One of the Deadliest MCU Villains Finally Returns With The Perfect Team-Up

by

For years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has drawn inspiration from Marvel comics, adapting characters and storylines for the big screen. Though the MCU isn’t as dominant as it once was, the recent film Deadpool & Wolverine felt like a classic blockbuster. It successfully combined two major stars from the former Fox X-Men films with the world of Marvel Studios, and also introduced a new villain taken directly from the comics.

Cassandra Nova, a key villain in X-Men comics from the early 2000s, was a major threat in the movie Deadpool & Wolverine. Since appearing on screen, she’s returned to the comics in a few new stories, most recently in one written by her original creator, Grant Morrison, a comic writer from Scotland.

The new comic Batman/Deadpool #1 brings the characters together in a story that playfully references writer Grant Morrison’s previous work. The plot revolves around a fictionalized version of Morrison, known as the Writer, who first appeared in Morrison’s Animal Man and later appeared in Suicide Squad. It’s fun to see Morrison revisit this character, and the return of the villain Cassandra Nova is a highlight, capped off with a satisfying conclusion.

Morrison Created Nova as Part of Their Short Time at Marvel

Grant Morrison began their career in American comics at DC, contributing to titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and JLA, among others. They became a key figure at DC’s Vertigo imprint, creating several series, most notably The Invisibles, which they owned the rights to. When Warner Bros. was producing The Matrix, the Wachowskis drew heavily from The Invisibles, even using visuals directly from the comic. Morrison was upset that they didn’t receive recognition for this influence and subsequently left DC, eventually moving on to Marvel.

Following successful miniseries for Marvel Knights, Grant Morrison was chosen to revamp the X-Men. Their run, titled New X-Men, is widely considered the best X-Men series of the 21st century, known for its wildly creative and imaginative storytelling. One of the first new characters Morrison introduced was Nova, who quickly emerged as the primary antagonist. Nova aimed to wipe out mutants, unleashing powerful Mega-Sentinels on the mutant nation of Genosha. The story revealed a shocking connection: Nova was Xavier’s twin sister, whom he believed he’d eliminated before birth. She survived by using her psychic abilities, existing as a mass of cells until she could reconstruct herself a body.

Nova fit perfectly into the narrative Morrison was crafting with the X-Men. Their work on the series consistently explored the themes of love and hate, and the X-Men themselves represented a force for love. Nova, as a villain, embodied a particularly potent form of hate: jealousy. She resented her brother for ruining her life and sought revenge by targeting everything he held dear, including the mutant population. She truly represented the essence of hate, making her an ideal antagonist for the beginning of their X-Men stories.

Since Morrison originally created the character, she hasn’t been significantly developed beyond their initial work. Nova reappeared in Astonishing X-Men after New X-Men, in a storyline focused on her attempt to break free from imprisonment. Later, she resurfaced in X-Men Red, scheming to incite humanity against mutants by exploiting prejudice and fear. During the Krakoa Era, she appeared in Marauders (Vol. 2), stranded billions of years in the past, and eventually joined the 3K group in the current X-Men series – a team of mutants aiming to develop a virus to harm humanity.

No One Writes Nova Like Morrison

Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men is truly unique – a comic you won’t experience twice. Morrison had a clear vision and used the team’s concepts to craft a story exploring themes of love and hate. It’s a remarkably strong story, and no X-Men narrative since has quite reached its level. While Morrison’s time at Marvel feels like a lost potential – as they explained in their book SuperGods they left due to frequent conflicts with editors – it’s undeniable that they produced some of their best work there. Their creation, Cassandra Nova, was particularly brilliant, quickly establishing herself as one of the greatest X-Men villains in just three story arcs.

Okay, so I just finished reading Batman/Deadpool #1, and let me tell you, Nova feels… different. She’s definitely channeling that MCU vibe, and apparently, Grant Morrison intentionally leaned into the movie version, which they liked – and honestly, that’s fine! What really shines is Morrison’s handle on the character. They just get Nova’s voice in a way no one has for years. The ending was a blast, too. Nova tries to manipulate the writer of the comic, wanting him to create something awful, but it backfires in a really clever and satisfying way. Morrison is a legend, and seeing them revisit one of their signature Marvel characters in what is shaping up to be an incredible crossover was a genuine pleasure.

https://comicbook.com/comics/news/grant-morrisons-best-comics-that-arent-all-star-superman-jla-doom-patrol-the-multiversity-final-crisis-the-invisibles/embed/#

Read More

2025-11-24 20:44