X-O Manowar Part 34: X-O Manowar #18 (July, 1993)

After defeating organized crime, Aric faces a new opponent…politics.

I have this issue.

Aric is driving home one night when he’s pulled over by the local police. A man identifying himself as Peter Garrett arrives on the scene and tells the officer to watch the car while he takes Aric to meet Senator William Ackerman. Aric arrives at the Ackerman residence and meets the senator along with Helen Mandrake of the Internal Revenue Service.

Ackerman informs him that the U.S. Government knows that Aric possesses the X-O armor and wants to learn more about both the armor and the alien race that created it. Mandrake tells him they know about (some of) the circumstances behind Aric’s takeover of Orb Industries and threatens to throw him in jail.

Aric, naturally, tells them to go to hell.

A few days later, Aric finds Garrett at Orb Industries talking to his Security Chief Randy Carter…and literally throws him out. That night, Aric gets a phone call from Garrett saying that he’s taken Carter prisoner. He wants Aric to meet him in Antarctica and turn over the X-O armor for her.

Aric arrives at the South Pole and is bombarded by military ordinance. He fights back, but stops when he sees Garrett pointing a gun at Carter’s head. He offers Aric a choice – go with them now, or Carter dies.

Notes of Interest:

1) Apparently, Aric is a strong supporter of the American Lung Association.

2) Aric finally reveals the X-O armor to his Chief of Security.

WTF? Moment: I gotta say – I love the way Aric handles Mandrake. You can just tell how much she bugs him and he responds in kind. My only gripe is that Ackerman is also smoking…albeit a pipe, not a cigarette. Why doesn’t Aric do the same to him? Maybe it’s because of how they’re positioned in the room, but one look from Aric – resulting in the Senator putting his pipe out – would have been even funnier.