When Captain America took over the Nova Force, he revealed a cosmic potential that he continues to ignore even against the greatest threats.
Whereas Captain America is one of the most vital heroes in the Marvel Universe – constantly rallying others to just causes and doing the work to uncover the next big threat – his brief time wielding the power of Nova proves that he is wasting his potential as Earth’s protector.
The Nova Corps is an interstellar peacekeeping initiative that uses super-powered helmets to endow its members with incredible powers, ranging from superhuman strength and durability to energy shielding and the ability to zip through the air like a human rocket ship. . The energy for these powers is provided by the Xandarian Worldmind – a powerful supercomputer that shares the Nova Force among members of the Corps. Interestingly, the nature of this power sharing allows the Worldmind to distribute its energy as needed, meaning a person can theoretically wield the full power of the entire Body as long as their mind is strong enough to command it. .
In Secret Avengers #4 – by Ed Brubaker, Mike Deodato Jr., Rain Beredo and Dave Lanphear – Steve Rogers faces off against classic Nova, Richard Rider, who has been possessed by an eldritch artifact known as the Serpent Crown. Luckily, the crown must be worn to truly take control of Rider, which forces him to throw away his Nova helmet. Captain America takes it, asking the Worldmind for maximum power. The Worldmind warns Steve that he demands more Nova Force than anyone has ever possessed before, and that despite years of experience, harnessing the Nova Force has nearly destroyed Rider’s mind in the past. Wasting no time, Cap accepts the risk and not only manages to take control of the Nova Force, but crushes Richard Rider and removes the Serpent’s Crown.
Captain America’s powers make him a peak human, allowing him to access the upper limits of the human body’s potential. It stands to reason that this includes the chemical processes of his mind, given that his reaction times and tactical acumen are often as superhuman as his physique. However, even despite himself, his ability to instantly deal with the Nova Force is a stunning achievement. It’s a move that shows Captain America’s iron will and endless ability to rise to the occasion, but it also proves that he’s currently wasting those qualities.
In the Marvel Universe, the Supreme Power often corrupts the user, but it can also be used for incredible purposes. The ebony blade urges its wielder to kill, the War Thor’s hammer fills its lifter with rage, All-Black the Necrosword puts its user in touch with the primordial void, the Ultimate Nullifier can destroy the universe if it is used without absolute focus, the Black Vortex unleashes endless power at the risk of corruption, and the Darkhold puts a person into their darkest potential life while making them stronger than ever. These are weapons that would make a hero capable of taking on Galactus and Dormammu, but for the most part they are banned simply because they could turn even the most loyal hero into a threat.
While each of the above artifacts would likely corrupt Captain America given enough time, his Nova Force upgrade shows that no one is more qualified to use them for good, and yet Steve Rogers carefully avoids them. Even when he obtained the powers of the Phoenix Force, he quickly rejected them. Not wanting power is one of Captain America’s most impressive and heroic traits, but he’s also on the front line against threats that can destroy entire realities. Captain America must consider that he’s the best person to control many of Marvel’s most dangerous weapons and – when the next King in Black or Galactus comes calling – consider using his iron will to exploit one of many New Strength-level weapons that only he has the potential to wield responsibly.
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