Nova

History

   Nova Origin: Origin

The Nova Corps was a peace keeping force based on the planet Xandar. The planet was destroyed by the space pirate known as Zorr. When Rohmann Deya Nova Prime 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. Rider would often team-up with Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. In fact Rider showed so much potential that Nick Fury recruited him to help Shield against the Yellow Claw. During this time in Rider's life he often fought Condor, Diamondhead, and the Sphinx. Even making an alliance with the villains to form The Champions of Xandar. When the Skrull Empire threatened Xandar, Rider and the Champions of Xandar went to give their aid. The Champions would lead forces of the Nova Corps against the Skrulls. The Skrull attack force was eventually defeated  with a little help from the Fantastic Four and then from  Rom the Spaceknight. Rider longed to return to Earth, so he 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. During Rider's absence is when Nebula attacked  Xandar and destroyed the remaining portion of the planet. Along with most of it's habitants.

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.

Annihilation

Annihilation

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 Aristides, several light years away. The engines of their vessel cut out and they begin to fall into the atmosphere. They are saved by Quasar.

Nova kills Annihilus

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. World Mind 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.

Annihilation: Conquest

The most powerful Phalanx Select

Upon entrance to Free space Nova is attacked by Gomorrah who has become one of the phalanx select. He is knocked to Drez-Lar where a stranded Free ship finds him and Kol is given a portion of Nova’s power in order to protect him. He is shortly captured by Gomorrah 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 Korel. 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 Gomorrah. Nova then returns in time to assist in the liberation of Halal and defeat of Electron 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 Turbulence.  While assisting in the evacuation Nova apprehends Harrow, a psychokinetic serial killer. Nova directly confronts Galactus trying to buy the people of Turbulence 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 Turbulence.
 

Nova Corps: Rebirth

Secret Invasion and the Nova Corps

While responding a distress call, Nova was ambushed by a team of Skrulls. He managed to defeat them but was not prepared to face his old allied KI'rt . Thanks to him, Nova learned of the Skrull Invasion in his home planet. He traveled to Earth and arrived to witness the Skrull siege of P.E.G.A.S.U.S. facilities. Aware that his brother was in P.E.G.A.S.U.S. Project, Nova launched himself against the hordes of Skrulls, managing to stop them for a few moments with the help of Darkhawk. But things got complicated with the invaders retaliation leaving the heroes between the sword and the wall. Miracously, the scientist at P.E.G.A.S.U.S. were able to bring not only World Mind back online but Quasar as well. With no chance to win, the Skrulls decided to obliterate the facility with everyone inside. But it was Nova's lucky day because in that exact moment, the Skrull ships were completely destroyed. Finally, the Nova Corps arrived to defend Earth.

After the Invasion was over, Nova found out that while he was sleeping, World Mind decided to gather again the Corps to help him in his mission. These new members were Fraktur, Rael, Tercel, Morrow and Qubit who proved to be a wise choice by World Mind. Although Nova was pleased with these Corps, he was still reluctant to gather the whole Nova Corps again and made a deal with World Mind to wait a little bit more before accepting more Centurions. But World Mind decided that the wait time was over, and he recruited everyone inside PEGASUS, including Nova's brother, Robbie Rider. World Mind used the rest of the corps to search for a new host for him, they found it in Ego the living Planet. When Ego appeared right outside Earth Nova dispatched to the planet, only to find World Mind had surprised Ego the Living Planet and turned him into New Xandar.

World Mind wanted Nova to return the main reserves of the Nova Force. Nova went back to Earth but before he returned he was stopped by the Fantastic Four. He went back to return the rest of the Nova Force, but decided it wasn't right. World Mind sent the rest of the corps to restrain him but he was too strong. Then World Mind stripped Nova of his powers and sent him back to Earth.

Richard Rider as the new Quasar

Dying from overexposure to the full Nova-force, Richard asks Doctor Eve Necker from P.E.G.A.S.U.S. for help. With H.A.M.M.E.R. shutting down P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Dr. Necker tries to persuade Richard to accept help from A.I.M.. Richard refuses and walks away from her. Remorseful, Eve gives him the Quantum flask inhabited by Quasar's consciousness so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. Richard breaks the flask, and suddenly Quasar appears and offers Richard the Q uantum bands, potentially saving his life until he can regain the Nova Force. With the power of the Quantum Bands at his disposal Richard traveled to confront Ego and get back his Nova Prime powers. Once there he saw that World Mind had been corrupted by Ego and attacked him. To save World Mind he was forced to lobotomize Ego, but the backlash caused severe damage to World Mind and he was shut down but was replaced by the mind of the deceased Nova Corps member Ko-Rel. Richard returned the Quantum Bands to Quasar and took back his role as Nova Prime.

Powers

Nova Force at your service

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 Nova himself. Nova had to absorb all of the Nova Force thus enhancing his powers by several orders of magnitude.  He can now lift over a 100 tons, roughly matching the strength of Hyperion, his energy manipulating and absorbing abilities have been signifigantly increased butting him nearly on par with the Silver Surfer and he can now create and channel cosmic radiation and energy. He is capable of flight at near light-speed, and is able to open star-gates through the fabric of space-time to collapse distances.

Recently, Richard Rider briefly wore the Quantum Bands.

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 superheroines, 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.