Nova #28 (V5)

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This issue is a part of the WAR OF KINGS saga.

The issue begins with Richard beating Strontian around. Marrow notes that it appears that Richard is battling on rage alone and that by the looks of it, he may kill Strontian. Irani retorts with the fact that Xenth, now calling herself Strontian (the same name as her race), is the last of her kind, besides the Imperial Guard’s Gladiator – and it may be impossible to actually kill her. While Richard continues throwing Stronian around, Marrow and Irani check on Robbie and Lord Ravenous – both of which are alive. The distraction of them being alive allows Strontian to gain the advantage of battle. Before Marrow or Irani can help, Strontian’s “Imperial Guard” show up – Zzxz (a symboite in control of Raza’s body), The Uncreated, and Pn’zo.

Strontian seems to have Richard on the ropes when he smirks and notes that Strontian strength and power is from being psionically reinforced. Strontian grabs him, which gets Richard within headbutting distance; using his psionic dampener in his helmet, he manages to temporarily remove Strontian’s mental focus, and with a full gravimetric right punch, he knocks her out. Nearby, the Uncreated attacks Morrow by unleashing its quills, but Marrow turns it back on the Uncreated and pins it to the wall. Irani, at the same time, deals with Pn’zo, by flying around him and taking one of his own technological organic coils and shoves it into his neural cortex. She is nearly devoured by Zzxz, who gets the drop on her, but between her and Richard, they blast it – and manage to successfully separate the host (which is Raza, of the Starjammers) from the symboite. When they look outside the building, they see that King Blastaar’s men have over run the city. Richard demands that they be able to go freely, per the Galactic Treaty, but Blastaar informs him that all the Centurions can go – but no prisoners.

Richard demands a private audience with Blastaar, where he informs Blastaar that if he wants to be taken seriously, this is his chance. He should act like a wise king, and follow the laws of the Galactric Treaty, and stop acting like a mad barbarian – and start acting like the king he calls himself. Richard then explains, “And consider this… the last person who faced me with a cosmic rod… I tore them inside out. Inside out.” Blastaar understands his meaning and agrees to Richard’s condition. Richard then announces King Blastaar, as a king, and thanks him for his wisdom.

Back on Nu-Xandar, Richard asks what the situation is with the War, which Worldmind explains that the Kree have set off some kind of super weapon that have crippled all opposing forces, and the Shi’ar are vying for peace now. Worldmind explains that those that survived, among the Nova Centurions have been depowered and returned home; with the Nova Centurions now only numbering in the single digits. With the war over, the other Centurions wonder if they will be depowered as well; to which Richard explains, he was right to think that Worldmind was wrong by recruiting Nova Corps – but only because he was recruiting so many, so quickly. Richard agrees to keep those who wish to be Nova Corps, and agrees that there needs to be a Nova Corps to handle everything; but they should build slowly, and train everyone thoroughly. Wendell/Quasar takes leave to go discover what he is and how his new “light self” will fit in the scheme of things.

Worldmind informs Richard that Ego seems to be repairing itself much faster than anticipated, but it is not cause for worry just yet. Richard goes to see his brother in the medical bay, and welcomes him to the Nova Corps, explaining that he needs Robbie, because Robbie is able to think things through; and do things, like pin Strontian down, which he claims he could not have done himself. Worldmind moves Nu-Xandar to The Fault, a rip in what appears to be time and space, thanks to the detonation of the Kree super weapon. More startling is that within the Fault is the Nova Corps Starship, which Richard hasn’t seen since the day Rhoman Dey recruited him!