gladiator battles thor at the request of zarrko, but is defeated. he later came looking for the x-men to help him fight against the phalanx; however, his aggressive arrival led him to blows with the x-men's cannonball, and while he was defeated by the young mutant, he managed to get the help of several x-men in stopping the invasion. some time later, on lilandra's orders, gladiator returns to earth and attacks the x-men's home, but later learns that lilandra was possessed by cassandra nova and frees her.