SHARD

Official Name: Shard

Nature: Destroyed and pulled into the Fault;
    formerly extraterrestrial planet, Shard star system (see comments), galaxy unidentified (see comments)

Environment: None;
    formerly life-sustaining biosphere

Gravity: None;
    formerly unrevealed (but possessed a gravitational field in which it was comfortable for Kree (and terrestrial superhumans (such as Darkhawk/Chris Powell and Nova/Rich Rider, both of whom can function in the frigid vacuum of space) to function

Atmosphere: None;
    formerly an unspecified combination of gases (Kree apparently existed there without life support)

Natural Satellites: None;
    formerly none known

Artificial Satellites: None;
    formerly none known

Natives: None;
    formerly none known;
    possibly the crystalline-composite was living and they were the existing life form;
    the presence of a building with stairs and catacombs indicates that others were there and likely at least semi-humanoid in form

Population: None;
    former population unrevealed beyond the Kree archeologists;
    the crystalline-composite was not quantified

Capital City: None;
    formerly none known

Government: None;
    formerly none known

Languages: None;
    formerly none known

Monetary Unit: None;
    formerly none known, possibly inapplicable

National Defense: None;
    formerly none known prior to destruction

Major Resources: None;
    formerly the crystal-composite landscape

Planetary Defense: None;
    formerly none known

Places of Interest: None;
    formerly crystal-composite landscape (see upper left main image)

Prominent Residents: None;
    formerly Kree archeologists;

Visitors: None;
    formerly Darkhawk (Chris Powell), Nova Prime (Rich Rider), Xenocellular Bloom and its hatchlings

First Appearance: Nova IV#31 (January, 2010)

History:
(Nova IV#31 (fb)- BTS) - Apparently on the edge of the Kree Galaxy (Greater Magellanic Cloud) closest to the Shi'ar Galaxy (see comments), the planet Shard had a crystal-composite landscape.

    At some point in the past, Shard either had some humanoid residents (natives or colonists) who constructed at least one ornate building (possibly a temple, church or government building).

    At some point, those who utilized the building(s) disappeared from Shard, either departing or dying off. The building remained well preserved.

    At some point in recent history, it was occupied by a team of Kree archeologists, studying the building(s) present there.

    The Fault -- a massive space-time continuum rift affecting the edges of the Kree and Shi'ar Galaxies and caused by the detonation of the Terrigen Bomb -- threatened the planet Shard.

(Nova IV#31 (fb) - BTS) <A week before the main story> - The Kree archeological team was reportedly evacuated.

(Nova IV#31 (fb) - BTS) - However, a few of the archeologists remained on Shard, continuing their work despite the danger of planetary destruction. They presumably believed they could use their ship to escape later. 

(Nova IV#30 - BTS) - A psychic notice generated and circulated by the Shi'ar Imperium on behalf of Majestor Kallark included instructions to apprehend and detain Darkhawk for treason and the regicide of Majestrix Lilandra Neramani.

(Nova IV#31 (fb) - BTS) - The Shi'ar advisory board identified Darkhawk as hiding on the outworld Shard, and so Nova Prime (Rich Rider) directed the Resolute Duty ship -- which contained a number of Nova trainees and their drill instructor, Zan Philo -- there to locate Darkhawk, who was his friend and whom he could not believe would have assassinated Lilandra.

(Nova IV#31) - After the Resolute Duty entered the Shard System, the Xandarian Worldmind noted massive Fault disruptions due to the planet's location, and that planet Shard would collapse into the fault rift in a matter of hours.

Rider departed the ship and flew down to the planet, although the Worldmind warned him that Shard was now entering the terminal phase of its collapse into the Fault. Irani Rael further warned that the planet Shard would subjected to extreme gravitational shearing, but Rider cut her off, insisting that he wasn't going to leave Darkhawk there to die with the planet.

    Just then, Darkhawk flew past at high speed, and Nova pursued, soon entering a canyon filled with crystalline spikes. The Worldmind warned Rider that the natural crystal-composite nature of the landscape was not stable and was susceptible to vibrational damage. It continued that the backwash of his Nova Force was causing shockwave trauma that would lead to imminent and progressive structural collapse, and as Rider questioned whether he was bringing the canyon down on top of him, a portion indeed collapsed in his vicinity. When Darkhawk paused and expressed concern for his old ally, Nova caught up to him and pinned him with gravitational force. 

    As Darkhawk started to explain, however, a huge xenocellular bloom sprouted out of the Fault and engulfed Shard, and its massive tendrils ripped into the planet's crust. The bloom then hatched a number of smaller lifeforms that further threatened them.

(Nova IV#31 (fb) - BTS) - The bloom crippled the Kree archeologists' ship, preventing their escape.

(Nova IV#31) - Monitoring from the Resolute Duty, Nova Millennian Irani Rael asked whether they deployed to assist their Nova Prime, but Rider denied this, insisting -- as they began to fly away -- that they were not going to stay around to enjoy the scenery. However, the Worldmind then reported that it has picked up a distress signal and that some of the Kree archeologists had not left the planet after all.

    Receiving their coordinates, Rider and Darkhawk headed there as the Worldmind advised them that the invasive fault growth had crippled their ship. As the bloom's hatchlings threatened the archeologists, Rider and Darkhawk arrived to destroy the hatchlings. While Darkhawk continued this effort, Rider met with one of the archeologists who noted that while the rest of his group was present, their lead scientist was still deep in the catacombs. Rider instructed the archeologists to get into their survival tent, seal it up and start the air pumps, and he flew it up into the outer atmosphere where he had the other Nova millennians get it into the Resolute Duty.

    Meanwhile, as Darkhawk searched for the lead scientist located a glowing prism that transformed him into the Raptor Gyre. When Rider returned, Gyre blasted him and departed, and Rider initial mistook Gyre for Darkhawk and attacked Darkhawk when he next saw him. As Darkhawk explained about the Fraternity of Raptors, Gyre blasted Rider and Darkhawk.

(Nova IV#32 (fb) - BTS) - The Sphinx (Anathna-Mut) transported Richard and Darkhawk across time and space.

(Nova IV#31) - The Worldmind reported to Irani and the other Novas the loss of Nova Prime's life trace seconds before the entire planet Shard shattered.

Comments: Created by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Andrea DiVito.

    Shard was on the edge of the Fault, which was apparently between the Shi'ar and the Kree galaxies, and the presence of Kree archeologists would make it more likely to be in the Kree galaxy, which is the Greater Magellanic Cloud.
    Shard is also described as "the outworld Shard," which would seem to me to indicate that it was on the outer edges of the Empire/Kree galaxy, which would fit with making it close to the Fault.
    The Shi'ar Galaxy is likely the M33 or Triangulum Galaxy (see the discussion in the comments here).

    The Xandarian Worldmind noted that they had arrived in the Shard system after which Nova traveled to the planet Shard. I guess both the star and the planet were named Shard...

   This profile was completed 11/11/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Shard  has no known connections to

• SHARD (Ard) - Cadre. Generate + project quills--Web of Spider-Man Annual#9
• SHARD - former command ship of the Scy'ar Tal--X-Men: Emperor Vulcan#2
• SHARD of Earth-1191 ( ) - sister of Bishop, Xavier Security Enforcers, X-Factor, killed by Emplates, survived as photon-based lifeform--Uncanny X-Men I#314
• SHARD of Earth-9790 - sister of Bishop, Xavier Sales Executives--What If? II#100
• SHARD, - mayor of Aimesville (USA; state unrevealed) circa 1955 A.D.--Journey into Mystery I#25/6
• INFINITY MIRROR SHARDS of Reality-41252 - formed from shattered Infinity Stones and used by the Red Skull--Avengers: Tech-On#1
• TRION SHARD - dark portion of the Trion, expelled into Earth dimension in distant past - aka TRIPLE EVIL, TRIPLE THREAT--Avengers III#42
• other "Shard" places, races, characters, groups, items or events

images: (without ads)
Nova IV#31, pg. 4, panel 2 (Resolute Duty over energy discharges around Shard);
          panel 4 (crystalline environment);
       pg. 16, panel 5 (archeologists at building);
       pg. 17, panel 1 (archeologists fleeing from xenocellular bloom hatchlings);
       pg. 22, panel 1 (Shard) destroyed)
   

Appearances:
Nova IV#30 (December, 2009) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Kevin Sharpe (penciler), Nelson Pereira (inker), Michael Horowitz & Rachel Pinnelas (assistant editors), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Nova IV#31-32 (January-February, 2010) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Andrea DiVito (artist), Michael Horowitz & Rachel Pinnelas (assistant editors), Bill Rosemann (editor)

First posted: 09/30/2026
Last updated: 04/19/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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