Warning: contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy #15!
While it's no secret that Richard Rider, aka Nova, has had a wild career, it's safe to say that his return to the current era of the Marvel Universe after being trapped in the Cancerverse has featured some particularly difficult adjustments for the classic hero.
Returning after his long hiatus, Nova came back in the aftermath of the second Marvel Civil War, realizing that while he'd sacrificed himself to imprison Thanos, Earth's heroes had spent their time squabbling. Not only that, but some of his first introductions were to the new, younger generation of heroes, creating some pretty funny interactions that addressed how the Marvel Universe had changed in his absence. However, while Nova's 2016 return was difficult, even the most recent issue of Guardians of the Galaxy sees Nova continuing to struggle with the new status quo.
When Ryder first returned from being trapped in the Cancerverse, he met Sam Alexander, the new Nova, who promptly took him to meet the Champions. While there was suspicion that Ryder was some sort of robot or Skrull, he checked out fine and in Nova #2 - from Jeff Loveness and Ramon Perez - he was made well aware of how much the Marvel Universe had changed while he was away. While speaking with the young heroes, it became hilariously apparent how much he needed to catch up on and how out of his element he now was. When the young Cyclops explained, "My adult self went crazy and died. I'm from the past and stuck in this time," Nova responded, "I hate everything about that sentence... Is every super hero twelve now?"
While Nova integrated into this brave new world over time, Guardians of the Galaxy #15 from Al Ewing and Juan Frigeri sees him still struggling with certain elements of the current Marvel Universe. For example, Nova attacks the Master of Magnetism, ultimately itting that he misses the old days of simply chasing down evil-doers.
All in all, it seems as though Nova misses the old days, and the modern Marvel Universe is one that he's had a hard time getting used to. Thankfully, Guardians of the Galaxy has made it clear that Nova is seeking professional help, with regular therapy helping him cope with his place in an often unfamiliar and unpredictable world.
Hopefully, Nova can find a way to adjust and be more flexible in a world that's mostly changed for the better, which is going to be critical now that he's overseeing the latest iteration of the Guardians as the new "Avengers of Space." Seeing Richard struggling with young heroes like Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales is pretty funny, and he surprised fans by showing his powers make him more of a match for Magneto than anyone thought, but both these situations are examples of the fact that while Nova may still unquestionably be fighting the good fight, he still has a way to go in accepting how the world has changed around him on a personal level.
