History Comicbook / NOVA

A new Nova named Sam Alexander appeared for the first time in an special book called Marvel Point One, the story was a prelude to ''Comicbook/AvengersVsXMen'', Marvel's big crossover event for 2012. A promotional comic explaining the sides of the event listed Sam as a wild card in the battle, along with the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}, ComicBook/{{Cable}} and ComicBook/ScarletWitch. Eventually he sided with the Avengers but only appeared briefly in one scene attacking Cyclops. Later, a fifth volume, written by Jeph Loeb starring Sam was launched in February 2013, Loeb left after a few issues and was replaced by Zeb Wells who also left after a few issues, following which was Gerry Duggan, who during his tenure kept the title afloat and increased Sam's fanbase (particularly with some of Richard Rider fans).

* AdaptationalHeroism: Sam Alexander starts out much less of a {{Jerkass}} in the comics than he does in pre-CharacterDevelopment in the early episodes of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan''.

** Some of his winning quotes in ''Ultimate VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' makes him come out as quite full of himself. On the other hand, others shows him as {{Adorkable}}, in the end giving us an image of a dork trying to be a jerk and failing. Miserably.

[[caption-width-right:350: [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 "I'm the ONLY guardian the galaxy needs!"]]]][[quoteright:294:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nova_corps_75.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:294:"Amazing! It’s everything dad talked about. The speed. The power. It’s like being a human rocket!"]]

* ArbitraryScepticism: Richard Rider has fought in wars, time-travelled, slept with the universe's most dangerous woman and literally seen the end of the universe (as in the physical edge of the universe), but a psychic dog weirds him out. Said dog calls him on this, and he admits that it's rude.

** Sam's recurring RoguesGallery just consists of Titus, the rogue Black Nova, Kaldera and Warbringer. Other than these three, most of Sam's enemies were either one-shot or transplanted from Richard's.

** Sam's recurring RoguesGallery just consists of Titus, the rogue Black Nova, and Warbringer. Other than these two, most of Sam's enemies were either one-shot or transplanted from Richard's.

* UnfortunateNames: Richard Rider, given what "Richard" is usually shortened too. Mentioned in Volume 3 of New Warriors, much to his annoyance.

* RoguesGallery: Not a huge one: Megaman, Powerhouse, the Condor, Diamondhead, the Corruptor, Garthan Saal (Supernova), and the Sphinx

* {{Homage}}: His first series was a homage to the Lee&Ditko era of Spider-Man. It even has “In the Marvelous tradition of Spider-Man!” written on the cover.

* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: Gamora, who was briefly Richard's lover. She's still attracted to him, but he's scared by the whole "Deadliest Woman in the Universe" thing, and later because they spent so much time apart, what with Rich having been stuck in the Cancerverse and presumed dead for a few years.

* FlatEarthAtheist: In Sam Alexander's series, Sam's science teacher doesn't believe in aliens. This in the Marvel Universe, which can barely go a week without a Skrull/Kree/Shiar/Brood invasion.

** Richard's “Blue Blazes!”

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Marvel's answer to ComicBook/GreenLantern, combined with a SpiderMan like protagonist and with a {{Superman}}-esque power set.

%%* AGodIAm: Sphinx

A new Nova named Sam Alexander appeared for the first time in an special book called Marvel Point One, the story was a prelude to ''Comicbook/AvengersVsXMen'', Marvel's big crossover event for 2012. A promotional comic explaining the sides of the event listed Sam as a wild card in the battle, along with the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}, ComicBook/{{Cable}} and ComicBook/ScarletWitch. Eventually he sided with the Avengers but only appeared briefly in one scene attacking Cyclops. Later, a fifth volume, written by Jeph Loeb starring Sam was launched in February 2013, Loeb left after a few issues and was replaced by Zeb Wells who also left after a few issues, since then the writer has been Gerry Duggan who so far has managed to keep the title afloat and get many people (including Richard Rider fans) to accept and like Sam.

In 2015, a new, alternate reality version of Nova named Anwen Bakian debuted in the ''Comicbook/SecretWars2015'' crossover.

In 2016, a new ''Nova'' series starring both Sam and Richard will be launched.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Sam Alexander is much less of a {{Jerkass}} in the comics than he is in ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan''.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Marvel's answer to ComicBook/GreenLantern, combined with a SpiderMan like protagonist and with a {{Superman}} power set.

* ArbitraryScepticism: Richard Rider has fought in wars, time-travelled, slept with the universe's most dangerous woman and literally seen the end of the universe (as in the physical edge of the universe), but a psychic dog weirds him out. Said dog calls him on this, and he admits that it's rude

--->'''[[IronMan Tony Stark]]:''' You say, Annihilus was the driving force? What happened to him?

* BigBrotherMentor: What Richard aimed to become for his brother [[spoiler:after accepting him joining Nova Corps]].
** Richard has become a surrograte big brother mentor for Sam.

%%* CoolHelmet

* CutLexLuthorACheck: A heroic example. Uses his superspeed to start a delivery company.

* DePower: Happened several times. 1)In between his first series ending and the beginning of New Warriors to bring Xandar back to life 2) by Garthan Saal, formerly Supernova, who becomes Nova of Earth for a while, and 3) by the Xandarian Worldmind [[spoiler:The last time with bad consequences – Richard found out he was using his powers for so long that without them he was dying]].

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Nova is actually very good at it. In his last series he took on Sphinx, more powerful than ever before, now able to bend reality at his will, and won. [[spoiler:In the last issue Cancerverse Quasar unleashes an EldritchAbomination that, as he claims, managed to destroy the entire Nova Corps of the Cancerverse in twelve minutes. Richard blows it up in one shot.]] In ComicBook/TheThanosImperative he takes down a bunch of alternate superheroes, empowered by [[EldritchAbomination the Many-Angled Ones]], and [[CurbStompBattle curbstomps them]].

** SubvertedTrope: [[spoiler:Jesse turned out to be an imposter.]]

* FlatEarthAtheist: In the Sam Alexander series, Sam's science teacher doesn't believe in aliens. In the Marvel Universe, which can barely go a week without a Skrull/Kree/Shiar invasion.
* FlyingBrick: He calls himself Human Rocket for a reason.
* FlyingFirepower: With the above, he's also got energy blasts.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: When Sam's sister tries on his helmet while he's asleep, she's automatically dressed in full uniform with centurion markings, despite the fact that by Nova Corps rules, this shouldn't be happening. However, the ComicBook/OriginalSin tie-in issues reveal [[spoiler:that the Black Nova weren't part of the Corps at all, so they don't follow those rules. At least until they were folded as Black Ops division after Jesse's undercover operation.]] It may also be possible that Black Nova helmet ran on [[LineageComesFromTheFather Jesse's imprint]] that may have been passed down to his children (Sam and Kaelynn).

* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: Gamora, who was briefly Richard's lover. She's still attracted to him, but he's scared by the whole "Deadliest Woman in the Universe" thing.

*** Subverted since [[spoiler:Jesse Alexander went into the Black Novas as TheMole and later reformed them into EliteArmy.]]

** Rich seemingly [[spoiler:does it again to close out the tear to the Cancerverse he caused by escaping from it in the first place.]]

** Sam Alexander is intended to be an homage to both Spider-Man and Nova's (Richard's) early years.

* {{Kaijuu}}: Rich faces one in the first issue of vol 4, which had been designed by the planet it happens to be rampaging around on. He manages to kill it with help from the Worldmind.
* LastOfHisKind: In current times, Sam, or rather his father's Black Nova helmet, is the only Nova alive in the galaxy after Annihilation event.

* LineageComesFromTheFather: It maybe possible that Sam and Kaelynn's ability to gain power from Nova helmet due to being the children of Jesse, Sam's father and previous wearer.
* LizardFolk: Fraktur is the same species as ComicBook/IronMan villain Fing Fang Foom, who is in fact her cousin. She's not full-grown yet, and much nicer.
* LotusEaterMachine: Fouth series Annual, where the Phalanx virus tried to trap Richard's mind in a false world where Phalanx has taken over the universe and he leads the resistance.

* MyNaymeIs: Its Rider not Ryder.

* NoRespectGuy: The other heroes, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 especially ones]] [[ComicBook/MilesMorales his own age]], do not think much of Sam.

* OddFriendship: Sam Alexander manages to make friends with Uatu the Watcher.

* TheParagon: Nova does ''not'' believe in the ends justifying the means. He will always strive to do what his heart says is right under any circumstances... consequences be damned.

** Sam also got [[spoiler:expelled, though got back in with make up effort on Summer School]] due to the amount of time he spent as a Nova in space and New York.
** Jesse Alexander's [[TheAlcoholic messed up life]] served as an example of how a [[RetiredBadass former Nova]] would adjust his life on Earth after spending many years in space but minimal skills in civilian sector.
*** In addition, according to Sam, he also failed to graduate from Highschool due to his task as a Nova.
** In issue 29, Sam Alexander's sandwich bag exploded in his bag due to sudden pressure changes after leaving the atmosphere.

* SecretKeeper: Sam Alexander's mom knew her husband was a Nova Corp member. Later served as this trope for Sam.

* ShatteredWorld: Xandar was this after its experience with EarthShatteringKaboom in the beginning of Richard Rider's transformation as Nova. As a result, The Watcher intervened and four surviving chunks became DomedHometown with tubes connected to each other.

* SmallStepsHero: '''CONSTANTLY'''
** He refuses to escape a dying planet and sacrifice the populace to save himself, Worldmind, or that planet's elite. His backup plan is to contront the ComicBook/SilverSurfer and his boss, ComicBook/{{Galactus}}.
** He ignores [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards's]] warnings that he may MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight to save [[OneTrueLove Namorita]] from a BadFuture, and brings her to the future anyway.
** Refused a RePower chance offered to him by a MadScientist who was in love with him, simply because she worked for AIM. It would have allowed him to save the Nova Corps (and potentialy Earth) from [[GeniusLoci Ego the Living Planet]] AND stopped him from dying, but he still refused.

* SuperheroesInSpace: The Nova Corps functions this way and after Annihilation, Richard took to the spaceways.
* SuperSpeed: There is a reason Richard was called the Human Rocket. He gets even faster when he's out of an atmosphere.
%%* SuperStrength

** And how! From a guy who was the staple “reckless rookie who gets in the way” among the Marvel superheroes, Richard turned into a badass space hero who ''ripped Annihilus guts through his throat''! Spidey even complimented Nova for reaching big league status by being an Avenger.
** Since the Annihilation War, Nova has risen to become the defacto commander-in-chief for any organized resistance against major interstellar conflicts, with even the biggest and baddest that space has to offer deferring to him.

* UnfortunateNames: Richard Rider. Given what "Richard" is usually shortened too. Mentioned in Volume 3 of New Warriors, much to his annoyance.

** Also Garthan Saal, who appears during War of Kings, rescues the captured Shi'ar Nova Prime, and both have not been seen since
** Every single member of his supporting cast, including his brother and other Nova Corp members, since the end of volume 4. So far, [[spoiler:Only Rob Rider had only been mentioned in Volume 5, issue 29.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nova_5063.jpg]]

* ''Nova'' (Vol. 7) (2016 - Present)

* AlternateReality: Where Nova 0:0 comes from and [[spoiler:is actually not Richard but his brother Robert]].

** Sam's recurring RoguesGallery just consists of Titus, the rogue Black Nova. Other than him, most of Sam's enemies were either one-shot or transplanted from Richard's.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Marvel's answer to ComicBook/GreenLantern, combined with a SpiderMan like protagnist and with a {{Superman}} power set.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Who shows up in Nova's CivilWarII tie-in to give Sam some surprisingly good life advice? [[spoiler:Only [[ComicBook/{{Nextwave}} the ☠☠☠☠]] ''[[ComicBook/{{Nextwave}} Captain.]]'']]

Prior to the release of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', Creator/KevinFeige revealed Creator/MarvelStudios has expressed interest in a potential ''Nova'' movie in the future as part of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, but any details on the project (including whether or not it exists) aren't yet disclosed.

Prior to the release of Film/AvengersInfinityWar, Creator/KevinFeige revealed Creator/MarvelStudios has expressed interest in a potential ''Nova'' movie in the future as part of the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'', but any details on the project (including whether or not it exists) aren't yet disclosed.