Rick Jones (Earth 1610)

## History

Little is actually known about Rick's past before he became Nova and then Captain Marvel, though it is known that he lived in Queens and once had a dog until it was ran over by May Parker. A few days before the Ultimatum, he had been chosen by a cosmic entity called the Watcher to save Earth from destruction. Upon this, the power was too much for Rick and he passed out.

### Post-Ultimatum

Six months after Ultimatum, Rick woke up in a hospital from a coma that was induced by the surge of energy given to him by the Watchers. Rick's mother thought her son was a mutant, and confided in her neighbor, May Parker. May then told Peter, Bobby and Johnny to "suit up" and go talk to Rick. When they confronted Rick, he was startled and accidentally used his new found powers to teleport himself and Spider-Man to a restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Getting even more scared, Rick stated that he wanted to go home, at which point he teleported themselves back to New York. When Bobby told Rick it was okay to be a mutant, Rick exclaimed that he wasn't a mutant and that he was given his powers by a "floating eye". At this point, Johnny recalled over a half a year prior when he and the former Fantastic Four were investigating the appearance of the Watchers. He then told Rick that he must be the herald the Watchers chose.[1]

Upon learning this, Rick was too upset and reluctant to accept the Watchers' mysterious role and wanted to travel to Project Pegasus to demand the Watcher Uatu, who was previously kept there, of relinquishing his powers. Despite Johnny Storm's protest, Rick teleported everyone to Project Pegasus and discovered it be attacked and trespassed by the Serpent Squad. Rick and his allies fought the Serpent Squad, in which Rick successfully controls his powers in defeating the Squad. After returning back to New York, Rick realized that he actually enjoys having superpowers and chooses to take the superhero alias Nova. Rick decided to go on a self-discovering journey to understand what his role is for the world after bidding goodbye to his family.[2]

### Doomsday

Rick was sent to warn Earth by the Watcher about the destruction. Rick soon locked in combat with Captain Marvel but upon hearing that Rick was under the service of the Watcher Captain Marvel ceased attacking him and began to talk. Captain Marvel then transformed into a monster and started to attack Rick. Rick then teleported with the Captain Marvel monster to the Baxter Building where Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, Benjamin Grimm, and Nick Fury are. But Rick accidentally created a portal transporting him and Susan into the ruins of Project Peagasus to find Reed Richards behind the mayhem. They soon engaged battle with Reed. Rick destroyed Reed's vortex and teleported him and Susan to the Triskelion. Upon informing the team that Reed was the one behind the attacks, they discovered he was in the N-Zone. Rick picked up Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Doctor Octupus by accident and then teleported to the N-Zone. He was part of the battle in the N-Zone but teleported away with other heroes before the battle was over.

### Hunger

After spending months discovering space, Rick tried to return to Earth. But his plans of eating a simple burger were interfered by Uatu, who ordered Nova to accompany him in witnessing the moment a rift in the fabric of reality brought a being from another universe, which called itself Galactus.[3]

Nova tried to defend a Chitauri-occupied planet from Galactus. He started to be overpowered by Galactus' swarm, but the Silver Surfer rescued him. When the Kree destroyed a star in hopes to annihilate Galactus, Nova and the Surfer returned Earth to escape their deaths.

They accidentally brought part of the Galactus swarm with them,[4] but managed to destroy it with the help of Captain Mahr Vell. Overwhelmed by his experience, Rick decided he wanted to return to his normal life, and teleported to Queens. He walked down the neighborhood and found himself with the house of Peter Parker turned into a memorial of his death at the hands of the Green Goblin. Rick met Mary Jane Watson, who told him about Peter's death and accidentally motivated Rick him to return to his heroic duty.

Nova teleported to Hala, the next planet Galactus was attacking. Captain Mahr Vell was fatally wounded by Galactus, and with his last breath told Rick to use his armor to activate a powerful weapon to destroy Galactus once and for all.[5]Rick wore the suit and became the new Captain Marvel. With his augmented powers, Rick defended the Kree arks for evacuation. Captain Marvel proceeded to transport himself and Galactus away, and activated the armor's weapon which would kill the cosmic entity. During the attack, Rick blew a "hole between universes" and appeared outside Earth-1610. The Watcher accompanied Captain Marvel, and told him that while the attack didn't kill Galactus, and that it was now heading Earth, it was no longer his problem, and that he would soon see a new threat.[6]

### Post-Hunger

Rick encountered the Future Foundation when they were accidentally teleported to this space between universes.[7] After Iron Man deduced Rick's teleportation abilities were only limited by the locations he could visualize, Rick was made to visualize Earth, which was enough for them to safely teleport back to their home.[8]