Frankie Raye worked for the United Nations as an interpreter. She met Johnny Storm[3] and became his girlfriend, despite her fear of fire.[4] The couple soon broke up, despite an attempt at reconciliation by Johnny.[5] A brief encounter by the two some time later results in an unpleasant reaction by Frankie.[6] They eventually begin to see each other again.[7] Her fear was eventually explained to be the result of a mental block induced by her stepfather, Phineas Horton, after she was accidentally doused with the chemicals which caused the android original Human Torch (his creation) to burst into flame, in an attempt to prevent her from using the Torch-like powers granted to her by the accident.[8]

After breaking through the block, she regained her full memory and discovered her previously repressed superhuman powers.[8] She aided the Fantastic Four for a short time, until she volunteered to become the new herald of Galactus.[9] She took the name "Nova". Having previously demonstrated what the Fantastic Four deemed an alarming willingness to kill opponents, she claimed to have no compunction about leading him to sentient populated planets and proved that when she led the Devourer of Worlds to the Skrull home-world to consume it.[10] Nova later attended the trial of Reed Richards by the Shi'ar Empire.[11] When Richard Rider resumed his Nova identity alongside the New Warriors, he was briefly called "Kid Nova" to distinguish him from Raye.


Frankie Raye (as the Human Torch) joins the Fantastic Four in battle. Cover of Fantastic Four #239 (Feb. 1982). Art by John Byrne
Nova was later rescued from Skrull imprisonment by the Silver Surfer, whom she met for the first time.[12] She then battled the Elders of the Universe.[13] Galactus sent her to locate one of the Elders, the Contemplator, and she was joined in this quest by the Silver Surfer.[14] They journeyed to the Coal Sack Nebula where they were captured by Captain Reptyl.[15] After battling Captain Reptyl,[16] Nova battled Ronan the Accuser.[17] This was followed by a clash with a Skrull duplicate of the Silver Surfer and a romantic flirtation with the real Silver Surfer.[18] Nova and Galactus battled the In-Betweener.[19][20] Nova then turned her romantic interests toward Firelord.[21]

Nova later encountered an injured Elan. She battled the second Star-Stalker, and then met the Power Pack. A stimulator device temporarily rendered her evil, until she was subdued by Reed and Franklin Richards, and Power Pack.[22]

Frankie Raye was ultimately killed by the alien Morg, who had replaced her as Galactus' herald.[23] The demon Mephisto later made it appear that she had returned from the dead in a failed bid to steal the soul of the Silver Surfer.[24]

In the weekly mini-series Heralds, a character named Frances appears. After stabbing a customer at the diner where she works following a disruption from space that led to the destruction of a S.W.O.R.D. facility and the release of many cloned scientists and prehistoric life forms, Frances speeds off in a car where she meets a clone of Phineas Horton. After crashing the car while attempting to miss him, Frances looks up at Horton and says "Father?" while the Horton clone greets her with, "Hello, Frankie."[25] As the series continues, female superheroes Emma Frost, Hellcat, Monica Rambeau, She-Hulk and Valkyrie find her and after a brief discussion where they speculate that she could be a returned Frankie Raye, which she denies, claiming her name is Frances, they agree to take her to the Baxter Building. At the same time, a fully flamed Nova arrives in New York, causing Johnny Storm's powers to activate automatically.[26]

Nova is later recruited by the Fearless Defenders to fight the Doom Maidens