Origin

The Nova Corps is a peace keeping force based on the planet Xandar. When one member was dying, he chose, at random, Richard Rider to receive his powers. This was a lot for the teenaged Rider but he started a superhero career with them. When the Skrull Empire threatened Xandar, Rider went to give his aid. The Skrull attack force was defeated and Rider longed to return to Earth. Rider agreed to give up his portion of the Nova force powers to be used on Xandar to live a normal life.

A few months later he was approached by Night Thrasher. Night Thrasher was starting a new superhero team and believed that Rider still contained the power inside him. To prove this, he threw Rider off of a rooftop. Luckily, he was right. They formed the New Warriors with other teenaged superheroes and fought on many missions. Nova spent his time with the Warriors and on his own.

After fighting Super-Nova, a Xandarian that had gained the rest of the Nova force and was driven mad, with the help of former Galactus' heralds, Firelord and Air-Walker, Nova became the Centurion Prime. He was to be the guardian of Earth's sector of space.

The New Warriors broke up and reformed a few times. The last time they were stars of a reality TV show. They traveled across the country to small towns without superheroes and battle criminals on television.

Shortly before the horrible incident that resulted in the Warriors death and the start of the Superhero Registration Act, Nova was called back to Xandar to assist the Nova Corps in fighting the Annihilation Wave. The wave destroyed Xandar and the entire corps. Nova was the only survivor and inherited the entire Nova-Force. He also gained Worldmind, the Xandarian living computer that contains the record of Xandar's history and helps Rider retain his sanity with the Nova-Force.

Later, Nova discovers Drax The Destroyer and Cammi on the surface of Xandar, the only other two apparent survivors of the onslaught. They escape the planet which has been knocked out of orbit of it's star, which between that and the damage it suffered from the Annihilation Wave is quickly becoming uninhabitable.

Nova opens a gate to the planet Nycos Aristedes, several light years away. The engines of their vessel cut out and they begin to fall into the atmosphere. They are saved by Quasar.

Quasar talks Nova into helping him evacuate the planet from the oncoming Annihilation Wave, despite Nova's fears of losing control of his power. They hold their own against the wave and even attempt to kill Annihilus himself, but Quasar is killed in the process and Nova barely escapes with his life.

Nova heads up a a resistance movement against the Annihilation Wave with Peter Quill (Starlord) as his second-in-command. After losing a major battle they decide to dissolve the resistance and form a small strike team to the end of one goal, to kill Annihilus.

As the final battle looms Nova is able to challenge Annihilus to single combat and as he looks like he's about to die at Annihilus' hands, Phyla-Vell manages to steal the Quantum-Bands Annihilus had taken upon killing Quasar, which turns the tide in Nova's favor, and he manages to kill Annihilus.

Following the events of Annihilation, Nova becomes overwhelmed with work rushing from one crisis to the next. Worldmind cautions him of over work and burn out by accident Nova is forced to travel home to Earth. Upon arrival he finds himself in post civil war marvel u where he must face Speedball, Iron Man, and family.

Nova discovers while he was fighting for the fate of the universe the heroes at Earth were squabbling over secret identities. This in addition with his family viewing him as a criminal causes him to return to space and land right back into the middle of Annihilation Conquestand the Phalanx invasion. An event that he is ill prepared for at first.

Upon entrance to Kree space Nova is attacked by Gamora who has become one of the phalanx select. He is knocked to Drez-Lar where a stranded Kree ship finds him and Ko-Rel is given a portion of Nova’s power in order to protect him. He is shortly captured by Gamora and becomes one of the Phalanx select by being infected with the transmode virus.

As one of the select he captures Drax The Destroyer and helps to kill Ko-Rel. As a result a portion of his power is returned allowing him to hold of the transmode virus. His fight of the transmode virus would cause him to discover Knowhere where he would travel to the phalanx home world.

When he arrives on the home world he encounter Warlock and his young ward that cure Nova of the transmode virus and also Drax The Destroyer and Gamora. Nova then returns in time to assist in the liberation of Hala and defeat of Ultron and his Phalanx horde.

Following the events of Conquest, Nova continues responding to urgent distress signals the first being a direct confrontation with Galactus and Silver Surfer.on planet Orbulcen.  While assisting in the evacuation Nova apprehends Harrow, a psychokinetic serial killer. Nova directly confronts Galactus trying to buy the people of Orbulcen enough time to evacuate the planet, and forces a battle with Silver Surfer.  Unfortunately during his battle with Silver Surfer, Harrow escapes forcing Nova to delay his own departure from the planet and becoming trapped as Galactus prepares to devour Orbulcen.
 

Powers

Nova

Nova derives his powers from a source known as the Nova Force, which is wielded by all Nova Corps Centurions. Nova's small share of the Nova Force gives him abilities including flight, super strength, speed, and durability, as well as the power to absorb energies directed at him and release it as gravimetric beams and pulses, either from single parts of his body or from his entire body surface.

After the events of Annihilation, where all members of the Nova Corps was killed except him Nova had to absorb all of the Nova Force thus enhancing his powers significantly.

Alternate Realities

Earth-9105

In this reality Nova was a member of the Avengers.

Earth-9997

Nova is dead and is in the realm of the dead. He and two other superheroes attempted to attack Mephisto who plans to kill all living beings. They were easily defeated but other remaining heroes also attempted to attack.

Earth-2149

Nova is one of the uninfected by the zombie plague. He was about to be bitten by Spider-Man, but was protected by Daredevil, who managed to get bitten because Nova was too shocked to assist. He was rescued by Thor and the Fantastic Four and they all go to the Helicarrier. There, Nick Fury brief the surviving heroes that they take a final defensive stand. Nova helped them but got bitten by Ms. Marvel.

He was later seen along with other zombie super-beings attacking Doctor Doom's castle. He is seen being cut to pieces by Magneto's barrage of metal shards. He is still mobile though and joined the other zombie super-beings in an attempt to eat the Silver Surfer. He was later killed by the cosmic-powered zombies.

MC2 Earth-982

When Spider-Girl was fighting Darkdevil, Nova thought that Spider-Girl was a villain but later realized his mistake. He became a tutor Spider-Girl in superheroics, but she ignores his teaching because his attitude has become arrogant and impatient towards her. Although he became an inspiration to Spider-Girl to form the MC2 version of the New Warriors.