Description
👑 “Long Live the King” (Series Finale)
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Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
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Release Date: September 28, 2016
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Creative Team (Main Story): Robert Venditti (Writer), Joe Bennett & Roberto de la Torre (Artists)
📖 Main Story Synopsis
The issue concludes the final arc of Aric of Dacia’s story, facing a cataclysmic, world-ending threat:
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The Torment: The main antagonist is The Torment, a terrifying, cosmic alien race (often compared to Galactus) that consumes everything—mind, body, and soul—and has a historical connection to the X-O Manowar armor’s origins.
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Aric’s Sacrifice: The main story picks up after Aric of Dacia (the Visigoth warrior and wielder of the armor) is absorbed and seemingly killed by one of The Torment’s monstrous entities in the previous issue.
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The Final Stand: While Aric is within The Torment, experiencing a reflective, tranquil journey through its collected consciousness of universal history, the remaining heroes and forces on Earth (including a tentative alliance of humans and the alien Vine race) fight a desperate, chaotic final battle against the invaders.
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A New Path: Aric, having matured significantly over the course of the series, realizes The Torment is not simply a mindless monster. Instead of resorting to brute force to escape and destroy them, he uses the X-O Manowar armor Shanhara to reach a peaceful, surprising resolution that saves Earth and concludes the threat in an unexpected, non-violent manner.
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Aric’s New Role: The ending sees Aric step away from being the “King of the Visigoths” and Earth’s primary defender to take on a new, cosmic role, essentially bringing his first chapter as X-O Manowar to a fitting and profound close.
🌟 Bonus Stories
The 64-page finale also included several backup stories by various superstar creative teams, offering tribute and future teases:
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“The Two Deaths of Gaius Maelius” (by Fred Van Lente & Clayton Henry)
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“His Greatest Failure” (a Ninjak-focused story by Jody Houser & Javier Pulido)
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“The Future” (a tease for what was to come for Aric, by Matt Kindt & Tomás Giorello)
