OTV is counting down the greatest X-O Manowar moments as we count down to the new X-O Manowar coming on May 2nd!

Number 5, Aric fights for Shanhara!

In the classic Seed of Destruction storyline, told in X-O Manowar #12, Solar, man of the Atom #17, and X-O Manowar #13, Aric and Solar enter the Spider Alien’s base on the moon, and Aric, being the honorable man that he is, faces the Spider Alien champion in hand to hand combat, the winner receiving the X-O control ring as the prize, according to Spider Alien law.

Aric defeats the Spider Alien Champion and wins Shanhara (from X-O Manowar #13)

Aric, being the warrior that he is, defeats the larger, stronger opponent, gaining rightful ownership of the X-O ring, and control over Shanhara, the X-O armor.

Aric faces the Spider Alien Champion (from X-O Manowar #13)

This single, arena combat fight to death is part of a larger plot.

Aric is using this moment to distract the Spider Aliens, while Solar goes to retrieve some information from the aliens computer databases.

Of course, everything goes wrong.

The plan falls apart, and X-O and Solar have to fight their way out of a tough situation.

This crossover is steeped in spider alien and X-O armor lore, we learn a ton about the Spider Alien race during this story, and about the X-O armor itself.

On top of that, it is action packed.

In my mind, none of the action beats this moment when Aric proves, once and for all, that he is the strongest there is, and is the rightful wielder of the X-O armor.

He proves that he should wield the X-O armor, by both the Spider-Aliens laws, and his own.