Preview art by Wellinton Alves

By Jim Beard It's cold in space? Not in the pages of NOVA it ain't. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, writers of the hottest cosmic comics on the racks—that'd be NOVA and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY—open up on the powerful punch that NOVA #19 packs this November 26: "The Nova Corp are back, whether Richard [Rider, aka Nova] likes it or not and he leads them into action to assess their capabilities," says Abnett. "Meanwhile, Rich tries to discover more about the rebirth of Wendell Vaughn and the Worldmind is scheming something in Project Pegasus," adds Lanning. "Nobody is prepared for the jaw-dropping revelation at the end of the issue!" Readers thrilled to the first 18 issues of NOVA, but after #18's Secret Invasion tie-in and its eye-popping cliffhanger, the comfort zone has gone out the viewport—Nova's universe just got a bit more complicated.

Preview art by Wellinton Alves

"It's something we've been building towards ever since we were handed NOVA to write, and it naturally developed at this time as an organic response to the events that occurred during the Secret Invasion crossover," explains Abnett as to the timing of the Nova Corps' return. The Corps, a kind-of galactic police force from the planet Xandar with unimaginable power, fell off the map at the beginning of the Annihilation event when Annihilus decimated every member save for Rider. Since that dramatic moment, the earthborn Nova has operated as a singular force for justice throughout the stars. Unfortunately, the weight of patrolling and policing the star lanes hasn't been Rich's only problem; there's also the Worldmind, the collective knowledge and culture of the Xandarian race in supercomputer form that had resided in Nova's brain until very recently. "The Worldmind has his own agenda and is keeping it to himself for the time being, but it has been established before that Richard and the Worldmind have differing ideas about how and when the Corps should be reconstituted," notes Lanning. "It would seem the Worldmind has taken unilateral action that will have a profound effect on his relationship with Richard and the future of the Nova Corps."

Preview art by Wellinton Alves

Despite a near future slightly out of focus, one thing's clear: Abnett and Lanning know their hero, his dreams and desires, his thoughts and theories, inside and out, including his very specific outlook on the rebuilding of his team. "Richard is the Nova Prime," Lanning states. "He is the sole repository of the Nova Force, which is why he wears the special reinforced battle uniform. Richard is also the most seasoned, battle-hardened and gifted Nova Centurion there is." "Richard believes [the Corps'] greatest strength is that it represents a galaxy-spanning force for good that can rapidly react anywhere in the universe with the speed of a rocket," says Abnett. "Its potential fault is that, currently, if it were to be reformed in haste and without proper consideration, it could be a liability and a source of chaos not only for the galaxy but for its members too." Is too much Nova Corps not necessarily a good thing? It's tension and tumult between titans as a galaxy looks on with baited breath in NOVA #19, zooming your way November 26! For more NOVA, check out Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited. Check out the official Marvel Shop for your favorite Marvel Heroes!