Book excerpt: Struck by a ray of energy sent by a dying alien, ordinary high-school student Richard Rider has inherited the mantle of an intergalactic Nova Centurion - and all the headaches that come with it! And even the powers of a human rocket can't help Richard outrun his all-new rogues' gallery, including Zorr, Condor, Powerhouse, Diamondhead, the Corrupter, Megaman - and the dreaded Sphinx, who wants to claim a secret that the newly minted Nova doesn't even know he's carrying! Can Richard balance schoolwork, a social life and a near-constant string of arch-villains? And if not, which will he lose first - his dreams or his life? Guest starring Spider-Man in an amazing two-part murder mystery! COLLECTING: Nova (1976) 1-12, Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 171