Maybe to make Bagley, coming off his New Warriors run, feel at home, Michelinie uses Nova in this two-issue arc. Nova's chasing a laundry truck he got into a fender bender with earlier. The driver was very eager not to exchange insurance information, and he had a gun inside his jacket, which always means trouble. Maybe on the East Coast. Around here it just means they spent the money that should have gone to car insurance on a concealed carry permit.
The truck pulls up behind a building at Empire State University that was wrecked during some mess that took place in that year's Spider-Man Annuals, but even with Spider-Man's help, the thieves escape with the help of a sonic grenade. Spidey manages to get a tracer on the truck, but Nova's not happy with the interference. He thinks to himself it might be because he was without his powers for so long, he's self-conscious about looking helpless into front of another hero. Or, wild idea, you're kind of a dick, Rider.
The truck escapes, but Spider-Man remembers the lab was experimenting on artificial Vibranium. Experiments that made it into Antarctic Vibranium, which melts any and all metal, rather than the stable version you find in Wakanda. Questioning one of the grad students, he learns the guy was trying to figure out what went wrong using a piece of real Antarctic Vibranium, but sold it when he got a good sold it. He then asks Spider-Man, 'you'd have done the same thing, right?'
I guess being married to a soap opera actress, Peter forget what it was like to be a broke-ass grad student. It wasn't fun in a relatively cheap Missouri town, I can't imagine what getting by in New York City would be like. Then again, this guy found enough money to buy Antarctic Vibranium, so maybe he was doing just fine.
But later for such nonsense, Peter and MJ are due at Aunt May's for dinner, then they're going to be meet two friends for dancing! That's what we're all here for, right? Peter's distracted, and when Nova zips by, ditches MJ. Who is not pleased and goes to meet their friends herself. Peter reflects something's been bothering her for weeks, but that the damage is done. Naive of him to assume it can't get worse. Also, I think this leads into the whole subplot with MJ taking up smoking due to stressing over him.
Catching up to Nova, Spider-Man explains the truck had Jersey plates, and by flying, they could search the state quickly. Nova states he's already got a team (one he hasn't called for assistance, though) until Spidey admits he needs Nova's help. Things still aren't smooth sailing, as Spidey complains about Nova's flying, and Nova says Spidey needs to lose 30 pounds. His Marvel Universe Series 2 trading card (which came out in 1991 like this comic) says Spider-Man weighs 165 pounds. I'm pretty sure he can't spare 18% of his body weight.
The spider-tracer leads them to a mountain, and they locate an armored rear entrance. Nova, proving even when he's trying to be a team player he's a jerk, asks if Spider-Man needs some help. Spidey calmly wrenches the metal grate off, then keeps Nova from triggering a tripwire without explaining how he knew it was there. Nova's left to reflect flying and being strong are reasonable powers, but 'this Spider-Guy's downright spooky!' Usually the younger heroes just look up to Spider-Man, but depending on their powers, his could seem weird. Although Nova's on a team with a lady who can melt into shadows.
Splitting up, Nova finds two scientists conveniently waving around a demonstration disk, right before they leave to go get some coffee. Nova immediately trips a silent alarm getting in, and is eventually brought down by an electrified net. Spider-Man's got much bigger problems. The Life Foundation, which builds 'secret survival condos for the rich and famous', somehow reconstructed the Tri-Sentinel Spider-Man destroyed at the end of Acts of Vengeance. Whoo, Acts of Vengeance callback! They think a 100-foot tall, triple-faced killer robot is the perfect protection for their clients when the world economy collapses. The Antarctic Vibranium is their failsafe, placed inside the brain and designed to be remote released to melt the machine if necessary.
I find this entirely believable, except I'm sure the techbro billionaires would build their own. Which would at least just be a danger to them, unlike the Tri-Sentinel. Despite an attempt at reprogramming, Loki's directive reasserts control the second it's activated. Meaning, head for the nuclear plant it tried to send into meltdown last time. The remote activation of the failsafe, er, fails, meaning it's up to Spider-Man, with no Enigma Force backing him up. Just Nova.
He might be better off with Power Pack, honestly.
[1st longbox, 72nd comic. Amazing Spider-Man #351, by David Michelinie (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Bob Sharen (colorist), Rick Parker (letterer)]
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