Nova (2007) #3

[iamrman]

My friend, my edgelord!

Upon getting home, Rich finds out he has a visitor.

Comments

[zachbeacon]

Trying to remember if Nova had any real interactions with the Thunderbolts before this.

(I know he's used as a background character - like when Zemo set his plan in motion - a lot but that doesn't really count)

This is my second favorite takedown of "Penance" ...after the Great Lakes Avengers (X-Men?) One-shot.

[phantomfo]

He was shown in the background when Zemo blew up Four Freedoms, but that was it.

The Millar years were a really depressing era for Marvel.

[cainofdreaming]

Yeah, what could ever top Penitent Pus?

[remial]

and Nova just proved he is the only smart person on earth from the whole Civil War fiasco

[alan2099]

Well, there was also Thing's response to Civil War. It basically boiled down to "This whole thing is stupid. Screw it. I'm moving to France."

[zachbeacon]

I always saw running from his problems as wildly out of character.

[beyondthefringe]

I think Ben felt like he was out of options given the way his best friends were at odds, and taking a side--either side--might have hurt someone he cared about. Reed's head was stretched all the way up his ass, Johnny was in the hospital, Sue joined the resistance, the fighting was taking its toll on both heroes and civilians--what else could Ben have done?

Also? Running from his problems is a classic Ben Grimm trait. How many times has he left the Fantastic Four for one reason or another? He stayed behind on Battleworld, he struck out on his own when he got back and discovered Johnny with "Alicia," I think he fucked off to Monster Island after he mutated out of control circa the late 290s...

[zachbeacon]

"what else could Ben have done?"

He's the idol of millions. He should have been on TV as the face of the anti-reg side.

He's not really a traditional superhero and - like you said - the F4 broke up so what are they going to do, arrest Ben for existing?

(I'm aware a lot of inactive super people got arrested for existing but he's high profile enough that I think they'd have to wait for him to actually do vigilante stuff first)

[beyondthefringe]

Given how inconsistently the SHRA was portrayed in execution... it's entirely possible they might have arrested him. And deployed a clone to act as pro-reg spokesman. With Reed shedding a single tear as he condemns his best friend to the Negative Zone while citing the science behind his decisions.

[zachbeacon]

Reed: I'm sorry I have to do this but [long incoherent story about Reed's uncle]

Ben: Well, my Aunt Petunia sez you're a putz.



I still think JMS is among the worst modern Fantastic Four writers. It's telling when (a) so much of McDuffie's run was dedicated to fixing Reed's insane justifications and (b) Mark Freaking Millar showed a better grasp of Ben's character in the main Civil War mini where he focused on helping bystanders caught in the middle.

[cainofdreaming]

It's entirely possible that capekillers would have shot missiles at him, while kids were begging him for autographs.

[zylly]

This just serves as another reminder that making the New Warriors (well, Robbie, Nita, and Thrash, I can't much speak for Microbe) the fall guys and catalyst of Civil War was both wildly out of character and a major narrative mistake.

It would have been MUCH more effective in its messaging if they'd created some new young characters to use for it.

[dan_ingram]

Or, alternatively, at least show that the Warriors tried to reach the Avengers and couldn't.

[super_fly]

Rich's pose in the third panel of the first page is a Hawkeye Project original if I ever saw one.

And I have seen many,