Nova Special #1 (V6)

Consider helping keep the site ad free by using our Affiliate Link!

This issue is the third part of a series that ties in with Uncanny X-Men and Iron Man. In the previous titles, the bounty hunter Monark Starstalker had fallen on hard times and in an attempt to earn some cash kidnapped Cyclops, the leader of the Uncanny X-Men. The intergalactic weapons dealer had actually wanted a different Summers brother. With nowhere else to turn, Monark sought the assistance of Nova – only to discover the one he knew (Richard Rider) was supposedly dead. All the while, Cyclops’ students had been hunting the cosmos looking for him and were joined by Iron Man who thought the students were agents of S.W.O.R.D. Once the students got a lead on Cyclops’ location, they left Iron Man on an alien planet.

The issue picks up with Nova confirming that Monark Starstalker did indeed have Cyclops of the Uncanny X-Men captive. Monark pleads with Nova to use his influence as a Nova Corpsman to speak to the one who hired Monark and explain the error and to hopefully leave Monark alone. Nova agrees to speak to the weapons dealer.

The scene shifts to Iron Man on board one of the S.W.O.R.D. ships and explaining to them how the students were looking for Cyclops. The scene shifts again, and we see two Shi’ar, the male named Atratus, who had hired Monark.Their discussion is interrupted by the arrival of the X-Men students in the S.W.O.R.D. ship; just as a fight is about to break one, one of the telepath confirms that Cyclops is not there. Just then, another S.W.O.R.D. ship arrives – and it’s Nova who tells them that they have Cyclops, but that it had been a misunderstanding. Just when things are about to escalate again, another S.W.O.R.D. ship arrives, this time Iron Man and the rest of the S.W.O.R.D. agents appear and an all out fight begins.

The X-Men students get the upper hand and manage to liberate Cyclops, which allows them to escape. Nova and Monark, in the meantime manage to get into the house where they find Atratus, who had climbed a ladder and fallen to his death. Monark talks about how none of his problems are solved – while Atratus had hired him, and he grabbed the wrong Summers brother – he could have set things right, got the right one and gotten paid. Now with Atratus dead, he had no way to get paid. Iron Man and the rest of S.W.O.R.D. arrive in the house and break the news to Atratus’ lover, who cries. Iron Man clears things with Monark, who leaves within the S.W.O.R.D. ship that he and Nova came in.

Nova and Iron Man, leave with the rest of S.W.O.R.D. and head back for Earth.