Warning!! The following contains spoilers for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, available now.
With the release of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, gamers are getting their first taste of the more expansive cosmic Marvel universe. Sure, it's been touched on in games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, but this is the first time the true scale of the cosmic world that began with Annihilation would be felt.
One major player in Marvel's cosmic storylines has been notably absent from the lead-up to Guardians of the Galaxy, but the game hasn't forgotten about him. In fact, the game goes to great lengths to let you know that Richard Rider, the Earthborn hero known as Nova, the Human Rocket, very much exists within the universe.
Unfortunately, that doesn't mean Rider appears proper in the game, but there is quite a bit of mystery surrounding his whereabouts. Your first nods to Nova happen as early as your trip to Hala's Hope to pay off the Nova Corps Fine, where you can find pictures of Rider on vending machines in the lobby. These are likely just easter eggs meant to be a fun nod to the history of Nova, though.
The first actual mention of Rider is inside the Collector's Emporium, where you'll find his helmet on display. According to the Collector's display, Rider is currently missing, but he donated his original helmet to the Collector before leaving. This helmet is connected to the Worldmind, which Rider evidently could not stand. Before donating the helmet, he upgraded to a helmet that contained its own Nova Force. This design sounds similar to the black Supernova helmet worn in the comics by Samuel Alexander.
There are multiple other mentions of Rider when interacting with terminals on the Nova Corps base The Rock, but they all provide the same conclusion: Rider is missing in action and has been for some time. However, these confirm that, much like in the comics, Rider was at one point Nova Prime and the leader of the Nova Corps.
Rider's disappearance does mirror a similar storyline he faced in the comics storyline Annihilation. Following the destruction of the Nova Corps, Rider's efforts pushing back the Annihilation Wave earned him plenty of respect throughout the universe. It was under Rider's leadership during the war that Peter Quill would resume his Star-Lord identity. Nova would give his blessing for the formation of the Guardians to help protect the universe while the Nova Corps was rebuilding, even suggesting Gamora and Drax for the new team. Following Annihilation, Rider would divide his time between Earth and his cosmic duties as Nova for some time before being called back during the events of The Thanos Imperative. There, Rider would save the universe once more, seemingly sacrificing his life to close the Fault and prevent Thanos from escaping by destroying the Cancerverse. In reality, both Rider and the Cancerverse survived, with Rider stranded with no means of escape or calling for help.
Rider would finally escape years later thanks to the help of Samuel Alexander, who had since taken up his father's black Nova helmet. Most recently, he rejoined the Guardians and appears to have been rekindling his relationship with Gamora, though he's still coping with PTSD following his time in the Cancerverse. While the game never addresses Rider's ultimate fate in Guardians of the Galaxy's timeline, his presence during the earlier war mirrors his tenure during Annihilation. With the Nova Corps in shambles following its encounter with the Universal Church of Truth, having to find the former Nova Prime could be precisely the motivation needed for a future Guardians of the Galaxy sequel.
Developed by Square Enix and published by Eidos-Montréal, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.