Originally conceived as one of Valiant comics’ most powerful and serious heroes, X-O Manowar has been reimaged as more of a joke character.
Valiant’s time-displaced hero, X-O Manowar, already has a lot in common with DC’s Booster Gold, but it seems like Valiant intends to increase these similarities.
The current X-O Manowar series by Dennis Hopeless and Emilio Laiso examines the hero’s role in the modern world as he learns to navigate issues such as homelessness, California wildfires, police brutality, and the media’s manufacturing of consent. However, the series is infused with humor, one of several ways this new title likens him to Booster Gold.
Born Aric of Dacia, the Valiant hero is a 4th-Century Visigoth whose life was irrevocably altered when he was abducted by aliens known as the Vine. He escaped and stole their sacred power armor, called the X-O Manowar or Shanhara. Aric returned to Earth, but due to time dilation, arrived in the 21st Century. He used his armor to free the remaining Visigoths from their enslavement on the Vine homeworld, protect Earth against alien invaders, and join the superhero team Unity. While he has grown wiser and more mature, Aric has remained a dour serious character, something which has finally begun to change in his most recent series.
Booster Gold and Aric of Dacia have always had a number of similarities. Both operate as superheroes in the present after being displaced from their own times. Both are regular humans who wear suits of power armor. Both are ignorant of contemporary norms. And both have a high-tech sentient machine which advises them–but this last detail also reveals some of their differences.
Booster Gold is a former janitor from the 25th Century. He stole a time machine along with other future tech and traveled back to the present to get rich as a superhero. He uses historical records from the future to forewarn him of upcoming disasters so he can arrive ahead of time, stealing the glory and acquiring lucrative corporate sponsorships. Since he is not the brightest character, he relies on his flying robot, Skeets, a wisecracking AI who assists him but is also quick to point out Booster’s many faults.
Now the new X-O Manowar series has the Shanhara armor acting a lot like Skeets. Beyond providing useful insights, the armor has begun using flippant sarcasm. As Aric bumbles through modern life trying to adapt to complex circumstances, Shanhara’s snarky advice humorously contrasts with the hero’s serious attitude–replicating Skeets and Booster’s dynamic.
The comparisons do not stop there. On the advice of a rich industrialist, Aric undertakes a series of showy missions specifically designed to generate good press. He does this to win over public opinion so he can undertake more controversial work without inciting a backlash, but there are definitely similarities to Booster’s camera-hogging. Seeking help from a corporate benefactor is another thing the two heroes share. Their costumes even have the same color scheme.
While Aric is undoubtedly more self-aware and altruistic than Booster Gold, it is hard to overlook the ways that the Valiant hero is echoing his DC counterpart.
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