Wikipedia

Nova (Sam Alexander)

For other comics characters named Nova, see Nova (comics).

Nova (Sam Alexander) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, a space-faring member of the intergalactic police force known as the Nova Corps, was created in 2011 by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness, based on the original Nova Richard Rider.

Nova
Textless cover of Nova vol. 5 #10 (August 2016).
Art by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMarvel Point One #1 (November 2011)
Created byJeph Loeb
Ed McGuinness
In-story information
Alter egoSamuel "Sam" Alexander
SpeciesAlien/human hybrid
Place of originEarth-616
Team affiliationsNova Corps
New Warriors
New Avengers
Avengers
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Young Avengers
Champions
Guardians of the Galaxy
PartnershipsRichard Rider
Notable aliasesSam
Abilities
  • Access to the Nova Force via helmet granting:
    • Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, accuracy, agility, reflexes, and durability
    • Ability to breathe underwater and survive in space
    • Energy manipulation, generation, and projection
    • Regenerative healing factor
    • Electromagnetic energy generation
    • Force fields and shields
    • Solid energy constructs
    • Holographic illusions
    • Gravity manipulation
    • Hyperspace portals
    • Universal translation
    • Cosmic awareness
    • Enhanced intellect
    • Telekinesis
    • Flight

Publication history

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Sam Alexander first appeared in Marvel Point One #1 (November 2011), created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness. The character was named after Loeb's son Sam, who died in 2005 from bone cancer at the age of 17.[citation needed]

The Sam Alexander version of the character first appeared in the Marvel Point One one-shot in November 2011 before starring in his own series beginning in February 2013.

Fictional character biography

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Sam Alexander is a sixteen-year-old living in Carefree, Arizona, with his father, mother, and little sister. His father Jesse is always drunk and often talks about his supposed life as a Nova Centurion, and is a janitor at his son's school. After Jesse disappears, Sam learns that he really was a member of the Nova Corps, obtains his helmet, and leaves Earth to battle the Chitauri.[1][2]

Sometime later, Sam is on a mission to warn planets in its path that the Dark Phoenix is coming for them and works with the Avengers and the X-Men to stop him.[3][4][5][6][7]

In "Infinity", Sam learns from his crush, Carrie, that she knows his secret identity. Shocked, he flies into the sky, but accidentally removes his helmet and is rendered comatose. He wakes up to Justice and Speedball, who offer him a spot on the New Warriors.[8] He next faces off against Kaldera, an agent of Proxima Midnight, and defeats her in combat.[9] Sam becomes cocky and prideful and begins to feel above the New Warriors and disregard his mother's rules. He gets into an argument with Carrie and gets mad at Justice and Speedball. Sam eventually speaks to Uatu, who gives him some advice, and he returns to Earth to agree to his mother's rules and join the New Warriors.[10]

During the "Original Sin" storyline, Sam trains with Uatu on the Moon, where he learns that Jesse is still alive.[11]

In the Civil War II storyline, Sam leaves the Avengers to join the Champions, who travel to Lasibad, Sharzad to battle terrorists.[12]

Powers and abilities

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Sam Alexander wears a helmet that gives him access to the Nova Force, which grants him superhuman strength and durability, flight, energy projection, telekinesis, force fields, universal translation and the ability to breathe underwater and survive in space.[13][14]

Reception

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Accolades

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  • In 2017, Den of Geek ranked Nova 2nd in their "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list.[15]
  • In 2018, Comic Book Resources (CBR) ranked Nova 8th in their "Marvel's Strongest Cosmic Heroes" list.[16]
  • In 2021, Screen Rant ranked Nova 3rd in their "10 Most Powerful Members Of The Champions" list.[13]

Literary reception

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Volumes

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Nova - 2013

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According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Nova #1 was the 14th best selling comic book in February 2013.[17][18][19]

Tony Guerrero of Comic Vine gave Nova #1 a grade of 4 out of 5 stars, saying, "As a Richard Rider fan, I wasn't thrilled over the idea of a series starring a different Nova. Jeph Loeb does a good job in introducing who the character is and where he comes from. The version of Sam Alexander here is thankfully different than what is seen on the animated Ultimate Spider-Man series. As a first issue, we get the basics, we are introduced to Sam and get an idea how he becomes Nova. What we don't know is if the series will be based in space, on Earth or both. Ed McGuinness' art is great as he always manages to capture and depict big action scenes. We're off to a great start. I was hesitant about actually liking a Nova series with a different Nova but I have to admit I'm hooked so far."[20] Benjamin Bailey of IGN gave Nova #1 a grade of 7.6 out of 10, writing, "If it's a fresh, new tale you are looking for, Nova probably isn't for you. You've read this comic before, no doubt. That said, if you just want a fun, classic-feeling adventure, then go ahead and give this series a shot. Sure, it copies countless other stories, but it copies them very well and with a bit of its own style and flair."[21]

Nova - 2015

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According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Nova #1 was the 47th best selling comic book in November 2015.[22][23][24]

Alexander Jones of ComicsBeat wrote, "Sean Ryan’s depiction of Sam Alexander has compelled me to keep reading this series. I love that the book has a sentimental value owed to Jeph Loeb’s son Sam, and I love that Marvel has such a young hero. The art direction actually fits better for this series than I first realized. Verdict: This is a strong first showing. I’m happy to read what’s next."[25]

Nova - 2016

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According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Nova #1 was the 30th best selling comic book in December 2016.[26][27][28][29]

Tony Guerrero of Comic Vine gave Nova #1 a grade of 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "What could be better than a comic series with Nova? How about a comic series with two Novas? New and old fans can rejoice as the adventures of Sam Alexander continue along side the return another character. Jeff Loveness and Ramon Perez are giving the two characters clear and distinct voices. The art and color creates a good atmosphere and tone for the characters. With the questions raised here, there's definitely plenty of reasons to come back for more."[30]

In other media

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Television

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Video games

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Merchandise

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Books

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Nova appears in the children's book Spider-Man: Attack of the Heroes.[citation needed]

Collected editions

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  • Nova Vol. 1: Origin (collects Nova Vol 5 #1-5, Point One #1 (Nova story), Marvel Now! Point One #1 (Nova story)) September 2013, ISBN 9780785166054
  • Nova Vol. 2: Rookie Season (collects Nova Vol 5 #6-9, #10 (A story)) March 2014, ISBN 9780785168393
  • Nova Vol. 3: Nova Corpse (collects Nova Vol 5 #10 (B story), #11-16) June 2014, ISBN 9780785189572
  • Nova Vol. 4: Original Sin (collects Nova Vol 5 #17-22) January 2015, ISBN 9780785189589
  • Nova Vol. 5: Axis (collects Nova Vol 5 #23-27) April 2015, ISBN 9780785192411
  • Nova Vol. 6: Homecoming (collects Nova Vol 5 #28-31, Annual #1) November 2015, ISBN 9780785193753
  • Nova The Human Rocket Vol. 1: Burn Out (collects Nova Vol 6 #1-6) June 2016, ISBN 9780785196501
  • Nova The Human Rocket Vol. 2: Afterburn (collects Nova Vol 6 #7-11) January 2017, ISBN 9780785196518
  • Nova: Resurrection (collects Nova Vol 7 #1-7) August 2017, ISBN 9781302905293

References

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  1. ^ Nova vol. 5 #1
  2. ^ Nova vol. 5 #2-3 (March 2013-April 2013), Marvel Comics
  3. ^ Marvel Point One one-shot (November 2011). Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Waid, Mark (w), Immonen, Stuart (a), Gracia, Marte (col). Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite, no. 1 (April 2012). Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ Avengers vs. X-Men #12. Marvel Comics
  6. ^ All-New, All-Different Avengers #1
  7. ^ Marvel NOW! Point One #1
  8. ^ Nova vol. 5 #8
  9. ^ Nova vol. 5 #9
  10. ^ Nova vol. 5 #10
  11. ^ Waid, Mark (w), Cheung, Jim; Medina, Paco Medina (p) (Various) (i). Original Sin #0 (June 2014). Marvel Comics
  12. ^ Champions vol. 2 #1-3
  13. ^ a b Lealos, Shawn S. (September 19, 2021). "10 Most Powerful Members Of The Champions, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  14. ^ Austin, Michael (August 16, 2019). "All of Nova's Powers, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  15. ^ Buxton, Marc (May 19, 2017). "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  16. ^ Baggett, Christopher (March 1, 2018). "Superstars: Marvel's Strongest Cosmic Heroes, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Comics: February 2013". www.diamondcomics.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  18. ^ "Comichron: February 2013 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". www.comichron.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  19. ^ "Top 300 Comics Actual--February 2013". icv2.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  20. ^ "Nova #1 Review". Comic Vine. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  21. ^ Bailey, Benjamin (February 21, 2013). "Nova #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Comics: November 2015". www.diamondcomics.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  23. ^ "Comichron: November 2015 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". www.comichron.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  24. ^ "Top 300 Comics Actual--November 2015". icv2.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  25. ^ Jones, Alexander (November 6, 2015). "All-New, All-Different Marvel Rundown: Week Five". The Beat. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Comics: December 2016". www.diamondcomics.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  27. ^ "Top 300 Comics Actual--December 2016". icv2.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  28. ^ Johnston, Rich (January 13, 2017). "The Top 50 Best-Selling Comics And Graphic Novels In December 2016". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  29. ^ "Comichron: December 2016 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". www.comichron.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  30. ^ "Nova #1 Review". Comic Vine. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  31. ^ "Archived copy". marvel.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  32. ^ "Marvel Animation Age". marvel.toonzone.net. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  33. ^ a b c d "Nova / Sam Alexander Voices (Guardians of the Galaxy)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 13, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  34. ^ Wickline, Dan (July 6, 2017). "The Guardians of the Galaxy Come to Nova's Rescue in Animated Series". Bleeding Cool News and Rumors.
  35. ^ Goellner, Caleb (November 21, 2011). "The Marvelous DLC Costumes of 'Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3′". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  36. ^ "Marvel Costume Kit 5". Sony. Archived from the original on December 22, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  37. ^ "New Heroes Revealed at NYCC 2012!". Marvel Heroes. October 13, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  38. ^ "Characters | Maps - LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Game Guide & Walkthrough". Gudies.gamepressure.com. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  39. ^ "Infinity Guru - Toys - Disney Infinity 2.0 Figures". www.infinityguru.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  40. ^ "Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Characters". Giant Bomb. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  41. ^ "Nova (from Marvel's Spider-Man) | Disney Infinity - United States". 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  42. ^ "MPQ Gamependium - Characters by Rarity". mpq.gamependium.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  43. ^ "Characters - LEGO Marvel's Avengers Wiki Guide". Ign.com. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  44. ^ Ng, Alan (November 28, 2017). "Marvel Future Fight Players Backlash After Netmarble Intros Loot Box". Product-Reviews.net. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019.
  45. ^ "Champions Character Pack DLC Review – LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2". Bricks To Life. January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  46. ^ "Official home of the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - Products - Play Sets - 76005". marvelsuperheroes.lego.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  47. ^ Hasbro USM official images, Toyark.com, 15 July 2012
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