X-O Manowar Part 18: X-O Manowar #8 (September, 1992)

Aric becomes a thorn in Mothergod’s side…and pays the price.

I have this issue in the Unity Saga Vol. 3 Trade Paperback.

It’s day 150 of the Unity war as Aric leads his Skammr army into one of Mothergod’s facilities to take a converter she’s been working on. Rai is there, and they argue over who gets it. Aric convinces him to return to camp with them so they can fight for possession of the machine without Mothergod’s interference.

At Aric’s camp, the two men prepare to fight when they’re interrupted by the arrival of Magnus and Gilad. Aric was planning to use the converter as a bargaining tool, but Rai and the others convince him to destroy it instead.

The next day, he gets a request from Mothergod to meet and discuss a truce. Aric accepts the invitation, and invites her into his camp. They talk, and Mothergod offers him four women as a sign of good faith. Aric chooses one and agrees to discuss terms the following morning.

Aric takes his “present” to his tent but is soon distracted as one of Mothergod’s dinosaurs attacks. He can’t find the X-O armor anywhere, and left defenseless is almost bitten in half. The armor returns in time to keep him alive, and with it fights off the invading forces. During the battle, Aric is knocked unconscious from an explosion.

He wakes up four days later to find his army dead and his camp destroyed. The Good-Skin tells him that it can heal him, but it will need ten years to do so. Enraged, Aric leaves the battlefield bent on making Mothergod pay for her treachery.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric proves to be a successful leader if not an intelligent one.

2) His great respect for other warriors comes up again as he offers Rai the chance to fight him for the converter, as well as believing what Magnus and Gilad tell him about Mothergod’s plans.

3) Is it wrong for me to comment on the fact that Aric chooses his “prize” because she has fire in her eyes...or that he only chooses one in the first place?

4) Aric is almost cut in half - his entrails are sticking out for crying out loud – and he still shouts to the dinosaur about how he’ll rip out it’s tounge on his way down it’s throat? HOW F**KING AWESOME IS THIS!?!

WTF? Moment: You’re telling me that Aric is so…in the moment…that he doesn’t even notice the Good-Skin’s absence? Sorry, gotta call B. S. on that.