{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Issue 178 - Richard Rider (Nova)","description":" We close out Marvel Cosmic May with a look at the OG Nova, RICHARD RIDER! How can Doc help this jaded space cop who totally isn't Hal Jordan? Intro Next week is last episode of season 9 Background (2:00) Richard Rider created by Marv Wolfman and John Romita Sr. in The Man Called Nova #1 (Sept. 1976) Nova Corpsman Rhomann Dey is dying, and gives his power to high school student Richard Rider - however, he has no instructions on how to use these powers After some adventures on Earth, he travels to space, where he helps the Xandarians battle Skrulls and other enemies He returns to Earth and gives up his powers (first time), but after struggling without them, he regains them and joins the New Warriors Garthan Saal, a Nova Corpsman gone mad, strips Rich of his powers (2nd) so he can rebuild Xandar after Nebula destroyed it - Saal is defeated and his power is restored He defies the Xandarian queen in an effort to save Earth, and is stripped of his powers (3rd), but when his replacement sacrifices himself to stop the Deathstorm, he\u2019s returned to glory Annihilation - the entire Nova Corps save Rich is destroyed by Annihilus, so the Xandarian Worldmind takes refuge inside Rich\u2019s helmet - Rich kills Annihilus and saves the universe Unbeknownst to him, the Worldmind is recruiting new members to the Nova Corps - when Rich learns that Ego the Living Planet was among them, he objects and is stripped of his rank and powers (4th) Having lived with the Nova Force for so long, he is dying without the powers, so he borrows Wendell Vaughn\u2019s quantum bands and becomes Quasar - after saving the Corps during War of Kings, Ego is removed and Rich is restored as a Centurion Goes through a rip in space-time known as the Fault and enters the Cancerverse, where he and Star-Lord battle Thanos until the rip closes, trapping all three inside - Star-Lord and Thanos later get a hold of a comic cube that frees them, but Rich remains trapped When Sam Alexander contacted the Xandarian Worldmind to get information on his father, this alerted Rich and allowed him to escape the Cancerverse - unfortunately, his body became a portal, and the inhabitants tried to use Rich to invade Earth - he and Sam helped repel the invaders, and they returned to Earth The entire Nova Corps was once again decimated, and Richard became an alcoholic until Annihilius showed up and asked for Rich\u2019s help to defeat the Cancerverse invasion - after Rich swallowed the entire Cancerverse (#BecauseComics), he was killed by the Sentry, thus killing the invading forces, and resurrected by Annihilus as a way of saying thanks Took over as leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy after Star-Lord was killed, which Rich blamed himself for until he started therapy Issues - Theme is \u201cDon\u2019t worry, it gets better\u2026 I mean worse\u2026 I mean better\u2026\u201d (8:13) Constant flux of powers causes him numerous problems Feels like everything is his responsibility, and thus his fault (14:50) PTSD as a result of the numerous wars and battles (22:49) Break (28:29) Plugs for Cheers to Comics, Adventures in Erylia, and Jeremy Whitley Treatment (29:51) In-universe - Have him figure out how to use the Nova Force for creation Out of universe - (33:52) Skit (39:46) Hello Richard, I\u2019m Dr. Issues. -Hello, Doctor. So, what can I do for you? -Well, let\u2019s just say that I\u2019m not going to be an easy case. I\u2019m not going to give you a hard time, but this road is not smooth at all. I welcome the challenge. -You say that now, but when I start telling you some things\u2026it\u2019s not even about the confidentiality. This is some serious stuff. A lot of death, a lot of pain, tons of anger\u2026and that\u2019s just when things turn out ok. You\u2019re building up to a multitude of events, and I don\u2019t even know the basics about you. -Yeah, yeah, I get it. I just wish you could fast forward through this stuff, or leave off exactly where my last therapist did. Is that too much to ask? Do I have to repeat this every time?  No, of course not. -Well, I gave you permission to look at my files, isn\u2019t that enough? *clearly irritated* What, you can\u2019t stomach to read it or something? What? No, I just want your take, not someone else\u2019s. -So you think my last therapist was a kook? You think it was that bad? Whoa, you\u2019re rushing to judgment way too early. -*Angry, rambling* Of all the people I get to take my stuff out on, I get someone who wants to start from the beginning, as if it wasn\u2019t bad enough going through it the first time! *continues rambling angrily* that\u2019s it, I\u2019m outta here, gotta take a break, I KNEW this was going to go bad\u2026*keeps rambling, door opens and  shuts, still ranting* Well, this is going juuuuust great\u2026oop -*door opens and shuts again, still ranting* whew, I might as well rip a hole in space time, that oughtta REALLY freak someone like you out. Do you know I\u2019ve had to die just so I can live a better existence?  Are you trying to intimidate me, or test me, or\u2026I don\u2019t know what. Is this how you vent? -I don\u2019t vent. I attack.  Then why are you attacking me? -Not you\u2026well, not You, you. You just happen to be there. It\u2019s not like that. Richard\u2026I\u2019m the only one here. I get that you have no other target, but it\u2019s not productive to yell at me right now. I don\u2019t take it personally, but I\u2019m still a person. -You\u2019re a person\u2026aww, Doc has feelings\u2026whaa whaa whaa\u2026If you were with me, you wouldn\u2019t last long with that attitude. You\u2019re not trying to recruit me. I\u2019m here to help you, remember? -*deep breath* Yeah, yeah\u2026experienced dealing with cosmic madness. No excuse for my disrespect. This line of work kind of makes me jaded. I\u2019ve heard worse, just not before\u2026hmmm\u2026you know what? Screw the background stuff. It\u2019s obvious that it pisses you off. What I\u2019ll focus on instead is what do you want to change about how you\u2019re feeling right now? -*pause* Well, like you said, I\u2019m pissed off, but\u2026it\u2019s deeper than that. It\u2019s like something keeps clawing through me\u2026and believe me, I\u2019ve been clawed through, so I know what I\u2019m talking about. But it\u2019s not others, it\u2019s\u2026it\u2019s something about me. Like, I\u2019m not feeling how I should feel. Does any of this make any sense? Let me see if I understand. You have intense responses to your current state of mind, and it doesn't match with what you should be feeling based on what you know about yourself. -Something like that, I guess. Then what \u201cshould\u201d you be feeling, if you don\u2019t mind my airquotes? - *pause* I shouldn\u2019t even exist, you know? I should have been dead and buried a looooooong time ago, but I\u2019m still kicking\u2026and kicking ass, while I\u2019m at it. So, survivor\u2019s guilt? -I\u2019m grateful! But, how many times am I going to go through this?  I don\u2019t have a crystal ball -Well even the ones who have that type of power treat me like a wild card anyway, or take my power\u2026sometimes I wonder if I should fight to get them back at all. Then I get pissed off evan more, and I double down, and just promise myself that if I ever get them back I won\u2019t lose them again\u2026*frustrated* HOW\u2026MANY...TIMES? How do I keep going? *pause* You were right. From the start, you were right. This is not a smooth road. You are like Sisyphus\u2026perpetually pushing that rock. -I thought you were supposed to make me feel better. Hear me out! This is going to be a matter of perspective. You have been entrusted with a task that is incredibly important but has shown to carry with it a perpetual burden that resets from time to time. You can view that as a curse, but -*interrupting* If you say it\u2019s a blessing I swear No, I\u2019m saying it\u2019s variety. You have learned to adapt to the same goal in ways that most people haven\u2019t endured yet. That\u2019s beyond unique, that\u2019s a level of discipline that can\u2019t be taught. If you continue to endure, then you are providing yourself with more ammo for unexpected challenges even when the basic premise remains the same. Sunrise, sunset, but no two are the same. You get me? -A part of me wants to rip your spine out through your chest and use it as a javelin for my next enemy you optimistic pious jerk *gulp* -But\u2026hmmmph\u2026that can\u2019t be all there is to it, right? Like, I can\u2019t make \u201ckeep my powers\u201d be the end goal? It doesn\u2019t have to be, but you were the one who said that\u2019s what\u2019s eating at you. You\u2019re a complex study, so I\u2019m sure we\u2019re just scratching the surface, and I\u2019ll challenge your own assumptions. -You got a bit of a bite to you after all. No wimping out. That\u2019s decent of you. Ok, hot shot. I\u2019ll tell you what. If you\u2019re willing to take my call, I\u2019ll reach out when I think I\u2019m about to have someone get the drop on me. I\u2019ll be waiting *whispers* with some antipsychotics for the paranoia* -What was that?  Nothing\u2026ehe, I\u2019ll be waiting is my point. -Right then. Guess this is as good a time as any to wrap this up before I piss myself off again. Good bye. Bye *hears door open\/shut* *phone dialing* I\u2019m not even sure how this works, does my plan cover intergalactic calls? Anyhoo\u2026um\u2026your excellency\u2026tribunal\u2026ness\u2026sir\u2026thing\u2026I think I\u2019m going to take a break in my block scheduling for now\u2026no, I didn\u2019t say I quit\u2026I mean\u2026your sense of time is so much different, a day is a decade to you, or vice versa\u2026yeah, messes with my calendar. Plus my accountant doesn\u2019t know how to handle \u201cbeing one with the balance\u201d as a form of payment. Still have some details to work out. Ciao! Ending (47:15) Recommended reading: late 2000s cosmic Marvel (Annihilation Conquest, War of Kings, Thanos Imperative) Next episodes: Miguel O\u2019Hara Plugs for social & GonnaGeek Network Transcript References: Sam Alexander episode - Anthony (6:33) Elton John \u201cI\u2019ve Seen That Movie Too\u201d - Anthony (27:22) Apple Podcasts: here Google Play: here Stitcher: here TuneIn: here iHeartRadio: here Twitter Facebook TikTok  Patreon TeePublic Discord ","author_name":"Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling","author_url":"https:\/\/www.capesonthecouch.com","html":"