Nova v4 #13-19

Here's where you report issue analyses of any issue in any universe or timeline.

Moderators: Col_Fury, michel, Arthur, Somebody, StrayLamb

Locked
User avatar
Somebody
Director
Director
Posts: 3388
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:48 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Nova v4 #13-19

Post by Somebody »

NOVA v4 #13
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves
"On The Last Day"

Cast:
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER (last in Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #1-FB)
XANDARIAN WORLDMIND (last in Annihilation: Conquest #6)
HARROW-OP (first appearance)
GALACTUS (last in FF 546?)
SILVER SURFER (last in FF 550?)

Other characters:
Central City Adjudik (no name given)

Minor characters who die quickly:
Keyt
Gilly Podak


Summary:
pg1-4
As Galactus prepares to feed on the planet Orbucen, a psychic being called Harrow uses the time to possess people and commit mass slaughter on the would-be evacuees.

pg5-8
"Office of the Central City Adjudik, Orbucen"

Nova's been called in to help with the evacuation. The Adjudik estimates that the planet has twelve hours left, and wants him to escort the aristocracy to the ships, and gets mad, deciding to help the "underclasses" instead.

pg9:1-15:3
"Two minutes later"
As they fly, Worldmind's relieved that Nova's not trying to fight Galactus. Rich admits there's nothing he could do.

He encounters Harrow's trail of blood, and traps it in a gravimetric node.

pg15:4-16:5
"15 minutes later"

The Adjudik is less than impressed that Nova stopped to "arrest a lone killer"

pg17
A montage, showing what Nova does with Five Hours, Four Hours, Three Hours and Two Hours to Planet's End.

pg18-22

Carrying on from the "Two Hours" panel, Nova says that it's the "last one". The ark's drive hasn't ignited though, and a call to the Adjudik confirms that all the drives are failing as a byproduct of Galactus' feeding.

As Nova, much to the Worldmind's displeasure, flies to try and delay Galactus, the Adjudik has been infected by Harrow...

Nova's pleas are cut off, however, when the Silver Surfer grabs him by the throat.

Notes:
A considerable period of time has passed since the last issue (and, by extension, Nova's appearances in Annihilation: Conquest #6 and Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #1-FB which follow on closely afterward). It's an absolutely clean break from Conquest, etc; with no callback or tie-in to those issues in any way. [No specific time period is given - however long Paul B wants to throw in there, I won't object for once :). NO4 19 makes the lack of a direct link explicit, since Worldmind needs time to get busy while Rich is asleep in the time between Conquest and this issue.]

Lost track a bit of Galactus & the Surfer. The last issues I know they were in were FF 546 and FF 550, respectively - if they've turned up more recently, I don't know of it.
__________________

NOVA v4 #14
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves
"In The Final Hour"

Cast: (last in Nova v4 #13 unless noted)
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER
XANDARIAN WORLDMIND-VO
HARROW-OP
GALACTUS
SILVER SURFER

Other characters:
Central City Adjudik (no name given)

Summary:
pg1-13

Nova is whacked around by the Surfer, as Galactus completely ignores him. Eventually, the Surfer crashes him down towards the planet, and finally acknowledges him. He says that "his master" wouldn't appreciate him fraternising with "lower life forms".

After Nova pleads his case, the Surfer shields the drives with a blink and flies off.

pg14-15
"Fifteen Minutes Later"

The first wave of ships has launched, and the Worldmind says the final evacuation will be complete in ten minutes. Nova goes to collect Harrow, and WM streses urgency, since they will be trapped if they wait too long.

He discovers another trail of bodies, and demands the Worldmind track down Harrow, against the WM's explicit warnings.

pg16-22
"Launch Site Zeta"

Still in the Adjudik's body, Harrow cuts down people right, left and centre. Rich starts fighting, as the WM screams that they need to get out - "any second now", they won't be able to open a stargate any more.

The Ark launches, frying Nova and Harrow's body. Nova recovers after a minute or two, but Harrow's host body was shredded.

And the Worldmind informs him that they're trapped, as Galactus is decending to feed...

Notes:
It's the issue between #13 and #15. That's about it.
__________________

NOVA v4 #15
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves
"The Devourer"

Cast: (last in Nova v4 #14 unless noted)
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER
XANDARIAN WORLDMIND
HARROW
GALACTUS
SILVER SURFER

Summary:
pg1-20

Nova tries to keep ahead of Galactus' scouring beams, as the Worldmind yells that they're doomed. When Nova proposes to use the energy syphons to fly through, the WM completely loses it and yells that he's insane. When they enter, it says it's "BUR--NING OUT!"

Nova manages to fly through the wall of the storage resovoir... too late. The Worldmind's apparently gone.

A backup "User Support System" kicks in, and a scan reveals that Harrow is apparently on board. Nova traces him down to its' real, insect-like body. As it grabs Rich, Nova sees that it stowed aboard Galactus' ship during the Trial of Galactus. He manages to break its' grip, and fights his way to the main deck. The Surfer, annoyed, descends, and Rich tells him to read Harrow's mind. Surfer erases the "cone of psilence" that kept Harrow hidden from Galactus, and Galactus wipes it out. As he turns his gaze to Rich, Rich panics and...

pg21-22

...finds himself alive, teleported five light years away. The Surfer tells him that Galactus won't spare him again, and departs.

Rich is left alone to count the cost of his heroics - Worldmind's still offline. He asks the User Support for a list of distress calls, and picks one.

Notes:
Wasn't Galactus' ship destroyed (in Secret Wars, at least) and reconstructed after the Trial of Galactus? Seems like a goof...

The whole arc took about twelve or thirteen hours, since the "twelve hours" estimate from #13 seems to have been held to.
__________________

NOVA v4 #16
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves and Geraldo Burges
"Green for Danger: A Secret Invasion story"

Cast:
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER (last in Nova v4 #15)
SUPER-SKRULL/K'LRT (last in Annihilation: Conquest #6)

Other characters:
Many unnamed super-skrulls

Summary:
pg1-14
"Dendron, vicinity of 320 Leonid"

"Nineteen hours" after the Worldmind went offline, Rich feels alone, and guilty over what happened on Orbucen.

He's following a distress call, and finds a dying cat-like old man, and four cat-like children. The old man, calling himself "Botanist Maow", apparently dies, and Rich attempts CPR... when he explodes into a mass of sand, and the "children" reveal themselves as super-skrulls.

Slowed by the need to manually select his weaponry, the Sandman-skrull pins him, and a skrull with Wolverine claws prepares to execute him... when one of the Super-Skrulls reveals himself as Kl'rt and starts attacking his ostensible comrades to save Nova. While Kl'rt has most of them distracted, Rich breaks free from the Sandman-skrull, and the two quickly rout the newbie super-skrulls, with Rich destroying their ship and pilot.

pg15-17

Kl'rt discusses what's going on with Nova, apparently decrying the "planned skrull invasion" as "a vile, jihadist fervour... ill-concieved and overzealous". Once he finally gets round to mentioning that the invasion target is Earth, Rich freaks out, and orders User Support to open a Stargate to Earth.

Kl'rt asks to go with him, and points out that he's stranded. Nova says that he'll drop him off somewhere else, but Kl'rt says he has an estranged daughter on Earth (Jazinda from She-Hulk) that he wants to see. Rich eventually says fine, and they take off.

pg18-22
"Five minutes later..."

They arrive in Earth orbit, and are confronted by the skrull invasion fleet. Kl'rt tells Nova to fly towards the atmosphere before they're picked off... but as they dodge the ships' fire, a series of super-skrulls fly toward them.

At which point Kl'rt promptly changes sides, and starts throttling Nova.

Notes:
As mentioned, it's been "nineteen hours" since the previous issue, and the issue takes only an hour or so. The timeframe relative to SI is set in the following issue...

"K'lrt" is consistently rendered as "Kl'rt".
__________________

NOVA v4 #17
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves and Geraldo Burges
"Brothers In Arms"

Cast: (last in Nova v4 #16 except where noted)
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER
SUPER-SKRULL/K'LRT (next in She-Hulk v2 #32)
DARKHAWK/CHRIS POWELL (last in Marvel Holiday Special 2007/2)
RYDER, ROBERT (last... uh...?)
NECKER, DR. EVELYN (first MU appearance)
GRUENWALD, MARK (uh... see notes)
QUASAR III/WENDELL ELVIS VAUGHN (last definitively in Annihilation: Nova #4, possibly last in Annihilation: Conquest - Quasar #4)
XANDARIAN WORLDMIND-BTS (last in Nova v4 #15)

Other characters:
RYDER, CHARLES (last in Nova v4 #3)
RYDER, GLORIA (last in Nova v4 #3)
Many unnamed super-skrulls
Guardsmen cannon fodder

Summary:
pg1-3

Kl'rt appears to vapourise Nova with a blast of fire, and demands to be taken to Echelon command to be given a battlefield role.

As the super-skrulls fly off, Nova reappears - Kl'rt protected & hid him using the Invisible Woman's powers. He wonders what Kl'rt's real agenda is briefly, before flying off to...

pg4:1-5:3
"Long Island, New York"

Nova touches down in his parents garden, and walks in on them watching the Skrulls' "Good Morning, Earth. It is a new day..." broadcast. When they see him, they hug him.

pg5:4-6:5

A few minutes later, the TV is off, and Nova's drinking coffee and trying to answer his parents' questions about the skrulls. He says he came back to check they're all right, and his dad was worried he'd driven him away for good.

The conversation turns to his brother, and the answer machine message he left from work, ending in "What the blue blazes is-- tzzzttt-klk". Rich says he's on it, and asks where Robbie's working.

pg7-11
"The Adirondacks, Upstate New York"

Nova fies towards Project: P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Robbie's place of work. As he enter flies through a hole in the roof, he sees dead bodies - at least one of them Skrull - scattered about.

Then he's clocked by Darkhawk.

Rich tries to tell "Chris" that he IS Nova, he knows him. Darkhawk says he's been attacked by "Captain America, Thor AND Dick Cheney" already and refuses to believe anything he says. Eventually, Nova swats him away, and raises a glowing fist, asking him to ask a question only Nova would know.

A brace of Guardsmen appear around, pointing guns at him. Nova holds his hands up, saying he only came to find his brother. Robbie runs out from a corridor against the instructions of the Guardsmen, and tells them all to stand down after he says the first robot Robert built was called "Sherlock".

pg12-13
"Project: P.E.G.A.S.U.S. sub level 1"

Darkhawk's apparently the security chief of PP now, as Robbie explains the Skrulls' attack. The Starktech disablement took out their main power, many of the computers and the Guardsmen armour.

When they reach "Control One", Robbie introduces Rich to Project Director Gruenwald, and his line chief, robotics head Dr. Necker. Director Gruenwald explains that 117 staff, and 16 children (in the daycare centre) are trapped, while Dr. Necker adds that they managed to beat back the skrulls' first attack, and they had to lock down the vaults to stop the skrulls getting in. They only have one potential weapon, and they can't make it work.

pg14
"10 minutes later..."

The Ryder brothers chat - Robbie's bitter because, having "turned down jobs from Microsoft and Apple" because he wanted to be a super-hero; SHIELD, Stark Industries and the Baxter Building then turned him down. He wound up in a "back room line job" on the Minion Project. He also has a crush on his boss.

The lights go out.

pg15:1-17:4

The Skrulls attempt to get in, and Nova and Darkhawk manage to beat them back temporarily. Nova demands to see the device they mentioned.

pg17:5-18:4

A couple of minutes later, Dr. Necker shows Nova the "Quantum Flask... containing... a form of exotic radiaton [they] extracted from the Negative Zone six weeks ago."

With the computers down, they can't activate or control it. Dr. Necker's convinced that if they can harness it, they can use it, commenting that "it almost seems--well, alive".

Rich takes the chance to tear himself up over breaking the Worldmind again. Dr. Necker asks if they could examine him, and as he starts to object, asks for five minutes.

pg18:5-20:2

Cut to him on a CAT scanner. Having located it, Robbie and Dr. Necker are convinced they can extract the Worldmind and, hopefully, reboot it. As Director Gruenwald shouts that life support has gone down, Rich tells them to do it.

pg20:3
"Sub level 11"

Darkhawk and the Guardsmen are fighting skrulls. And losing.

pg20:4-22

Dr. Necker and Robbie are amazed at the Worldmind, as it wakes up the Quantum Flask. The energy starts bouncing around, and Nova yells to be unstrapped.

A voice starts asking for Richard, and Rich asks frantically if it's the Worldmind. He rips out of the restraints... just in time to see Quasar reform himself. He's appropriately shocked.

Notes:
The Skrulls' broadcast as Rich lands is apparently intended to line up the timeframe with the main SI mini.

Does Project Director Gruenwald get included under the current "Gruenwald, Mark" entry? The likeness of the late Mr. Gruenwald IS used.

A footnote directs those wishing to follow Kl'rt to look at She-Hulk #32 and #33.

As far as I can tell, this is Dr. Necker's first MU appearance, but an alternate version played a key part in Death's Head II's origin (written by one D. Abnett). The references to the Planet Hulk Death's Head Guards as "Minions" are apparently a further reference in that direction.
__________________

NOVA v4 #18
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves and Geraldo Burges
"Reborn"

Cast: (last in Nova v4 #17 except where noted)
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER
DARKHAWK/CHRIS POWELL
QUASAR III/WENDELL ELVIS VAUGHN
XANDARIAN WORLDMIND
RYDER, ROBERT
NECKER, DR. EVELYN
GRUENWALD, MARK
NOVA CENTURION/MALIK TARCEL [SHI'AR] (first appearance)
NOVA CENTURION/IRANI RAEL [RIGELLIAN] (first appearance)
NOVA CENTURION/QUBIT [MANUFACTURED HARMONITE] (first appearance)
NOVA CENTURION/FRAKTUR [MAKLUAN] (first appearance)
NOVA CENTURION/MORROW [MEPHISTOID] (first appearance)

Other characters:
Many unnamed super-skrulls
Guardsmen cannon fodder

Summary:
pg1-4 + 5:1:1
[Project: P.E.G.A.S.U.S.]

The Worldmind voices over, saying that it expects the skrulls to take less than 14 minutes to kill every human in the lab complex, while Darkhawk and the Guardsmen will die long before that "...unless new variables are added to the proceedings", as Nova and a glowing Quasar appear.

Darkhawk's confused where Quasar came from. Quasar says that, according to Nova, he's back from the dead. A quip about reports of his demise being exaggerated is met by Nova saying how he'd seen him die. Quasar says he can't explain it - but since he's made out of energy, he's not exactly human anymore. He goes on to check that they won the war against Annihilius, and this is "a whole 'nother alien war". Nova confirms both.

pg5

Director Gruenwald's a bit confused over what's happened. Dr. Necker and Robbie Ryder fill him in as best they can - but the Worldmind popping up in holographic form, asking them to be quiet while it figures out what's going on, doesn't really help.

pg6-8

Quasar pops into Hulk-construct form for a moment to pound a Thing-based super-skrull, while he tries to reconstuct the last thing he remembers - which turns out to be Annihilus, and realising he was about to die. He'd tried to Quantum Jump away... and he thinks his mind escaped, even though his body didn't. He doesn't remember anything else until he woke up at the end of last issue. He also notes the change in Nova's attitude since ANN:NO 4, with the confidence he's gained.

When Nova says they need to regain the upper hand, Quasar agrees, and tells Richard to shield himself, Darkhawk and the Guardsmen. With the skrulls surrounding them, Darkhawk asks Rich frantically what Quasar's going to do... and then Quasar explodes, vapourising the skrulls. In the aftermath, he's nowhere to be seen.

pg8:3:4 + 9-22

The Worldmind asks where he is, and who reactivated him. It then links itself to PP's systems, and notes that Quasar's returned to the Quantum Flask to recharge. It calls Nova, who's happy to hear from him. He asks if the Worldmind can track the skrulls, and the WM says they're on level 12G. Nova says they're on 12F, just before super-skrulls burst through the wall.

Over Director Gruenwald's objections, the WM searches PP's inventory, and finds the PH Death's Head Guards the facility has stored (and presumably constructed, considering how few there were left by the end of WWH:Aftersmash). He unlocks the vaults and activates the "Minions", powering them with a small amount of Nova Force and siccing them on the skrulls.

With the DHGs/Minions' help; Nova, Darkhawk and the Guardsmen drive the skrulls' back, while the WM closes the shutters behind them as they go.

The skrulls' begin to retreat, but the WM warns him that they've decided that if they can't take PP intact, it must be destroyed.

The skrull ship begins to bombard them, and Nova asks the WM if he can boost his power levels to shield the facility... when the ship suddenly catches fire and explodes.

Nova asks how the WM did that, and the WM says it didn't - as five silhouettes descend. Rich mutters that it's kidding him, as they reveal themselves as Nova Centurions.

Notes:
There's apparently been time for Nova and Quasar to exchange a few words about the immediate situation between issues, but that's about the limit.

Quasar apparently doesn't remember throwing the Annihilus "psychic residue" out of the quantum bands in ANNCONQ:Q 4, and the scenario presented mitigates against it being the same copy of his mind. Presumably, that was some "psychic residue" of him as well.
__________________

NOVA v4 #19
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (hereafter "DnA")
Art: Wellinton Alves
"Corps Vallies"

Cast: (last in Nova v4 #18 unless otherwise noted)
NOVA/RICHARD RIDER
NOVA CENTURION/MALIK TARCEL [SHI'AR]
NOVA CENTURION/IRANI RAEL [RIGELLIAN]
NOVA CENTURION/QUBIT [MANUFACTURED HARMONITE]
NOVA CENTURION/FRAKTUR [MAKLUAN]
NOVA CENTURION/MORROW [MEPHISTOID]
DARKHAWK/CHRIS POWELL
RYDER, ROBERT
NECKER, DR. EVELYN
GRUENWALD, MARK
XANDARIAN WORLDMIND
QUASAR III/WENDELL ELVIS VAUGHN-BTS

Other characters:
COPPERHEAD
BLACK MAMBA
SIDEWINDER
FER-DE-LANCE
DEATH ADDER
ANACONDA
RYDER, CHARLES (last in Nova v4 #17)
RYDER, GLORIA (last in Nova v4 #17)
JUSTICE/VANCE ASTROVIK (last in New Warriors v4 #?)
TABOO ("the thing from the murky swamp")
(unnamed reporter)

Summary:

pg1:1-10:3
[Danzig, Ohio]

A shaken Serpent Society have taken hostages and barracaded themselves inside a compound, taking thirty hostages and leaving a message to camera to stay out, since they could all be Skrulls.

Six Novas, however, lead by Rich take them out in 1.86 seconds as he introduces them to the readers, realising they're okay, but wishing that he'd "had some say" in their recruitment.

pg10:4-11:2

As the events are reported, Rich's parents and Justice react to the news.

pg11:3-17:3
"Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S."

Robbie Ryder's on the phone to his dad, reacting to the news on TV, getting jealous over his brother. Darkhawk comes in and is honest about how he's feeling.

Dr. Necker then pokes her head around the door, announcing that "they're back". Robbie & Darkhawk continue to chat for a few minutes, Robbie getting more honest as they go along.

Rich and the other Novas arrive, and Rich asks to see the Worldmind (telling Dr. Necker, after she calls him Nova, she can call him "Richard", much to his brother's distress). Dr. Necker tells him to go ahead, but she doesn't know if he'll be listening.

Rich's narration says that "Worldmind's been active for days now", but they haven't talked properly, since the Worldmind's been "off" - something he attributes to his part in the WM's near death-by-Galactus.

When he asks the WM for a minute, it says it's monitoring the Quantum Flask - noting that he hasn't reformed since his "initial manifestation", and concerned that he might be unable to from loss of power. Rich assumes that means he's "too busy to talk to" him, and the WM states that he didn't say that.

Nova's annoyed that he restarted the Corps without him, and curious about how he managed it - the WM says that he searched for and empowered them while Rich was asleep, and those five were the only ones he'd produced before the Galactus episode. Rich asks if he was ever going to tell him, and the WM answers "Of course. When you were ready to hear."

He further notes, in response to Nova pointing out that he knew he wouldn't like it, that Richard is possibly the finest Nova Centurion ever - except for his utter lack of obedience, risking his life, and its' legacy on numerous occasions while overruling and ignoring it. It deems it vital that the Corps are rebuilt - and the five Centurions were alerted when it went offline, finally catching up with him in the previous issue.

Rich admits they seem like good candidates, but points out what happened to Ko-Rel, and asks it not to create any more until they've talked properly, to which the WM is noticably non-committal. It also says, in response to a question, that they will not be reinstalling it in Rich's head - and when Rich protests that he needs it, pointing out that carrying the WM & whole Nova Force carried a risk of insanity, increasing as time went on.

As Rich protests that he's Nova Prime, Robbie comes in with "another live one".

pg17:4-20:3

The Novas fight "Taboo, the Thing From The Murky Swamp" - a creature apparently left over in NYC from the Mole Man's fight with the Mighty Avengers "last year" (in MA 1). Half an hour later, they have it back in the ground.

pg21-22

When they get back to PP, Darkhawk rushes out, saying he "had nothing to do with it. It just happened." Rich asks him, then the WM what just happened, then walks in... to see dozens of Nova Centurions standing in the hallway - including his brother.

Notes:

Per the narration, it's been "days" since #18. There are no references whatsoever to anything going on in the wider MU.

I've called Quasar a BTS, but that depends on how you consider his state - the Quantum Flask is on-screen, and it's glowing from his energy inside it. That could be a -OP or a full appearance.

Not quite sure how to list the new Novas. For now, I've called them "NOVA CENTURION/", but they may be real name only listings, I suppose. They've not been given Nova numbers yet. Fraktur is from Kakaranthara, Fin Fang Foom's home planet - apparently, his distant cousin (she's not full-grown yet). Morrow is one of Hepzibah's race.

Listings in the next post...
User avatar
Somebody
Director
Director
Posts: 3388
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:48 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Nova v4 #13-19 listings

Post by Somebody »

NOVA/RICHARD RIDER
[...]
NO4 12
ANNCONQ 6
[GOTG2 1-FB]
NO4 13
NO4 14
NO4 15
NO4 16
NO4 17
NO4 18
NO4 19

XANDARIAN WORLDMIND/COMPUTER-PRIME/LIVING COMPUTERS OF XANDAR [CLASS G COLLECTIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE]
[...]
NO4 12
ANNCONQ 6-VO
NO4 13
NO4 14-VO
NO4 15
NO4 17-BTS
NO4 18
NO4 19

HARROW
NO4 13-OP
NO4 14-OP
NO4 15

GALACTUS/GALAN [TAANITE]
[...]
FF 546
[?]
NO4 13
NO4 14
NO4 15

SILVER SURFER/NORRIN RADD [ZENN-LAVIAN]
[...]
FF 550
[?]
NO4 13
NO4 14
NO4 15

SUPER-SKRULL/K'LRT [SKRULL]
ANNCONQ 6
NO4 16
NO4 17
[SH4 32]
[SH4 33]

DARKHAWK/CHRIS POWELL
[...]
M/HOL 2007/2
NO4 17
NO4 18
NO4 19

RYDER, ROBERT
[...]
NO4 17
NO4 18
NO4 19

NECKER, DR. EVELYN
NO4 17
NO4 18
NO4 19

GRUENWALD, MARK
[???]
NO4 17
NO4 18
NO4 19

QUASAR III/WENDELL ELVIS VAUGHN
[..]
ANN:NO 4
ANNCONQ:Q 4-BTS (NB: ghostly/psychic residue rendered as image of Quasar)
NO4 17
NO4 18
NO4 19-BTS (arguably full appearance)

RYDER, CHARLES
[...]
NO4 2
NO4 3
NO4 17
NO4 19

RYDER, GLORIA
[...]
NO4 2
NO4 3
NO4 17
NO4 19

NOVA CENTURION/MALIK TARCEL [SHI'AR]
NO4 18
NO4 19

NOVA CENTURION/IRANI RAEL [RIGELLIAN]
NO4 18
NO4 19

NOVA CENTURION/QUBIT [MANUFACTURED HARMONITE]
NO4 18
NO4 19

NOVA CENTURION/FRAKTUR [MAKLUAN]
NO4 18
NO4 19

NOVA CENTURION/MORROW [MEPHISTOID]
NO4 18
NO4 19

ANACONDA/BLANCHE SITZNSKI
[...]
NO4 19

BLACK MAMBA/TANYA SEALY
[...]
NO4 19

COPPERHEAD III/DAVIS LAWFERS
[...]
NO4 19

DEATH ADDER
[...]
NO4 19

FER DE LANCE/TERESA
[...]
NO4 19

SIDEWINDER II*
[...]
CA4 31
NO4 19

(*NB: Edited to reflect what dimadick said below)

JUSTICE/VANCE ASTROVIK
[...]
NW4 ??
NO4 19

TABOO ("the thing from the murky swamp")
[...]
NO4 19
Kevin W.
Director
Director
Posts: 1482
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 10:19 pm
Location: Springfield, Missouri

Re: Nova v4 #13-19

Post by Kevin W. »

Okay, I was going to do an analysis of Issues #13-15, but hadn't been able to find time. Thanks for doing it for me though.

One quick point:
HARROW
NO4 13-OP
NO4 14-OP
NO4 15
I may be mistaken, but even though no flashback was shown, shouldn't we list a "BTS" for Harrow back during the "Trial of Galactus"?

Also, how can Harrow have been clinging to Galactus since back then, when Galactus was reverted to a human and cast into another dimension during the Mark Waid issues of Fantastic Four?
Keeping track of Bendis References since 2001!
dimadick
Major Player
Major Player
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:53 am

Re: Nova v4 #13-19

Post by dimadick »

Somebody wrote:When they reach "Control One", Robbie introduces Rich to Project Director Gruenwald, and his line chief, robotics head Dr. Necker. Director Gruenwald explains that 117 staff, and 16 children (in the daycare centre) are trapped, while Dr. Necker adds that they managed to beat back the skrulls' first attack, and they had to lock down the vaults to stop the skrulls getting in. They only have one potential weapon, and they can't make it work.

pg14
"10 minutes later..."

The Ryder brothers chat - Robbie's bitter because, having "turned down jobs from Microsoft and Apple" because he wanted to be a super-hero; SHIELD, Stark Industries and the Baxter Building then turned him down. He wound up in a "back room line job" on the Minion Project. He also has a crush on his boss.

As far as I can tell, this is Dr. Necker's first MU appearance, but an alternate version played a key part in Death's Head II's origin (written by one D. Abnett). The references to the Planet Hulk Death's Head Guards as "Minions" are apparently a further reference in that direction.
Actually two alternate versions of Necker have appeared, the main one from Earth-8410 and one from Earth-8454. In Earth-616 the only characters to appear so far were her parents Smart and Stealth/Eliza Clare Necker of the Requiem Sharks from "Death's Head II" vol. 2 #10-12 (September - November, 1993). That issue indicated they had yet to have a child. How young does Necker appear to be?

Both alternate versions of Necker worked for the Minion Project of A.I.M and there created the Minion series of cyborgs. With the ability to assimilate personalities and abilities from other characters. They included Death Wreck, Death's Head/Minion (absorbed over 100 personalities but Death's Head became the dominant one) and Death Metal. All were Dan Abnett characters.
__________________
Somebody wrote: Other characters:
COPPERHEAD
Davis Lawfers? Long time, no see. He had not appeared since "Uncanny X-Men Annual" #13 (1989).
Somebody wrote: SIDEWINDER
Are you certain he is Seth Voelker? He left the Serpent Society back in "Captain America Annual" #10 (1991) and has been in semi-retirement in subsequent appearances. There was a new Sidewinder appearing with the Serpent Society in "Captain America" vol. 4 #31(November, 2004)
Somebody wrote: DEATH ADDER
Finally an actual appearance. While mentioned in the new Handbooks and "Civil War Files", the new Death Adder had not so far appeared on panel. He was supposed to appear in Thunderbolts #104 but the script changed a bit and dropped him. Apparently too late to change the reference in the Files.
Somebody wrote: TABOO ("the thing from the murky swamp")
Taboo first appeared in "Strange Tales" vol. 1 #75 (June, 1960) and returned in #77 (October, 1960). He went on rampage in New York City in "Marvel Monsters:Monsters on the Prowl" #1 (December, 2005). I don't remember him appearing in Mighty Avengers but he could have been behind the scenes.
User avatar
Somebody
Director
Director
Posts: 3388
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:48 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Re: Nova v4 #13-19

Post by Somebody »

Kevin W. wrote:Okay, I was going to do an analysis of Issues #13-15, but hadn't been able to find time. Thanks for doing it for me though.
Yeah, sorry about that - I was going to do #16-19 (Nova issues are SO much simpler than GotG issues. Trying to fit the debrief logs into a chronology not only causes headaches, but causes the listings to mushroom to 20+ lines for a three-issue arc), but since they carry on from/are dependent on the ending of #15, I thought I should do the whole stretch...
Kevin W. wrote:I may be mistaken, but even though no flashback was shown, shouldn't we list a "BTS" for Harrow back during the "Trial of Galactus"?
As described, Harrow was possessing someone in the crowd, saw it as too good an opportunity to miss, and sneaked on-board. That has no impact on the events of ToG, and so no BTS. As I understand it.
Kevin W. wrote:Also, how can Harrow have been clinging to Galactus since back then, when Galactus was reverted to a human and cast into another dimension during the Mark Waid issues of Fantastic Four?
Actually, Galactus EATING his ship during Secret Wars seems like a bigger objection to me (also him being tossed into another dimension to eat Hyperstorm during DeFalco's FF run, and his "death" in the Galactus: The Devourer mini seem like the bigger objections, given that the Waid thing didn't involve his ship and was reversed within five minutes). Maybe Franklin inadvertently managed to resurrect Harrow when he brought Galactus back, and Harrow was none the wiser that he'd been "dead"?
dimadick wrote:
Somebody wrote:As far as I can tell, this is Dr. Necker's first MU appearance, but an alternate version played a key part in Death's Head II's origin (written by one D. Abnett). The references to the Planet Hulk Death's Head Guards as "Minions" are apparently a further reference in that direction.
Actually two alternate versions of Necker have appeared, the main one from Earth-8410 and one from Earth-8454. In Earth-616 the only characters to appear so far were her parents Smart and Stealth/Eliza Clare Necker of the Requiem Sharks from "Death's Head II" vol. 2 #10-12 (September - November, 1993). That issue indicated they had yet to have a child. How young does Necker appear to be?
Twenties, maybe early thirties. Older than Robbie Ryder, but not old enough to be showing any signs of age.
dimadick wrote:
Somebody wrote:Other characters:
COPPERHEAD
Davis Lawfers? Long time, no see. He had not appeared since "Uncanny X-Men Annual" #13 (1989).
Somebody wrote:SIDEWINDER
Are you certain he is Seth Voelker? He left the Serpent Society back in "Captain America Annual" #10 (1991) and has been in semi-retirement in subsequent appearances. There was a new Sidewinder appearing with the Serpent Society in "Captain America" vol. 4 #31(November, 2004)
Somebody wrote:DEATH ADDER
Finally an actual appearance. While mentioned in the new Handbooks and "Civil War Files", the new Death Adder had not so far appeared on panel. He was supposed to appear in Thunderbolts #104 but the script changed a bit and dropped him. Apparently too late to change the reference in the Files.
I have to admit, my familiarity with the Serpent Society members is less than 100%. They all get codenamechecks from Nova, but no real names, and only Copperhead gets any lines. Most of them are seen in the preview here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... disp=table
dimadick wrote:
Somebody wrote:TABOO ("the thing from the murky swamp")
Taboo first appeared in "Strange Tales" vol. 1 #75 (June, 1960) and returned in #77 (October, 1960). He went on rampage in New York City in "Marvel Monsters:Monsters on the Prowl" #1 (December, 2005). I don't remember him appearing in Mighty Avengers but he could have been behind the scenes.
Well, Nova explicitly references the MA issue, so that's what it is, whether Taboo was shown or not.
dimadick
Major Player
Major Player
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:53 am

Re: Nova v4 #13-19

Post by dimadick »

Somebody wrote:
dimadick wrote:
Somebody wrote:As far as I can tell, this is Dr. Necker's first MU appearance, but an alternate version played a key part in Death's Head II's origin (written by one D. Abnett). The references to the Planet Hulk Death's Head Guards as "Minions" are apparently a further reference in that direction.
Actually two alternate versions of Necker have appeared, the main one from Earth-8410 and one from Earth-8454. In Earth-616 the only characters to appear so far were her parents Smart and Stealth/Eliza Clare Necker of the Requiem Sharks from "Death's Head II" vol. 2 #10-12 (September - November, 1993). That issue indicated they had yet to have a child. How young does Necker appear to be?
Twenties, maybe early thirties. Older than Robbie Ryder, but not old enough to be showing any signs of age.
Basically the same as all her appearances. Other the appearances of heer parents are ignored, placed further back in time or some time travel involved. Either way not too problematic for the MCP.
Somebody wrote:
dimadick wrote:
Somebody wrote:Other characters:
COPPERHEAD
Davis Lawfers? Long time, no see. He had not appeared since "Uncanny X-Men Annual" #13 (1989).
Somebody wrote:SIDEWINDER
Are you certain he is Seth Voelker? He left the Serpent Society back in "Captain America Annual" #10 (1991) and has been in semi-retirement in subsequent appearances. There was a new Sidewinder appearing with the Serpent Society in "Captain America" vol. 4 #31(November, 2004)
Somebody wrote:DEATH ADDER
Finally an actual appearance. While mentioned in the new Handbooks and "Civil War Files", the new Death Adder had not so far appeared on panel. He was supposed to appear in Thunderbolts #104 but the script changed a bit and dropped him. Apparently too late to change the reference in the Files.
I have to admit, my familiarity with the Serpent Society members is less than 100%. They all get codenamechecks from Nova, but no real names, and only Copperhead gets any lines. Most of them are seen in the preview here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... disp=table
Well that is Lawfer all right. This could be any Sidewinder though, based on the costume. The fact that he is not acting as a leader probably fits the newby better than Seth. A Sidewinder appearance with no teleportation involved seems a bit strange.
Somebody wrote:
dimadick wrote:
Somebody wrote:TABOO ("the thing from the murky swamp")
Taboo first appeared in "Strange Tales" vol. 1 #75 (June, 1960) and returned in #77 (October, 1960). He went on rampage in New York City in "Marvel Monsters:Monsters on the Prowl" #1 (December, 2005). I don't remember him appearing in Mighty Avengers but he could have been behind the scenes.
Well, Nova explicitly references the MA issue, so that's what it is, whether Taboo was shown or not.
True, now that Mighty Avengers storyline is part of his history.
Enda80
Cosmic Entity
Cosmic Entity
Posts: 1152
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:02 pm

Re: Nova v4 #13-19

Post by Enda80 »

"Wasn't Galactus' ship destroyed (in Secret Wars, at least) and reconstructed after the Trial of Galactus? Seems like a goof..."

The Infinity War definitely followed the Secret Wars.

(Fantastic Four I#368, Infinity War#3, Wonder Man II#13, Moon Knight II#41)
Galactus is still running too far ahead of schedule. To slow him down the Magus used the power of the Containment Units to blow up Galactus' ship (though Galactus' power protected himself and those within).


Perhaps Galactus inadvertently protected Harrow as well.

Taa II did not get destroyed during the Secret Wars as I recall. During those issues, Doctor Doom raided Taa II, and found Klaw had gotten absorbed by the ship's metal walls (since Dazzler had absorbed Klaw and then had an encounter with Galactus). Doom reconstituted Klaw (perhaps Harrow survived within Klaw subsequently?).
Locked