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Cassandra Nova
Fictional character From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cassandra Nova Xavier is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the character first appeared in New X-Men #114 (July 2001). She is a mummudrai, a parasitic life form born bodiless on the astral plane.
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Cassandra is the twin sister of X-Men founder, the telepath Professor X (Charles Xavier).[1] While in the womb together, Charles recognized her evil presence and killed her, resulting in her stillbirth.[2] The mummudrai that became Cassandra became telepathically entangled with Xavier, granting Cassandra some psionic powers herself, including the ability to exit the womb and create a body, with which she sought revenge on Xavier. As Xavier's ideological dark shadow who is bent on destruction and genocide, Nova is most infamous for being responsible for the massacre of 16 million mutants within the mutant homeland Genosha. In 2009, Cassandra Nova was ranked as IGN's 50th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time,[3] the only villain introduced in the 21st century to make the list.
The character made her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), portrayed by Emma Corrin.
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Fictional character biography
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Cassandra Nova is a mummudrai, a parasitic entity from the astral plane who initially lacks a body and forms one from Charles Xavier's DNA, effectively making her his twin sister.[4] During the two's gestation, Nova attempts to kill Xavier, but he seemingly destroys her, causing her physical body to be stillborn.[5][1] Nova survives as a mass of cells that clings to a sewer wall for decades, rebuilding her body and swearing revenge on Xavier.[4][6][7]
After regenerating her body, Nova manipulates Donald Trask, Bolivar Trask's nephew, to utilize the Wild Sentinels to destroy Genosha, killing 16 million mutants. Nova duplicates Trask's DNA to gain control of the Wild Sentinels before killing him.[8]
Nova is captured by Cyclops and Wolverine and taken to the X-Mansion, where she escapes and defeats most of the X-Men easily. Nova uses Cerebra (an enhanced version of Cerebro) and switch minds with Xavier. Xavier is trapped in Nova's body and unable to warn the X-Men before Nova shoots him.[9]
Nova contacts the Shi'ar and manipulates them into battling the X-Men until they show the truth to the Imperial Guard.[10] Angered at Nova's treachery and realizing the danger she poses, the Imperial Guard battle Nova, who defeats them and heads to the X-Mansion. She plans on using Cerebra to eliminate all mutants, but Jean Grey stops Nova and forces her out of Xavier's body.[7] Nova's essence is tricked into entering the body of Stuff, a shapeshifting member of the Imperial Guard. There, she is locked in a self-repeating program.[4]
Nova appears to return to her original form in Astonishing X-Men, alongside Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club. However, it is revealed that she is an illusion created by Emma Frost, who is acting out post-hypnotic suggestions implanted by Nova.[11] Nova's influence causes Frost to create manifestations of Nova, Shaw, Frost's younger self, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a student of Frost who was killed in Genosha.[12] Frost and the imaginary Hellfire Club attack the X-Men, only to be defeated by Cyclops and the Xavier Institute students.[11][13]
Nova escapes from the X-Men's clutches by using her psychic powers to possess the bodies of others.[14] She also creates microscopic Sentinel technology that transforms humans into Sentinel-like forms.[15] With the help from the Avengers and the Atlanteans, the X-Men mass-produce Magneto's helmets to free Nova's brainwashed victims.[16]
During the Krakoan Age, Nova moves to the mutant nation of Krakoa, having been given a second chance per the island's laws. She resides in a hidden section of Krakoa, away from the Quiet Council's influence.[17]
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Powers and abilities
Cassandra Nova is able to access the full spectrum of latent mutant functions in Charles Xavier's genome, granting herself vast psionic powers.[4] These powers include telepathy, telekinesis, and intangibility.[9] Nova has all the powers of the "average" mummudrai as well, including possession and genetic alteration.[18]
Other versions
Here Comes Tomorrow
An alternate universe variant of Cassandra Nova from Earth-15104 appears in Here Comes Tomorrow. This version is the headmistress of the Xavier Institute and a member of the X-Men.[19]
X-Men: The End
An alternate universe variant of Cassandra Nova from Earth-41001 appears in X-Men: The End. This version gained control of the Phoenix Force and became known as the Phoenix.[20]
The Great White Owl
An alternate universe variant of Cassandra Nova from an unidentified universe appears in Uncanny X-Force. This version survived four thousand years into the future and nearly conquered Earth as the Great White Owl after destroying the veil that separated the main universe from that of the mummundrai.[21]
X-Men '92
An alternate universe variant of Cassandra Nova from Earth-15730 appears in X-Men '92. This version is a female clone of Charles Xavier created by Apocalypse.[22]
In other media
- Cassandra Nova appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, portrayed by Emma Corrin.[23] This version was banished by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to the Void and became its self-styled ruler, forcing other exiled individuals to serve her or be fed to Alioth.
- Cassandra Nova, based on her Deadpool & Wolverine incarnation, appears as an unlockable playable character in Marvel Future Fight.[24]
References
External links
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