IRANI RAELIRANI RAEL
Real Name: Irani Rael
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Rigellian)
Occupation: Nova Centurion or Millennian (one or both are former)
Group Membership: Nova Corps (notably Fraktur, Morrow, Lindy Nolan, Tre Owens, Qubit, Richard Rider, Robert Rider, Philo Zan; formerly Kyle Dyne, David Green, Lucas Maat, Freya Shane, Malik Tarcel, Zyziwc Tiel, Suki Yumiko, others);
formerly Nova Corps Strategic Command
Affiliations: Raza Longknife, Nova Prime (Richard Rider), Project: PEGASUS staff (notably Evelyn Necker, Darkhawk/Chris Powell, Dr. Gruenwald), Quasar (Wendell Vaughn), Star-Lord (Peter Quill), Monark Starstalker, Xandarian Worldmind; inhabitants of the compound in Danzig, Ohio
Enemies: Black Hole Sons, Blastaar, Cancerverse natives, Dragon Man, Galactus-Engine, Negative Zone insectoids, Praetorians (God-Killer, Pn'zo, Strontian/Xenith, Zzxz), Revengers (Cancerverse counterparts of Captain America, Captain Marvel, Giant-Man, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch and Thor), Serpent Society (Anaconda/Blanche Sitznki, Black Mamba/Tanya Sealy, Copperhead/Davis Lawfers, Death Adder/Theodore Scott, Fer-De-Lance/Teresa Vasquez, Sidewinder/Gregory Bryan), Shi'ar Empire serving under Vulcan (Gabriel Summers), Super-Skrulls serving Veranke, Taboo, Thanos; at least four others unidentified;
indirectly Vulcan (Gabriel Summers);
formerly manipulated by the Xandarian Worldmind/Ego union , notably into attacking Richard Rider
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Nova
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
last seen aboard the Resolute Duty starship, mobile throughout space;
former Nu-Xandar/Ego, mobile throughout space;
formerly Project: PEGASUS, Mount Athena, Adirondacks, New York
First Appearance: Nova IV#18 (October, 2008);
(identified) Nova IV#19 (November, 2008)
Powers/Abilities:
Irani Rael is highly intelligent and highly analytical. She tended to strictly follow the rules, and she often failed to appreciate humor.
She was skilled at forming and
following plans, although she could be overwhelmed and frightened to
the point of panic in combat with a fearsome foe.
As a Nova Centurion, she could fly
within an atmosphere or in space (at at least the speed of sound (770
mph) if not significantly more quickly. She could access stargates
She had superhuman strength, perhaps lifting a ton or more and superhuman durability. She could form gravimetric force fields and project force blasts from her hands.
As a Nova Millennian, her powers were somewhat reduced, although she could still perform many of the same operations using their ?Fightsticks?
She receives guidance and supplemental information from the Worldmind.
She did not demonstrate the mind-thrust ability shown by some other Rigellians.
It is uncertain whether she currently has any superhuman abilities.
History:
(Nova IV#19 (fb) - BTS) - As the Xandarian Worldmind's goals to rebuild the Nova Corps was opposed by the last remaining Nova (Rich Rider), within whom it was then housed, the Worldmind began the process without him.
The Worldmind selected and chose five candidates as new Nova Centurions: Rigellian female Irani Rael, Kakarantharan female Fraktur, Mephitisoid male Morrow, Manufactured Harmonite Qubit and Shi'ar Malik Tarcel.
(Nova IV#19 (fb) - BTS / Nova IV#25 (fb) - BTS)
- Additionally, seeking a new repository for itself, the Worldmind made
contact with Ego the Living Planet, forging an alliance.
(Nova IV#15 - BTS / Nova IV#19 (fb) - BTS) - When the Worldmind was damaged by Galactus, it alerted its newest Centurions to assist it.
(Nova IV#19 (fb) - BTS) - Following
the Worldmind's trail, they finally located it on Earth's Project:
PEGASUS (in which it had been re-housed), which was then under siege by
Skrulls serving Veranke as the culmination of her Secret Invasion.
(Nova IV#18) - Irani and her fellow Nova Centurions arrived on Earth in time to destroy a Skrull ship preparing to destroy Project: PEGASUS, after which they greeted Rider as Nova Prime.
(Nova IV#31 (fb)) <Two days after the Skrull
Invasion> - Project: PEGASUS had a celebration to thank the Nova
Corps. Irani apparently used force fields to float some children in the
air.
(Nova IV#19 (fb) - BTS) - In the two days before the main story, Rider led the five Nova Centurions in four missions.
(Nova IV#19 - BTS) - After Serpent Society members --
apparently reacting to the Secret Invasion and fear of Skrulls --
occupied the compound in Danzig, Ohio, FBI and other authorities feared
to react due to their visibility in the criminals' line of sight, which
would allow the criminals to react and possibly harm their hostages.
(Nova IV#19) - Learning of the occupation, Rider led the five new Nova Centurions to take down the criminals before they could react. With Tarcel melting a hole through the glass, Irani took projected a blunt beam from her finger to put Sidewinder through a wall. Each of the group took out one of the criminals with zero casualties in a conflict that listed 1.86 seconds. Afterwards, Irani noted that they could have completed the operation in 0.02 seconds less if Fraktur had not extemporized (having taken the time to physically beat Death Adder).
Irani and the others joined Rider in returning to Project: PEGASUS.
(Nova IV#19 - BTS) - There, the Worldmind explained the origins of the new members of the Nova Corps. Uncomfortable with the idea of bringing in too many untrained new members, Rider asked it not do recruit any others until they had had a chance to discuss the matter more thoroughly (the Worldmind was in the process of examining the Quantum Flask, from which Quasar (Wendell Vaughn) had been restored as an energy duplicate and then returned after exhausting its energies).
(Nova IV#19) - Further
discussion was interrupted when the Nova Corps was summoned to combat
the threat of Taboo, the Thing from the Murky Swamp. At Rider's query,
Irani suggested that they could raise gravimetric fields in concert to
contain Taboo, and then further loads could then be used to sink
Taboo's mass back into its burrow/lair.
(Nova IV#19 (fb) - BTS) - The effort took 30 minutes and saved several million dollars worth of Soho real estate.
(Nova IV#19) - Irani and the others returned with
Rider to Project: PEGASUS where Rider was shocked to find several dozen
new Nova Corps members, including Rich's younger brother, Robbie (and
presumably other members of Project: PEGASUS).
(Nova IV#20 (fb)) - Irani and the others listened to Richard Rider's discussion with Robert on the appropriateness of his and the others becoming Novas until Richard yelled at them, at which point they departed.
(Nova IV#20) - Robert Rider accompanied Irani and the
others in confronting a rampaging Dragon Man. Irani arranged for the
group to surround Dragon Man and establish a four-point gravimetric net
around the target and pull it tight. This initially proved ineffective
until Robert guided them to interlock the gravimetric net far more
precisely via uploading revised calculation through their visors. Irani
considered the field-generation computations to be elegant and precise,
and Dragon Man was successfully contained and taken into detention.
(Nova IV#20 (fb) - BTS / Nova IV#21 (fb) - BTS)
- After Ego approach Earth, the Worldmind uploaded itself into Ego, transforming
the planet into Nu-Xandar, which Irani and the rest of the Nova Corps
subsequently inhabited. The Worldmind also manipulated the minds and
hormones of the rest of the Corps to accept and be happy with these new
plans.
(Nova IV#21) - When Richard Rider was upset at this
subsequent development, Irani countered that the Worldmind had
transferred its sentience into a new and perfect host carrier and that
Nu-Xandar had been founded, both of which were causes for celebration.
She further noted that the Worldmind had been a burden to Richard for a
long time and that being the repository for both the Worldmind and the
Nova Force would be a huge responsibility for any single being. And
while he had managed spectacularly, there was always a risk of his
sanity. At Richard's request, she guided him to the hub through which he
could communicate with the Worldmind directly. She listened silently to
their discussion as well as when Robert Rider accused Richard of being
jealous, after which Richard departed to consider the matter further.
Irani was present when Rider eventually
returned and prepared to download the Nova Force into a power cell
repository. However, Richard ultimately refused to do so, feeling that
something was off, and he blasted away the other Novas who attempted to
restrain him at the Worldmind's command. Stating that Richard's mind
had been damaged by containing the Worldmind, the Worldmind then
stripped Richard of his powers and sent him back to Earth.
(Nova IV#22 - BTS) - The Worldmind recruited multiple other humans to become Nova Centurions, and Irani was presumably present to greet them.
(Nova IV#22 - BTS) - Richard Rider subsequently
arranged to have Evelyn Necker summon Robert to Project: PEGASUS in
order to determine if he was being mentally influenced by the
Worldmind.
(Nova IV#22 (fb) - BTS) - Irani was with Rpbert,
blowing out a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico when Richard -- who was
attracted to Evelyn -- received Evelyn's summons.
(Nova IV#22) - After Richard and Irani entered the PEGASUS facility, Irani noted the room to be a "fairly low-tech isolation chamber." With Richard's permission, Evelyn activated the field, after which Richard made his presence known and suggested that it was not him that had been rendered insane by trying to keep the Nova Force in check. Irani initially objected to the implication, but at Richard's query, both Robert and Irani realized that they could no longer hear the Worldmind speaking to their minds all the time as it had been doing, whispering, persuading and reassuring. Evelyn further suggested that the Worldmind had further been enhancing their endorphin releases to make them feel better about what they had been doing. Irani additionally stated that -- due to having shared a mind with Richard -- the Worldmind best understood how to control humans.
However, further conversation was interrupted when the Worldmind sent Fraktur, Morrow and Qubit to blast into the chamber, which also returned Robert and Irani to being under the Worldmind's influence. Irani and the other Novas subsequently departed to involve themselves in the conflicts between the Kree and Shi'ar and between the Inhumans of Attilan and the Skrulls.
(Nova IV#23 - BTS) - Irani was present on Nu-Xandar
as the Worldmind reported violent transgressions of Emperor Vulcan of
the Shi'ar Emperium against the Kree and then accessed a stargate,
transporting Nu-Xandar and all of its inhabitants to Shi'ar
space. 
(Nova IV#23) - Irani was present as the Worldmind announced the Malik Tarcel had been selected as the new Nova Prime. When Robert Rider chafed at being assigned to strategic command rather than fighting on the front line, Irani assured him that strategy was a vital role and an honor, but he continued to argue until the Worldmind insisted that his expertise was needed there.
(Nova IV#23 - BTS) - Irani Rael was also assigned to strategic command.
(Nova IV#23 - BTS) - As Richard Rider's body was dying without the Nova Power, Quasar temporarily gifted him with the Quantum Bands to both keep him alive and restore to him a measure of power.
(Nova IV#24) - Within Nu-Xandar's system of
operations, Irani worked alongside Robbie Rider and Qubit, advising the
Corps as they attempted to defend the Kree world Nil-Rast as Shi'ar
forces attempted to annex it.
When Irani advised Robbie that
Centurion Suki Yumiko's adrenal stress levels were spiking excessively
and started to advise him, Robbie cut her off, noting that he knew that
a little endorphin boost should help her. As Robbie left the link open
to continue to reassure Suki, Irani advised him that their role was
tactical analysis, not personal coaching, but Robbie argued that he was
trying to help her.
After Irani confirmed the death of
Centurion Lucas Maat, she moved support cohorts to back the the Nova
Centurions as they encountered a Shi'ar cohort by processor
eight-alpha. Irani subsequently identified a mass-scale teleport beam,
which proved to be the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, and she soon reported
that give cohorts had surrendered to the Guard.
(Nova IV#24 - BTS) - After the Guard departed, the Praetorians, led by Strontian, took over and slaughtered the prisoners Gladiator had instructed them to secure.
(Nova IV#24) - Irani reported that the deaths of the entire 86th cohort (excepting the captured Malik Tarcel)
(Nova IV#25) - As Rich Rider confronted the Worldmind, which had indeed been corrupted by the merger with Ego, Robbie heard Rich screaming, although Irani and Qubit heard nothing.
After Irani informed Robbie that the Worldmind had sealed its cortical chambers and was not communicating with anyone, Robbie and Qubit -- despite Irani's objections -- assigned themselves to assist on Nil-Rast.
The Worldmind subsequently commanded Irani and a number of other Nova Centurions in System Operations -- including Freya Shane, David Green, Kyle Dyne and Zyziwc Tiel -- to come to its assistance against Richard Rider.
As Richard reached the Worldmind's
hub, Irani attacked him alongside other Nova Centurions. Ultimately,
Richard was able to reach the Worldmind with pleas to its benevolence,
immobilizing the others long enough for Richard to reach the hub and
recover his full power. Richard subsequently incapacitated Ego, and the
appreciative Worldmind expunged its current persona, installing an
undamaged replacement, based on the mind of Ko-Rel.
(Nova IV#26) - Irani reported to Richard that she had
not been able to get a solid fix on Robert's suit tracer, and Richard
elected to travel to Nil-Rast to look for Robbie; he instructed Irani
and Morrow to accompany him.
They were initially confronted and assaulted by Inhumans using Echo-Weapons using the power of Black Bolt's voice. As they formed defensive shields, Rich noted that they were not going to fight the Inhuman Royal Family, and Irani commented that their attackers did not seem to have the same qualms. However, Ra-Venn, who had previously fought alongside Nova, vouched for him, and the Inhumans stood down. Inspecting the casualties, they encountered the badly damaged Qubit, after which Triton showed them the massive pile of Nova Centurion helmets, representing those slain by the Praetorians.
(Nova IV#27) - Following the Worldmind identifying a
Nova Centurion on the planet Kree-Lar, Rich led Irani and Morrow
through a stargate to Kree-Lar/ There they found that Shi'ar assault
forces were being supplemented by hundreds of thousands of Negative
Zone reinforcements. While they targeted Robbie, intending to report
this finding to the Galactic Council, they were instead attacked by the
Cosmic Control Rod-wielding Blastaar, who swiftly smashed down Irani
and Morrow when they charged him despite Rich's attempting to stop
them. Recalling their previous alliance, Rich convinced Blastaar to
grant them 15 minutes to try to rescue his brother.
Irani, Rich and Morrow fought their way past Negative Zone insectoids, arriving seconds after the Strontian had subdued Robbie and Ravenous.
(Nova
IV#28) - As Rich savagely assaulted the Strontian, Irani advised Morrow
of Strontian's nature and power. She subsequently advised Rich that
Robbie was still alive, distracting him and allowing the Strontian to
fight back. Irani and Morrow were subsequently confronted by
Strontian's teammates, Zzxz (a symbiote possessing the Starjammer Raza
Longknife), God-Killer of the Uncreated and the bio-mechanical being
Pn'zo.
Fascinated by the nature of
Pn'zo's bio-mechanistic hybridization, Irani nonetheless avoided his
electrically-charged cables, located the access point for his neural
cortex and then shoved one of the cables into it, overloading him.
Meanwhile, via the psionic dampener in his helmet, Rich neutralized Strontian's psionics, enabling him to punch her out; and Morrow's shields reflected God-Killer's thorns back into it, incapacitating it.
When Zzxz ambushed Irani, threatening to bite through her head, she panicked, but then Rich blasted it back, and he had Irani blast the host with a gravimetric beam while he targeted the symbiote, stretching their union to the breaking point and inducing enough shock trauma to render them both insensate. Irani noted that the host needed expert medical attention to remove the symbiote, and Rich identified the host as Raza.
Irani subsequently noted that
Blastaar's forces had overrun the entire city, but Rich convinced
Blastaar to allow them to depart with their prisoners.
Irani, Morrow and Rich delivered
their four Praetorian prisoners as well as Ravenous to Nu-Xandar while
returning Robbie for treatment.
(Nova IV#28 (fb) - BTS) - Per Rich's orders, the bulk
of the new Nova recruits were depowered and returned to their
homeworlds, excepting Lindy Nolan, Tre Owens and Irani's original
group.
(Nova IV#28) - Irani and the
others happily accepted Rich's recommendation that they start with this
group and build the Nova Corps from there.
Nu-Xandar later exited a stargate
in the vicinity of the Vault, from which they received a distress
signal from the Xandarian Resolute Duty ship.
(Nova IV#31 (fb) - BTS) - The rebuilding process
demoted Irani and her original teammates down to Millennians, while
Robbie Rider, Lindy Nolan and Tre Owens became Corpsmen.
(Nova IV#29 (fb) - BTS) - Irani and her teammates
transitioned to a red-brown color scheme, more like what Rider wore
when he first joined the New Warriors.
(Nova IV#29) - After the Worldmind had identified the
ship as the Resolute Duty and began towing it in via tractor beam,
Irani joined Rich, Fraktur and Morrow as they flew to investigate. 
As the Worldmind scanned the ship,
the bounty hunter Monark Starstalker, having traveled from Reality-7463
via the Fault, sent nanotech back into the Worldmind via the carrier
wave, which soon after severed its contact with the rescue team.
Additionally, the incapacitation of the Worldmind allowed Ego's mind to
resurface.
Within the ship, Irani reported the hydroponics gallery to be untended and lacking in power to maintain its viability.
Rich encountered the ship's sole living inhabitant, Zan Philo, who revealed that he and his ship had warped into another universe via a stargate accident and that he was carrying a prison, a neutron slave gang-boss, the Mind, whose gang had followed him through the Fault and likely wished to free him.
Briefly repairing the linkage,
Worldmind identified the the source of the nanotech assault, revealing
Starstalker in the presence. Starstalker swiftly assaulted the group,
blasting Irani with his vortex pistol in the process.
As Ego fought to retake control of its body, the Black Hole Sons (revealed as Mindless Ones) landed on the Resolute Duty and began firing blasts into it.
(Nova IV#30) - Rich took Philo Zan and Morrow with him as he flew to confront the Black Hole Sons, leaving Irani behind to watch over Starstalker. When Monark told her that she was cute and asked how she wound up with the "sucktastic space cops," Irani advised him that she would shoot him if he gave her the slightest provocation. He replied, "Cute and feisty, mmmm-mmmm!"
After the Midnight Sons' damage incapacitated the Resolute Duty's power, the Mind(ed One) blasted a hole through Starstalker's chest, revealing -- to both himself and Irani -- him to be a nanite construct.
As Rich led the Mind and the other Black Hole Sons into space, he had the Worldmind open a stargate through which the Black Hole Sons were transported into Ego's mind. Meanwhile, the Worldmind was uploaded into the Resolute Duty.
Assaulted by the combined internal
Mindless Ones' assault and the external attacks from the full power of
the Resolute Duty, Ego stargated away. 
(Nova IV#30 - BTS) - Rich convinced Philo Zan to take over in training the newer Novas, the Worldmind announced the murder of Lilandra by Darkhawk (although he was possessed by the Raptor Razor, who was loyal to Vulcan).
(Nova IV#31 (fb) - BTS) - Irani was present as Philo
Zan conducted a training session, where the Millennians were trained to
deal with their scaled back powers and their use of the Fightstick. Zan
easily incapacitated Fraktur with a compressed grav pulse, which the
probational members should be able to do in their sleep and which they
would be learning to do with their Fightsticks.
Irani and Qubit subsequently elected bridge duty to avoid training sessions.
(Nova IV#31) - As Nova flew to the outworld Shard via a stargate, Irani and the Worldmind advised him that the planet was in the terminal phase of collapse into the Fault.
As a Xeno-Cellular Bloom sprouted
out of the Fault and engulfed Shard, hatching numerous hostile
organisms, Irani queried whether they should deploy in support of their
Nova Prime, but Rich insisted everyone stay aboard the ship as he and
Darkhawk planned to depart immediately.
(Nova IV#31 - BTS) - The Worldmind subsequently advised Richard of the presence of Kree archeologists still present on Shard, and he and Darkhawk flew to their rescue. However, one of the scientists saw and touched the amulet of Gyre, transforming him into Gyre, who then blasted Nova and Darkhawk.
(Nova IV#31) - The Worldmind reported to Irani and the others the loss of Nova Prime's life trace as Shard shattered.
(Nova IV#32 (fb) - BTS) - The Sphinx (Anathna-Mut) transported Richard and Darkhawk across time and space.
(Nova IV#36 (fb)) - After Rich had returned to the
Resolute Duty, Worldmind briefed Irani and the other Novas about how
Project: PEGASUS had gone into a lockdown, during which time Quasar
contacted them, and they realized that the Quasar who had entered
Project: PEGASUS was from the Cancerverse (Reality-10011). Rich and
Darkhawk subsequently traveled to Project: PEGASUS while Irani and the
others stayed with Philo and watched over the Fault.
(Thanos Imperative#1) - Aboard the Resolute Duty at the mouth of the Fault, the Worldmind alerted the crew of hull breaches, advising them to fall back to deck six, but Irani confirmed that deck six was also compromised. Rich Rider and Quasar arrived to aid them, at which point the Revengers (Cancerverse counterparts of Captain America, Captain Marvel, Giant-Man, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch and Thor) arrived and attacked, seeking and claiming the time-lost Namorita, who was an anomaly in this reality.
(Thanos Imperative#6) -A Nova-empowered Quasar
led Irani and the rest of the Nova Corps to assist Galactus against the
Cancerverse's Galactus Engine.
(Thanos Imperative#6 - BTS) - In order to combat the Revengers, Nova called on the Worldmind to give him every bit of power it could, which he acknowledged would strip power from all known Nova Corps members (including Irani).
As the rest of the heroes beamed out of the Cancerverse, Rich Rider and Star-Lord stayed behind to ensure Thanos remained within as the entire reality collapsed.
(Thanos Imperative#6 - BTS) - Irani and the rest of the Nova Corps attended a ceremony in Attilan to honor those who had fallen, including Rich Rider.
(Guardians of the Galaxy IV#19) - After the Guardians of the Galaxy
and a coalition of Earth heroes subdued Thanos, Irani and other members
of the Nova Corps arrived to take custody of Thanos, saluting Star-Lord
or someone in the process.
Comments: Created by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Wellinton Alves, Geraldo Borges and Scott Hanna
Nova IV#18-31, 36, Thanos Imperative#1, 6, Guardians of the Galaxy IV#19
In Nova IV#22, Irani
exclaimed, "Seeds of Rigel..."; and in #28, upon seeing the Fault, she
proclaimed, "By the Eternal Seeds of Rigel!"
I'm not sure what these seeds are, but presumably
they are referencing Rigellians colonizing or "seeding" other worlds?
Rich Rider said of Irani: "Like most Rigellians, Irani's simultaneously smarter than God and as devoid of personality as a paper clip."
I have yet to see an
explanation of why Rigellians sometimes have frail little bodies
and massive heads and other times are very humanoid in configuration. I
believe that the classic thin body/big head is their true form, and
that they sometimes use their mental powers to cast the illusion of a
more humanoid form...perhaps to be more intimidating, attractive,
accepted, or something. But, I don't believe anything in-story or
otherwise official confirms or even suggests that...
Irani was generally depicted to be of human
proportions and without the large torso/mechanical suit, but she
definitely varied slightly amongst artists in terms of being curvaceous
like some human women vs. more petite and with respect to how big her
cranium was.
Irani seemed to be in her red Millennian costume in Thanos Imperative#1, although at least Robbie Rider was shown with the three glowing chest symbols, which was for a Centurion. In Thanos Imperative#6, she and her allies were shown back in the blue and gold three chest-symbol of the Centurions, and she and perhaps Morrow were seen in Centurion uniforms in Guardians of the Galaxy#19. I would think that it would be art error showing them back in Centurion uniforms, but perhaps after Richard's seeming death, they were indeed promoted back to Centurions?
Additional comments:
First, Irani was a member of the third (or
fourth) Nova Corps, out of the five (or six) incarnations that the Corps has
had. The numbering depends on whether one counts the pre-Nebula Nova Corps as
one or two of those incarnations.
This is significant because of what happened
after the Thanos Imperative miniseries. As you mentioned in the profile, at the
end of Thanos Imperative#6, Rich Rider had drained all of the Nova Force
out of Quasar and the cadets, leaving them powerless. While Rich was trapped in
the Cancerverse, the new Sam Alexander character was the only active Nova
because his Black Nova helmet contained its own power supply and was not
dependent on the Nova Force.
With that in mind, I have no idea how Irani
could have been a powered Nova when she showed up six years later in Guardians
of the Galaxy IV#19. Okay, there is a one-word answer...BENDIS!!!
But seriously, are you aware of ANY story which
revealed how the members of the Nova Corps got their powers back? Or is it
something that just happened? Maybe Rich Rider's return from the Cancerverse
had something to do with it?
By the way, after The Thanos Imperative ended,
Rich was in the Cancerverse with the Nova Force and the Worldmind was in the
Earth- 616 universe, apparently shutdown for a reboot. And then a later
(post-Bendis) story showed that, after Rich had gotten Star-Lord out of the
Cancerverse (and had also let Thanos escape), the Worldmind was now
somehow there in the Cancerverse with him until, in his desperation, Rich used
the Worldmind as a power source for a Cosmic Cube and escaped, leaving the
Worldmind behind to go insane. My question is, how did the Worldmind get into
the Cancerverse in the first place?
Anyway, let's call the post-Thanos Imperative
Nova Corps the fourth (or fifth) incarnation, and assume that Irani was a
member of that Nova Corps when she and Morrow took custody of Thanos. Later
that year, in All-New Guardians of the Galaxy#10, Nova (Rich Rider) was
told/reminded by Nova Corpsman Scott Adsit that "the entire paramilitary
peacekeeping force had committed a hundred percent of their force to a suicide
mission...into the Cancerverse" (on some vital but never-explained mission)
and that nobody had come back from "the Cancerverse strike." Nova
Denarian Robbie Rider was revealed to have survived because he had never
actually made it into the Cancerverse with the rest of the Corps.
This would seem to indicate that Centurion Irani Rael might well have died,
off-panel in the Cancerverse, with the rest of the Nova Corps.
Also, Robbie had had the Nova Force but it was
fading for some unknown reason. And then the Fraternity of Raptors kidnapped
him and brainwashed him into being a murderous fanatic. And Robbie was on a
mostly-intact planet Xandar when the Raptors found him. How and when did that
happen?
And then, in the fifth Guardians of the Galaxy
ongoing series, the fifth (or sixth) incarnation of the Nova Corps was
completely wiped out by a Universal Church of Truth from an alternate future
ruled by King Thanos.
So, that means that the Nova Corps has been
wiped out six times now. In chronological order, those responsible were: Zorr,
Nebula, Annihilation Wave, Richard Rider (when he depowered it), suicide
mission into the Cancerverse, and the Universal Church of Truth.
Don Campbell
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Irani Rael should be distinguished from:
First posted: 01/13/2025
Last updated: 01/16/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
� 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!