The Nova Corps is the intergalactic military and police force of the Nova Empire, led by an individual holding the rank of Nova Prime.

History[]

Kree-Nova War[]

The Nova Corps was on the front lines of a war with the Kree Empire for over 1,000 years.^[1]

In the 1990s, the Nova started developing an Axiom Cannon to use against the Kree, hoping that having such a weapon could force the Kree to accept peace. However, a minority opinion within the government believed that the only way to achieve peace was for both sides to have equal technology. Rhomann Dey was thus sent to Sy'gyl by Nova Prime, a member of the minority, to ensure that the Starforce's attempt to steal the plans for the cannon were successful. Dey met with Vers after the bunker containing the plans was destroyed and helped her get to her team's extraction point, revealing that the two of them were selected for the mission since they were the least likely on their respective teams to kill without question. Yon-Rogg thanked Dey for helping and dismissed him, and the two agreed that the events which happened on Sy'gyl did not occur.^[2]

In 2014, a peace agreement was reached; although the Nova Corps presumably welcomed the respite, rioting broke out throughout the Kree Empire. Outraged by the peace agreement, Ronan the Accuser made a pact with Thanos in order to exterminate Xandar, capital of the Nova Empire. This caused Irani Rael to call the Kree Ambassador and ask for a testimonial from the Kree Empire that condemned Ronan's murderous actions across the galaxy; however, the ambassador refused.

The Corps defended Xandar on the Battle of Xandar, coordinating with the Guardians of the Galaxy after Nova Prime decided to trust them. Partly through the Corps' valiant efforts, the battle was narrowly won, with many members of the Corps giving their lives before Ronan was finally defeated. After the battle, the Guardians went through with Gamora's plan to entrust the Orb to the Nova Corps, believing they were one of the few organizations that could be trusted not to use it. Nova Prime assured them of their good intentions and locked the Orb in a secure vault on Xandar. In gratitude, the Nova Corps expunged their criminal records to allow them a fresh start.^[1]

Finding Groot[]

The Nova Corps found Groot in a ship surrounded by a destroyed ice cream truck. The Nova Corps surrounded Groot as he ate his ice cream.^[3]

Destruction[]

In 2018, Thanos, in his quest for Infinity Stones, chose the Power Stone protected by the Nova Corps as his first destination in his goal. The Mad Titan managed to take the Power Stone and then wiped out half of Xandar's population as part of his goal to balance the universe.^[4]

Ranks[]

• Nova Prime
  • Irani Rael
• Centurions
  • Female Centurion
• Denarians
  • Garthan Saal †
  • Rhomann Dey
  • Head Riot Guard †
• Corpsmen
  • Rhomann Dey (previously)
  • Nova Prime's Assistant
  • Angry Guard †
  • Mean Guard †

Facilities[]

• Nova Corps Headquarters: The Headquarters of the Nova Corp on Xandar.
• Kyln: High-security prison facility, for people who had broken the law in the Nova Empire.

Equipment[]

Vehicles[]

• Star Blasters

Weapons[]

• Nova Machine Gun

Appearances[]

In chronological order:

• Captain Marvel: Starforce on the Rise
• Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude, Issue 2 (mentioned)
• Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Prelude, Issue 1
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Prelude, Issue 2
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (mentioned)
• I Am Groot | Episode 2.04: Groot's Sweet Treat
• Avengers: Infinity War: The Heroes' Journey
• Avengers: Infinity War (indirectly mentioned)

Trivia[]

• In the comics, the Nova Corps helmets gave them abilities such as flight and energy projection.
• The three lights on the Nova Corp's chest plates represent the three suns of Xandar.

Behind the Scenes[]

• When asked about the possibility of a Nova Corps solo film during a Q&A about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, James Gunn responded that there's always that possibility but that it is not a thing he would actually do.^[6]
• Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely initially toyed with the idea of introducing Richard Rider in Avengers: Infinity War as the sole survivor of the Nova Corps, who would have heralded Thanos' arrival instead of Bruce Banner.^[7]

References[]

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Nova Corps.

External Links[]

• Nova Corps on Marvel Database
• Nova Corps on Wikipedia