X-O Manowar

"When the Hard Skins took me from my home, I could not make them die. But with this new skin, I can! With this new skin, I am the strongest one. With the new skin, Aric rules!""

- X-O Manowar

Aric of Dacia was a Visigoth warrior who fought the Romans in the 5th century and was abducted by a race of ruthless supremacist aliens called the Spider Aliens. The Spiders had a custom where they would visit primitive planets and capture natives who they can turn into slaves, and they captured Aric and other humans to work on their ships. After living for several years as a slave, Aric have had enough and staged a revolt together with the other captives. During his rebellion, Aric managed to reach a secret area which contained a holy and powerful suit of armor. He stole the powerful armor called the Shanhara and used it to take down the aliens and finally return home. Unfortunately for Aric, almost 2 millenia have passed since his abduction and the old world he once knew was gone. Forced to live in the modern world together with his frenemy Ken Clarkson, Aric has to adapt to its new customs and traditions. Now dubbing himself as X-O Manowar, he vowed to protect his new home from the return of the Spider Aliens as well as other supervillains in the Valiant Universe.

Battle vs. Hal Jordan (by Killermoves)
In the far reaches of space, thousands of light years away from Earth, Hal Jordan was on his way to Oa. He had a confident streak and a smile on his face, for he and his fellow Justice League buddies has just recently saved the world again from a galactic monster from Apokolips. He landed on Oa and was greeted by his felow Lanterns in a large triumphus for his adventures. Hal loved being a Green Lantern, and not just ebcause of the praise that he received. He can be a smug at times, but what really made him happy was the adventure, the thrill, and most importantly the noble profession of risking your life to save and protect the innocents. But his temporary comfort and bask of glory when he arrived was soon ended.

"Hal! HAAAAAL!!!" a fellow Green Lantern, the squirrel Ch'p yelled.

"What is it, pal?" Green Lantern said as he tried to calm the little critter down.

"What took ya so long Hal!? The Guardians are waiting, and they can't wait anymore for ya. They say it is very uuuuurgent..."

And with that, Hal flew straight to meet the Guardians. He stood before them as they towered in their pillar seats. Hal can sense in the tone of their voice as they argued with each other, that there was something wrong that was happening. Something that was dangerously serious.

"Hal Jordan. Green Lantern of Sector 2814," one of the Guardians in a deep and ancient voice said. "Your galaxy is under a great threat..."

"Tell me what it is," Hal said. "And I'll take care of it before dinner."

"You do not understand Mr. Jordan. A cosmic weapon from an unknown galaxy disappeared from our sight many years ago. But just recently, we have finally tracked down this weapon, and we saw that an Earthling has currently possessed it. This is a dangerous weapon Jordan, one that can mean the doom of your planet if we don't secure it soon."

"I've faced every dangerous weapon and all-powerful foe you have thrown at me," Hal said with confidence. "This shouldn't be a problem."

Without another single word, Hal Jordan flew in tremendous speed towards Earth. While he did proclaim that this mission won't be a problem, almost sounding like a complete jerk in the process, Hal knew that based on the Guardian's tone alone, that this won't be an easy task. This is mission that might be his most dangerous yet. ---

Back on Earth, specifically in the city of New York, a large blonde man sat on the balcony of a large expensive hotel overlooking the bay. He stared at the horizon, looking at the beautiful night sky, and being at peace with himself. It was Aric of Dacia, the famed Visgoth turned armored superhero. As he sat there enjoying the peace and the fact that no one was currently trying to kill him, he couldn't help but feel a slight boredom.

"Aric?" his assistant Ken Clarkson said. "Orb's gonna celebrate its 95th anniversary next week so can we please talk about the venue now?!"

"Go away Ken, I am busy," Aric said trying to shoo Ken away.

But the businessman wasn't going to be dissuaded that easily. "Aric come on! You're not even doing anything! You are the CEO of this company and you need to help me out on this."

Hearing Ken talk and talk of these uninteresting stuffs made Aric close his eyes and meditate. For Aric, modern people can be irritating sometimes. He maybe holding the largest company in the world, and yes he is currently one of the richest slobs out there, but Aric has always been a warrior than a tycoon. He deserved to be in the battlefield, with weapons in hand; not here rotting and getting fat inside some office like these sissy modern folks. He may be rich, but it was in battle where he was truly happy with. As Ken continued to nag and shout at him to focus, Aric decided to talk to his armor. He hopes that the X-O Manowar can scan the planet for anything better to do.

And fortunately for him the armor detected a powerful presence coming from the sky and heading towards Earth. Could it be the Spider Aliens coming back to resume their invasion? Or maybe a large meteor? Or Hell maybe it was just his friends like Solar and Livewire just flying around. But his armor spoke to him, clearly and nervously, that this was not like anything it and Aric has come across.

Knowing that this was one powerful entity and they do not know if it was good or bad, Aric puts on his ring and finally donned the armor. Ken Clarkson tried and begged for him to stay but Aric quickly flew towards space, ready to meet this being. 

Hal Jordan finally arrived on Earth, but there was something peculiar about it. The place he was at was New York, but it felt... different, like a mirror version of his own. It was filled with produce, places and famous people that he had never heard of. Off course, throw in the fact that there was no mention in the papers or the news down below of the recent adventures of Green Lantern and his super friends, and the humorously proud Hal Jordan knew that this was a parallel Earth.

"But if this is not my Earth, since I know my Earth would've gone gaga over me the moment they even see me flying in the sky..." Hal said and bragged to himself. "Why did the guardians sent me here? What's so special about his place?"

"You there! Stanger!" a flying man shouted out of nowhere, spooking Hal. "Who are you? And tell me why are you here? Are you a friend or a foe?!"

Upon sensing Aric, the power ring signaled to Hal that this was the weapon that he was looking for. Hal gave the armored guy another look, and thinks to himself how he can get that armor with both of them still having their limbs intact. Should he just go blasting at the guy until he gives it to him? Could be but if the guardians are correct, he might get licked if he tries to fight without a proper plan. He could ask nicely and hope that the guy would give it to him? But really? The guy don't look like no girl scout that he can bargain with.

Hal pondered more and more, thinking how he can get the armor the best way possible and finally be done with it. And then an idea finally came to him. He had a genius plan, one of which wouldn't even need violence or fighting. Hal was actually pretty proud himself for thinking of it. The plan was...

But then, Aric suddenly punched Hal in the jaw. "Your ruminating has eaten all my patience green man! I know why you have come here! The armor told me so! Now are we just going to float here or fight?!"

Hal was sent a great distance with that punch but he easily regained his balance. Touching his sore jaw and with his ring bright and ready to fight. Fuck plans and strategy, now it was personal for Hal. Nobody treats him like trash. Hal yelled, "You are CRAZY! If I'm going to rip that armor off of you, I woulda... Mr..."

"My name is Aric of Dacia. But call me by my title! X-O Manowar!"

"Whatever!"

And then the fighting finally commenced. Green Lantern opened up with a large strike from a giant fist he constructed from the ring's energy, with the intent of getting back at X-O Manowar for that punch in the jaw. X-O Manowar braced the punch, and the fist shattered into a million pieces as it made contact with the armor. Green Lantern wasn't finished though as he blasted Aric with a concentrated beam of energy. But Aric was not impressed by this emerald-colored joke.

"It's that all you can do! You are pathetic!"

Aric then retaliated by shooting his ion canons at Hal, and the latter did his best to avoid them all. Green Lantern circled around X-O Manowar, before creating hundreds of missiles and send them flying towards the barbarian. As the X-O Manowar tried desperately to dodge them all, he still got tagged by a bunch of them which sent him careening through the air. He got his balance back though quickly, and with rage building in him, but that one pissed him off, and he charged at the Green Lantern with a sword in hand. The emerald knight tried to push him away with another energy blast but X-O just redirected the blast back at him. As Green Lantern got dazed by literally getting hit by his own attack, it was too late for him to dodge as X-O plunged his knife at Green Lantern's shoulder.

"DAAAAAMIT!" Green Lantern yelled in pain. Aric smiled at being able to draw blood from his foe, and with renewed confidence and understimation of his opponent, he bantered saying, "Hurts like a dry whore's **** doesn't it?"

"Fuck you!" Green Lantern said as he too created a large sword with his constructs and swung at Aric. X-O Manowar managed to parry strike after strike, his Visigoth experience giving him better swordsmanship than Hal. But the attacks was nothing more than a distraction, as Hal sneakily attached chains to Aric's body, wrapping him up tightly. "You like that! Huh?! Well let's see if you like this!"

Green Lantern then flew from Earth and back into space, with Aric towed behind him. Aric desperately tried to get away with his strength but the constructs was too much, as Hal had better willpower that made them unbreakable. Hal dragged Aric towards the face of the moon, before slamming Aric as hard as he can on its surface, creating a large creator and sending moon dust everywhere. Green Lantern landed on the moon, in the center of the crater looking for Aric. Hal now knew that his foe wasn't going to die by just a simple swing. But Hal does have one advantage over that damn brute. If he can't beat Aric with brute strength, he can beat him if he plays sneaky and smart.

But Green Lantern's thinking cost him yet again as he didn't saw Aric charge behind him. Before Green Lantern can react, X-O Manowar used his tractor beam to freeze the latter in place and lift him up in the air. With the intent of returning the favor of literally getting slammed on the moon like a toy, Aric lifted Hal higher and higher before slamming him towards one of the hills on the moon. Green Lantern was buried beneath tons of moon debris, and after spitting the dust off his mouth, a now-pissed off Hal have had enough.

"Now you've done it! You want me to show you my powers, where here it is!" Green Lantern yelled.

"Come on and do it! Show me if you are a warrior or naught!" X-O Manowar replied.

And with that, Hal unleashed the full might of the power ring. Using all his willpower he summoned all the constructs that he had ever used. He summoned hammers, swords, and axes. He created multiple copies of himself and monsters the size of buildings. He created bomb, missiles and asteroids etc. Everything he can think off, he did, and he aimed it all at Aric of Dacia. The barbarian can only brace himself as he is hit with the full might of the power ring.

Aric desperately tried to run away from the constructs but failed. He ate a whole barrage of misiiles, humanoid copies and monsters gang up and beat him, chains put him in place and started squeezing the life out of him, and various other weapons rained down on him. Aric used his armor's forcefield to try and get out but to no avail. The armor's force field and healing factor can only survive so much, and Aric can only pray to Lugh that he gets to live through this.

Hal finally released all of his constructs or risk draining its battery. He walked towards a seemingly unconscious Aric, and prepared to extract the armor off of him. But Hal couldn't believe his eyes when the barbarian started to get back up and look at him with defiance in his eyes. Green Lantern just stood there seemingly awestruck and frozen. "I-I'm going to ask you again," Aric said. "Is that all what you got? Well... this is what I got!"

X-O Manowar then brought down the full destructive capabilities of the armor unto Hal. Directing all power to his ion canons, he sent a powerful blast straight towards the Green Lantern. Hal surrounded himself with a shield and tried to block it. While he successfully stopped it at first, the blast became more and more powerful, and Hal tried desperately to use every willpower to hold it off. But the shields started to crack and Hal can feel the heat of Aric's canons emanating on his face. There was no option left, as Hal couldn't fly away or else he'll get blasted, nor did he believe he can hold the attack any longer.

And finally, the shield was shattered and Hal was engulfed in green flame. He yelled as his body was vaporized by the canons. As nothing remained of his enemy but a smoking pile of afterburn on the ground, Aric let's out a powerful Visiothic warcry before flying away.

It was yet another victorious battle for the Visigoth warrior.

Winner: X-O Manowar

Expert's Opinion
X-O Manowar won because of two things, one because of its overwhelming power and the second is Green Lantern's weaknesses. X-O was simply just too powerful, and while Green Lantern can survive a supernova and is more versatile, it was no match for X-O's destructive capabilities. Overall, X-O Manowar and Valiant Comics won.