Nova Special #1

Aug 2014

Sean Ryan, John Timms

Story Name:

No end in sight Part 3 of 3

Synopsis

Nova Special #1 synopsis by Rob Johnson

Rating:

This story continues from IRON MAN SPECIAL #1.

Monark Starstalker was hired by an alien villain to kidnap Alex Summers (Havok), but the mercenaries he hired to do the job delivered him Scott Summers (Cyclops) instead. His employer isn't going to be pleased, and Starstalker hasn't got the cash to pay for another kidnap. So he went for help to 1 of the only current Earthmen he knows - Nova. Unfortunately Richard Rider is gone, and he found young Sam Alexander instead. Sam reluctantly agrees to talk to the alien hirer.

Iron Man helped some young X-Men disguised in SWORD uniforms track down Death's Head who abducted Cyclops. When DH told them where to find MS, they left IM behind on an alien planet and skipped town in their stolen SWORD spaceship.

Now Tony Stark is on another SWORD ship (which presumably came to find the 1st 1). He glibly dismisses a complaint that he should have realised the teens were X-Men (who can keep track?), and suggests they keep following their target.

The alien villain is a rich old man named Atratus, who wants revenge on Havok for something he did when he led the Starjammers. He's got a young female companion who's mostly interested in his will.

The stolen SWORD ship arrives at his mansion, crewed by Magik and the 5 mutant students Benjamin Deeds, Goldballs, Tempus, Triage and the Stepford Cuckoo Mindee. They demand the return of Cyclops. The alien female says she doesn't know who that is. Telepath Mindee can tell that's the truth.

Before the X-people can figure out what to do, Nova and Starstalker arrive in their spaceship. Monark has to admit that he doesn't have Havok, but he does have Cyclops. Misunderstandings abound as the female prepares to set security guards on them all. Then Iron Man's SWORD craft turns up.

Atratus' security guards are many and heavily-armed. They immediately start a firefight with Shellhead and the SWORD troopers. Nova flies Starstalker into the mansion to find Atratus. Magik tries to lead her students into Starstalker's craft to free Cyclops. But Iron Man can't let them escape with the wanted mutant terrorist and tells SWORD to arrest them.

Then Tempus time-freezes everyone outside the mansion except her own group. They go find Cyclops in Monark's ship and remove the helmet that is constraining Scott's optic blasts. Then they fly away in (presumably) their SWORD ship.

Meanwhile Nova and MS have found old Atratus dead from a fall. So Monark doesn't have to worry about him. But he's still got no money and the problems he described in IM Sp#1.

Nova tunes out what Iron Man, SWORD and the alien female say and do next. He just stares out at the stars until Tony Stark joins him in contemplating the infinite.

Review / Commentaries

Nova Special #1 Review by Rob Johnson (August 30, 2014)

Most of the team behind this book remain the same as the Uncanny X-Men and Iron Man Specials. Except another penciller John Timms, this 1 with a couple of previously published issues to his credit. And Roberto Poggi gets to do the inking all by himself this time. (These 3 Specials are *his* only work so far.) Monark Starstalker knew the previous Nova Richard Rider from Nova (2007) #29-30. But that Nova got trapped in the Cancerverse with Star-Lord and Thanos at the end of the Thanos Imperative mini-series. (Star-Lord and Thanos have since escaped - we don't know how. The upcoming Original Sin issues of Guardians of the Galaxy will tell us how, and possibly bring Richard Rider back.) The new Nova Sam Alexander didn't inherit the role from Rider, but from his father who was an earlier member of the Nova Corps. Triage's healing ability isn't of any use in a fight (not until afterwards). But this time he is especially fearful. He tells Magik it's because of the video of the New Mutants they saw in UXM Sp#1. He doesn't want to wind up dead and forgotten like them. Illyana says that *she* remembers them. (She doesn't tell him the more comforting fact that most of the New Mutants *aren't* dead, never mind forgotten.) The bit at the end with Nova and Iron Man contemplating endless space seems to be the only justification for the series title 'No end in sight'.

> Nova Special comic book info and issue index

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Sean Ryan

John Timms

Roberto Poggi

Ruth Redmond

Gary Choo (Cover Penciler)
Gary Choo (Cover Inker)
Gary Choo (Cover Colorist)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Clayton Cowles.
Editor: Nick Lowe.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Cyclops
(Scott Summers)

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

Magik
(Illyana Rasputin)

Nova
(Sam Alexander)

X-Men

Plus: Benjamin Deeds, Goldballs (Egg), S.W.O.R.D., Stepford Cuckoos, Tempus (Of X-Men), Triage, Monark Starstalker.

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