Spider Alien

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Some unfortunate Spider Aliens fighting the Starwatchers.
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Some unfortunate Spider Aliens fighting the Starwatchers.

The Spider Aliens are a recurring race of alien invaders in the Valiant Comics universe. They are a technologically advanced species who try on numerous occasions to conqer and enslave Earth. The Spider Aliens built the battlesuit stolen and used against them by X-O Manowar. The Spider Aliens, despite their advanced technology, cannot travel faster than light (the "hard science" rules laid down by Jim Shooter wouldn't allow it) so the recurring invasions, sometimes hundreds or thousands of years apart, are merely the retreats and advances of a single fleet capable of moving at relativistic speeds. The Spider Aliens resemble giant spiders, although some have been portrayed as semi-humanoid in form. They apparently find human flesh to be quite a delicacy, though they're not particular and feast on their own kind when necessary (or corpses are abundant).

Spider Aliens and one of their ships (and X-O Manowar).
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Spider Aliens and one of their ships (and X-O Manowar).

Spider Aliens are found as opponents in a number of Valiant books, and persist as enemies for 2,000 years in continuity, invading Earth in force in 4001 AD. They were the creators of a number of living armored suits that have fallen into the hands of Valiant heroes, the most powerful of which is the X-O Manowar class, also the name of a series of the expolits of a human wearing the Spider Alien's armor. X-O Commando Class and Wolf Class armors appear throughout the Valiant universe, on both humans and aliens.

The Aliens are common adversaries in X-O Manowar, as well as Solar and Armorines. They appear in most Valiant books at least sporadically. One of the members of the human resistance in Rai and the Future Force is Spylocke, a Spider Alien genetically engineered to look human. A side effect not foreseen by the Aliens is that he would develop empathy for humans and assists Rai and Magnus, Robot Fighter on their team. For most of the Malev war, the others are unaware of his true race.

[edit] Similarities

The Spider aliens have similar attributes to the Spider Guild in DC Comics. Both races are Spiders and both races have armadas which fight superheroes who can manuvuer in space.