1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues | Compilations
by snowbi-wan, updated Nov 2019
X-O Manowar is one of Valiant's original and foundational characters from their initial launch in the early 90's. Aric of Dacia was a Visigoth barbarian living in 400 A.D., his tribe in bloody conflict with the expanding Roman Empire. Unexpectedly abducted by spider aliens, he was enslaved aboard their starship for years until he steals their ultimate weapon--the X-O Manowar armor, a semi-sentient suit of malleable armor with incredible power. When Aric returns to Earth, 1600 years have passed due to time dilation during faster-than-light space travel. Aric must adjust to the 20th century...and fend off aliens intent on recovering their sacred armor. Acclaim significantly altered the character's backstory when in 1997 they relaunched the Valiant line of titles that they had acquired. This Aric was a modern-day scientist, and his armor was an ancient artifact recovered by the U.S. government during WWII. When Valiant reformed in 2012, they relaunched X-O Manowar again as one of their flagship titles with a more faithful reinterpretation of the original version. Incorporating only slight changes to Aric's story for modern audiences, the Valiant New Universe version has also expanded the backstory of the armor itself. The flexibility of X-O Manowar's milieu makes the title equally at home telling man-out-of-time stories on Earth or space opera tales throughout the galaxy.
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in X-o Manowar, if it's within your budget. X-O Manowar is one of Valiant's original characters from their initial launch in the early 90's and first appeared in issue #1 of his own self-titled series.
*As an eBay Partner, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
The original presentation of an origin story or a retelling/recounting of it can be a good place to get started with a character or subject. The origin story of X-O Manowar is the story of how Aric of Dacia comes to possess the X-O armor. The opening issues of each ongoing series details how the host ends up bonding with the armor. Valiant has a history of providing character profile synopses in bargain one-shots, so concise recaps can be found in these as well.
*As a MyComicShop Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for X-O Manowar comic books. As a major, original, foundational character of the Valiant Universe, X-O Manowar has had four major ongoing series: one in the original Valiant Universe, one in the Acclaim Universe, and two in the Valiant New Universe. X-O Manowar also makes appearances regularly throughout all the titles of the Valiant New Universe.
*As a MyComicShop Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
This section contains a curated list of some of the best storylines for X-O Manowar, any one of which can be a good place to get started. The 1992 and the 2012 series are the 'barbarian'-Aric stories from the Valiant Universe and the Valiant New Universe, respectively. You can start with the first arc of either of these series and then binge the whole thing after they draw you in completely.
*As a MyComicShop Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
1992 | X-O MANOWAR [1992] #1-6 (origin of X-O Manowar (Valiant Universe) and establishment of the early Valiant Universe) |
2012 | X-O MANOWAR [2012] #1-8 (origin of X-O Manowar (Valiant New Universe) and establishment of key characters in the Valiant New Universe) |
2013 | UNITY [2013] #1-4 (Valiant New Universe's mightiest try to take down X-O Manowar) |
A key issue can be an acceptable place to get started with X-O Manowar, but they are more of a collector's checklist, as they can carry high price tags.
*As an eBay Partner, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of X-O Manowar comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with X-O Manowar. The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
The very first ongoing series from Valiant (classic Valiant Universe) is not in print, but there were trade paperback compilations and a few hardcovers, so they can be found in the secondary market. Valiant's New Universe material has been continually in print.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Dec 2012 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 01: BY THE SWORD CURRENT PRINTING (collects issues from X-O MANOWAR [2012]) | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Apr 2013 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 02: ENTER NINJAK CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Aug 2013 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 03: PLANET DEATH CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Dec 2013 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 04: HOMECOMING CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Mar 2014 | UNITY [2013-TPB] VOL 01: TO KILL A KING CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Apr 2014 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 05: AT WAR WITH UNITY CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Aug 2014 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 06: PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Nov 2014 | ARMOR HUNTERS [2014-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Dec 2014 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 07: ARMOR HUNTERS CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Mar 2015 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 08: ENTER: ARMORINES CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Aug 2015 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 09: DEAD HAND CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jan 2016 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 10: EXODUS CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jun 2016 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 11: THE KILL LIST CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Nov 2016 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 12: LONG LIVE THE KING CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jan 2017 | X-O MANOWAR [2012-TPB] VOL 13: SUCCESSION AND OTHER TALES CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jun 2017 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 01: SOLDIER CURRENT PRINTING (collects issues from X-O MANOWAR [2017]) | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Sep 2017 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 02: GENERAL CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jan 2018 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 03: EMPEROR CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | May 2018 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 04: VISIGOTH CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Sep 2018 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 05: BARBARIANS CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jan 2019 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 06: AGENT CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jun 2019 | X-O MANOWAR [2017-TPB] VOL 07: HERO | UNAVAILABLE | $12.74 | |
![]() | Oct 2013 | X-O MANOWAR DELUXE EDITION [2013-HC] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING (collects issues from X-O MANOWAR [2012]) | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jul 2015 | X-O MANOWAR DELUXE EDITION [2013-HC] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Jun 2016 | X-O MANOWAR DELUXE EDITION [2013-HC] VOL 03 CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Apr 2017 | X-O MANOWAR DELUXE EDITION [2013-HC] VOL 04 CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Aug 2017 | X-O MANOWAR DELUXE EDITION [2013-HC] VOL 05 CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Mar 2019 | X-O MANOWAR BY MATT KINDT DELUXE EDITION [2019-HC] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon | |
![]() | Feb 2020 | X-O MANOWAR BY MATT KINDT DELUXE EDITION [2019-HC] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | ![]() | Go to Amazon |
If you've enjoyed non-comic media for X-O Manowar, this section describes the comic book source material for some of the most popular non-comic media. However, X-O Manowar has not--to date--appeared in any movies as the main subject. Ninjak--another Valiant original, foundational character--headlines a 6-episode web series, in which X-O Manowar makes a guest appearance. The web series is based on the 4-issue mini-series of the same name, NINJAK VS. THE VALIANT UNIVERSE [2018].