This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero blog post will look at some of the earliest stories of Marvel’s character Nova.
NOVA Vol 1 #1 (September 1976)
Title: Nova
Villain: Zorr
NOTE: This was the very first appearance of Nova and by extension, the Nova Corps of Xandar, the space force that became reasonably popular in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Synopsis: We meet Rhomann-Dey, a member of the intergalactic Nova Corps of superpowered police/ military forces from the far-off planet Xandar. In his spaceship, Rhomann-Dey pursued the villainous alien Zorr into Earth’s proximity but was mortally wounded in battle with that criminal.
Rhomann settled his Xandarian vessel into orbit around the Earth and summoned test pilot Hal Jordan to become his successor as a Green Lantern hurriedly selected an Earthling to pass his incredible Nova powers on to.
Hempstead, Long Island teenager Richard Rider is Rhomann’s selection and he transfers his uniform and powers to him as he is dying. While Richard learns to cope with his new abilities his Nova uniform makes him a target for Zorr. In the end, Zorr is destroyed and Rhomann-Dey’s ship remains in orbit. Continue reading
DOWN GOES NUMBER FIVE – The 15th ranked EMPORIA STATE HORNETS paid a visit to the number 5 team in the nation – the NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS. The Bearcats were up 7-6 in the 1st Quarter but the Hornets went on top 13-7 by Halftime. From there Emporia State outscored Northwest Missouri State 20-6 for a 33-13 triumph. 
FOUR QUARTERS WEREN’T ENOUGH – This game pitted the SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY MULERIDERS against their hosts the EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY TIGERS. A scoreless opening Quarter was followed by a 17-0 Tigers advantage at the Half. The Muleriders rallied after the break, forcing Overtime with a 17-17 deadlock to end the 4th Quarter. In the extra session SAU won 24-17. 
Over the years, Balladeer’s Blog has reviewed several of Jorg Buttgereit’s envelope-pushing, taboo-breaking horror films. Because I review everything from the extreme fringes like Buttgereit (at left) to mild, even family-friendly items let me offer a warning for readers who don’t like extreme violence or extreme concepts. If you fall into that category, please DO NOT look up my long-ago reviews of Jorg’s most notorious films and then blast me because the subject matter appalls you. I am giving fair warning about what they’re like. 
CAPTAIN BERLIN: RETTER DER WELT (1982) – Buttgereit was only 18 when he made this 10-minute short film. He wrote, directed and played the title superhero with Bela B. from the German punk band Die Ärzte co-starring as Mister Synth. This work about West Berlin’s only superhero fighting a monster from outer space is of interest only because of Buttgereit’s and Bela’s involvement. 
Decades later, Buttgereit would revive the Captain Berlin character in one of his stage show-radio show hybrids, titled Captain Berlin versus Hitler. That production – which I will review at some point in the future – was eventually filmed and released to theaters and on dvd. 
HORROR HEAVEN (1984) – Jorg starred as an old-fashioned Horror Movie Host introducing several horror shorts of his own making in this 24-minute project. Buttgereit structured it as a salute to Boris Karloff but with some gore thrown in. 
OF ANTICHRIST AND HIS RUIN (1692) – Last week Balladeer’s Blog reviewed John Bunyan’s often neglected work 
THE MAN HUNTER (1972) – This made for tv movie should not be confused with the later Ken Howard series of the same name about a 1930s bounty hunter. This telefilm starred Roy Thinnes as David Farrow, a Big Game hunter who plies his trade in jungle locations around the world. Farrow is hired to track down a deadly Cajun criminal who has fled into the Louisiana bayous. 
The Man Hunter opens with Clel and his boys pulling off a bank robbery which misfires, with Clel killing the son of the bank owner in the resulting violence. When the cops lose Bocock in the swampland the bank owner, Walter Sinclair (David Brian), seeks outside help.
DIVISION TWO OWNS DIVISION ONE – Three Division 2 teams downed Division 1 teams on Saturday – the CENTRAL STATE MARAUDERS edged their hosts the MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE DELTA DEVILS 24-21 ### The VIRGINIA STATE TROJANS won 33-24 at the NORFOLK STATE SPARTANS ### And the BOWIE STATE BULLDOGS doubled-up on the home standing DELAWARE STATE HORNETS 22-11. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBERS THREE & FOUR – NCAA Division 3’s 6th ranked ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY JOHNNIES won a 34-31 Overtime thriller against the number 4 team in the nation – the TRINITY (TX) TIGERS ### And the (23) UW-RIVER FALLS FALCONS clobbered the 3rd ranked UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR CRUSADERS 45-22. 
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #51 (February 1950) 
After that, the government briefs the team about a top secret project which has been drilling deep down into the Earth. A scientist named Charles Crillion advised against doing this because he theorized the existence of a race of diamond-hard beings who would view the drilling as a hostile act. 
FRONTIER CONFERENCE FRACAS – The CARROLL (MT) COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS visited the MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS in this game. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Fighting Saints was trimmed to just 14-10 by Halftime. The Orediggers pulled to within 14-13 to end the 3rd Quarter but CC won out 21-19 in the 4th.
D3 OVER NAIA – The MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE CHOCTAWS snuck past their hosts the KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS in a 17-14 thriller ### While the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-LACROSSE EAGLES won much more easily at the DAKOTA STATE TROJANS, spanking them by a score of 31-6. 
NAIA OVER D3 – This game pitted the LOUISIANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS against the visiting EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The Wildcats led 13-0 in the opening Quarter and 24-7 at the break. After a scoreless 3rd Quarter, LCU consummated their win 34-14. 
A VOYAGE TO THE MOON (1657) – Written by Cyrano de Bergerac. Yes, the one and only Cyrano de Bergerac, noted for his prominent proboscis and for Rostand’s play depicting his romance with Roxanne, at first acting on behalf of his friend. Some people still mistakenly believe Cyrano was a fictional character. 
Cyrano’s fictional space traveler was named Dyrcona and was the first to use multi-stage rockets to reach his destination. Dyrcona’s rocket design was based on firecrackers of the time period. The lunar inhabitants wore no clothing, had four legs and spoke in song. Their technology included transparent globes that captured solar rays for illumination, talking book-machines (early radio) and ray-guns that not only killed game but simultaneously cooked it. 
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