Hello, I’m the Watcher.
Throughout my extended life I have watched the Earth as heroes rise and villains fall. Sometimes a villain rises and a hero falls. And sometimes, just sometimes a hero rises and another hero falls.
These two titans of the cosmos are no longer the bearers of their respective mantles anymore, but at their times in the spotlight they were key interstellar and terran heroes that were not to be scoffed. We are basing this battle at characters’ points from two different periods, so like all good Marvel stories these days, it’s going to involve some time travel!
The Tale of the Tape:
Quasar – Wendell Vaughn
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 180lbs
Powers: Quantum Bands allow faster than light travel, force and heat projection, force field, control over electromagnetic spectrum, protection from psionic energies, and analyzing and processing information, also S.H.I.E.L.D. trained in espionage and hand-to-hand combat
Nova – Richard Rider
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 190lbs
Powers: Flight, enhanced strength, speed, and durability, hand-to-hand combat expert, energy projection and absorption, influence over gravitational forces. When connected with Worldmind, Rider also had expanded energy reserves and a second consciousness with rapid analytical and computing abilities.
Richard Rider receives a distress call from the Kree home world. It is being attacked by a bio-mechanical virus slowly working its way across the cosmos consuming and taking over sentient and non-sentient life in an attempt to weed out freewill and control the universe. Rider, as the cosmic protector Nova, leaves Earth in the middle of the superhero Civil War to travel and take care of his responsibilities.
In the universe you know, Nova arrives to the Kree world and is attacked by the Phalanx force in the now classic tale Annihilation: Conquest. But in this universe, the slightest miscalculation in the wormhole Richard Rider opens to travel the vast distance pulls him far too close to a black hole and thrusts him backwards in time.
He jettisons out of the wormhole and tumbles through a greenish cloud; unbeknownst to him is the bacterial form of the Deviant Ghaul. In your world it is the Silver Surfer’s board Ghaul’s bacteria clings to and is reformed which leads to the events of Atlantis Attacks, but in this instance the demigod’s will is able to seep past the powerful Xandrian Nova Corp suit and infects Richard Rider, corrupting him…
At the same time, taking a break from the Avengers to travel the universe, Wendell Vaughn aka Quasar is passing through that sector of space. Some may say that’s conveniently placed for this story, but those people were killed by Doctor Doom!
Vaughn sees a familiar friend, albeit in unfamiliar duds, and flies to congratulate Richard on his promotion in the ranks of the Nova Corp. As Quasar approaches Nova he can tell something is off with his friend. The usual smiling and cheerful face is now covered in a grimace of pain and hatred. Before Quasar can react, Nova – like a human rocket is on top of and attacking him.
The additional Nova force surrounding Richard from the aid of Worldmind enhances his strength and even through Quasar’s secure quantum projected force field, delivers punishing blows. Quasar, unsure of what has happened to his friend, or even if it is his friend, reacts by projecting his force field out which thrusts Nova away before his blows are able to break the containment barrier and leave Quasar vulnerable to the cold vacuum of space.
Quasar then uses his quantum bands to fire force projections attempting to render his foe unconscious. The power knocks Nova back, but does little actual damage to the man. Nova retaliates with gravitational force intent on crushing Quasar. Quasar escapes with mind boggling speed before Nova’s attack can affect him, but Nova pursues.
Quasar pulls out an old acme trick from his youth watching cartoons, halting immediately and erecting a large force field which Nova recklessly crashes into sending him fumbling and trying to find his bearings.
Nova retaliates with a blind attack hurtling towards Quasar. This catches Quasar in contemplation on his next course of action and sends them both careening towards a star. They are both able to stop themselves before they get too close to giant ball of plasma. Quasar knows at this point this is not the friend he knows, but a fiend in disguise who is intent on killing him. Using his control of the electromagnetic spectrum Quasar causes the star to burst forth a massive solar flare.
This connects directly with Nova who, although he braces cannot fight against the magnitude and force punishing him. The solar flare catapults him towards a small planet in the orbit of the sun. Unbeknownst to the bacterial force which has taken over Richard Rider, the Nova force is not limitless, and starts to fail. Nova is caught in the gravitational pull of the planet as the Nova force putters away.
Quasar rushes to help his foe, not wishing to be a murderer, but is unable to get there in time as the body of Richard Rider bursts into flames as it enters the atmosphere of the planet and disintegrates before ever hitting the ground.
Over time a spark of the Nova force is able to reintegrate Richard Rider’s body free of Ghaul’s control, but for now Quasar is left with a sober victory.
