Cassandra is the twin sister of X-Men founder, the telepathProfessor X (Charles Xavier). While in the womb together, Xavier recognized her evil presence and killed her, resulting in her stillbirth.[1] 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,[2] the only villain introduced in the 21st century to make the list.
Cassandra Nova is a mummudrai, a parasitic entity who began life at the same time as Charles Xavier. Conceived without a body, Nova copied Xavier's DNA to make her own body, effectively making her his twin sister. She grew with her brother until she had fully formed hands and eyes, when she decided to try to kill Xavier by attempting to strangle him with his own umbilical cord. Xavier defended himself by hitting her with a psychic blast,[3] which caused their mother to have a miscarriage, resulting in her physical body being stillborn.[4] Nova survived as a mass of cells that clung to a sewer wall for decades, rebuilding her physical form and swearing revenge on Xavier.[5][6]
Nova manipulates Donald Trask (a relative of Bolivar Trask) to utilize the Wild Sentinels to devastate Genosha, killing 16 million mutants. Nova duplicates Trask's DNA to gain control of the Wild Sentinels, then kills him.[7]
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) to switch bodies with Xavier. Xavier is trapped in Nova's body and unable to warn the X-Men before Nova shoots him.[8]
Nova contacts the Shi'ar and manipulates them into battling the X-Men until they show the truth to the Imperial Guard.[9] 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.[10] 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.[5]
Cassandra Nova and the imaginary Inner Circle, by John Cassaday.
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 prior to her being trapped in Stuff's body.[11] Influenced by Nova and her own guilt over the Genoshan massacre, Frost creates illusionary 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 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, causing them to mindlessly attack mutants.[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]
Cassandra Nova later manipulates Robin Cobb into attacking a town where she fights Magneto. After Rose Cobb gets through to her daughter, Nova talks Robin into leaving with her.[19]
Cassandra Nova is with 3K when they broadcast their plans to make Earth the new Krakoa.[20]
In the epilogue to the "Age of Revelation" storyline, Cassandra Nova talks with Robin Cobb who has taken on the name of Myriad about Astra being out to get her while the Chairman of 3K was gone. She and Astra fight after Myriad helps to disable Joseph. The Chairman arrives and breaks up the fight. He is revealed to be the original Beast, who has cloned himself into a new body resembling his future counterpart. Beast tells 3K about his travel to the future and his intents to recreate the X-Virus created by Revelation.[21]
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. These powers include telepathy, telekinesis, and intangibility.[8] Nova has all the powers of the "average" mummudrai as well, which are astral manipulation, mental possession, and genetic alternation.[22] Her telepathic capabilities are so advanced that she was able to hide her possession of her brother's body, even from other telepaths. Nova can also manipulate her body to rapidly heal herself.
Other versions
Here Comes Tomorrow
An alternate universe version 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.[23]
X-Men: The End
An alternate universe version 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.[24]
The Great White Owl
An alternate universe version 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.[25]
X-Men '92
An alternate universe version of Cassandra Nova from Earth-15730 appears in X-Men '92. This version is a female clone of Charles Xavier created by Apocalypse.[26]
In other media
Emma Corrin portrays Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine.
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