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Frankie Raye (Earth-616)

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This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.

See also Nova, Human Torch for a complete list of references to distinguish between these closely named or closely related articles.

Character Template Help
Real Name
Current Alias

Aliases
Human Torch

Identity

Alignment

Affiliation

Relatives
"Thomas Raye" (Phineas T. Horton, stepfather, deceased)

Universe

Base Of Operations
worldship of Galactus

Characteristics
Gender

Height


Eyes
Red, (White as Nova)

Hair
Red, (Flaming as Nova)

Status
Citizenship

Marital Status

Occupation
Cosmic adventurer, formerly interpreter

Education
Undergraduate degree

Origin
Origin
Chemically- and cosmically-altered human

Place of Birth


First appearance
Last appearance

Fantastic Four #164 (November 1975)


Contents

History


Raye's biological father deserted his family when she was young. Her mother (name unknown) married a man she knew as Thomas Raye, an eccentric repairman who worked in his small laboratory as a hobby. Frankie's mother passed away, leaving her in her stepfather's care. Without any other family activities, she helped him in his lab.

When Thomas first learned about the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) of the Fantastic Four, he flew into a rage. Frankie had no way of knowing his secret: his real name was Phineas T. Horton, and he had created the first Human Torch (Jim Hammond), an android. The government later shut down his research and put the deactivated Torch and his old equipment in a warehouse. Raye went with Horton to the warehouse. While carrying some bottles of chemicals, she fell through some weak planks. The bottles broke. The chemicals doused her and burst into flame.

Raye not only survived the experience, she found that she could generate flame from her own body, like the Human Torch, and even control nearby fires. Horrified, Horton tried to protect her from the alienation that he had seen the first Torch undergo, so he hypnotized her and ordered her to forget the experience and to develop pyrophobia (fear of fire). He also created a transparent suit for her that would suppress her powers and hypnotically ordered her to ignore the suit. Finally, to protect her from his ghosts, he left her to live on her own at the age of fourteen, although he sent a check every month.

For the next few years, Raye lived a relatively normal life. She finished high school and college and got a job as an interpreter. A subconscious compulsion drew her to Storm despite her pyrophobia, and when they met, they began a relationship[1]. The new Human Torch eventually became aware of her transparent suit, a mystery made even deeper by her insistence that it didn't exist. Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) soon solved the mystery and released her from her hypnotic conditioning[2]. Storm convinced Richards to let her join the team as another Human Torch. She soon learned to control her powers more precisely than Storm, albeit at lower levels.

The arrival of Galactus interrupted Raye's newfound freedom. Despite his oath to spare Earth, Galactus had become weak and felt he had no other option. Raye saw an opportunity to save Earth and to emulate both her fathers by abandoning it: she volunteered to become Galactus's new herald. He agreed to the proposal because it allowed him to keep his oath. Raye received the Power Cosmic and became Nova[3].

Raye now had almost unlimited freedom. Her only duty was to find new worlds for Galactus to consume. Because she guided death to billions of people, and possibly because of her chaotic upbringing, she became inured to the suffering of others. Victims of Galactus during Nova's time as his herald include Tarnax IV, the throneworld of the Skrull. The Silver Surfer became a friend during this period. He saw her falling into the same apathy he himself had experienced when he was Galactus's herald. He showed her a world and asked if she would choose it for her master. When she said yes, he confessed that he had taken her back in time and shown her her own planet: Earth[4].

Her compassion made her useless to Galactus. He replaced her with Morg, and she became the Silver Surfer's companion. Along with several other former heralds, they attempted to remove Morg to protect countless inhabited worlds. In the ensuing battle, Morg killed Nova by blasting her from behind. As punishment, Galactus stripped Morg of his Power Cosmic, and the other heralds finally defeated him. The Silver Surfer entombed Nova's body in a star[5].


Powers and Abilities

Powers

As the Human Torch, Raye had powers identical to Johnny Storm's: she could burst into flame without burning herself; fly; and generate streams, balls, and sheets of fire. She could control the intensity (temperature) of the flames. She could increase or decrease the size and intensity of nearby fires. Given time, she might have discovered other powers or increased her limits.
As Nova, Raye enjoyed the benefits of the Power Cosmic: limited cosmic consciousness; faster-than-light travel; plasma bolts; and limited control over time, space, matter, and energy.

Abilities

Raye spoke several languages fluently.

Strength level

As Nova, Raye could lift (press) approximately 40 tons; however, she could augment her strength with the Power Cosmic.

Weaknesses

None known.


Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.


Notes

  • A character named Frankie Raye (played by Beau Garrett) appears in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer as a scientist on the team that captures the Silver Surfer. This character has no apparent super powers.
  • Raye (as Nova) was an occasional character in the 1988 animated series The Silver Surfer. She appeared in episode 3, "The Origin of the Silver Surfer, Part 3"; episode 8, "Antibody"; and episode 13, "The End of Eternity, Part 1."
  1. ↑ Fantastic Four #164
  2. ↑ Fantastic Four #238
  3. ↑ Fantastic Four #244
  4. ↑ Silver Surfer, volume 3, #51
  5. ↑ Silver Surfer, volume 3, #75


Trivia

  • No trivia.



See Also


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Links and References

  • None.


Retrieved from "http://en.marveldatabase.com/Frankie_Raye_%28Earth-616%29"
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