Richard Rider returns to Earth as...

By Marc Strom

Warning: Human Rockets and Skrulls, when mixed together, produce volatile results!

Come August, NOVA #16 kicks off a three-issue Secret Invasion tie-in that sees Richard Rider return home to help defend his birth planet from the invading Skrull armada, a confrontation which series writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning saw as inevitable.

"Richard is a powerful Earth hero who also happens to be the last warrior of Xandar—who [the Skrulls] hate—and possesses not only the entire Nova Force but also the Xandarian Worldmind," Lanning explains. "That makes him an enemy of the Skrulls whatever way you slice him—and the Skrulls want him silenced before he intercedes with their Secret Invasion."

Upcoming cover by Alex Maleev

The otherworldly scribes promise that Nova "will undoubtedly encounter characters from his past" when he makes his homecoming, but remain mum on just which guest stars will grace the series' pages.

"We're bringing Nova back home, and last time that happened it was a really interesting story, with appearances by Marvel characters such as Iron Man and Justice and the Thunderbolts, which got the fans excited," Abnett muses. "Expect even more of the same as Nova's Earthbound adventures continue."

The writers also promise that the Super Skrull will play a rather conflicted role in the story. "[His] involvement will be very personal as he is part of Skrull folklore," Abnett reveals.

Preview art by Wellinton Alves

"He is one of the great villains of the [Marvel Universe], but of late, he's been something of a hero, fighting alongside his sworn enemies like Ronan the Accuser and Richard Rider. It will be interesting to see which side he takes. He's witnessed the tragedies of huge cosmic wars but he is also a Skrull, so..."

Will he come to Nova's aid, or betray his sometimes-ally for the empire that raised him? You'll have to wait a few months for the answer to that question, Marvelite, when one of the most action-packed adventures in Nova's career begins with a bang!

For all the Marvel news and updates spinning out of New York Comic-Con 2008, visit our news hub. And for a great way to kill time in between announcements, check out Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!