Rider, Richard

Richard is, upon a first glance, a normal looking human man, that looks and sounds his age. Brown hair, brown eyes, a strong physique which was acquired much through the training he underwent and with the help of the Nova Force, he could be considered a handsome man, who, however, doesn’t care overly much about the way he looks or his overall appearance. In fact, Richard’s rather simple when it comes to his choice of clothing, usually having to wear his Nova Corps armor for the sake of his job, but choosing comfortable clothing when he doesn’t have to wear it, things such as jeans, shirts, normal shoes, nothing too fancy or elegant, just simple to be comfortable enough for him to feel at ease.

He comes from a somewhat normal human background and a family that raised him to be a good man, a father that was strict but loving, and a mother that was accepting, which helped him forge his rather simple personality, despite all the power he actually wields. Being torn apart from his normal life from a very young age, Richard never managed to complete his education, something that bothers him still to this age, yet it doesn’t mean he isn’t really smart, mostly that his education, his knowledge, either came from life experience or the help o Worldmind, the sentient Xandarian computer that acts like his sidekick and partner in many ways. Richard’s not what we could call a ‘subtle’ man, always preferring to be honest and to the point, without sugarcoating things or making it sound ‘nicer’ than it should. However lacking in education, he doesn’t lack in determination; he knows the responsibility he has and how it wears heavy on his shoulders, but he is determined to bring it to the very end and has embraced his task as the head of the Nova Corps with all his might. Perhaps at first, Richard didn’t believe he was worth of the gift that was bestowed upon him when he was nothing but a teenager, and there will be moments when he will catch himself questioning his purposes, but those are very few and in between. He is driven, and he is driven to do the things he knows are the right things to do, and with the responsibility of the power he wields, that determination grows even bigger, especially with others under his responsibility as members of the Nova Corps.

As serious as he can be when doing his job, he’s usually rather laid-back when it comes to the actual fighting, always making light-hearted banters and showing his rather peculiar sense of humor. It isn’t uncommon for Richard to actually make fun of his adversaries, act slightly cocky or presumptuous, but that doesn’t deter him from actually doing his job well done. Yet, deep down, when it comes to it, Richard knows that the very force that gives him all his might and prowess has also altered his body in a way that without it, he would die. He is fully aware that it is through the efforts of Worldmind that he is still sane, as a human body is not completely capable of hosting such a powerful force, and while that intrinsic fear will not show itself in public, especially not against his enemies, it is there, and it is something that he only shares with those he truly trusts. At this point, there aren’t many that are aware of the fact that without Worldmind’s constant intervention, Richard would die, and while it is something that does make him fear, it is also something he doesn’t want everyone to know. So, in many ways, he keeps his nonchalant, casual behavior, especially when around friends that might know him for a good-humored man who knows how to be deadly serious when it comes to doing the job that he was chosen for many years ago.

As the host of the entirety of the Nova Force, a special type of Cosmic Energy harnessed by the ancient Xandarians and constantly monitored by the Xandarian Worldmind, Richard has been granted several different abilities through the manipulation of that energy that runs within him. They are as follows:

Superhuman Strength: Channeling the Nova Force to enhance his muscles, he can increase his physical strength to beyond 100 tons with ease. His strength is such that he was capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Silver Searcher in combat, despite not being able to win against him. He is capable of shattering mountains with one punch, and had no issues defeating Annihilus.

Superhuman Speed: The Nova Force allows Richard to move at superhuman speeds, surpassing the greatest human athlete and reaching, and surpassing, the speed of light, necessary for him to travel from planet to planet.

Superhuman Stamina: He no longer gets tired as humans do, thanks to the Nova Force. He can exert himself for at least twenty-four hours before his body begins to tire and he needs to rest. That also means that Richard needs less sleep and less time to recover from fatigue.

Durability: In order for him to survive in outer space, the Nova Force gives his body extreme durability, that allows him not only to survive the different conditions throughout the galaxy, but also normal injuries such as bullets, fall from heights, differences in temperature, energy blasts and impact.

Agility and Reflexes: Richard’s movements are much faster and more agile than the normal human’s, granting him perfect balance and coordination.

Healing: When actually sustaining damage, he can quickly redirect the Nova Force in order to heal wounds in a rather fast pace. He’s also immune to Earthily diseases and poisons o any kind.

Energy Generation: Redirecting the Nova Force through his hands, Richard can create blasts of powerful energy that are used in combat. They can be concussive in nature, solidified to do great concussive damage, or electromagnetic pulses that can not only be converted into electricity but also disrupt the gravity fields around him, since the Nova Force’s main abilities are related to gravity. This energy manipulation also allows Richard to create portals that help him when travelling throughout space.

Despite his Nova Force-related abilities, Richard is also connected to the Xandarian Worldmind, the sentient computer that controls all forms of Xandarian culture and serve as a sentient database of information. The connection between Richard and the Worldmind is so that he can mentally or verbally communicate with it, and vice-versa, which will often cause the Worldmind to give him orders or suggestions even when not asked for. It will guide him through his missions, offering him insights and opinions, new instructions and information when necessary. But it is not only as a guide that the Worldmind makes itself essential in Richard’s life, but also because it is the one thing keeping his mind from falling apart, as the Nova Force has the tendency of disrupting his mind to the point of insanity. Without the Worldmind, Richard would simply succumb to the power he has been given.

The Worldmind connects him to other computer systems so he can access information, it downloads information on enemies directly to Richard’s brain, it allows him to be protected from psionic attacks by creating psi-shields, grants him uncanny accuracy by automatically setting him with the right coordinates and usually it is in control of Richard’s body as he sleeps, so he will not completely lose his battle against the Nova Force which is constantly trying to kill him.

Despite all that, he is also a highly skilled combatant, trained by the Xandarians themselves, although his preferred method of combat involves using the Nova Force abilities that he has been granted.

His uniform is that of the leader of the Nova Corps, a special uniform made of Xandarian material that was altered by the Worldmind in order to help him stabilize the Nova Force. The metal breastplates and the circle around his chest are circuits that stabilize the excess of the force when he is using it, and redirects it back to his body once he is done. The material is made of Xandarian substance that changes its density when it contact with Richard's body, becoming a more metallic mesh when he wears it, and malleable as cloth when he is not wearing it. The same goes for the helmet, which gives him enhanced night vision and heat vision. He can fold it and hide it anywhere when not worn, as much like his uniform, it becomes completely malleable and cloth-like, turning into a rigit metal structure when worn.

WEAKNESSES:

While the Nova Force gives him truly extraordinary powers, it is also too much for his human mind to handle, and the only reason why he is still sane as he hosts it is because of the Worldmind intervention. It is the sentient machine that keeps Richard’s mind together, and without it, he will quickly lose his mental stability whenever using the full Nova Force power, and have mental breakdowns and most likely becoming completely insane.

Also, the Nova Force, while it is without a doubt Richard’s biggest strength, it has also given his body a complete molecular need to that kind of energy. The damage to the molecular structure was such that Richard, without the Nova Force, would most likely die after two days without it, or a similar source of energy such as the Power Cosmic or the Quasar quantum energy.

Richard Rider was born to a very normal family in Hempstead, New York. His father, Charles, was a high school principal who always made sure his children could have the best life he could give him, who was a strict but loving father who wished to see his family prosper. Gloria, his mother, is a 911 operator, and together with his younger brother Robert, they were a rather normal, middle-class American family, until the unthinkable happened to Richard’s life. As Rhomann Dey, the Xandarian that hosted the Nova Force, came to Earth after Xandar was all but torn apart by the hordes led by intergalactic pirate Zorr. Following Zorr to Earth, Rhomann Dey, was, however, mortally wounded, and knowing that he was not capable of having his revenge over the destruction of his family, he decided to pass on the Nova Force powers to a random human, hoping that whoever took them would choose to use them wisely.

That human was teenager Richard Rider, who then instantly received all the powers that the Nova Force granted him, together with the Nova Corps uniform, but the young man had little understanding of what had just gone on and why he was given all those gifts, and so, stumbling upon a new life that was now forced upon him, his initial instinct was to work as a superhero. His first stunts were against New York City villains, as he called himself Nova, the Human Rocket.

It did not last long, however, as his duties with Xandar would come knocking at his door, and Richard was called back to Xandar to help with the reconstruction of the previously destroyed planet. Yet, he was still young, and missing the life he once had, so upon his request, he was returned to Earth, under the condition he gave up on his powers, which he did, and returned to whatever normal life he could achieve on Earth. During this period, Richard worked on common, odd jobs, at fast food restaurants, barely managing to make enough money to sustain his life, since with a lack of education, it was all the work he could achieve. For a moment, he regretted having given up the powers that he was initially given, and unbeknownst to him, Xandar would be once again destroyed. Yet for Rich, it was all too depressing to return to a life that was so mundane and where he had to struggle for almost everything.

Knowing about his previous reputation as a solo vigilante, a man known as Night Trasher, who had the intentions of building his own superhero team, studied more about Richard’s former powers, and coming to the conclusion that the powers could be restored to him if he suffered a big enough shock or a high adrenaline rush, he kidnapped Rich, only to drop him from the top of a building, making all the Nova Force powers reactivate instantly. For a while, perhaps also out of thankfulness, Richard was a part of Dwayne Taylor’s New Warriors, aiding other more inexperienced heroes in their training and being a great asset to the team. But eventually, his duties as a member of the Nova Corps would clash with his time with the New Warriors, forcing Richard to make the choice to simply abandon Earth and become the full member of the Nova Corps that he was expected to be.

Many battles followed before Richard found himself stranded and locked in a pocket dimension within New York City: He battled the forces of Annihilus, together with other cosmic heroes; during that time, the Xandarian Worldmind, the sentient computer that was hosted back in Xandar, became merged in a way, so that Richard’s body could cope with the essence of the Nova Force. He was offered the title of Honorary Kree by Ronan the Accuser after helping him in that same battle. He returned to Earth for a while, where he would show Worldmind, now constantly connected through Richard’s brain, not only his parents, his family, but also his home country. There were many adventures that followed, and now, he finds himself trapped in his own planet, without a way out and having no idea what brought him there. New adventures might ensue, but what Richard truly wishes to find is a way out, so the Galaxy isn’t left without one of its protectors.

”So…” Richard paused for a brief moment, the glowing light behind his helmet flaring a little brighter as he adjusted the helmet capabilities to the infrared spectrum. There was nothing that he could find up to that point that would tell him the reason why he found himself suddenly back on Earth, and not only that, back in New York City, and of course, since things never happened alone when it came to those situations, without a way out. ”That didn’t go as well as I planned.” His initial attempt of trying to go beyond the borders that made New York City had him crashing against some sort of super-powerful force field that bypassed even the Nova Force capabilities. And as Richard was tossed backwards in a violent manner, he realized that whatever had happened, it was far more serious than anything else he could imagine.

”Let me guess, you don’t know anything either. Right?” And as he stood up, he stretched his neck back and forth, hearing it pop for a moment before sighing and removing his helmet, rubbing his eyes in the process.

There is nothing that I can access that would indicate an origin that I could trace. All that I am aware of, Richard, is that whatever force field is surrounding your home city is unbreakable, even by the Nova Force.

”So you’re telling me…” Speaking with the Worldmind had become second nature to Richard. It was, after all, thanks to the sentient computer that he even was capable of keeping himself together. Worldmind had become like family to him, in many ways, like someone he could count on whenever he had a problem, someone that would listen and put him back into track if he were doing something wrong. Just that it was a computer. And it was technically light-years away, yet, that didn’t seem like an issue, as they were bonded in a way that bypassed distance and whatever magic had locked him into this new world.

Yes, Richard, I am telling you that I have no options at this point in time. Perhaps as we understand more of what is going on, I shall. For the moment, it is all I can tell you. But keep looking at the positive side… did you not wish to spend some time back at home?

”Yes, Worldmind, something about being forced to take a small home vacation doesn’t sit that well with me though. Anyway… Do you have anything else to tell me?” If even Worldmind, who had access to all sorts of computers all over the universe, did not know or could not access the origins of this… it couldn’t mean well. In fact, Richard was already worried, yet, there were more pressing matters. Such as… what would he do now that he was trapped back in New York with no way out?

There is a Burger King not too far from here that could appease your hunger.

”Oh c’mon….” Rolling his eyes, he felt his stomach rumbling and tilted his head to the side. ”Hey, now that I think of it, not such a bad idea…” And taking to the sky, Richard followed the instructions that he received inside his mind. This was not good, but… he had worse. In fact, come to think of it, he had a lot worse.

USER NAME: Kyra

YEARS RPING: 15 years. I’m old.

REFERRED TO BY: Found on Marvel TopSites.

OTHER: Not for now!