Flashback Friday: The Journey of Aric of Dacia, X-O Manowar

Feb 11, 2022

X-O Manowar has had a centuries spanning journey, all over the world, and across the galaxy. He has been a leader, a warrior, and a prisoner at several times throughout his life. Co-created by writer and former Marvel Comics editor in chief Jim Shooter, artist Bob Layton, and Jon Hartz, X-O Manowar made his first appearance in 1992.

When Valiant Entertainment was reestablished in 2008 X-O Manowar came with it. He was born Aric of Dacia, into battle as the heir to the throne of the Visigoth people. He was raised in the oppressive period of the 5th Century Roman Empire, spending his life fighting against Rome. Though he knew war, it was nothing compared to the brutal race of alien colonizers known as the Vine. Aric was kidnapped by the Vine during a scouting mission and taken to the edges of space. He and fellow Visigoth captives were forced into slavery by the Vine with no chance of escape. After spending many years held captive within the Vine colony, Aric led his people in a revolt against their captors. He broke into their temple and stole Shanhara, their most important relic, the sentient X-O Manowar armor.

Aric bonded with the armor as the first living being to survive the process, thereby using the Vine’s most powerful weapon against them. Though the armor was strong, he was not experienced with it and barely escaped the Vine in a rocket bound for Earth. Upon his return Aric learned that 1,600 years had passed on Earth, stranding him in the 21st Century. Heartbroken by the realization that his family was gone, Aric stayed in the Peruvian Jungle.

The Vine, however, were unwilling to leave their sacred weapon with a human. They believed in a Vine legend that foretold of a great champion who would wear the armor one day. The prospect of a human controlling the armor could cause catastrophic problems for their empire. To get the armor back, the Vine put agents on Earth hundreds of years beforehand and made them appear human. They even recruited super spy Ninjak to kill Aric and get the armor back. With Alexander Dorian’s help Aric was able to turn Ninjak against the aliens and led an attack on the Vine’s headquarters, practically eliminating their plants in England. The Vine launched a full scale attack that proved to be no match for the X-O Manowar armor.

Aric realized that he would never have peace until the Vine was destroyed. By taking a Vine ship he fought against them on their home world of Loam, crushing the empire and freeing thousands of captives, including Visigoths that descended from Aric’s own people. After returning to Earth he tried to reestablish his Visigoth home in the present location of Romania. His new home drew the attention of Russia who coordinated military strikes that included the super-team Unity. After being beaten and stripped of his armor he was taken into US custody by the Military Reconnaissance Outpost, known as MERO. He struck a deal with MERO to work with them in the X-O Manowar armor protecting America and Earth in exchange for asylum for his people.

DC SUPER HERO FAIRY TALES AQUAMAN & RAPUNZEL PLOT

CAPSTONE - STONE ARCH BOOKS

NOV211283

(W) Laurie S. Sutton (A) Agnes Garbowska

Aquaman's underwater kingdom is facing a medical threat. Luckily, a sea witch offers him a rare plant to fight the sickness in exchange for a hefty price. But the Sea King soon discovers she isn't just greedy. The old woman has locked the true crop owner in an enchanted coral tower! What's worse, the trapped mermaid thinks she's being protected not imprisoned, so her living seaweed hair is ready to fight off any stranger who climbs inside. Can the Atlantean hero partner with the coral captive to end the witch's fishy scheme?

In Shops: Feb 09, 2022

SRP: $6.95

PREVIEWS Page #274

AQUAMAN BY GEOFF JOHNS OMNIBUS HC

DC COMICS

AUG188381

(W) Geoff Johns (A) Pete Woods, Paul Pelletier, Jean-Claude St. Aubin, Geraldo Borges, Various Others (A/CA) Ivan Reis, Joe Prado

Just in time for the big screen release of the Warner Bros. movie Aquaman, DC rush solicits the new AQUAMAN BY GEOFF JOHNS OMNIBUS hardcover! Collecting the entire run of Aquaman written by Geoff Johns, this 728-page hardcover includes AQUAMAN #0-19, #21-25, #23.1 (featuring Black Manta), #23.2 (featuring Ocean Master) and JUSTICE LEAGUE #15-17. These issues are illustrated by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Pete Woods, Paul Pelletier, Claude St. Aubin, Geraldo Borges and others, with a cover by Reis and Prado. As these stories begin, Aquaman has renounced the throne of Atlantis - until, from a forgotten corner of the ocean, emerges the threat of the Trench! Then, Aquaman joins up with his old teammates, The Others, to learn who destroyed Atlantis! But as they seek the truth, Black Manta is stalking them all-and Mera learns some dark truths about Aquaman! And in the "Throne of Atlantis" epic, Aquaman teams up with his Justice League comrades to defend the surface world from the invading Atlantean horde.

In Shops: Dec 12, 2018

SRP: $75.00

AQUAMAN BY PETER DAVID TP BOOK 01

DC COMICS

NOV170357

(W) Peter David (A) Kirk Jarvinen, Jim Calafiore, Casey Jones, Howard M. Shum (A/CA) Brad Vancata, Martin Egeland

Peter David's classic run on Aquaman begins in this volume collecting AQUAMAN: TIME AND TIDE #1-4 and AQUAMAN #0-8. From his abandonment on a reef to his upbringing by a dolphin to his first encounter with surface dwellers, these tales chronicle the origin and ascension of the mythic figure known as Aquaman.

In Shops: Feb 07, 2018

SRP: $29.99

DC PREVIEWS Page #127

AQUAMAN DEATH OF A PRINCE DLX ED HC

DC COMICS

OCT190624

(W) Steve Skeates, David Michelinie, Paul Kupperberg, Gerry Conway, Paul Levitz, Martin Pasko (A) Mike Grell, Don Newton, Carl Potts, Juan Ortiz, Vince Colletta, Joe Rubinstein, Dick Giordano, John Celardo, Bob McLeod, Dave Hunt (A/CA) Jim Aparo

After being dethroned by his own people and sent into exile, Aquaman discovers a conspiracy in his kingdom, in this tale presented for the first time in hardcover. Rather than reclaim his birthright, he becomes a hero, but even Aquaman cannot escape tragedy as Black Manta kidnaps and kills his infant son! How Aquaman copes with these crushing blows comes to define him as the hero we know today. Collects stories from Adventure Comics #435-437, #441-455, and Aquaman #57-63.

In Shops: Jan 29, 2020

SRP: $39.99

DC PREVIEWS Page #85

SHOWCASE PRESENTS AQUAMAN TP VOL 01

DC COMICS

NOV060244

(W) Robert Bernstein, Jack E. Miller (A) Nick Cardy, Lee Elias, Ramona Fradon, Jim Mooney, Al Plastino, Kurt Schaffenberger, Charles Paris (CA) Howard Purcell, Sheldon Moldoff

Collecting classic tales of Aquaman from ADVENTURE COMICS #260-280, 282 and 284 and more! Over 500 pages highlighting classic tales of Aquaman, featuring the debuts of Mera and Aqualad!

In Shops: Feb 14, 2007

SRP: $16.99

DC PREVIEWS Page #93

AQUAMAN DEADLY WATERS DLX ED HC (RES)

DC COMICS

FEB209386

A war has been brewing between the different colored Lantern Corps, with the Green Lanterns fighting the Yellow, the Red trying to destroy everything, and the Blue attempting to broker peace among the tribes. But the real battle is yet to come: the undead Black Lanterns are coming and seemingly nothing can stop them. Putting aside old vendettas, it's up to Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps to lead DC's greatest champions as well as their deadliest foes in a battle to save the universe from an army of the dead. Then, once dead heroes Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Deadman, Jade, Osiris, Hawk, Captain Boomerang, and Zoom must discover the mysterious reason behind their return and uncover the secret that binds them!
This eye-popping box set includes 12 brand-new hardcovers that collect this entire epic, featuring stories by top DC talent including Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi, Ivan Reis, and many more!
Plus, this box set also includes a set of nine plastic rings from across the spectrum of the many Corps that are a part of this story!

Includes 12 new hardcover collections!
•  Blackest Night: Prelude collects Green Lantern #26-28 and 36-43, and Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1
•  Blackest Night collects Blackest Night #0-8 and pages from Untold Tales of the Blackest Night #1
•  Blackest Night: Green Lantern collects Green Lantern #44-52
•  Blackest Night: Green Lantern Corps collects Green Lantern Corps #39-47
•  Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Book 1 collects Blackest Night: Batman #1-3, Blackest Night: Superman #1-3, and Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1-3
•  Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Book 2 collects Blackest Night: The Flash #1-3, Blackest Night: JSA #1-3, and Blackest Night: Titans #1-3
•  Blackest Night: Rise of the Black Lanterns collects The Atom & Hawkman #48, Phantom Stranger #42, Green Arrow #30, Adventure Comics #7, Starman #81, The Question #37, Catwoman #83, Weird Western Tales #71, and The Power of Shazam! #38
•  Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps collects Blackest Night: Tales of the Black Lanterns #1-3, Adventure Comics #4-5, Untold Tales of the Blackest Night #1, stories from Green Lantern #18-20, 40, and 49, Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps: Secret Files #1, Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime #1, and pages from Blackest Night #0
•  Brightest Day: Green Lantern collects Green Lantern #53-62
•  Brightest Day Book 1 collects Brightest Day #0-11
•  Brightest Day Book 2 collects Brightest Day #12-25
•  The Book of the Black collects sketch material (both previously released and new), series proposals, variant covers, posters, Blackest Night outline scripts,

In Shops: Aug 12, 2020

SRP: $39.99

This article originally appeared in Gemstone Publishing’s e-newsletter Scoop.

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Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone Publishing’s Associate Editor, serving as the writer/editor of the e-newsletter, Scoop. She is the author of The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Movie Posters, The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Concert Posters, and The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror, and co-author of The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles and The Overstreet Price Guide to Batman.