After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there's something about uncovering these "swipes" that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

Jim Shooter launched the Valiant Universe with three golden-age heroes (Turok, Magnus & Solar) as well as his own creations. One of these new creations was X-O Manowar, a centuries-old Visigoth named Aric Dacia, armed with a living armor that was taken from an alien spacecraft. Eventually, he gifts the armor to his friend Randy and it takes over her. Swiping the cover of issue #5 seemed like a great way to mark this event.

And, when something sells well (as X-O Manowar initially did), it's only natural that a parody of it will come along. With that in mind, Spoof Comics published OX, Cow o' War and used this issue as the basis of their cover swipe.


X-O Manowar #5
June 1992
Barry Windsor-Smith
X-O Manowar #21
October 1993
Jim Calafiore

Ox, Cow of War
July 1992
Mike Halbleib

On Ebay: X-O Manowar | Barry Windsor-Smith | Jim Calafiore