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Pride (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Pride are a fictional Marvel Comics
supervillain
team, a criminal organization that controlled the Los Angeles
area of the Marvel Universe
. As they are the parents and the initial and more prominent foes the Runaways
have faced, they are perhaps the team's greatest enemy to date. The Pride consists of six couples - the mafia controlling Wilders, the time-traveling Yorkes, the telepathic mutants Hayeses, the alien invaders Deans, the mad scientists Steins and the dark wizards, the Minorus.
The Pride was often considered to be an efficient super-villain team that barred other villains from controlling Los Angeles. Although the real world did not know of The Pride's existence, other mafia mob bosses controllers had, such as the Kingpin
, who admits the group ran Los Angeles with efficiency and vision. The Pride had originally debuted in Runaways
#1, published by Marvel Comics
in 2003, and were created by Brian K. Vaughan
and Adrian Alphona
.
, three mythical giants who had ruled the world when it had "originally been one, serene utopia". The Gibborim informed the couples (who revealed themselves to be aliens, time-travelers, magicians, scientists, mutants, and criminals) their desire to turn the world into the same peaceful utopia it had been millions of years before, but did not have the strength. The Gibborim required the six couples' help ("a Pride") to wipe out the entire planet
, and when they achieved their goal, six of the twelve who served them the best would be able to rule the world with them, while the other six would perish with the rest of the human race. The couples agreed, and formed The Pride.
The Gibborim required a sacrifice every year for twenty-five years in order to get their strength. During this time, they had given The Pride wealth and had their abilities and powers enhanced so they could rule over the entire Los Angeles, to a point where Norman Osborn calls them "the dominant and most feared criminal organization of the West Coast." Every year, The Pride gathered at the Wilder residence, using the excuse of an "annual charity fundraiser", while in reality, they would perform the "Rite of Blood", the ritual sacrifice of an innocent young female victim; the spirit of the victim would then be fed to the Gibborim in the "Rite of Thunder".
After Janet Stein became pregnant during their third year as The Pride, The Pride agreed to end its struggle against one another. Each couple would instead ensure their child would receive one of the six places in the coming paradise, so The Pride's legacy could go on. Unbeknownst to the rest of The Pride, the Deans and the Hayes had made a deal: to murder the rest of The Pride and take the six tickets in paradise for themselves and their daughters, Karolina Dean
and Molly Hayes
.
Seventeen years later, The Pride's children see the Rite of Blood and run away. With assistance of LAPD Lieutenant Flores, their parents frame their children for the murder of the innocent girl who served as their most recent sacrifice. A note left at the Deans' house reveals that one of the Runaways is secretly loyal to the Pride. The mole within the Runaways tips of the Pride about their involvement with Cloak and Dagger
and alerts the Pride of their new hideout, forcing the Runaways to escape.
During a ceremony at the Rite of Thunder, Alex
obtains Nico
's Staff of One, Chase
's Fistigons and Gertrude
's dinosaur, Old Lace
, manipulating his teammates into defeat and reveals himself as the mole. In reality, he also discovered the Deans and Hayeses' betrayal.
Alex manipulated the Runaways as a way of taking the six tickets in paradise for himself, his parents, Nico and offered the remaining two places for her parents. Nico brutally refuses his offer, beating up Alex in the process. Within seconds, the other Runaways retrieve their stolen items from Alex. Molly
crushes the container carrying the girl's soul, the Gibborim destroy Alex, and the undersea lair in which they offer the soul collapses, trapping The Pride inside. Right before the lair collapses, the rest of The Pride finally learns of the Deans and Hayeses betrayal. The Runaways assume The Pride is dead, even though no bodies were found. With their defeat, the activities and the true extent of the Pride's influence in L.A. is reported to the public, leading to a slew of indictments, most notably within law enforcement, ranging from theft to homicide. A news report three months later announces that the government is refusing to reveal any detail about the Pride or the Runaways, who are now known to the public as their children and defeaters.
and Catherine Wilder ("the Thieves") are Alex Wilder
's parents. They are crime bosses who posed as business people. They handled illegal drug trade
, gambling
and robbery
in Los Angeles. For this, these two established strong and powerful connections throughout the Los Angeles, a reason the Pride is able to frame their kids for murder and kidnap. Geoffrey had led the entire Pride. Geoffrey originally appeared as a stern, demeaning man, who had forbidden his son from playing online roleplaying games. His cool persona is often distinguished, meaning other characters can detect his attitude, as evidenced when Nico is able to identify a 1985 version of Geoffrey. When the Gibborim had called them to the first meeting, Geoffrey and Catherine had been on the run from the cops, after a fresh robbery, where it was revealed that Geoffrey and Catherine had elope
d, defying Catherine's mother's wishes. Originally appearing as average parents, it is shown the two can also have short tempers; when one of the Pride's agents informed Geoffrey that their children had run away, Geoffrey carried a dagger to Alex's room; Catherine later shot the same agent in the knee.
Geoffrey Wilder later returns, after a group unintentionally brings a 1985 version of him back from his time. He was later defeated, and returned to his time with his memory wiped by Nico.
's parents. They are time travel
ers who posed as antique dealers. The two, using a special 4-D portal, traveled all over time, and had commissioned a genetically engineered dinosaur, mentally linking it with their daughter. They had lived in the 87th century. When the Gibborim had called them to the first meeting, Dale and Stacey had accidentally landed in 1985, where Stacey quotes was "the worst decade of the century". They believed the Gibborim would make a better world, one that wasn't full of superhero
es who had foiled their plans in the past (and presumably the future). The two have a distinct way of speech (unlike the rest of the Pride, they have older-fashioned speech), and often imply they know what will go on in the future. They dress in pilot styles resembling that of Amelia Earhart
, complete with the goggles, scarves, and gloves. It was later revealed their outfits were actually technical advances; their gloves cause fire and restraining shields. The Yorkes appear as self-righteous, obnoxious people, particularly Stacey. Gert had had a strong dislike of her parents because of an incident involving Gert's pet pig, which the Yorkes hated; after Gert had been playing with it, she had briefly left to answer the phone, and when she returned, she found it had been gone. She suspected her parents of the crime.
When the runaways are time-displaced to 1907, it was revealed the runaways had landed in a time the Yorkes were visiting, where the Yorkes are the heads of a super powered street gang known as the Sinners. When Chase reveals Gert is dead to Dale, he snaps, prompting him to almost assault Chase with his fiery gloves. Later on, Dale reveals the Yorkes have several kingdoms through time, and plan on destroying all of 1907 New York for the sake of their daughter. Unable to wipe their memories as she had already used that spell, Nico stops the Yorkes with her most complex spell yet ("The show must go on"), revealing a painful secret about the Yorkes: the Yorkes will remember everything they now know about their daughter's upcoming death as well as their own, but are enchanted to be unable to act on this knowledge in any way, even to each other; they cannot change the future or say anything that would cause a Grandfather Paradox
.
's parents. They are alien invaders from Majesdane, the homeworld of their race, who posed as Hollywood actors. The Deans are intergalactic arms traders to the Skrull
s. In their alien form, they appear humanoid with bright, wispy skin, and can manipulate and control solar energy for a variety of purposes. When the Gibborim had called the Deans for the first meeting, the Deans were on a Hollywood set for their show, General Hospital
. The two had inhibited Karolina's alien powers for most of her life because of a medical alert bracelet that was forged from far-distant metal, telling her she had an allergy to penicillin. Frank had included Karolina in his will with a paper instructing her to take off the bracelet, but Karolina had discovered the will early. Frank and Leslie had originally appeared as a happy, smiling couple that complimented Karolina's special fajitas, but as issues went on, it was shown the two would have violent and warlike tempers; when the runaways battle their parents over Molly Hayes, Leslie appears rather viciously, returning every time she was knocked out; when Frank arrived from New York and discovered his daughter had already left home and discovered her powers, he had violently attacked Victor Stein roaring for his daughter. The Deans also were the only ones that didn't want a child. However, Leslie believed that have a child would've put them on People magazine. The Deans had conspired with the Hayes's to kill the rest of the Pride and take the six tickets in paradise for them, their daughter, and the three Hayes.
When on the run, Karolina meets Xavin, an alien, and more of the Deans are revealed: the Deans had actually been exiled from their planet for criminal activities; the two immigrated to Earth were they took their last name from a memorial of James Dean
. When Prince De'zean of the Skrulls (aliens) had arrived at Earth to conquer it, Frank and Leslie had stopped him. In exchange, the two gave the Skrulls the coordinates of a much more valuable planet: Majesdane, the Deans' birth planet, which was hidden beneath a white dwarf
star. To assure the Skrulls the coordinates were real, the Deans offered the Prince their daughter's hand in marriage; therefore, Karolina was engaged to the son of the Prince, Xavin. The Skrulls then left to destroy Majesdane, culminating in a fifteen year war. The Deans had privately believed that Xavin would die in the war, and wouldn't expect him to survive to come and collect the marriage agreement. More recently, Karolina had a dream involving both her parents; in a split image, Leslie pulled Karolina to Earth, while Frank pulled Karolina to a milky ball that was Majesdane. It was later revealed by the Majesdanian soldier, vaDanti, that it was specifically Frank Dean who told the Skrulls where Majesdane was hidden.
Daken
, the psychopathic son of Wolverine
invades Los Angeles with the hope of usurping the void left by the Pride. He begins taking drugs that are mixed with Majesdanian blood, referred to as "Heat Pills" but unaware it's costing him his abilities.
's parents. They are world-renown brilliant inventors, are known for making fortunes for what people believe are necessities. They also made "weaponized" gloves called Fistigons, multi-spectral goggles and the transport ship "the Leapfrog". When the Gibborim had called them for the first meeting, the Steins were in their laboratory. At the back of the Stein home is their workshop, which appears as a small shed. When entered, the space is equal to that of a large cave. The Steins are also responsible for the money the Pride obtains, as Victor revealed he and Janet had counterfeited the new fifty within two minutes. The Steins have also created watches that zap electricity, watches that scan police radars and senses, creating the container that carries the soul they sacrifice, and they dress in scientific outfits for their villainous costumes. Janet Stein's pregnancy is the reason the remaining Pride wished to have children, and started the idea of offering their place to a child. Victor is the one parent often described as being the most abusive, as he first appears punching Chase across the face for getting C's, with Janet scolding slightly. A remark from Chase implies that his father regularly beats him. Chase later quotes his parents often argue. On the night of the Rite of Thunder, Victor tells Geoffrey that he really loves his son, and Janet later reveals she admits she doesn't know how her soul is, because of the murders.
When Chase receives an opportunity to get Gert back to life, he immediately agrees to take it: sacrifice an innocent life and Gert would be alive. Chase agrees to the deal and wishes to sacrifice himself, because he had realized he was innocent; Victor would often abuse Chase when he was young, hitting him with a Burbank phone book, which Chase quotes as "strong enough to hurt but not leave any marks". Janet would then put on the radio, so she wouldn't hear her son crying downstairs. Victor would hurt him for getting a D in Algebra, a parking ticket, or even if he was just having a bad day. Chase had never thought of them as good excuses, so he had begun to make up his own, and even believe them, until he realized that he was entirely innocent.
's parents. The two are telepathic mutants
who posed as a doctor and a speech therapist. Gene first appears as a very awkward man, unwilling to talk about his daughter's puberty. Alice is described a strong and caring mother, but still able to offer up her own daughter as a ransom to capture the five other runaways. When the Gibborim had called the Hayes for the first meeting, Gene and Alice had been getting harassed by the neighbours, who had thrown rocks at them for being mutants. Just before a furious Gene was about to protect a whimpering Alice, the two had been called forth by the Gibborim. This led to the Hayes's strong hatred towards humans, a reason they were willing to conspire with the Deans to kill the human members of the Pride and ensure the six tickets in paradise for themselves, Molly, and the three Deans. It was revealed early on that the Hayes had no idea Molly was a mutant herself, Molly having tested negative for the mutant gene, but when Molly's supposed puberty was actually her mutant genes kicking in, the Hayes were shocked. The two are telepaths, capable of memory removal and sedation
, but this has been reversed on at least one occasion—when they had wiped Cloak
's memory of ever encountering the runaways, Cloak and Dagger traveled back to New York, where after receiving a blow to the head, Cloak remembered.
Molly had difficulty in believing her parents were villains for two main reasons: because of her age, and her strong empowering belief her parents were actually innocent people. After Molly had escaped a villain named "the Provost", Molly rescued several other runaway children who had thought their parents villains and offered them a place on the team. When they rejected and said they would go to their families, Molly later had a dream of her parents, reminding her they would still be going to Disney Land, and Molly admitting to her dream-mother that her whole experience as a runaway was a horrible nightmare. The dream-Alice comforts Molly by telling her it was nothing but a dream, and not to worry, because she's home.
Emma Frost
later mentions that she knew the Hayeses; The Hellfire Club
had originally reached out for them, but the Hayeses refused. Frost tells Cyclops
that the Hayeses were monsters and suggested that Molly was probably better off without them. Later, Molly and her chaperone Wolverine
are captured by a super villain seeking revenge against the Hayeses for stopping his bid for Pride territory and brutally massacring his men and sadistically torturing him seven years previous. He happily confronts Molly with the reality of her parents' evil and sadism, telling her that her parents allegedly killed many people, including children, often for no reason and took pleasure in torturing them. He plans on exacting his revenge by killing Molly, though Wolverine manages to defeat him. Afterward, Wolverine comforts her, stating that her parents must have truly loved her despite despite being super villains, though Molly accepts that they were "bad people" and realizes that she will never see her parents in the same light as before.
's parents. The two are dark wizards who posed as an average, church-going, middle-class couple. The two are the least-liked by the Pride; in a holograph, it's revealed the Steins and Yorkes consider them as unstable because they're magicians; the Deans and Hayes hate them because they're humans; Geoffrey Wilder also criticizes Robert on one occasion. When the Gibborim had first abducted the Pride for the first meeting, the Minorus were on their wedding day. Arriving in the Gibborim's chamber with the rest of the Pride, the two quickly unleashed a blackhole of bats at the Pride. In their first appearance, the two appear as an average couple, where Robert is unwilling to be late, and Tina is an Oprah fan. In the Rite of Blood, Robert conducts the enchanted spell of sacrifice. When the Runaways witness the Rite of Blood, they see that Robert conducts the enchanted spell of sacrifice. The Runaways see the Minorus in action when they get ambushed at the Stein's laboratory; Tina conducts her powers using a mystical Staff known as the "Staff of One", and Robert conducts his powers through a spellbook. Tina attempted to stab Nico with her Staff, but, due to Nico's own innate magic and hereditary link with Tina, the Staff was absorbed by Nico, who kept it. It is later hinted that there is more than one Staff of One, as shown when Bo, the first lady to a drug dealer in New York, knew of Nico's incantation and Chase commented that Nico had "a Staff of One." The Minorus, though having mentioned that they only "dabbled" in the dark arts the first time the Pride was gathered, were given enough mystical power by the Gibborim
, to rule Los Angeles and even beyond. In the final battle with the Pride at the Marine Vivarium, Nico ignored the Wilders' and her parents' wishes to rule in the new world. Regardless, Tina screamed at Nico to run while she and Robert held back the Gibborim, a reason the Runaways were able to flee to safety.
The Minorus are considered highly proficient spellcasters of the dark arts, able to evoke spells of various effects with spoken incantations and without, capable of conjuring bats from nowhere, conducting the Rite of Blood, garbing themselves and others in their costumes, summoning the Staff of One and an enchanted tome (the Abstract), summoning water spouts, killing a genetically engineered prehistoric creature, teleporting a Majesdanian alien back to his home planetoid in another galaxy, freezing another, even a holder of the Staff of One in time, and project energy blasts of sufficient strength to hold off Elder Gods
(if but for moments). The Minorus are involved with various other mystical matters such as Dormammu
and Agamotto
. Nevertheless, for whatever reason (presumably due to the lack of the Staff of One because Nico stole it), the Minorus appeared incapable, despite their immense power and experience in dark magic, of locating the Runaways, though they were but at most several miles from the Pride.
When the Minorus combine their strength, without the usage of magical artifacts, are capable to send Frank Dean back to the planet he came from, while the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange
, with access to all his own magical items at the Sanctum Sanctorum, claims he cannot bring the New Avengers to Japan through any magical means.
Robert and Tina later appear in a dream Nico has, where the two criticize Nico and call her a slut for kissing Alex, Chase, Topher, and Victor. Nico then overcomes her previous insecurities by quickly killing her parents in her dream by screaming a spell, "and I liked you better dead!"
The Minorus are mentioned to Nico by Marie LaVeau, who reveals that they were acquaintances of hers, and that they were never fully committed to the Dark Path, only to the Pride, unlike Marie. Marie claims to Nico that the Minorus used her, gained her trust, and betrayed her, taking the valuable and extraordinarily powerful Black Mirror from her. The Mirror possessed the ability to gaze into other dimensions, and even the power to travel through time, "if used correctly." Maries scathingly adds certain members of the Pride, such as the Yorkes, had access to the secrets of time traveling, which were shared not with the Minoru clan. The Minorus were so determined to learn about their own past and family secrets they used the Mirror to do so. Yet whatever vision they saw, it was so terrifying even they were unnerved and magically sealed the Mirror so none could ever use it again, instead causing a mere reflection to stare back at the beholder. Nico is told Marie requires her blood to unlock the Mirror's locking spell, and Nico herself does so, though also, as she intended, releases the Staff of One. Nico engages Marie in direct magical combat, and triumphs. However, after Nico unsuccessfully tries to utilize the power of the Mirror to revive Alex Wilder, Marie finds the last page of the Darkhold, and promises Nico that they will encounter each other again, leaving the teenage witch to stare at the shattered remains of the Black Mirror, indeed a mirror of her own life at the time.
After their death, their influence still lives on - the "New Pride" found their magical runestone as part of the ritual to summon Geoffrey Wilder
to their present time, and uses more of their magical artifacts to their benefit, such as the Eye-Spy Cauldron to spy upon the Runaways and the chameleon glamour charm Wilder utilized to conceal his true identity by magically giving himself the voice and physical appearance of Chamber and Alex Wilder. The Minorus have also curiously made mention to the Spine of Agamotto
, a benevolent powerful magical being who is the main patron of the Sorcerer Supreme
and creator of the Eye of Agamotto
to install a "lummox" as Los Angeles's governor
. Nico also assumed the security daemons in their hostel were among the old defense spells of the Minorus, and according to her, the Silver Bullet Gang (a gang of werewolves) were actually driven out from Los Angeles by her parents.
Monk Theppie, an ally of Val Rhymin
mentions Robert Minoru, his (presumed late) friend, once said that all things are possible, and says he misses the Minorus, appearing near tears when he thinks of them, and saying that the L.A. magic scene hasn’t been the same without them: "Good times." This past relationship to the Minorus is also revealed to Nico when the two confront.
from the X-Men
, is implied to be a resurrected Alex Wilder, and has formed a new Pride using some of the original team's tools, including the Minoru's Chameleon Glamour, a small talisman to disguise the user into any form. They had later used the Minoru's Eye-Spy Cauldron to spy on the Runaways, who had left from New York City and were returning to Los Angeles. They had also obtained the Stein's copy of the abstract. It was later revealed that they were a group of Alex's former online friends on a role-playing game; Stretch, an overweight boy who lives with his grandmother (had roleplayed as several female and scantily clad superheroes such has Emma Frost
, Ms Marvel, and the Invisible Woman
), Hunter, a thin young man with a stereotypical slacker
appearance (had roleplayed as the Hulk
), Lotus, a female fantasy
fan who participates in Renaissance Fair
s (had roleplayed as Daredevil
) and Oscar, a man who often was fired from many jobs because of using the computers for online games (had roleplayed as Spider-Man
).
It was later revealed they were "the new Pride". Hunter hacked into Alex's game account, and through that eventually found his computer's journal, and learned about the Pride. After Alex's death, the friends find certain items from the Pride in an attempt to bring back Alex, but end up killing Oscar, and bringing back a younger version of Alex's father, Geoffrey, from a time period of one year after joining the Pride. Geoffrey then lied to the new Pride acting as the "good guy" and saying that the Runaways killed Alex. Ironically, the new Pride formed because Alex's friends claimed that they wanted to become more "responsible members of society", and begin acting like adults. The Runaways' philosophy states that no adults are to be trusted.
Geoffrey Wilder murders Gertrude Yorkes
as part of a sacrificial ritual, but he is captured and returned to his own time (with his memory erased in the process). The new Pride disbands after the Runaways reveal Geoffrey Wilder's true goal. Following Gert's death, Stretch checks himself into a mental health facility
, and Hunter joins the Peace Corps
to atone for the "blood" on his hands. Lotus is kidnapped (or, as she puts it, "hired") by Chase Stein
to help him resurrect Gert. When the attempt fails, Chase releases Lotus, telling her to burn her copy of the Abstract.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
team, a criminal organization that controlled the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. As they are the parents and the initial and more prominent foes the Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
have faced, they are perhaps the team's greatest enemy to date. The Pride consists of six couples - the mafia controlling Wilders, the time-traveling Yorkes, the telepathic mutants Hayeses, the alien invaders Deans, the mad scientists Steins and the dark wizards, the Minorus.
The Pride was often considered to be an efficient super-villain team that barred other villains from controlling Los Angeles. Although the real world did not know of The Pride's existence, other mafia mob bosses controllers had, such as the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
, who admits the group ran Los Angeles with efficiency and vision. The Pride had originally debuted in Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
#1, published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 2003, and were created by Brian K. Vaughan
Brian K. Vaughan
Brian Keller Vaughan is an American comic book and television writer. He is best known for the comic book series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad, and was one of the principal writers of the television series Lost, during seasons three through five...
and Adrian Alphona
Adrian Alphona
Adrian Alphona is a Canadian comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' Runaways, which he co-created with writer Brian K. Vaughan....
.
Origin
Although The Pride were the center of focus throughout the first volume of the series, their actual origin was only covered in the thirteenth issue. The six couples were called together in 1985 by the GibborimGibborim (comics)
The Gibborim are a group of comic book characters in Marvel Comics' award-winning series, Runaways. They were created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona...
, three mythical giants who had ruled the world when it had "originally been one, serene utopia". The Gibborim informed the couples (who revealed themselves to be aliens, time-travelers, magicians, scientists, mutants, and criminals) their desire to turn the world into the same peaceful utopia it had been millions of years before, but did not have the strength. The Gibborim required the six couples' help ("a Pride") to wipe out the entire planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
, and when they achieved their goal, six of the twelve who served them the best would be able to rule the world with them, while the other six would perish with the rest of the human race. The couples agreed, and formed The Pride.
The Gibborim required a sacrifice every year for twenty-five years in order to get their strength. During this time, they had given The Pride wealth and had their abilities and powers enhanced so they could rule over the entire Los Angeles, to a point where Norman Osborn calls them "the dominant and most feared criminal organization of the West Coast." Every year, The Pride gathered at the Wilder residence, using the excuse of an "annual charity fundraiser", while in reality, they would perform the "Rite of Blood", the ritual sacrifice of an innocent young female victim; the spirit of the victim would then be fed to the Gibborim in the "Rite of Thunder".
After Janet Stein became pregnant during their third year as The Pride, The Pride agreed to end its struggle against one another. Each couple would instead ensure their child would receive one of the six places in the coming paradise, so The Pride's legacy could go on. Unbeknownst to the rest of The Pride, the Deans and the Hayes had made a deal: to murder the rest of The Pride and take the six tickets in paradise for themselves and their daughters, Karolina Dean
Karolina Dean
Karolina Dean , also briefly known as Lucy in the Sky, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
and Molly Hayes
Molly Hayes
Molly Hayes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
.
Recent activities
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
and alerts the Pride of their new hideout, forcing the Runaways to escape.
During a ceremony at the Rite of Thunder, Alex
Alex Wilder
Alex Wilder is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters. Like every member of the original Runaways, he is the son of evil...
obtains Nico
Nico Minoru
Nico Minoru , is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. Created in 2003 by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the character first debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
's Staff of One, Chase
Chase Stein
Chase Stein , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
's Fistigons and Gertrude
Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
's dinosaur, Old Lace
Old Lace (comics)
Old Lace is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series Runaways. She was created by Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona and debuted attacking the other characters in Runaways vol. 1 #2...
, manipulating his teammates into defeat and reveals himself as the mole. In reality, he also discovered the Deans and Hayeses' betrayal.
Alex manipulated the Runaways as a way of taking the six tickets in paradise for himself, his parents, Nico and offered the remaining two places for her parents. Nico brutally refuses his offer, beating up Alex in the process. Within seconds, the other Runaways retrieve their stolen items from Alex. Molly
Molly Hayes
Molly Hayes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
crushes the container carrying the girl's soul, the Gibborim destroy Alex, and the undersea lair in which they offer the soul collapses, trapping The Pride inside. Right before the lair collapses, the rest of The Pride finally learns of the Deans and Hayeses betrayal. The Runaways assume The Pride is dead, even though no bodies were found. With their defeat, the activities and the true extent of the Pride's influence in L.A. is reported to the public, leading to a slew of indictments, most notably within law enforcement, ranging from theft to homicide. A news report three months later announces that the government is refusing to reveal any detail about the Pride or the Runaways, who are now known to the public as their children and defeaters.
Original members
Despite the Pride's allegiance to one another, rifts and alliances had been common amongst the group; indeed, the most notable of the alliance was the Hayes and Deans, who had plotted to betray the other remaining Pride members because they were human. All members of the Pride are given nicknames by the Gibborim.The Wilders
GeoffreyGeoffrey Wilder
Geoffrey Wilder was a fictional super villain in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. Geoffrey led the Pride, the super villain crime ring of Los Angeles. He was the father of former Runaway Alex Wilder.-Fictional character biography:...
and Catherine Wilder ("the Thieves") are Alex Wilder
Alex Wilder
Alex Wilder is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters. Like every member of the original Runaways, he is the son of evil...
's parents. They are crime bosses who posed as business people. They handled illegal drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and robbery
Robbing
Robbing is a term used in beekeeping. Bees from one beehive will try to rob honey from another hive. Robbing behavior is especially strong when there is little nectar in the field. Strong colonies with the largest stores are the most apt to prey upon weaker colonies. Some robbing is carried out...
in Los Angeles. For this, these two established strong and powerful connections throughout the Los Angeles, a reason the Pride is able to frame their kids for murder and kidnap. Geoffrey had led the entire Pride. Geoffrey originally appeared as a stern, demeaning man, who had forbidden his son from playing online roleplaying games. His cool persona is often distinguished, meaning other characters can detect his attitude, as evidenced when Nico is able to identify a 1985 version of Geoffrey. When the Gibborim had called them to the first meeting, Geoffrey and Catherine had been on the run from the cops, after a fresh robbery, where it was revealed that Geoffrey and Catherine had elope
Elope
To elope, most literally, merely means to run away with a girl and to not come back to the point of origination. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together...
d, defying Catherine's mother's wishes. Originally appearing as average parents, it is shown the two can also have short tempers; when one of the Pride's agents informed Geoffrey that their children had run away, Geoffrey carried a dagger to Alex's room; Catherine later shot the same agent in the knee.
Geoffrey Wilder later returns, after a group unintentionally brings a 1985 version of him back from his time. He was later defeated, and returned to his time with his memory wiped by Nico.
The Yorkes
Dale and Stacey Yorkes ("the Travelers") are Gertrude YorkesGertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
's parents. They are time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
ers who posed as antique dealers. The two, using a special 4-D portal, traveled all over time, and had commissioned a genetically engineered dinosaur, mentally linking it with their daughter. They had lived in the 87th century. When the Gibborim had called them to the first meeting, Dale and Stacey had accidentally landed in 1985, where Stacey quotes was "the worst decade of the century". They believed the Gibborim would make a better world, one that wasn't full of superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es who had foiled their plans in the past (and presumably the future). The two have a distinct way of speech (unlike the rest of the Pride, they have older-fashioned speech), and often imply they know what will go on in the future. They dress in pilot styles resembling that of Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
, complete with the goggles, scarves, and gloves. It was later revealed their outfits were actually technical advances; their gloves cause fire and restraining shields. The Yorkes appear as self-righteous, obnoxious people, particularly Stacey. Gert had had a strong dislike of her parents because of an incident involving Gert's pet pig, which the Yorkes hated; after Gert had been playing with it, she had briefly left to answer the phone, and when she returned, she found it had been gone. She suspected her parents of the crime.
When the runaways are time-displaced to 1907, it was revealed the runaways had landed in a time the Yorkes were visiting, where the Yorkes are the heads of a super powered street gang known as the Sinners. When Chase reveals Gert is dead to Dale, he snaps, prompting him to almost assault Chase with his fiery gloves. Later on, Dale reveals the Yorkes have several kingdoms through time, and plan on destroying all of 1907 New York for the sake of their daughter. Unable to wipe their memories as she had already used that spell, Nico stops the Yorkes with her most complex spell yet ("The show must go on"), revealing a painful secret about the Yorkes: the Yorkes will remember everything they now know about their daughter's upcoming death as well as their own, but are enchanted to be unable to act on this knowledge in any way, even to each other; they cannot change the future or say anything that would cause a Grandfather Paradox
Grandfather paradox
The grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
.
The Deans
Frank and Leslie Dean ("the Colonists") are Karolina DeanKarolina Dean
Karolina Dean , also briefly known as Lucy in the Sky, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
's parents. They are alien invaders from Majesdane, the homeworld of their race, who posed as Hollywood actors. The Deans are intergalactic arms traders to the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s. In their alien form, they appear humanoid with bright, wispy skin, and can manipulate and control solar energy for a variety of purposes. When the Gibborim had called the Deans for the first meeting, the Deans were on a Hollywood set for their show, General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
. The two had inhibited Karolina's alien powers for most of her life because of a medical alert bracelet that was forged from far-distant metal, telling her she had an allergy to penicillin. Frank had included Karolina in his will with a paper instructing her to take off the bracelet, but Karolina had discovered the will early. Frank and Leslie had originally appeared as a happy, smiling couple that complimented Karolina's special fajitas, but as issues went on, it was shown the two would have violent and warlike tempers; when the runaways battle their parents over Molly Hayes, Leslie appears rather viciously, returning every time she was knocked out; when Frank arrived from New York and discovered his daughter had already left home and discovered her powers, he had violently attacked Victor Stein roaring for his daughter. The Deans also were the only ones that didn't want a child. However, Leslie believed that have a child would've put them on People magazine. The Deans had conspired with the Hayes's to kill the rest of the Pride and take the six tickets in paradise for them, their daughter, and the three Hayes.
When on the run, Karolina meets Xavin, an alien, and more of the Deans are revealed: the Deans had actually been exiled from their planet for criminal activities; the two immigrated to Earth were they took their last name from a memorial of James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
. When Prince De'zean of the Skrulls (aliens) had arrived at Earth to conquer it, Frank and Leslie had stopped him. In exchange, the two gave the Skrulls the coordinates of a much more valuable planet: Majesdane, the Deans' birth planet, which was hidden beneath a white dwarf
White dwarf
A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small star composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. They are very dense; a white dwarf's mass is comparable to that of the Sun and its volume is comparable to that of the Earth. Its faint luminosity comes from the emission of stored...
star. To assure the Skrulls the coordinates were real, the Deans offered the Prince their daughter's hand in marriage; therefore, Karolina was engaged to the son of the Prince, Xavin. The Skrulls then left to destroy Majesdane, culminating in a fifteen year war. The Deans had privately believed that Xavin would die in the war, and wouldn't expect him to survive to come and collect the marriage agreement. More recently, Karolina had a dream involving both her parents; in a split image, Leslie pulled Karolina to Earth, while Frank pulled Karolina to a milky ball that was Majesdane. It was later revealed by the Majesdanian soldier, vaDanti, that it was specifically Frank Dean who told the Skrulls where Majesdane was hidden.
Daken
Daken
Akihiro, also codename as Daken is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Daken is the mutant son of Wolverine and his deceased wife Itsu...
, the psychopathic son of Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
invades Los Angeles with the hope of usurping the void left by the Pride. He begins taking drugs that are mixed with Majesdanian blood, referred to as "Heat Pills" but unaware it's costing him his abilities.
The Steins
Victor and Janet Stein ("the Wise Men") are Chase SteinChase Stein
Chase Stein , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
's parents. They are world-renown brilliant inventors, are known for making fortunes for what people believe are necessities. They also made "weaponized" gloves called Fistigons, multi-spectral goggles and the transport ship "the Leapfrog". When the Gibborim had called them for the first meeting, the Steins were in their laboratory. At the back of the Stein home is their workshop, which appears as a small shed. When entered, the space is equal to that of a large cave. The Steins are also responsible for the money the Pride obtains, as Victor revealed he and Janet had counterfeited the new fifty within two minutes. The Steins have also created watches that zap electricity, watches that scan police radars and senses, creating the container that carries the soul they sacrifice, and they dress in scientific outfits for their villainous costumes. Janet Stein's pregnancy is the reason the remaining Pride wished to have children, and started the idea of offering their place to a child. Victor is the one parent often described as being the most abusive, as he first appears punching Chase across the face for getting C's, with Janet scolding slightly. A remark from Chase implies that his father regularly beats him. Chase later quotes his parents often argue. On the night of the Rite of Thunder, Victor tells Geoffrey that he really loves his son, and Janet later reveals she admits she doesn't know how her soul is, because of the murders.
When Chase receives an opportunity to get Gert back to life, he immediately agrees to take it: sacrifice an innocent life and Gert would be alive. Chase agrees to the deal and wishes to sacrifice himself, because he had realized he was innocent; Victor would often abuse Chase when he was young, hitting him with a Burbank phone book, which Chase quotes as "strong enough to hurt but not leave any marks". Janet would then put on the radio, so she wouldn't hear her son crying downstairs. Victor would hurt him for getting a D in Algebra, a parking ticket, or even if he was just having a bad day. Chase had never thought of them as good excuses, so he had begun to make up his own, and even believe them, until he realized that he was entirely innocent.
The Hayeses
Gene and Alice Hayes ("the Outcasts") are Molly HayesMolly Hayes
Molly Hayes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
's parents. The two are telepathic mutants
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
who posed as a doctor and a speech therapist. Gene first appears as a very awkward man, unwilling to talk about his daughter's puberty. Alice is described a strong and caring mother, but still able to offer up her own daughter as a ransom to capture the five other runaways. When the Gibborim had called the Hayes for the first meeting, Gene and Alice had been getting harassed by the neighbours, who had thrown rocks at them for being mutants. Just before a furious Gene was about to protect a whimpering Alice, the two had been called forth by the Gibborim. This led to the Hayes's strong hatred towards humans, a reason they were willing to conspire with the Deans to kill the human members of the Pride and ensure the six tickets in paradise for themselves, Molly, and the three Deans. It was revealed early on that the Hayes had no idea Molly was a mutant herself, Molly having tested negative for the mutant gene, but when Molly's supposed puberty was actually her mutant genes kicking in, the Hayes were shocked. The two are telepaths, capable of memory removal and sedation
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
, but this has been reversed on at least one occasion—when they had wiped Cloak
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
's memory of ever encountering the runaways, Cloak and Dagger traveled back to New York, where after receiving a blow to the head, Cloak remembered.
Molly had difficulty in believing her parents were villains for two main reasons: because of her age, and her strong empowering belief her parents were actually innocent people. After Molly had escaped a villain named "the Provost", Molly rescued several other runaway children who had thought their parents villains and offered them a place on the team. When they rejected and said they would go to their families, Molly later had a dream of her parents, reminding her they would still be going to Disney Land, and Molly admitting to her dream-mother that her whole experience as a runaway was a horrible nightmare. The dream-Alice comforts Molly by telling her it was nothing but a dream, and not to worry, because she's home.
Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
later mentions that she knew the Hayeses; The Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
had originally reached out for them, but the Hayeses refused. Frost tells Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
that the Hayeses were monsters and suggested that Molly was probably better off without them. Later, Molly and her chaperone Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
are captured by a super villain seeking revenge against the Hayeses for stopping his bid for Pride territory and brutally massacring his men and sadistically torturing him seven years previous. He happily confronts Molly with the reality of her parents' evil and sadism, telling her that her parents allegedly killed many people, including children, often for no reason and took pleasure in torturing them. He plans on exacting his revenge by killing Molly, though Wolverine manages to defeat him. Afterward, Wolverine comforts her, stating that her parents must have truly loved her despite despite being super villains, though Molly accepts that they were "bad people" and realizes that she will never see her parents in the same light as before.
The Minorus
Robert and Tina Minoru ("the Magicians") are Nico MinoruNico Minoru
Nico Minoru , is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. Created in 2003 by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the character first debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
's parents. The two are dark wizards who posed as an average, church-going, middle-class couple. The two are the least-liked by the Pride; in a holograph, it's revealed the Steins and Yorkes consider them as unstable because they're magicians; the Deans and Hayes hate them because they're humans; Geoffrey Wilder also criticizes Robert on one occasion. When the Gibborim had first abducted the Pride for the first meeting, the Minorus were on their wedding day. Arriving in the Gibborim's chamber with the rest of the Pride, the two quickly unleashed a blackhole of bats at the Pride. In their first appearance, the two appear as an average couple, where Robert is unwilling to be late, and Tina is an Oprah fan. In the Rite of Blood, Robert conducts the enchanted spell of sacrifice. When the Runaways witness the Rite of Blood, they see that Robert conducts the enchanted spell of sacrifice. The Runaways see the Minorus in action when they get ambushed at the Stein's laboratory; Tina conducts her powers using a mystical Staff known as the "Staff of One", and Robert conducts his powers through a spellbook. Tina attempted to stab Nico with her Staff, but, due to Nico's own innate magic and hereditary link with Tina, the Staff was absorbed by Nico, who kept it. It is later hinted that there is more than one Staff of One, as shown when Bo, the first lady to a drug dealer in New York, knew of Nico's incantation and Chase commented that Nico had "a Staff of One." The Minorus, though having mentioned that they only "dabbled" in the dark arts the first time the Pride was gathered, were given enough mystical power by the Gibborim
Gibborim (comics)
The Gibborim are a group of comic book characters in Marvel Comics' award-winning series, Runaways. They were created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona...
, to rule Los Angeles and even beyond. In the final battle with the Pride at the Marine Vivarium, Nico ignored the Wilders' and her parents' wishes to rule in the new world. Regardless, Tina screamed at Nico to run while she and Robert held back the Gibborim, a reason the Runaways were able to flee to safety.
The Minorus are considered highly proficient spellcasters of the dark arts, able to evoke spells of various effects with spoken incantations and without, capable of conjuring bats from nowhere, conducting the Rite of Blood, garbing themselves and others in their costumes, summoning the Staff of One and an enchanted tome (the Abstract), summoning water spouts, killing a genetically engineered prehistoric creature, teleporting a Majesdanian alien back to his home planetoid in another galaxy, freezing another, even a holder of the Staff of One in time, and project energy blasts of sufficient strength to hold off Elder Gods
Gibborim (comics)
The Gibborim are a group of comic book characters in Marvel Comics' award-winning series, Runaways. They were created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona...
(if but for moments). The Minorus are involved with various other mystical matters such as Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
and Agamotto
Agamotto
Agamotto is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is known mainly as the source of the Eye of Agamotto—a tool of magical clairvoyance used by superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange.-Publication history:In a preface to the Dr...
. Nevertheless, for whatever reason (presumably due to the lack of the Staff of One because Nico stole it), the Minorus appeared incapable, despite their immense power and experience in dark magic, of locating the Runaways, though they were but at most several miles from the Pride.
When the Minorus combine their strength, without the usage of magical artifacts, are capable to send Frank Dean back to the planet he came from, while the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, with access to all his own magical items at the Sanctum Sanctorum, claims he cannot bring the New Avengers to Japan through any magical means.
Robert and Tina later appear in a dream Nico has, where the two criticize Nico and call her a slut for kissing Alex, Chase, Topher, and Victor. Nico then overcomes her previous insecurities by quickly killing her parents in her dream by screaming a spell, "and I liked you better dead!"
The Minorus are mentioned to Nico by Marie LaVeau, who reveals that they were acquaintances of hers, and that they were never fully committed to the Dark Path, only to the Pride, unlike Marie. Marie claims to Nico that the Minorus used her, gained her trust, and betrayed her, taking the valuable and extraordinarily powerful Black Mirror from her. The Mirror possessed the ability to gaze into other dimensions, and even the power to travel through time, "if used correctly." Maries scathingly adds certain members of the Pride, such as the Yorkes, had access to the secrets of time traveling, which were shared not with the Minoru clan. The Minorus were so determined to learn about their own past and family secrets they used the Mirror to do so. Yet whatever vision they saw, it was so terrifying even they were unnerved and magically sealed the Mirror so none could ever use it again, instead causing a mere reflection to stare back at the beholder. Nico is told Marie requires her blood to unlock the Mirror's locking spell, and Nico herself does so, though also, as she intended, releases the Staff of One. Nico engages Marie in direct magical combat, and triumphs. However, after Nico unsuccessfully tries to utilize the power of the Mirror to revive Alex Wilder, Marie finds the last page of the Darkhold, and promises Nico that they will encounter each other again, leaving the teenage witch to stare at the shattered remains of the Black Mirror, indeed a mirror of her own life at the time.
After their death, their influence still lives on - the "New Pride" found their magical runestone as part of the ritual to summon Geoffrey Wilder
Geoffrey Wilder
Geoffrey Wilder was a fictional super villain in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. Geoffrey led the Pride, the super villain crime ring of Los Angeles. He was the father of former Runaway Alex Wilder.-Fictional character biography:...
to their present time, and uses more of their magical artifacts to their benefit, such as the Eye-Spy Cauldron to spy upon the Runaways and the chameleon glamour charm Wilder utilized to conceal his true identity by magically giving himself the voice and physical appearance of Chamber and Alex Wilder. The Minorus have also curiously made mention to the Spine of Agamotto
Agamotto
Agamotto is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is known mainly as the source of the Eye of Agamotto—a tool of magical clairvoyance used by superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange.-Publication history:In a preface to the Dr...
, a benevolent powerful magical being who is the main patron of the Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme or Sorceress Supreme is a title granted in the fictional Marvel Universe to the "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension". By...
and creator of the Eye of Agamotto
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
to install a "lummox" as Los Angeles's governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. Nico also assumed the security daemons in their hostel were among the old defense spells of the Minorus, and according to her, the Silver Bullet Gang (a gang of werewolves) were actually driven out from Los Angeles by her parents.
Monk Theppie, an ally of Val Rhymin
Val Rhymin
Val Rhymin is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Terry Moore and artist Humberto Ramos, and debuted in Runaways #1 , at the start of the series' third volume. Val first appearead as a worker in a radio station...
mentions Robert Minoru, his (presumed late) friend, once said that all things are possible, and says he misses the Minorus, appearing near tears when he thinks of them, and saying that the L.A. magic scene hasn’t been the same without them: "Good times." This past relationship to the Minorus is also revealed to Nico when the two confront.
"The New Pride"
At the end of issue 6 in the second series, a figure who had impersonated ChamberChamber (comics)
Jonothon "Jono" Evan Starsmore, better known as Chamber or Decibel, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men and the New Warriors....
from the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, is implied to be a resurrected Alex Wilder, and has formed a new Pride using some of the original team's tools, including the Minoru's Chameleon Glamour, a small talisman to disguise the user into any form. They had later used the Minoru's Eye-Spy Cauldron to spy on the Runaways, who had left from New York City and were returning to Los Angeles. They had also obtained the Stein's copy of the abstract. It was later revealed that they were a group of Alex's former online friends on a role-playing game; Stretch, an overweight boy who lives with his grandmother (had roleplayed as several female and scantily clad superheroes such has Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, Ms Marvel, and the Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
), Hunter, a thin young man with a stereotypical slacker
Slacker
The term "slacker" is used to refer to a person who habitually avoids work. Slackers may be regarded as belonging to an antimaterialistic counterculture, though in some cases their behavior may be due to other causes ....
appearance (had roleplayed as the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
), Lotus, a female fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
fan who participates in Renaissance Fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
s (had roleplayed as Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
) and Oscar, a man who often was fired from many jobs because of using the computers for online games (had roleplayed as Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
).
It was later revealed they were "the new Pride". Hunter hacked into Alex's game account, and through that eventually found his computer's journal, and learned about the Pride. After Alex's death, the friends find certain items from the Pride in an attempt to bring back Alex, but end up killing Oscar, and bringing back a younger version of Alex's father, Geoffrey, from a time period of one year after joining the Pride. Geoffrey then lied to the new Pride acting as the "good guy" and saying that the Runaways killed Alex. Ironically, the new Pride formed because Alex's friends claimed that they wanted to become more "responsible members of society", and begin acting like adults. The Runaways' philosophy states that no adults are to be trusted.
Geoffrey Wilder murders Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
as part of a sacrificial ritual, but he is captured and returned to his own time (with his memory erased in the process). The new Pride disbands after the Runaways reveal Geoffrey Wilder's true goal. Following Gert's death, Stretch checks himself into a mental health facility
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
, and Hunter joins the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
to atone for the "blood" on his hands. Lotus is kidnapped (or, as she puts it, "hired") by Chase Stein
Chase Stein
Chase Stein , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
to help him resurrect Gert. When the attempt fails, Chase releases Lotus, telling her to burn her copy of the Abstract.
Former agents
- Lieutenant Flores of the LAPDLos Angeles Police DepartmentThe Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
. Shot in the leg by Catherine Wilder for bringing Cloak and Dagger to L.A. and then killed by Geoffrey Wilder after he failed to capture the children. - Alex Wilder, revealed to be a spy for his parents and the rest of the Pride. Killed by the Gibborim.