Nova (comics)
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Nova is the name of two fictional superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. For the former Herald of Galactus who also went by the name Nova, see Frankie Raye.
Richard Rider
The first Nova is Richard Rider, a teenager who was chosen at random by the alien Rhomann Dey, last surviving Centurion of the planet Xandar's elite Nova Corps. Dey had been mortally wounded in battle with the intergalactic pirate Zorr and needed to transfer his powers to another being to replace him in the fight.
Rider gained great strength, resistance to injury, the ability to fly, and a uniform with a sealed life support system, but little training on how to use these new powers.
He functioned briefly as Nova, the Human Rocket, until fate called him to space and over a year of service in the protection of the planet Xandar, the same world where his great powers had originated. Eventually tiring of a life of constant intergalactic war and hoping to rejoin his high school friends, the boy requested to return home to Earth. When he was told he would have to relinquish his powers in order to do so, Rider agreed.
For years, Rider lived as normal a life he could, struggling with a disrupted education, flipping burgers and barely making ends meet. He spent his time trying to pick up the pieces of the life he had left behind, all the while wishing he could find a way to regain the powers he had lost. Unknown to him, during this period, the planet Xandar was destroyed in an attack by the space pirate Nebula, which seemed to eliminate his dream forever.
However, the superhero Night Thrasher, in a bid to secure new super powered allies, deduced that Rider's powers were not gone, but simply lay dormant inside the young man. Sure that a high-stress situation would be enough to reignite Rider's powers, Night Thrasher kidnapped Rider and dropped him off the top of a building. The theory proved to be correct, as Rider instantly came back to full power before hitting the ground. This incident caused severe friction between them for a long time, but they eventually made peace with each other.
Rider then joined Night Thrasher's superhero group, the New Warriors, and fought alongside them for years, including encounters with Nova's old foe the Sphinx and a brief stint during which the Warriors worked with Cable and X-Force. During that time, he began dating fellow Warrior Namorita and became close friends with Speedball, whom he nicknamed "Toothpick". This was a jab at his less-than-muscular physique. But the nickname eventually stuck as a nod to their friendship. With no connection to the Nova Corps, he eventually tangled with two Xandarians who had survived the destruction of that planet by Nebula: Firelord and Air-Walker. That confrontation indirectly led to the reformation of the Xandarian StarCorps and Rider's appointment of Centurion Prime.
Returning to Earth, Rider was confronted with dual lives as Centurion Prime and a member of the New Warriors. He also encountered another Nova from an alternate timeline named Nova 0:0. Nova 0:0 attacked Rider to prepare him for defending his Earth from the force that had destroyed Nova 0:0's Earth: the Deathstorm. After stopping the Deathstorm and saving Earth, Rider was replaced as Centurion Prime for Earth's sector of space by Nova Omega, an alien chosen by the StarCorps to take over for Rider, whom the StarCorps had deemed too divided to live up to his role as Centurion Prime.
However, he regained his powers and briefly traveled the US with the reformed New Warriors as part of a reality television show. After the first season of the show, he left the New Warriors for space because of a mass call from the Nova Corps. He managed to escape death and blame for starting the Civil War. His leaving Earth for Xandar is one of the events stemming from the Annihilation crossover event. He is still unaware of his teammates' deaths.
Richard and the rest of the Nova Corps faced off against the forces of Annihilus, but they were massacred, leaving Rider as the sole survivor. He made contact with the Xandarian Worldmind, a supercomputer that was the backbone of the Corps. The computer downloaded itself and the entire Nova Force into Rider, transforming him into Super-Nova. His continued status as Super-Nova, however, remans to be seen. According to the Worldmind, a new home must be found for it as soon as possible since it fears for Rider's continued long-term psychological and physiological stability under the stresses of containing these powers. On this mission, Rider encounters Drax the Destroyer and his female companion. After consulting the Worldmind on Rider's problem, Drax has offered to help the young hero keep his mental health long enough to download the data.
Spider-Girl
Richard Rider appears frequently in the Spider-Girl series, which is set in an alternate future. By the time of the series, Nova has served as a temporary Avenger. He also appears in limited series Last Hero Standing.Powers and equipment
Nova derives his powers from an energy source called the Nova Force, which all Nova Centurions wield. Richard Rider had the greatest potential for control as his knowledge of his power increased. The Nova Force gives him superhuman powers including flight, enhanced strength, speed, and durability, as well as the power to absorb and re-release projected energy directed against him in an omni-directional "Nova-Burst".Nova wears a standard Xandarian StarCorps uniform, designed to accommodate his powers without being damaged by them. In addition, the uniform has a life support function that can sustain Rider under the most extreme environmental conditions. It can act as a space suit by locking off the mouth and eyes of the helmet. The helmet can also pick up radio transmissions, as well as act as a heads-up display for tracking energy signatures.
Rider can also alter the appearance and nature of his uniform to a degree to suit his needs. For instance, the helmet has a rigid construction and shape when worn, but becomes as malleable as cloth when it is not, allowing Rider to hide it in his civilian clothes when desired. However, Rider learned that the StarCorps kept a strict dress code. When he made major cosmetic changes to his uniform, he was summarily ordered to conform to standard.
The costume is not only extremely malleable, it is also designed with specific weapons and functions to aid Rider in his role as a Nova Centurion. Among these features are an electromagnetic discharge that can nullify gravity, and access to wormholes that allow him to enter hyperspace, where he can move at velocities exceeding the speed of light.
During his first Annihilation issue, Rider's uniform has had a major update. Being that he is last current Nova, the Xandarian Worldmind has uploaded the whole Nova Force into him along with itself to help keep his mind intact. The Worldmind has also made his uniform into a more armor-like suit.
Bibliography
- Nova (retitled The Man Called Nova with issue #22 onward) #1-25 (September, 1976 – May, 1979)
- Nova #1-18 (January, 1994 – June, 1995)
- Nova #1-7 (May, 1999 – November, 1999)
- Essential Nova, V1 (reprints Nova #1-25, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #3, The Amazing Spider-Man #171)
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