On Earth at Harry S. Truman High School in Long Island, NY, Richard Rider and his school's basketball team are being defeated by the girls' b-ball team. After the loss, Rich and his girlfriend, Ginger Jaye, are at Uncle Fudge's Ice Cream Parlor discussing his inferiority complex. At the same time, approximately 800,000 miles from Earth, the dying Rhomann Dey had sent his Nova Power-Force to Earth in the hope that a worthy successor will take up the battle against Zorr.

At Uncle Fudge's, Truman High School's star athlete and student, Mike Burley, comes in and knocks Rich on the floor. Burley is also the school bully and enjoys tormenting Rider. As he is getting up, Rich is hit by the Nova Force and knocked unconscious.

While in the hospital, Rich's mind is linked with that of Rhomann Dey. Dey explains to Rich that he has been selected to inherit the rank of Centurion Nova Prime and tells him of the powers he now possesses. After receiving the final burst of Nova Force, Rich wakes up and lets loose a power blast from his eyes. As he and his doctor were the only ones in the room, Rich's family is unaware of their son's blast and are relieved that he seems to have recovered.

As he returns to school, Rich's friends, Bernie Dillon and Roger "Caps" Cooper, stick up for him against Mike Burley. While in class, Rich's mind keeps wandering back to the mind link he shared with Dey. It is revealed that Dey's starship is 3 times the size of Saturn. As Rider contemplates, his teacher picks him to answer a complicated math problem. As he stammers, Rich suddenly knows the solution and answers it correctly! Later at home, Rich Rider is sitting by his bed wondering about Rhomann Dey when suddenly, the NOVA FORCE explodes from within him!! As the explosion dims, Rich Rider is no longer an average teenager. He has become NOVA!

As he tests his power, Nova discovers that he can fly at super-speed, has super-strength and is invulnerable! He also comes to the realization that he must use these new powers to help others, not himself. Nova then discovers that his helmet can pick up the police radio band! The police are reporting that a monster is attacking the city!

When Nova arrives, he discovers that it is none other than Zorr himself who is attacking New York. During a prolonged battle, Zorr believes it is Rhomann Dey, not Rich Rider, who is fighting him. He also reveals that it was Galactus who destroyed Zorr's homeworld and that Earth's energies will be used to restore his world.

Nova's attention is distracted by the arrival of Mike Burley, Burley's girlfriend Donna-Lee Dover and Ginger Jaye. Nova saves them and turns his attention to Zorr. As they are about to battle, Zorr unwillingly disappears!

Later at home, Rich senses that Rhomann Dey has somehow saved him in a last heroic effort. Back on Dey's ship, we are shown that Rich is correct. Dey, in his last breath, disintegrated Zorr and has left the undetectable starship in Earth orbit for his successor. Rich accepts that it is his destiny to be the man called NOVA!