“Photon is Another Name For...?” Writer/ Editor: Ocean Doot Penciler: Ross Andru Inks: Mike Esposito Colors: Glynis Wein Letterer: Joe Rosen Spider-Man looks over the crime photos of the wall melted out and Doctor Rider’s body lying before the ripped out calendar pages of the last half of the year. We get our six suspect ovals again, as Inspector Steel reminds him it’s a matter of police jurisdiction, and he has no plans to deputize Spider-Man and Nova. Spider-man insists there’s a good man, dead, and they will find the killer one way or another! The warning stands. Then he recaps the entire murder scenario written up above. All suspects but Michael Lincoln have fled, and the butler, who nearly revealed Photon’s i.d., is a cold body removed now by the police---one of whom announces a train left unchecked, excluded from their roadblocks. They stand near the wall melted outward by Photon. Nova’s on the case; he speeds past a hydrofoil on the water and overtakes the train, zoo...

Dream On over Nova’s helmet during flight 12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txlXcJDtDwM [IMG]http://i28.tinypic.com/352mdsi.gif[/IMG] Wolfman / Buscema / Giacoia / Rosen / Glynis Wein Your chance to guess along in a Special Mighty Marvel Mystery Spider-Man meets Nova---and together they try to discover--- “Who is---the Man Called Photon?” Here we’re presented with ovals showing Futon, then the suspects: Harry Daze Jason Dean Michael Lincoln Peter Parker Franklin Risk -- ---across a tableau that finds Nova and Spidey standing beside a melted wall ---and who is this unfortunate corpse, fingers out stretched over torn calendar pages, July through December? The first clue was Charles Rider’s words to Rich last month...it’s a week after that...Nova’s flying up to see Uncle Ralph. He changes to Rich Rider (who doesn’t need any Detroit Wheels) and goes inside the luxurious home, noting he is the only person in the family who isn’t punctual (but it’s poor Ralph who i...

I've been reviewing a superhero and his late 1970s adventures, inspired by Spider-Man. But when I kicked back to read SPIDER-MAN CLASSICS #6, reprinting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 from 1963, I have to say, I see the resemblances, but I also notice how much difference there is in a story with 22 pages of art as opposed to one with 17, like NOVA in 1977. For one, the supporting cast gets a bit more room to be themselves and give the story more depth. For another, Doctor Doom and Spider-Man meeting for the first time just happens to be one of the most fun issues ever of Spidey's comics. it's a blast seeing the arch enemy of the Fantastic Four plot to take over the world with Spider-man. There are so many little details developed here, exploring all of Peter's relationships with cast while never slowing down, in a giddy, juvenile-fiction flavored dynamo of expressive art and hilarious and knowing writing. Even the colors are joyous. I'll tell you a little more about it...

Oh, No Va No more! Magic man Heart [IMG]http://i36.tinypic.com/jfu9o2.gif[/IMG] British cover, 1977 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd254scA8XU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKibjh1XYME&feature=related Welcome to Machine “Nova no more!” //">http://i30.tinypic.com/egodcn.gif Wolfman/ Buscema/ Giacoia/ Gaspar (Saladino)/ Marie Severin Inside his Pyramid of Knowledge, the Sphinx lays low all invaders. We resume just before the end of last month’s battle between Nova and Powerhouse, essentially replaying the incident, leaving all unconscious at the feet of the Sphinx. Nova’s sympathetic thoughts about P-H’s motivations end with P-H’s drain attack and confession that he cannot betray the Condor, feeling trapped by fate. Sphinx renews his search for “the one dark question I still must solve!” but first, exiles his lackey Kur with the Ka Stone, to a month in a Hell-like dimension. Faceless Sayge warns him he exalts himself too much as a god, which he defends; Sayge remind...

So here's Nova Ten. (this title reminds me of a line early in The Book of Law about the four powers of the Sphinx. The star man, the sphinx...for a science fiction book, I must admit it's more mystical in some ways than I remember.) Issue Ten “Four Against the Sphinx!” So we open between issues...a fight already in progress, at Westhaven Nuclear Generating Station. Amidst walls of flame, Nova dukes it out with an insectoid-headed villain resembling Stingray. Nova ends the impressive-looking fight by diving both of them into the local lake, and presses his attack to the last. Along with this good news, Nova learns he’s been cleared of the warehouse breaking and entry (see Nova #7). Now as Richard Rider he prepares for math and science mid terms, while his silly brother Robbie rubs in his a+. The assault on the Sphinx continues. Condor, Powerhouse and Diamondhead find they face creations of light, as Kur rouses his master. Sphinx breaks with his pyramid meditation to fac...

Nova, I finally get you. This morning it becomes an epiphany, dawning like a warm shower on the sense. NOVA is written as it is so that little kids, too, can enjoy it. Truthfully, many ex-fans cluster here to talk of many things. Or make that, ex-buyers...of comic books, at least. Some of the more popular product amongst people who overlap that crowd are the kid-friendly comics, which seem to have versions of the characters that evoke their sense of wonder and fun. Now, it’s true, by the time Shooter has Pym losing his marbles, it’s evidence that the path to redemption played over and over again went now into a darkness found in adult life, though these things affect many of the young readers, too. But it’s heavy. What Alan (Watchmen) Moore grasped was an alternative, which to this post-modernist genius of deconstruction became clear as A-B-C Comics in the decade after his revolutionary masterpiece of the medium. His efforts at straight-up super heroes convinced some more than ot...

Aunt Clara lounges in a frilly something in the living room of the home beside the amusement park she once co-ran with her husband, Caps’ uncle Nat. She offers him some hot chocolate---“that IS what kids your age drink still, right?”---as well as her surprise to see a member of the family. “Don’t tell me your father’s decided to finally forgive his wanton sister!” she says. What a pistol, this woman. Roger/ Caps only wants to tell her Uncle Nat is alive, which causes Clara to panic. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, familiar to the hidden Mega Man, comes back from the store with booze to share. He slaps Caps for frightening Clara, but Caps insists it’s true, and Mega Man comes into the room to prove it. He gives the a-hole boyfriend a taste of his own medicine before begging Clara to take him back. Caps wisely decides to call the police as Mega Man blasts the house. The call sparks an emergency police broadcast, “intercepted by the alien circuits located in a certain human rocket’s helme...

Comments: As highly romanticized a version of life as a high schooler as American Graffitti. It’s a rather innocent version of high school, for sure; there are problems, but it’s not a place where bullies beat friends of the lead character to death. More “popcorn” than that! What this title would’ve been like under Steve Gerber, though, isn’t the issue. For all his problems, Nova’s world generally seems a bit brighter than the Marvels before it or around it. This would’ve been appropriate as a cartoon of its time, or better yet, it’s a bit ahead of its time. Post-Japanese cartoons by the 1980s could’ve done something great with this property, especially in the hands of writers so involved as Marv Wolfman. It’s never too silly or cute, though, at least not for long. No cartoon hero of American television had the depth of Richard Rider. His Nova costume and power? Just awesome! I understand the parent groups of the time had a lot to do with taking any edge out of Saturday mor...

"Fear in the Funhouse!" writer/ editor Marv Wolfman artists supreme, Sal Buscema and Frank Giacoia Letterer, John Costanza colorist, Glynis Wein Caps is almost flying out of the left arm of his Uncle Nat, twisted by fate into the faceless, merciless and super-powerful Mega Man, who taunts Nova into pursuing himself or saving the people in the house he's just set on fire. The kidnapping scene is also the Rider home, and Nova, a.k.a. Richard Rider, chooses to chance Caps' survival while rescuing his mom, dad and brother. He's still working on disguising his voice, successful here. His brother's chosen to stay low and cover his mouth, which Nova approves proudly. Robbie bemoans his unfilled fire extinguisher (from NOVA #1). Now for something you rarely see: Nova tries to fly around the house fast enough to whip up a vortex to snuff the flames, only to find some things in comics don't work in real life (nice meta-texturalizing, to bring Nova's reality ...

1976 music [IMG]http://i27.tinypic.com/1z6c0z.gif[/IMG] THE MAN CALLED NOVA! #8 “When Megaman comes calling—don’t answer!” Writer, Editor, Creator: Marv Wolfman Art: Sal Buscema and Frank Giacoia Letters: Joe Rosen Colors: Marv Wolfman About 100, 000 miles from home, all Nova can do is watch the Condor, Diamondhead and Powerhouse escape as his programmed ship blasts off for the outer reaches of space. Overcoming his reflex to despair, Nova realizes that if Condor reset the controls, he can, too---with the knowledge of a star pilot, that is! He discovers the Zorr remains (from #1), confirming he’s aboard the original Nova ship. His question, spoken aloud, activates and automated intelligence, Computer Prime, addressing him as New Nova-Prime. A hologram shows the fate of Zorr. Histories are maintained through “bio-circuits,” the wondrous minds of previous Centurion-Novas. A little objective data and a hologram of the previous Nova-Prime appears, mentioning the destruction of ...

[IMG]http://i28.tinypic.com/2psin89.gif[/IMG] THE MAN CALLED NOVA # 7 “War in Space!” Marv Wolfman “thunked it up!” Sal Buscema and Frank Giacoia “drew it up right purty!” Michele W. “colored it up chromatically” J. Costanza “was forced to letter it up!” The Terrible Trio of Diamondhead, Powerhouse, and the Condor have captured Nova---or is it the other way around! Their effort to reprogram the hero to work for them in their assault on “the Dreaded One” results in Nova taking over the gang, meeting a rough challenge from Diamondhead for dominancy. The Condor decides to leverage the situation rather than fight, and get what he wants. Powerhouse meanwhile begins to see objectively how the Condor manipulates without scruples. The Condor relates for Nova the tale of the Sphinx, his origin as a banished wizard of Pharaoh’s court during the time of Moses. Just as in the book of Exodus, Aaron transforms his staff into a serpent, and the wizards of the Egyptian court follow suit; Aaron’...

[IMG]http://i30.tinypic.com/2yzhfed.gif[/IMG] The Man CALLED NOVA! #6 Writer, Editor, Creator: Marv Wolfman Art: Sal Buscema and Tom Palmer Letters: Joe Rosen Colors: Mary Severin Poor Bullethead: his enemy’s enemy is not his friend at all, but most of his enemies are friends. “And so...that’s right, Bob...the Sphinx!” The first time I ever saw Nova’s image was probably as a kind of chess piece/ fetish such as the one on the table before the Sphinx. Whereas in openings we’ve seen Condor scheming and Diamondhead lashing out, the Sphinx is cool, remote, certain of his control, surely as the NOVA pawn in his fingers, amidst figures of those self-same villains, as well as the uncertain Powerhouse. What he gave on eBay for them is never disclosed; presumably a Latverian company commissions Bowen for them. They help him focus on the war of individual powers to come. He angrily swats away the treacherous Kur, an underling who offers hollow praise to one who is certain and used to worship....

THE MAN CALLED NOVA #5 Writer/ Editor: Marv Wolfman Penciler: Sal Buscema Inker: Tom Palmer Letter: John Costanza Colorist: Michele Wolfman “Evil is the ...Earth-Shaker!” What are Richard and Ginger doing in the front seat of Mike Burley’s car, anyway? Drive-in theaters are mostly gone now, but youth and dating communities congregated in them for about half the twentieth century here in America. So the double date intentions here seem a little divided: if Rich is “uncomfortable” it’s because, as our rear-view mirror tells us and he finds upon turning around from the driver’s seat, there’s industrial strength tonsil hockey going on in absence of any attention to “King Kong.” Well, i don’t know what Rich is doing in the car of this guy, and I don’t know how much it may have changed their relationship the one time Rich walloped him a good one back, how that may have made Mike aware of how he treats others, however much he rationalizes his need to act out the intimidation he feels at ...

According to Nova's creator, Marv Wolfman, the story of Nova begins around 1966. As the publisher of a superhero fanzine called SUPER ADVENTURES, Wolfman created a character known as "The Star" in issue #3. The Star was a doctor named Denteen who found a spaceship containing alien pills which gave him a different super-power every five minutes. A MAN CALLED NOVA #4 “Nova Against the Mighty Thor!” Writer/ Editor : Marv Wolfman Sal Buscema and Tom Palmer, “artists supreme” Watanabe & Wohl, letters Colorist: Michele Wolfman Who amongst us hasn’t imagined zooming into high school from the skies? Another dreaded math test awaits our patrol-happy hero, who shakes off his grogginess to see girlfriend Ginger crossing the street in front of a huge truck. (Feel free to insert your “daydream of saving cute girl in the row beside you during alien/ villain attack at school” here.) He discovers that bringing a speeding Mack to a standstill is just a bit beyond him (but hey, las...

[IMG]http://i34.tinypic.com/2m33dsj.jpg[/IMG] I arrive at the home of Brock Jones, Clairton’s deputized super hero, the Torpedo. His recovery on the couch brings concerned family, friends, and a doctor, who listen to his demoralized account of an enemy materializing on the old Marks farm. Steve Jackson and his fiance, Brandy Clark, discuss the town’s vulnerability in wake of my apparent absence. I walk in then, reassuring all, aware of my imposing armored frame and glinting appearance---reminding me, while I am human at heart, a spaceknight stands as one apart. I ask Brock to describe his foe, and from this and the location I begin to tell of Jimmy Marks, a youth who foreswore his humanity---“the crossbreed progeny of a human woman and a Dire Wraith.” A reporter named Mack Killburn---who’s followed the case of my existence since shortly after his co-worker was slain by the Wraiths---rescued the Torpedo after the attack. I welcome him to the fight. Now I confess my culpability: hu...

Isolated by white, blanketing snows, a house built to showcase luxury contains, in its heart, a nightmare. Before Rom arrives upon the scene, the Hybrid works his subtle machinations to use and subvert the women before him. They are like no other women, each in her own way. There is one way they are each women, and that is the wicked purpose for which Hybrid begins his subjugation. Each have fled the scene of an attempt to free the male consortium of their group. The blue-skinned woman, who could truly appear to be anyone, calls herself Mystique, leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. On this occasion, it would be correct to call them the Sisterhood. Hybrid affects her first. His ploy? He is victim of a mind-touch not of his own device, which he accuses Mystique of initiating. Here she gains the common knowledge: they have all fought the X-Men before, and consider them active enemies. The X-Men team unites and protects humans and mutants alike, with a dream of peace based o...