Avengers #303
Reckoning!
Super-Nova, the last survivor of Xandar, has come to Earth seeking revenge against Nebula. Arriving in Chicago, the massive alien has demanded the people of Earth turn her over or he will destroy the entire planet.[1] Answering this threat are the West Coast Avengers whose leader tries reasoning with Super-Nova. When this doesn’t work, Hawkeye tries to stall for time and is seemingly atomized by Super-Nova. In reality, he was pulled to safety at the last second by Quasar, the first hero to respond to the current crisis. Hawkeye is returned to his teammates who are happy to see that he is still alive.
That’s when the Fantastic Four arrive and the Thing and Ms. Marvel try attacking Super-Nova. However, the massive alien slams the two rocky skinned bruisers together and tosses them away like they were nothing. The Human Torch and Quasar then try a two-pronged attack, bombarding the invader with nova flame and quantum energy.
By this time, the East Coast Avengers have arrived on the scene. When Captain America orders the Invisible Woman to try and trap Super-Nova in an invisible force field, Sue explains that she is too weak after helping the team return to Earth from orbit. Sending Gilgamesh and Thor to help the others, Cap lands their Quinjet so he can try and convince soldiers on the ground to help evacuate the whole city. As Captain America explains the situation and mentions how Nebula is lost in the timestream, Mister Fantastic is inspired to do something and begins acting on his own. This annoys Captain America, who has been having issue with Reed Richards — former leader of the Fantastic Four — overstepping his authority. Mister Fantastic flags down Quasar and asks to be taken back to the Four Freedoms Plaza in New York as he has come up with a solution to stop Super-Nova.[2]
Meanwhile, Super-Nova begins unleashing powerful flames, prompting the Human Torch and Firelord to absorb them to protect the city. This is almost too much for the Torch to handle and he is fit to burst. When the pair are full of heat energy, they both fly into the upper atmosphere and release the powerful energy where it can do no harm. Blacking out from the exertion, Johnny brought back down to Earth by Firelord, who commends the human for a job well done.
Back on the ground, the Thing, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Thor, and Gilgamesh all work together to topple Super-Nova to the ground. This allows the other assembled heroes to pile onto their foe and begin pummeling him. Realizing that he is not going to get what he wants, Super-Nova begins building up energy in order to destroy the entire planet. Luckily, Mister Fantastic and Quasar return from their trip to New York. Reed has brought Doctor Doom’s time machine and tells Super-Nova that Nebula has escaped into the timestream and offers to send him there to continue his search.[3] Since he knows Reed can be trusted, Super-Nova agrees and steps onto the Time Platform and is transported away.[4] While everyone congratulates Reed for a job well done, Captain America is not pleased with how Reed acted on his own and intends to have a stern conversation with him after they get back home.[5][6]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Gilgamesh), Super-Nova, Avengers West Coast (Hawkeye, Henry Pym, Wonder Man, Tigra), Fantastic Four (Thing, Ms.Marvel, Human Torch), Quasar, Firelord,
Continuity Notes
Super-Nova’s search for Nebula is quite complex, let’s break down the issue:
Nebula destroyed the planet Xandar and wiped out its entire population in Avengers #260.
Super-Nova has come to Earth after hearing that Nebula was there. This is because a woman claiming to be Nebula attempted to manipulate the Avengers in obtaining an ultimate weapon lost in a Time Bubble some 20 years in the future. See Avengers #291-297.
This woman was actually Ravonna Renslayer, who disguised herself as Nebula as part of a wider scheme to use said weapon against Kang the Conquerer. See Fantastic Four #337-341 as well as Captain America Annual #11, Thor Annual #17, Fantastic Four Annual #25, and Avengers Annual #21.
The real Nebula is still in deep space as we will see in Avengers #314-318.
After this story, the population of Xandar is resurrected by their planetary world-mind using cloning technology and the planet will be completely restored when it is seen again in New Warriors #41-42.
Reed states here that he has not been at the Four Freedoms Plaza in months. This is because, at the time of this story, Reed and Sue had taken a leave of absence from the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #308. This proved short-lived when they were asked to join Captain America’s new Avengers team in Avengers #300. Their tenure on the Avengers will be short-lived as they will return to the ranks of the FF in Fantastic Four #326.
Reed states that the Time Platform was created by his greatest enemy. He is referring to Doctor Doom who first used the Time Platform against the FF in Fantastic Four #5. This is not the original but a replica created by Reed while he briefly had Doom’s original in his possession as explained in Fantastic Four Annual #11.
Super-Nova states here that Reed’s name was respected among the people of Xandar and that he can trust him at his word. This is due to the fact that the Fantastic Four once saved Xandar from a Skrull invasion as seen in Fantastic Four #204-206 and 208-209.
Super-Nova will return from the timestream in New Warriors #41-42.
Although not implicitly stated here, Quasar is invited to join the Avengers following this story. That tale is told in Avengers Annual #18.
