Nova (Frankie Raye)

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Nova
Power Cosmic

Nova (Frankie Raye) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Frankie Raye was portrayed by Beau Garrett in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Publication history

The character first appeared as Frankie Raye in Fantastic Four #164 (November 1975) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist George Pérez. After several years as a minor supporting character, she became a herald of Galactus and assumed the name "Nova" in Fantastic Four #244 (July 1982) by John Byrne. The character was killed in Silver Surfer #75 (December 1992). Writer Kathryn Immonen and artist Tonči Zonjić revived Frankie Raye in the Heralds limited series in 2010.[1][2]

Fictional character biography

Frankie Raye worked for the

Phineas Horton, after she was accidentally doused with the chemicals which caused the android original Human Torch (his creation) to burst into flame, in an attempt to prevent her from using the Torch-like powers granted to her by the accident.[9]

After breaking through the block, she regained her full memory and discovered her previously repressed superhuman powers.

Richard Rider resumed his Nova identity alongside the New Warriors
, he was briefly called "Kid Nova" to distinguish him from Raye.

Frankie Raye (as the Human Torch) joins the Fantastic Four in battle. Cover of Fantastic Four #239 (Feb. 1982). Art by John Byrne

Nova was later rescued from Skrull imprisonment by the

Firelord.[22]

Nova later encountered an injured Elan. She battled the second

Franklin Richards, and Power Pack.[23]

Frankie Raye was ultimately killed by the alien

Mephisto later made it appear that she had returned from the dead in a failed bid to steal the soul of the Silver Surfer.[25]

In the weekly mini-series Heralds, a character resembling Frankie Raye appears. Her named is Frances Hyatt and she's a waitress at Stu's Diner in Nevada. One night, while she was working, a strange explosion coming from space creates a chaotic situation when a

S.W.O.R.D. facility is destroyed, and the sky on Earth is filled by a flash that seemed to enter Frances. When patrons came to her assistance, she lashed out, stabbing a customer. She ran out and began driving, only to crash and met a man who she called 'father'. This man was Professor Horton, long dead, who turned out to be an escaped clone from the S.W.O.R.D. facility. Upon hear him calling her 'Frakie', Frances burst into flames causing a massive explosion which kills the clone of Frankie's father."[26]

Frances awoke in a ditch, trying to muster the strength to get up. She was found by the female superheroes

Valkyrie who were trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. Frances went with them to the Baxter Building, home of the Fantastic Four, in the hopes of obtaining some answers. They were amazed by Frances' resemblance to their old friend Frankie Raye, the one who would become Nova: Herald of Galactus. Though Nova was long dead, somehow S.W.O.R.D. had a similar entity captured and Frances appeared to be almost the same girl who once hosted it. When the clones escaped the S.W.O.R.D. holding facility in Nevada, so did the Nova entity and it bonded with Johnny Storm while looking for Frankie.[27]

The Nova entity escaped Johnny but when it was unable to take Frances, it fled, setting a trap at Frankie Raye's former apartment.[28] After relaying the story of the Silver Surfer, who at some point in time, approached a 14 year old Frances and placed a portion of Frankie Raye's essence into her hoping to later reunite it with the Nova essence, Frances went to Frankie's apartment to attempt to awaken more of Frankie's memories. There, the Nova entity kidnapped Valeria Richards, daughter of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, instead. Frances accompanied the team into space where they discovered Valeria and the Nova entity in the heart of a star. The Nova entity cocooned Valeria in a strange substance. That substance turned out to be the suit Professor Horton had made for Frankie Raye to suppress her powers long ago, somehow animated by the Power Cosmic becoming the "Nova entity" itself.[29]

Emma Frost sensed that both Valeria and the Nova entities minds were active in this cocoon. The Invisible Woman and She-Hulk managed to pull Valeria from the living suit while Frances looked on in horror. When the suit attempted to bond with the Invisible Woman, it spoke to Frances. It told her to save them, to be brave. Frances knew what she had to do, jumping in the way to become bonded with the being, just as the Silver Surfer had told her would happen. While she was bonding with the suit, she remembered the words of Hellcat and Silver Surfer, claiming to not be as strong as they said she was. It is unknown what exactly happened after she became 'Supernova', but she left the team abruptly, returning to Earth. Although Frances was unchanged on the inside, she now was confused and possessed great power. She returned to the diner where she worked, not knowing what she was looking for. Following a conversation with the new waitress, Frances flew away trying to figure out what she wanted with her new life.[30]

It was left ambiguous however if Frances Hyatt was actually a separate person that was randomly chosen by the Silver Surfer to be the one to bond with the remaining essence and powers of the slain Frankie or rather, she was actually a clone of Frankie Raye.[original research?] Nevertheless Frances as Nova was later recruited by the Fearless Defenders to fight the Doom Maidens.[31]

Thor later summoned Nova along with other former Heralds of Galactus to Asgard after the Devourer of Worlds crash landed there following his confrontation with the Black Winter.[32]

Powers and abilities

Nova originally gained her superhuman powers as the result of a mutagenic reaction to an exposure to unknown chemicals. Originally, she had powers similar to that of the Human Torch: flame generation, projection, and flight.

Her powers were later enhanced exponentially by the infusion of cosmic energies by the world-devourer Galactus. She gained metahuman strength, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. She had the ability to manipulate cosmic energy in the form of stellar fire, and which allowed her to project any form of energy possessed by a star, including heat, light, gravity, radio waves and charged particles. She also had the ability to project streams of stellar fire for distances in the hundreds of miles, and to mentally control the flame she projects (for instance, to maintain a sustained ring around a person or object at a fixed distance). She also has the ability to fly at superluminal speeds through intergalactic space and traverse hyper-space. Finally, she possessed near-total physical invulnerability, as was evident when she was once punched by Phoenix III with such force that it launched her from Earth and slammed her into the surface of the Moon, forming an impact crater in the process.[33] She later expressed amazement that she was able to even survive such a blow, let alone withstand it completely uninjured.[33] Nova's entire body, particularly her head, is plumed with cosmic energy resembling flames.

Other versions

An

alternate universe version of Hercules encountered Nova in the 24th century in the first Hercules limited series by writer/artist Bob Layton.[34]

Writer-penciler John Byrne and inker Terry Austin produced a serialized story titled "The Last Galactus Story", which appeared in the anthology comics-magazine Epic Illustrated #26-34 (October 1984 - February 1986),[35] and detailed an all-new adventure for the character. The magazine published the first nine serialized installments of what was to be a 10-part tale. Each ran six pages, with the exception of part eight, which ran 12 pages. The magazine was cancelled as of February 1986, leaving the last chapter unpublished and the story unfinished. According to notes at Byrne's website, the conclusion of the story would see a dying Galactus releasing his power causing a new Big Bang and transforming his herald Nova into the Galactus for the new universe.[36]

During the Fantastic Four's fight with

Abraxas, they were briefly allied with an alternate version of Nova. It was revealed at the conclusion that she was actually allied with Abraxas after her Galactus destroyed Earth even after accepting her as his herald. Nova transferred her anger for her failure to the Fantastic Four of the Earth-616 universe in the absence of her own. Abraxas subsequently drew in an army of Novas who had experienced similar traumas to keep the Fantastic Four occupied while he acquired the Ultimate Nullifier, the resulting army of Novas requiring the Fantastic Four to summon the assistance of an army of alternate Avengers just to keep the Novas occupied.[37]

In other media

Television

Film

Merchandise

  • A Nova
    Minimate is featured in the Toys "R" Us exclusive Heralds of Galactus boxset.[42]
  • A Marvel Legends figure of Frankie Raye as Nova is one of several figures included with the HasLab Marvel Legends figure of Galactus.

References

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  2. ^ Richards, Dave (March 8, 2010). "Immonen Summons Her Heralds". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
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  4. ^ Thomas, Roy (w), Buckler, Rich; Pérez, George (p), Sinnott, Joe (i). "Death is a Golden Gorilla!" Fantastic Four, no. 171 (June 1976).
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    Higgins, Michael (w), Morgan, Tom (p), Morgan, Tom (i). "Star Struck" Power Pack, no. 58 (September 1990).
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  41. ^ "Beau Garrett on Playing Frankie Raye in Fantastic Four 2". MovieWeb. November 20, 2006. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  42. ^ Zach, DST (September 20, 2011). "Final Heralds of Galactus Minimates Box Set Line-Up Revealed!". ArtAsylum.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2013. A few months back, Toys "R" Us hosted a poll to choose who would be in their exclusive four-pack of Marvel Minimates spotlighting Galactus and his Heralds. And we are now pleased to reveal the lineup! Nova, Morg, Terrax and Galactus himself will be in the 4-pack, and each will be tricked out to the max. Nova will have a flaming flight base that connects to her fiery hair.

External links