X-O Manowar Part 43: Rai #0 (November, 1992)

Aric meets his end.

I have this issue in the Rai Trade Paperback.

Events that bring the Valiant Universe to the early 41^st Century are revealed through the narration of Rokland Tate, the Geomancer of that time…

In the spring of 1993 we see this time period’s Geomancer, Geoff McHenry, warn Aric of the coming of Master Darque. Aric dismisses him, reminding the boy what happened the last time Aric followed him…

In 1999, Aric is amongst those to pay their respects for Shadowman’s passing…

And in 2062, Aric learns that Toyo Harada is after the Good-Skin for its life-prolonging capabilities. To prevent this, Aric removes the command ring from his finger, places it inside the armor and orders it into deep space. Harada arrives, and Aric faces him - with sword in hand – and deals a fatal blow…even as Harada causes Aric’s head to explode.

Notes of Interest:

1) We learn that Aric is married when he dies, but her name is unknown.

2) According to Geomancer Tate, the X-O armor is never recovered.

WTF? Moment: I love this issue because it “wraps-up” a lot and bridges the gap between the Valiant Universe of the 1990’s and that of the 41^st Century – the time of Rai and Magnus Robot Fighter.

X-O Manowar Part 42: X-O Manowar #26 (March, 1994)

Aric has a Die Hard moment.

I have this issue.

It’s Christmas, and the Good-Skin tells Aric that Ken is in trouble. He arrives in time to witness three thugs run from Ken in panic. Ken is outraged by what the X-O arm did to protect him, but Aric makes it clear that he will continue to look over Ken’s actions for as long as he deems it necessary.

At the Orb Industries Christmas party, Aric is introduced to Abby Sawyer, C.E.O. of Zimmerman Enterprises. She offers him a gift…and something a little more private…only to drug him and leave him unconscious.

He wakes up wearing the X-O armor, but isn’t able to communicate with it – until Ken gives him the X-O ring back. The Good-Skin tells him that the “gift” Sawyer presented is a bomb set to go off in seconds. Aric grabs the bomb and returns it to Sawyer, who’s making her getaway in a helicopter.

The next morning, Ken asks Aric once again to remove the X-O arm. Aric agrees, acknowledging that Ken saved his life and has therefore repaid the life-debt. He informs Ken that the X-O arm will be released once it has finished regenerating his arm, and asks him to continue helping Aric run his empire.

Notes of Interest:

1) We learn that the armor can be worn by someone not wearing the X-O command ring.

2) It’s also revealed that someone can put on the ring after they’re wearing the armor, allowing the ring to pass through it onto the person’s finger.

3) Apparently, the command ring is what allows Shanhara to communicate to the wearer.

4) Aric’s reference to being trapped in the armor harkens back to his time during and after Unity, where he was mortally wounded and needed to keep the Good-Skin on or he’d die.

WTF? Moment: You’d think that after the treachery he’s encountered before around beautiful women, he’d have learned his lesson.

WTF? Moment #2: It’s a rather humbling moment for Aric to actually ask Ken to continue helping him. 

X-O Manowar Part 41: X-O Manowar #25 (February, 1994)

New members of the Valiant Universe make their presence known as Aric meets them in battle.

I have this issue.

Aric is unable to find a connection between Spectar Enterprises and Reese – the man responsible for the destruction of the Yanomama tribe. According to Spectar’s files, the land they purchased in Peru for constructing “Facility 229-C” was already cleared when they bought it. Randy recommends sending some of her security people down there under the guise of a personnel transfer to check into it and Aric accepts, albeit reluctantly.

On the drive home, Aric is attacked by “bandits” with armor similar to the X-O. Fortunately, they can’t fly, so Aric takes to the air and takes out a few of them before Randy and Paul Bouvier arrive. Taking advantage of Aric’s distraction, the remaining bandits concentrate their fire on him. The Good-Skin is hurt, but the bandits cease fire before causing permanent damage. Aric prepares to attack again but is stopped by Randy and Paul, who tell him that the bandits are United States Marines and that attacking them would result in a military response. Once again, Aric reluctantly takes Randy’s advice.

Later, Aric gets a visit from Gunnery Sergeant Harold Lewis - one of the Marines who attacked him. Lewis apologizes for the misunderstanding and asks him for information behind the unwarranted attack. Aric sees that Lewis is an honest man, and lets him in.  

Notes of Interest:

1) The Marine “bandits” are the Armorines. They were sent after him by Mandrake and Garrett, who met Aric in X-O Manowar #18.

2) This story takes place immediately after Armorines #0…which is included inside this issue.

3) It’s been two weeks since Aric returned from Peru.

4) Aric meets Paul Bouvier for the first time.

WTF? Moment: I really felt for Aric this issue. With all the power at his disposal, through Orb Industries and the X-O armor, he was still unable to do what he wanted.

WTF? Moment #2: On a completely non-Aric related moment, I don’t know who’s responsible for this “two-in-one” but I’d like to thank them personally. It was really nice to get two connecting stories in one comic. Granted, the cover price was $3.50 versus the regular $2.25 of the time, but it was worth the extra cash.

X-O Manowar Part 40: X-O Manowar #24 (January, 1994)

The Visigoth returns to civilization.

I have this issue.

Aric returns to the offices of Orb Industries and tells Ken to shut down Spectar Enterprises. He also demands copies of Spectar’s personnel files and recent activities for the past year. Ken then fills him in on Randy’s activities while he was away.

Aric arrives at his house to talk to Randy, and she admits that the X-O armor has changed and that she’s the reason. She returns the X-O ring to him, and when he dons the Good-Skin he is surprised by the armor’s appearance. Fortunately, the armor is fine, and Aric tells her so. They then head to a bar for a beer and a talk.

At the bar, Aric tells her everything that happened in Peru, including the fact that Spectar Enterprises is a subsidiary of Orb Industries. She tells him that if he wasn’t there, the Yanomama still would have been killed.

Another group of people enter the bar, and one of them gets a little too close to Randy. He hits her, and Aric steps in – taking on the rest of the men. When it’s all over, Aric apologizes to the bartender for the incident and pays for the damages. Back at his house, Aric confesses to her that he’s not sure he can handle the “modern world”. She tells him that he doesn’t have to handle it alone…and kisses him.

The next day, Aric visits the men at the hospital where they’re getting patched up and gives them money…in gold pieces…to pay for their medical needs.

Notes of Interest:

1) Apparently, Aric knows how to play pool.

2) He also knows how to ride a motorcycle.

WTF? Moment: While at the bar, there’s a line of dialogue where Randy asks him if he plays pool and he replies “a little”. I don’t recall where I’ve seen him play billiards before, but I can see him learning it back when he was dating Lauren. It’s the motorcycle riding that bugs me. In what possible situation could Aric have needed the Good-Skin to teach him how to ride a motorcycle? A simple line of dialogue here could have cleared that up.

WTF? Moment #2: With all that’s been going on, Aric needed a good bar fight. He also needs a good “somethin’ else”, but it isn’t clear if he got that too…

X-O Manowar Part 39: X-O Manowar #23 (December, 1993)

Aric’s past comes back to haunt him…in several ways.

I have this issue.

Several Americans enter Aric’s Yanomama village representing Spectar Enterprises, a logging company that plans to develop the area within the month. Aric appears in time to stop one of the visitors from striking a Yanomama youth. He tells the messengers that the village is staying right where it is, and lets them go.

A few days later, Aric learns that Elib has gone missing. He goes out in search for his friend and learns too late that it was a ruse to get him away from the village. By the time Aric returns, the village is on fire and the tribe is slaughtered – all thanks to the returning Americans.

Enraged, Aric attacks and kills two of them before being surrounded, beaten and left for dead.

He wakes two days later, returns to the village and discovers that Spectar Enterprises is a subsidiary of Orb Industries.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric is disgusted to learn that Spectar Enterprises planned the Hovito attack to either drive out or eradicate the Yanomama.

WTF? Moment: My one complaint about this issue is that it took Aric too long to figure out he was set up. I just don’t believe he’d fall for something like that. It would have made more sense for the Americans to take Aric on first, and then clear out the village.

X-O Manowar Part 38: X-O Manowar #22 (November, 1993)

Aric finds a new life for himself.

I have this issue.

Aric is deep in the Peruvian jungle when he comes across four hunters chasing after a man and a small boy. The boy is killed before Aric’s eyes, and he attacks…and kills…all four hunters. The survivor’s name is Elib, a member of a Yanomama tribe that immigrated to Peru from the Brazil-Venezuela borderlands. He explains that the hunters were Hovito, and leads Aric, carrying the deceased Hanewoe, back to the Yanomama village. When they arrive, Elib tells the village shaman what happened, and Aric is welcomed as a friend of the tribe.

That night, Hovitos attack the village and kidnap the shaman. Aric blames himself for this retaliation and tells Elib to gather a small group of men to raid the Hovitos’ camp.

The raid is successful and the camp is destroyed, but Aric learns that the shaman was killed before they arrived.

Back at the Yanomama village, Aric is accepted as one of them and is invited to go on a hunt the following day.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric’s flair for language comes up again here, as he learns a form of what I assume to be Portuguese in Spanish…some of which he uses less than a day later.

WTF? Moment: The Hovitos. Geez…haven’t heard from them since Raiders.

WTF? Moment #2: Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that every village Aric encounters winds up following him? What makes it even more interesting is that he does so while honoring and following their customs. He doesn’t just walk in and take over like Doctor Doom would. I would love to see Aric meet up with T’Challa.

X-O Manowar Part 37: X-O Manowar #21 (October, 1993)

Aric pays his respects to someone from his past.

I have this issue.

Aric visits M’rrha’s village in Peru before continuing on his journey.

Notes of Interest:

1) Nothing character development-wise to note here, but having him return to an important place in his life was a nice touch.

WTF? Moment: I know I’ve bitched and moaned in the past about the lack of pages certain characters appear in while technically considered “appearances”, but here - where Aric is in all of one page – it makes perfect sense. The bulk of this issue is about Randy getting to know the armor and facing one of Aric’s old enemies. It’s a good story, and when I review her character apps I’ll go into it in greater detail. With Aric "out of the world" for a spell, his brief appearance here shows that he’s still part of the book yet distanced from the thick of the Valiant Universe.

X-O Manowar Part 36: X-O Manowar #20 (September, 1993)

Aric takes care of business, and then goes on walkabout.

I have this issue.

Aric wakes up to find himself buried under two-hundred tons of ice and rock. He blasts free and goes after Randy – who according to the X-O’s remote eye is in trouble. He rescues her, and as she takes a chopper to where she can make her way back to the states, Aric finds the Deep Freeze Project – a C.I.A. funded plan to bury the X-O armor under ten miles of ice until they figured out how to use it – and destroys it.

Several days later, Aric has a meeting with Toyo Harada regarding Senator Ackerman and calls in the life-debt of honor Harada owed him. That evening, Aric pays a visit to Ackerman’s house, and threatens to release all the data the X-O armor downloaded from the Amundsen-Scott Station to the press unless ownership of Orb Industries returns to him. The next day, Aric returns to Orb Industries and informs I.R.S. agent Ms. Mandrake that the Senator is on line one and kicks her out of his building.

Aric’s learns later that evening from Randy that Harada honored his debt and Aric is now officially an American citizen. Then he tells her that he’s grown tired of the “civilized” world and is leaving for the foreseeable future. Aric gives her the X-O command ring, telling her that she’s the only one he can trust to look after the armor while he’s gone, and walks out.

Notes of Interest:

1) This issue takes place immediately after X-O Manowar #19.

2) The “life-debt” Harada owes Aric was made back in X-O Manowar #4 when Aric rescued him from Harbinger.

3) We learn that the X-O armor, while immensely powerful, isn’t able to lift two-hundred tons of ice and rock, forcing Aric to use the armor’s ion cannons to get free.

WTF? Moment: Ion Cannons? Whatever happened to “fire-light”?

X-O Manowar Part 35: X-O Manowar #19 (August, 1993)

Aric’s in Antarctica and faces an ultimatum by government agent Peter Garrett.

I have this issue.

Aric agrees to Garrett’s demand and gives up the X-O armor. He’s then taken prisoner, along with Orb Industries Security Chief Randy Carter, and is brought to the Amundsen-Scott Station located under a giant crater near the South Pole. Aric learns that the station’s primary goal is to study the explosion that causes the crater two years earlier, and after being led through a brief tour of the facilities, he and Randy are put in a cell awaiting the arrival of Colonel Gardner.

While they wait, Randy explains that Garrett is not to be trusted, and Aric tells her more about the Good-Skin and its control ring – which Aric still wears. After downloading all files related to the station Aric calls the Good-Skin to him, freeing them from their cell in the process.

Aric makes short work of Garrett’s troops and destroys most of the station before Garrett buries him under an avalanche.

Notes of Interest:

1) This issue takes place immediately after X-O Manowar #18.

2) Aric learns that Randy was…and may still be…an agent of the Canadian Secret Service.

3) It is clear that Aric cares for the Good-Skin, showing concern for its/her well-being.

4) We’re also reminded of how Aric responds to failing to honor one’s agreement with him.

WTF? Moment: Again with Aric and the cold. This isn’t the first (or second, or third) time Aric’s been in a cold environment with little or nothing to wear. Here, he at least has the wherewithal to grab a coat from one of Garrett’s fallen soldiers.Of course, he’s still pants-less and walking around barefoot in the snow…in Antarctica! Damn!

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.

X-O Manowar Part 33: X-O Manowar #17 (June, 1993)

Aric has a run-in with the mob.

I have this issue.

Continuing the (rather bad) story from X-O Manowar #16, Aric finishes off destroying the remaining alien tech he faced last issue. He then heads home to find Ken hosting a fundraiser in an effort to get a seat in the Senate. After throwing everybody out and making it clear to Ken that they are not friends, Aric laments over being alone in the world with the exception of Turok - his only true friend.

The next evening, Aric learns that Ken was almost killed in an explosion. This being the latest threat from the Carboni family against Orb Industies’ plans to develop some land that the Caboni’s have a “special interest” in. Aric responds by meeting members of the Carboni family – alone and without the X-O armor. They boat Aric out into the middle of the Atlantic, knock him unconscious, tie chains around his legs and toss him into the water. Drowning, Aric calls for the Good-Skin. It arrives in time, and Aric destroys the boat and kills all but one of the gangsters. He gives the survivor a message to convey: “Leave Orb Industries alone”.

The following day, Aric gets a package from the Carboni family apologizing for the “misunderstanding”.

Notes of Interest:

1) Nothing major, but it’s clear that Aric is questioning his place in this time and wonders if Turok had the right idea when he went off to “roam the Earth”.

WTF? Moment: From what we’ve seen, Aric’s been a fighter, a leader, a strategist and a ruler. But there’s nothing that showed him as an artist – specifically a sculptor. So how is it that he has three different statues of Turok on his table?

It’s possible that with all his money, Aric paid someone to make those things, but to do that he’d have had to provide the artist with images to base the work on…or at least descriptive notes written from memory. It’s also possible that Aric did the work himself, with the X-O’s help.

But why would he have them at all?

Some would call that a sign of obsession…

X-O Manowar Part 32: X-O Manowar #16 (May, 1993)

Aric faces his biggest threat yet – bad writing.

I have this issue.

After settling a workers’ strike at one of Orb Industries oil rigs, Aric learns that two employees have gone missing at one of Orb’s subsidiaries. The local police can’t get involved because the company was originally run by Spider-Aliens. Ken is allowed to investigate, and is taken prisoner.

Thanks to Ken’s X-O arm, the Good-Skin informs Aric of Ken’s situation and comes to the rescue, but the kidnappers fight back…using alien weapons.

Aric discovers that the CEO of the subsidiary has been selling the alien tech that was discovered there to a criminal cartel, and that the final meeting was about to take place. Aric intervenes, and destroys the alien weapons.

Notes of Interest:

1) The only significant thing we learn here is that the X-O Armor can be hurt by a sustained burst fired simultaneously from several of the alien weapons.

WTF? Moment: This is, hands down, the worst issue of X-O Manowar to date. Obviously a “done-in-one” filler issue (not written by Layton by the way), the artwork by Jose Delbo makes Aric look like he came out of the 1970’s. Maybe that’s Delbo’s style, but it doesn’t work here. Especially after two issues of Bart Sears’ version.

WTF? Moment #2: Another example of how badly written this issue is: Aric settles the worker’s strike “barbarian-style” off-panel. This is dramatically different from how he settled the dispute way back in X-O Manowar #5. Now, an argument can be made about how Aric thinks more like a warrior and less like a king since the events of Unity, but even then I would have rather seen the event than read about it.

X-O Manowar Part 31: X-O Manowar #15 (April, 1993)

Aric makes a friend for life.

I have this issue.

Aric brings Turok to New York, and they learn that bionisauruses have made their way into the city. Aric dons the X-O, and with the dinosaur hunter track the beasts into the sewers where they rescue a human prisoner. After taking care of the remaining reptiles, they find a nest, which Aric destroys.

Later, Aric learns of Turok’s plan to travel the country in search of his people. Aric respects his decision but is disappointed to see his new friend go, so before Turok leaves he and Aric become blood brothers.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric considers Turok a friend, even though the dinosaur hunter calls him “Lord Aric”.

2) Turok is a better hunter than Aric when he’s not wearing the X-O armor.

WTF? Moment: I like that writer Bob Layton gave Aric a kindred spirit to relate to. We’ve seen Aric as a confident, adaptable person, but it’s good for him to have someone to rely on besides the Good-Skin.

WTF? Moment #2: One of the sub-plots of this story is that Aric sent the X-O to Ken before he left Columbia with Turok, meaning that Aric is without the Good-Skin at the beginning of the hunt. Aric had to “aquire” passports for both of them before they could enter the States, and not only that, they arrive on a commercial airline. Why didn’t Aric just wear the armor and carry Turok across the border? Was it Turok’s fear of “not being on solid ground”? Why didn’t Aric, who has a TON of money, buy a private plane or use the Orb Industries jet to get them home? They’d still need passports, but there’d be a lot less hassle.

WTF? Moment #3: Bart Sears’ art hasn’t improved here, and some of the blame has to go to inker Randy Elliot. More chunky clunky-ness with both Aric and the armor.

X-O Manowar Part 30: X-O Manowar #14 (March, 1993)

Aric meets a kindred spirit who has the makings of a good friend.

I have this issue.

Aric returns to Earth after the events of X-O Manowar #13 and meets Orb Industries’ new Security Chief, Randy Carter. During their meeting, Aric learns that one of Orb Industries’ Bio-Tech labs in Florida has just cloned living dinosaur specimens. He goes to the lab, and discovers that it’s true. Aric also learns that the sample they used came from Columbia and was carbon dated at two weeks old. Aric is livid and wants everything destroyed.

He then travels to the sample’s source in Columbia and finds a bionisaurus from the Lost Land…stuffed and mounted on a wall. It turns out that Turok, a survivor of Unity, is responsible for the bionisaurus trophy. Aric tells the dinosaur hunter that the Columbian traders he’s been dealing with have been selling the genetic material on the black market. Together, they kill the traders, and destroy the complex along with all of the genetic material that’s been stored there.

Notes of Interest:

1) Apparently, Aric’s favorite beer is Miller, but there’s no way it’s Miller Lite.

2) We learn that the X-O armor can detect the cybernetic transmissions of the bionisauruses, which led him to the one in Columbia.

3) This is the first time Aric uses the X-O armor to translate a language.

4) Obviously, this is the first time Aric meets Turok.

WTF? Moment: Bob Layton does a good job movie the story along, but I have to say I’m not a big fan of Bart Sears’ art here. Aric’s face is over-expressive, and he looks about eight feet tall.

WTF? Moment #2: I understand that the X-O armor is capable of translating languages. In fact, it makes perfect sense. But Aric has the armor translate what someone says to him in Spanish, and provide an appropriate response which Aric then says back in Spanish. The X-O armor is a sealed environment, which means that whatever Aric says is fed through a speaker so everyone outside the armor can hear. There’s no reason to doubt that hidden in this alien technology somewhere is the means for that speaker to translate whatever Aric says into the appropriate language. But Aric doesn’t have the Good-Skin do that. He uses his natural aptitude for languages to convey the given reply on his own.

That’s f**king awesome!

X-O Manowar Part 29: X-O Manowar #13 (February, 1993)

The fate of Shanhara’s seed is decided.

I have this issue.

The fight between Aric and the Hard-Skin champion (for possession of the X-O spore) that was about to begin in Solar Man of the Atom #17 continues here. Aric is victorious, but is bitted by the champion’s poisonous fangs. As the venom works its way through his system, Aric is attacked by many of the Spider-Aliens witnessing the event. Solar arrives and returns the X-O ring to him. Aric dons the armor, which manages to purge the poison from his blood as both he and Solar continue the fight. Aric is surrounded but blasts a hole in the roof of the complex, using the vacuum of space to both kill his enemies and escape. Solar tells him to leave immediately, which he does, as Solar destroys the rest of the Hard-Skins.

Solar catches up with him as the Good-Skin’s spore is released from the armor. In silent agreement, Aric releases the spore into space and Solar destroys it, then both heroes head back to Earth.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric knew Solar needed a distraction to get information on the Spider-Alien homeworld, and that’s why he made the challenge in the first place.

2) Aric admits to killing his first Roman when he was twelve, and while this act is shown in X-O Manowar #0 (published six months after this issue) Aric’s age wasn’t/isn’t revealed there.

3) Aric apologizes to the Good-Skin for destroying the spore, explaining that it had to be done so the Hard-Skins would never use it, however…

WTF? Moment: …we don’t know how Shanhara feels about it. Wouldn’t it be interesting if things between man and machine fell apart over an offspring? I bet Tony Stark never had that problem…

X-O Manowar Part 28: Solar, Man of the Atom #17 (January, 1993)

Aric fights Solar for possession of the X-O spore, and then things get interesting.

I have this issue.

Aric is still in the energy dampening net of the Spider-Aliens from X-O Manowar #12 when Solar shows up and frees him. He sees Solar shine a light at the Good-Skin and it tells him that Solar wants the Spider-Aliens to have the seed. Aric responds with laser fire and the two battle their way back onto the Moon. The battle ends when Aric cuts Solar’s arm off, and after witnessing Solar reattach it, he follows the Man of the Atom back to the Spider-Alien base. They argue a bit, but Aric agrees to a compromise when he learns of Solar’s plan to follow the new X-O back to the Spider-Aliens' homeworld and destroy them all. The Spider-Aliens gather, Aric removes the Good-Skin (giving the ring to Solar) and challenges to fight the Hard-Skin’s champion for possession of the spore.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric respected Solar before they fought this issue, but more so after learning Solar’s plan.

2) His determination shows when he withstands the 150 degree temperature inside the X-O armor during the fight.

WTF? Moment: When Aric removes the armor and makes the challenge, he’s just wearing underwear. Then he waits for an hour before getting into the arena - in his underwear. And then he enters the arena…in his underwear. Maybe Solar used his power to keep Aric warm before the fight? He’s on the Moon for crying out loud, and in a Spider-Alien complex. I don’t think they keep it as warm as humans would. This is an issue that goes back to his walking around naked in the cold in X-O Manowar #1. Can all Visigoths stand the cold or is it just him? I do seem to recall several of his kin, including Alaric himself, wearing furs in X-O Manowar #10, so I don’t know…

X-O Manowar Part 27: X-O Manowar #12 (January, 1993)

The Good-Skin’s history is revealed.

I have this issue.

Aric is taken to the moon by the Good-Skin as it explains to him that it reproduces every two thousand years…and it’s growing a new seed. His dreams were messages from the armor, which in turn was getting a signal from the Moon by the sole remaining Spider-Alien base that’s hidden there. They know about the seed and want to claim it.

Aric arrives at the base and learns that it’s populated by fifty-six thousand Spider-Aliens and Rexo, a human cyborg working with them. Aric defeats Rexo easily and escapes only to be attacked by Spider-Aliens in X-O Commando Class armor. They manage to “net” Aric in an energy dampening field and drag him back towards the Moon.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric learns that the Good-Skin is a living being named Shanhara.

2) It appears Aric makes good on his threats…literally.

3) This is the first time Aric encounters X-O Commando Class armor.

WTF? Moment: I find it fun that Aric and the armor argue at times despite all they’ve been through together.

X-O Manowar Part 26: X-O Manowar #11 (December, 1992)

Aric has a bad dream and wakes up near the dark side of the moon.

I have this issue.

Aric finishes off the Spider-Aliens that invaded his home in X-O Manowar #10 and is bothered by their sudden reappearance. Over the next few nights, his dreams reveal the process involved in creating an X-O armor and it attacks him. Aric wakes up and finds himself in his Good-Skin on his way to the Moon.

Notes of Interest:

1) We’ve seen Aric read a lot in his spare time, now we learn they’re history books.

2) Not only does the armor look different, Aric can sense that it’s behaving differently too.

3) The Good-Skin “grows” a sword for Aric to use in battle.

WTF? Moment: Aric is afraid...of dreams…about Spider-Aliens? BULLS**T!

X-O Manowar Part 25: X-O Manowar #10 (November, 1992)

Aric returns to the present…with a present for Ken.

I have this issue.

Aric rises from beneath the south lawn of Orb Industries after being in suspended animation for sixteen hundred years. The good news is he’s completely healed and can leave the armor. The bad news is that he’s so weak he needs Ken’s help to get home. The worse news is that the X-O ring fell off Aric’s hand and is missing.

Over the next few weeks, Aric regains his strength – all the while asking Ken if he’s found the ring, to no avail. Lauren stops by, mad as hell at Aric for standing her up and demanding an explanation. He tells her the whole story about being sent to the Lost Land and being bitten in half by a dinosaur and being buried in the ground for sixteen hundred years, but she doesn’t believe him and storms out.

That night, Aric wakes to Ken screaming at him and tossing him the ring. There are also some Spider-Aliens invading his home. Aric confesses that he knew Ken had the ring all along, and calls to the Good-Skin. It comes in time to surround him, and Aric prepares to kill some more Hard-Skins.

Notes of Interest:

1) It isn’t clear if Aric had the X-O armor call for Ken to meet, or if the armor did that on its own.

2) When Aric dons the armor at the end of the issue, it looks different.

WTF? Moment: Aric managed to regain sixteen hundred years of atrophy in less than four weeks. That’s got to be a record.

WTF? Moment #2: I’m sorry to see Lauren go. It would have been cool for Aric to have a contemporary woman keep up with him and for us to watch that relationship develop.

WTF? Moment #3: Anyone notice how Aric didn’t mention what he was doing when he got bitten in half by the dinosaur?

WTF? Moment #4: Aric’s relationship(s) with women needs to be addressed at some point. He fell in love with Deidre, but was taken from her by the Spider-Aliens. He met Lauren, but was taken from her by Solar and the others to fight in Unity. He “chose” Cayla but lost her during the dinosaur attack and was almost torn apart.

This guy needs a steady girlfriend.

X-O Manowar Part 24: X-O Manowar #9 (October, 1992)

Thanks to Solar, Aric returns to his own time…with the X-O armor.

I have this issue.

After the events of Unity, Aric is returned to 408A.D. not long after he was taken by the Spider-Aliens in X-O Manowar #0. He is reunited with his uncle Alaric, who is laying siege to Rome, and Deidre – his love from before he was taken – but all fear the power of the armor. The dramatic shift in power is so great that Romans and Visigoths work together to set a trap for him in a Roman temple, with Deidre as bait. Aric arrives and accidentally destroys the temple, killing everyone…including Deidre.

Heartbroken and betrayed, Aric has the armor take him somewhere in North America and buries himself in the ground.

Notes of Interest:

1) Aric still cares for Deidre.

2) His loyalty to his uncle never wavers either, which is interesting because with all his power and strong hatred of the Romans, Aric still kills in Alaric’s name.

3) The X-O armor offers to heal Aric’s pain after losing Deidre.

4) Aric is still mortally wounded at this point and can’t remove the armor.

WTF? Moment: Writer Bob Layton, artist Mike Leeke and inker Tom Ryder did a great job on this issue. Aric looks awesome, the armor is beautiful to look at and everything that happens in this book makes sense…except…

WTF? Moment #2: How much does the armor weigh? Is it even possible for a horse to carry that much weight?