X-0 Manowar/Iron Man

[ManofTheAtom]

Throughout the early years of the VALIANT Universe -- particularly in Harbinger -- it was firmly established that both the DC and Marvel Universes are entirely fictional, no differently than Star Trek, Star Wars, or Flaming Carrot.

Solar then introduced the concept of virtual reality that felt so real that those in it could even feel the weight of the objects they touched.

While the Good Skin could have taught Aric about the advanced VR, the odds that he EVER read a DC or Marvel comic book or had ANY knowledge of who Iron Man and the Avengers are were slim to none.

When you combine the establishment of Marvel as being fictional in the VALIANT Universe with the VR-type tech introduced in Solar, there is a greater likelihood that the X-O Manowar/Iron Man crossover was a simulation akin to the one Crescendo subjected Aric to in Marz' and Sears first Birthquake story arc.

[ManofTheAtom]

When Crescendo and the Vizier captured Aric, they subjected him to a VR simulation in which he was a prisoner of the Roman empire in 410 AD.

Eventually, his memories of his experiences in the 20th Century woke up and he escaped.

Later, in X-O Manowar #68, the Vizier (Mallik) convinces Aric that all his experiences in the 20th Century were a prophetic dream and not real. Convinced, Aric "wakes up" back in his cell aboard the Spider-Alien ship.

"Weeks" later in relativistic time, he fights his way through the Spider-Aliens to get the X-O armor.

I contend that both the events of X-O Manowar #66 - #68 and X-O Manowar/Iron Man can be explained away as being two other instances of the Vizier and Crescendo subjecting Aric to simulated realities like they did the first time.

Not for nothing they are both present in the latter, with the Vizier having regressed into his evil persona, in contrast to his characterization in X-O Manowar #68.

[seanholmes2]

Although I'm a big of X-0 Manowar, I would pick Iron Man as the better fighter.

[ManofTheAtom]

Although I'm a big of X-0 Manowar, I would pick Iron Man as the better fighter.

Aric is a Visigoth while Tony is a businessman. How is the latter a better fighter than the former?

Take their armors away, and Aric can still do this to Tony...