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Featuring the following heroine!
Nova
by Sean Kleefeld
Real name: Frankie Raye
First appearance: as Frankie Raye: Fantastic Four 164;
as Nova: Fantastic Four 244
Died in: Silver Surfer 75
Favorite quote: "I'm still Frankie Raye. But a newer,
better Frankie Raye... and I'm free!" Her first lines after
being granted the Power Cosmic.
Team affiliation: Fantastic Four. Galactus' herald
Powers: Frankie Raye was the daughter (by marriage) of Phineas Horton, creator of the original Human Torch. While she was helping in his laboratory, a floorboard gave way and a drum of Horton's chemicals ignited and engulfed her in flames. The chemicals were absorbed into her skin and granted her the ability to create and control flames. She had more control and maneuverability than Johnny Storm, sacrificing heat and speed. Shortly after she rediscovered her powers; Galactus imbued her the Power Cosmic in exchange for her servitude as his herald. She never gained as much control over the Power Cosmic as other heralds had, always seeming to mentally limit herself for unexplained reasons. It was this limitation that allowed another of Galactus' heralds, Morg, to kill her.
Favorite storyline: Her "birth" as Galactus' herald. Fantastic Four 242-244. She had only recently acquired any powers at all, and was still learning to use them when Galactus stopped by Earth for a snack. Frankie tried to help the Fantastic Four battle him, and then, as a last resort to save her home planet, offered her services to the Devourer of Worlds as his new herald. The story showed off several facets of Frankie's personality very well.
Least favorite storyline: The Infinity War. Nova spent this whole series watching everyone else in awe. Her role in the entire mega-crossover was reduced to a passive observer. The one time she did anything, the Silver Surfer had to save her from being lost in a dimensional tunnel. She was far more exciting as Johnny Storm's non-super-powered girlfriend.
Future for the character: Well, she's dead. However, "The Last Galactus Story" (written before Nova's death) claims that she's alive and well serving Galactus at the end of the Universe. So someone will undoubtedly get around to reviving her...
By the way: Jeanne the editor here. In case you just caught a glimpse of the covers and were wondering ... that's not Nova in the Silver Surfer issues leading up to Silver Surfer 100. It's Mephisto pretending to be Nova, looking for yet another vehicle to corrupt Norrin Rad's soul. That's one demon that needs a new hobby...
