting naked in the cold are unwarranted, since it’s explained here that he’s used to the cold and finds it comfortable.