August Hero(ine) ~ NOVA

Nova is our August hero. Nova was created in the early 1980's by Dan Graves in order to introduce a female superheroine into the DFG lineup. "It really was a male dominated company in those days," recalled the DFG Publisher and Founder, "Nova was to be introduced in the first never-published Spy Comics annual in 1983 or 84. That annual never came together, although she did appear in her civilian identity in another unpublished story, which was to follow the annual." According to Mr. Graves she was to have assumed the civilian identity of Kim Kane and begun work as secretary to Carnage City Gazette editor-in-chief, J.S. Frederickson, who was also Julius Smithers' boss. "Dan was getting a little ahead of himself in those days," recalled co-publisher Darryl Andrews, "he was great at drawing advance covers and cover concepts, but a bit slow on doing interior stories and art. As a result Nova appeared on several covers, but never on any inside stories. She was also to appear in the unpublished Invincibles mini-series of 1983." When asked about Nova, DFG enthusiast Javier Santamotzarello commented, "She really was one of the characters always lurking in the background of the golden-age of DFG but never really making it to the front page, like Nepto, Spymaster and Redman. I have several early sketches that I picked up at conventions. Perhaps my most prized possession is the unpublished cover for the original Spy Comics #13 which was to feature the marriage of Spymaster and Nova." Dan Graves remembered this cover, "Yes, it was all a bit absurd... for some reason I thought that Nova would be a good love interest for the Spymaster. I can't recall my reasoning anymore. That cover (which featured the Spymaster in top hat and tails marrying a wedding-dress clad Nova) was just absurd." Mr. Graves revisited that story in Retro-Spy #2, last year, which featured the first appearance of Nova since the early 1980's. In that story it was revealed that she was an alien from another dimension who was brought back to earth by the Invincibles and joined their team. Spy Comics Presents #1 (2006) revealed that she had since returned to her own dimension and homeworld. "She didn't make it into either the 1985 or the 1996 relaunch," said Darryl Andrews, "and so I was absolutely flabergasted when Dan brought her back for the Retro-Spy issue, and even more surprised to see her appearances in recent issues of Spy Comics Presents!" Regardless of her inauspicious early days, it looks like our favourite heroine from another dimension, who still has a crush on Julius Smithers, is back to stay. Watch for future appearances in upcoming DFG Comics titles!
Nova picture by Darryl Andrews scan courtesy of Oscar Foodlecollins