Original Sin (SPOILERS)

[The Baron]

OK, just read issue #0.  It involves the current iteration of Nova, who is apparently a kid named Sam Alexander, whose father was an old drunk who claimed to have been an intergalactic space hero, and who eventually disappeared. In time, the son discovers that the old man had been an intergalactic space hero and ends up becoming the new Nova himself. I'm not familiar with this version of the character, so I can't say how long he's been around. I remember reading the original Nova nearly forty years ago - I don't have any great memories of him except that he was drawn by Carmine Infantino for awhile.

 

Anyway, our Sam fights a robot version of Tomazooma and meets the Avengers and asks them about the Watcher and finds out that while they know the Watcher watches, they don't know why. So, he goes to the Moon and gives the Watcher a rock and Utau Atua Utapau Uatu shows him his home movies of how his Dad (Uatu's, I mean, not Sam's) was the one who had the bright idea of giving the Prosilicans nuclear energy and we all know how that worked out.  Is this new?  I don't remember it being U Thant Utrecht Uatu's old man who did that. Anyway, Sam asks Uatu just how much he watches and Uatu blows his mind by showing him scenes from old issues of What If.  Anyway, Sam realizes that what Uatu is really hoping to see is a world where his dad wasn't wrong. Sam commiserates and says that he wishes his father wasn't a screw-up, too, then asks Uatu what happened to his (Sam's, not Uatu's) dad, and after a slight pause, Uatu tells Sam that his dad is still alive. (Say, isn't that sort of "interfering", Uatu, old son?).  Sam goes off happy and Uatu puts the rock on a shelf. 

 

A mildly interesting story, and the art is nice enough.

 

Say, the Watcher apparently has an armory - he's really loaded for bear - where he keeps the Ultimate Nullifier. How'd he end up with it? I thought Galactus took that back after Reed made him promise to leave Earth after threatening to blow his head off with it.

 

[Mark S. Ogilvie]

There was never any mention in the Watcher's origins that it was his father that wanted to help the lesser races. Not in the original anyway.

[The Baron]

I didn't think so, but I thought I might've missed something somewhere.

[Mark S. Ogilvie]

[Mark S. Ogilvie]

Just checked Son's of Origins and it was his father.

[The Baron]

Ah. Interesting.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

So, he goes to the Moon and gives the Watcher a rock ...

So Uatu is Charlie Brown?  I like that, actually.

My brain, being what it is, is now hearing Roger Daltrey singing "UUUUUU-a-tu. Uu-Uu, Uu-Uu!"

You're welcome.

[The Baron]

I guess it's a rock from where the Avengers beat the Phoenix Suns Force or something. Sort of in the nature of a souvenir.

[Richard Willis]

Well, they both have big round heads.

Doctor Hmmm? said:

So, he goes to the Moon and gives the Watcher a rock ...

So Uatu is Charlie Brown?  I like that, actually.

[Richard Willis]

The Baron said:

I remember reading the original Nova nearly forty years ago - I don't have any great memories of him except that he was drawn by Carmine Infantino for awhile.

At the time I had the distinct impression that Stan was trying really hard to come up with a new teen hero as successful as Spider-Man.

[John Dunbar]

Was Stan really that hands-on at Marvel at that point?  This is 1976 or so.

[Luke Blanchard]

Nova was a development of a fan character created by created by Marv Wolfman and Len Wein. I'm sure Wolfman was trying for a Spider-Man vein in his Marvel series. Who suggested that I don't know.

[Richard Willis]

I believe Stan was Marvel Publisher at the time, and probably was as hands-on or hands-off as he chose to be.