The Marvel Universe has some of the best and most well-known heroes in all of comic books. From Spider-Man to The Incredible Hulk, their libraries are massive and were among some of the first characters of the cartoony medium to truly break into the world of mainstream pop culture. However, it features quite a few underrated non-Earth heroes as well.
Two of those heroes are Captain Marvel and quite possibly one of the best underrated comic heroes there is, Richard Rider, AKA, Nova. These two cosmic space heroes are very similar at first look but have a lot of differences when one looks closer. One question that many often ponder is just who is the stronger of the two.
10 MORE POWERFUL: He's Survived Death More Times Than Anyone Can Count
Nova has arguably been killed more than anyone in the Marvel Universe. During his time in the Cancerverse after the Marvel cosmic event, The Thanos Imperative, he basically lived through hell while constantly fighting against the evil Avengers of the Old Ones' conquered universe, The Revengers.
This has Nova in a place where he fears nothing but himself and his dark past. This and the motivation that comes with it puts Nova on a whole other level than someone like Captain Marvel.
9 WILL NEVER BE: She Can Absorb Energy
One thing that many look at when comparing Captain Marvel to other heroes is her ability to completely ignore so many attacks due to her abilities. One of these abilities is to absorb energy.
This came from Carol's fusion with the old Captain Marvel, Mar-vell, and allows her to absorb energy and use it to her will. She can not only fire this energy back but she can also use it to push her physical abilities.
8 MORE POWERFUL: He's Had Worldmind At His Side
During the Annihilation event, Nova got really close to one of the most powerful assets in the entirety of the Marvel Universe. That asset was Worldmind, and while it and Nova didn't get along it gave Nova the chance to grow as a leader, a fighter, and learn a lot.
Worldmind is the most powerful computer and database in Marvel which makes it quite obvious why it was such a great asset to Richard. While it isn't around anymore, the knowledge Nova got from it still rests inside his mind.
7 WILL NEVER BE: She Can Go Binary
While Nova has held so much power in his hand he couldn't control it, it's doubtful that he has as much power as Carol's binary form yet. This form is one of the strongest transformations in the Marvel Universe.
Captain Marvel's binary form entails the superheroine accessing the entirety of her powers. These powers are so strong that it results in her completely transforming into a whole new form with little resemblance to her human looks. It gives her almost infinite access to her powers.
6 MORE POWERFUL: Better Leadership Skills
While not a power, leadership is an amazing asset that just about every hero needs to master one time or another, and for Richard Rider, while this skill didn't come naturally, he became one of the best leaders in Marvel history when the situation called for it.
In arguably the largest war of Marvel, young Nova rose to the occasion and saved an ignorant Earth and tons of other galaxies. On the other side, Captain Marvel's lack of strong leadership has been shown to be her greatest weakness as seen in the Marvel event, Civil War II.
5 WILL NEVER BE: She Has An Answer For Every Issue
Captain Marvel's powers have been shown to be able to get her out of almost any situation and take her to victory against almost any foe.
She is somewhat comparable to a swiss army knife in the fact that she has so many abilities that can save her from so many tight spots.
4 MORE POWERFUL: He Has Greater Feats
While he may not seem as powerful at face value, Nova has much greater feats than Captain Marvel, many of which showed during the many events he was a part of.
Nova singlehandedly took out the likes of Annihilus after leading a winning war against him and has been shown to even be able to go toe-to-toe with an enraged Thanos. Not to mention he may have some lingering Cancerverse power dormant within him due to his time spent there, making him somewhat undead and unable to die.
3 WILL NEVER BE: She Is Genetically Enhanced
One thing that Captain Marvel has over Nova is that she is actually genetically enhanced.
This means that even without her suit Carol would be able to hold her own against multiple threats. The same can't be said for Richard.
2 MORE POWERFUL: Can Hold All The Power Of The Nova Force
During the Annihilation storyline, Nova became more powerful than any other wielder of the Nova force has ever been.
He singlehandedly held all the power of the Nova Force within him and was able to completely control it with a bit of training. This is no easy feat and it made Nova one of the strongest in the universe.
1 WILL NEVER BE: His Powers Aren't Fully His
However, the downside of being a member of Nova Corps is that your power isn't truly yours, as seen with Richard Rider.
All the power resides in his helmet, and while that helmet isn't easy to lose or have stolen if it were to happen Richard would be left powerless.