Petition Marvel to Celebrate Nova’s 50th Anniversary
A Petition Link with Commentary
By Timelord
Nova turns 50 in 2026, and Marvel still hasn’t announced any kind of recognition or celebration. A petition is asking Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski to give Rich Rider the 50th Anniversary treatment he deserves.
Follow the link to sign the petition at change.org: https://c.org/wN6zvGY5rp
How Marvel Cosmic hooked me
My love of Marvel Cosmic began in the summer of 1974 when, at the age of 12, and at the price of 25 cents, I purchased Thor #227 to read the fascinating tale of Thor, Hercules, Firelord, and Galactus confronting Ego the Living Planet.
I could barely wait for #228 to be released the next month to read the conclusion of the tale. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend it. It still holds up as a first-class cosmic tale comparable to the best ever produced by Marvel.
It inspired me to try other cosmic, horror, and fantasy comic books such as Gold Key’s Magnus Robot Fighter and Dr. Spektor, DC’s Kong the Untamed, Gold Key’s Star Trek, and Charlton’s Space: 1999 and Doomsday +1, among many others.
Good televised and movie SF and fantasy content was hard to come by back then. Star Trek reruns on local stations were sometimes available. Doctor Who was sometimes available on PBS. Space: 1999 began in syndication in 1975. Logan’s Run hit the silver screen in 1976. Starlog magazine debuted in 1976, becoming the go-to source of SF and fantasy before anyone ever really dreamed of the internet.
And, of course, everything changed with the debut of Star Wars in 1977, making possible the SF and fantasy material we now enjoy across all forms of media. But back then, pre-1977, the best and most reliable way to get your fix of new SF and fantasy content was comic books.
Discovering The Man Called Nova
I remember in mid-June of 1976, as Bicentennial celebration preparations were well underway in my little Midwestern hometown, I rode my bicycle to the small, family-owned independent pharmacy where I purchased comic books and, to my delight, unexpectedly found a new cosmic comic book called The Man Called Nova.
The now-iconic cover art rendered by Buckler and Sinnott caught my eye on the old wire spinner rack where comic books were displayed for sale. I eagerly plucked a crisp new issue from its perch on the rack—happy that I had been able to find one uncreased and unbowed, as they quickly became back then, long before they were regularly sold in bags with boards—plunked down my 30 cents, and rode home to see if the interior content matched the promise of the cover.
Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Big John Buscema’s art and Marv Wolfman’s storytelling captured my imagination, and I became an instant super-fan of Rich Rider, the man called Nova, to the present day—soon to be 50 years later.
Rich Rider’s long road to becoming a Marvel Cosmic legend
From 1976 to 1979, I enjoyed the adventures of Rich Rider, culminating in the much-anticipated embarkation of Rich into space over the course of what would become the last three issues of the first series.
Issue #25 ended the series on a pseudo-cliffhanger, with Rich on Xandar fighting for Xandar in the Xandar-Skrull War.
Fantastic Four #204-214 (1979-1980) continued Rich’s final adventure from the first series, leaving him on Xandar to fight in the war until Rom #24 (1981) concluded his first-series storyline, sending him back to Earth depowered.
We wouldn’t see Rich Rider again until Thor #412 (1989), eight long years later, which reintroduced a newly repowered Rich as part of a new team called the New Warriors, where Rich quickly became the standout character.
He has been with us since through several more series, including his greatest series ever, Annihilation (2006-2007), the best Marvel Cosmic story ever produced, in my not-so-humble opinion.
And now, we are enjoying a new series, Nova Centurion, on the eve of Rich’s 50th Anniversary.
Thank you to the creators, advocates, and fans
On the eve of Rich’s 50th Anniversary, I wish to thank Marv Wolfman for creating the incredible and unforgettable character of Richard Rider Nova, and the Marvel editors, writers, and artists for the many adventures of Rich that they’ve treated us to over the course of his momentous history.
I wish to give special thanks to Doug Smith for his ardent Nova advocacy and tireless creation and maintenance of the greatest Nova database on the planet, the Novaprimepage.
I wish to give special thanks to Matt McGloin for creating the premier website for all things cosmic, CosmicBookNews, for his fearless and uncompromising advocacy for quality content in all things cosmic, for his tireless advocacy for quality Nova, Quasar, and Guardians of the Galaxy content, and for giving me a chance to write content for CosmicBookNews over the years.
Most of all, I want to thank the Nova fans for your continuing support of all Nova content with your dollars, as without that kind of support, there would be no Nova content to enjoy and celebrate.
Marvel hasn’t announced a Nova 50th celebration
On the eve of Nova’s 50th Anniversary, Marvel has not yet announced plans for any kind of recognition or celebration. It may be that Marvel is biding their time to build anticipation, or it may be that nothing has been planned.
Questions have been asked of Marvel’s editorial staff, but so far, silence.
In the age of EIC Cebulski’s Marvel Legacy Era celebrating core character roots, it would seem to me that after 50 years, Rich Rider Nova should be considered a legacy character and his history formally celebrated.
The clock is ticking. It’s already February 2026, and the June-September window to celebrate Rich’s 50th Anniversary (1976 release date/cover date for The Man Called Nova) is fast approaching.
I implore all Nova fans to sign the petition to EIC Cebulski, respectfully asking for a 50th Anniversary Celebration of Rich Rider Nova. Let’s show Marvel that Rich Rider has an ardent fan base eager for more Nova content and a celebration of Rich’s 50th Anniversary!
Follow the link to sign the petition: https://c.org/wN6zvGY5rp
