Janne Pietikainen
Nov 12, 2007, 02:39 pm
Runaways #25
June 2007
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-25t.jpg ( http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10830)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inker: Rick Ketcham
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Randy Gentile
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Lillie the Spieler (unnamed), Tristan (unnamed)
Death: Pusher Man
The Runaways decided to spend some time in New York, but in order to prevent any registered super-heroes from tracking them, they contact Kingpin, a powerful crime-boss with whom their late parents associated with. Kingpin has had his men investigate the kids' background and shows them pictures of the late Pusher Man, a drug dealer the Runaways had met earlier, to show the kids that he is able to take care of super-powered individuals. In exchange for the favor, Kingpin asks the runaways to steal a certain artifact. Kingpin organizes the accommodation for the kids, who argue with each other whether they are doing the right thing.
Elsewhere, a muscular man with a long blade tells an old woman that the kids will unwittingly play their part in some scheme, just like Kingpin.
Nico and Karolina have a discussion on the roof, but it ends in cries when Nico doubts the true self of Xavin, Karolina’s fiancé.
The following night, the kids go to do the theft. They leave the Leapfrog on the opposite rooftop, and Chase and Old Lace stay behind in guard while the others break in a vault. Chase and his dinosaur have to jump down the roof when it’s hit by the Punisher’s missile, but luckily Chase is caught by Old Lace, who slides down the wall with her claws. The others escape from the burning building, and are shocked to see the Punisher aiming at them, with the mysterious muscle man behind him, now winged and about to behead the Punisher with this blade.
Characters:
Captain America (flashback)
Karolina Dean
Molly Hayes
Kingpin
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Nico Minoru
Old Lace
Pride (flashback)
Punisher
Spider-Man (flashback)
Chase Stein
Tristan
Wolverine (flashback)
Xavin
Gertrude Yorkes (flashback)
<hr>
Runaways #26
July 2007
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-26t.jpg ( http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10941)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 2
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inker: Rick Ketcham
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Tristan (named)
The Punisher and the winged monster, Tristan, fight each other, so the Runaways try to use the chance to run away. They need Nico’s spell to escape when they end in the middle of the Punisher and Tristan.
Kingpin has been paid by the old woman to have the Runaways steal the artifact. The woman and her aide, Tristan, wrongly believe that Kingpin doesn’t know what the artifact is.
The Runaways think that they lost Chase and Old Lace, and grieve for them. They are happy to learn that they had it wrong, but the kids are then again cornered by the Punisher. Chase thinks that the artifact was built by his parents, but the Punisher is still going to punish them for the theft, until Molly hits him way too hard. The runaways leave, and Chase realizes that the artifact fits some mechanism called “overdrive” in the Leapfrog. They plan to get their stuff from the apartment and leave, but Kingpin is waiting for them there with a hoard of ninjas. A fight starts when kids won’t give Kingpin the artifact. On the roof, Victor is captured by the winged man, who gives Victor a message of some sort. Nico is cut by a ninja’s sword, so she is able to finish the fight with a spell, but she collapses before she can do a healing spell. Victor tells the others that they have to leave at once, and when Kingpin's contact at Stark launches multiple missiles at them from a battle armor, Victor tells Chase to put the artifact in the overdrive. The Runaways then find themselves in the past.
Characters:
Karolina Dean
Molly Hayes
Kingpin
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Nico Minoru
Old Lace
Punisher
Chase Stein
Tristan
Xavin
<hr>
Runaways #27
August 2007
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-27t.jpg (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11047)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 3
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inkers: Rick Ketcham & Jay Leisten
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Adjudicator, Creeper, Dead George Pelham, Forget-Me-Not (unnamed), Hoyden, Kid Twist (unnamed), Lillie the Spieler (named), Maneater, Morphine (unnamed), Klara Prast (unnamed), Mr. Prast (unnamed), the Swell, Yellow Kid
The kids find themselves a hundred years in the past. The artifact that brought the Leapfrog and the Runaways to the past is broken and they can’t have Nico transport them back to present, because the Leapfrog informs that it is impervious to magic. The Leapfrog shows a holo-record where the Yorkes talk with Victor Stein about the artifact and mention that they have stashed similar artifacts all over the century. The kids decide to find one and Nico casts a spell that gives everyone proper attire. The Leapfrog is left cloaked in the alley and Chase leaves Old Lace to watch it, because he doesn’t trust the Leapfrog anymore.
Suddenly there’s an explosion at the nearby sweatshop and the runaways use their powers to save the children therein. They also find strange vines leading to ground from a hole in the wall and a girl running away. Afterwards they are trying to get away unnoticed, but they are approached by the Swell, a fellow “Wonder”, who offers to help them. Meanwhile, Adjudicator is investigating the ruins of the sweatshop. This mysterious man seeks to end the Sinners’ war against humanity, which is killing innocent children. Adjudicator wonders how come the explosion didn’t kill that many people, and since something called the Upward Path wasn’t present, he realizes that there were new people involved.
The Swell brings the Runaways to Camelot, where they are introduced to a group of Wonders called Street Arabs. These Wonders include Tristan, the winged man who was after the Runaways in the present. He looks normal now, except for his wings.
The Runaways are given a room, but is so excited about their adventure that she decides to look around the old New York that night. Unfortunately a girl walking alone in the streets draws wrong kind of attention to her and she has to use her powers against an intrusive man. She then notices same kind of roses that were in the mysterious vines earlier. She witnesses an alcoholic man yelling at a young girl and threatening her in their home.
The Swell has gone to Mineola to talk about the Runaways to Maneater, who is the spokesperson of the Others. The Swell wants money from finding them and tells Maneater that he could also have gone to the Upward Path. Maneater goes to talk to his masters, who tell to either recruit of kill the Runaways. The masters happen to be the time-travelling Stacey and Dale Yorkes, parents of the runaways’ late teammate Gertrude.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Creeper
Dead George Pelham
Karolina Dean
Forget-Me-Not
Molly Hayes
Hoyden
Jacob
Kid Twist
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Morphine
Old Lace
Klara Prast
Mr. Prast
Chase Stein
Victor Stein (holo-record)
Swell
Tristan
Xavin
Yellow Kid
Dale Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes (holo-record)
Stacey Yorkes
<hr>
Runaways #28
December 2007
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-28t.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #28" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11426) <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-28vt.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #28 (zombie variant)" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11427)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 4
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inker: Rick Ketcham
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Black Maria, Daystick, Difference Engine, Forget-Me-Not (named), Kid Twist (named), Morphine (named), Nightstick, Klara Prast (named), Witchbreaker
In 1907, the time-displaced Runaways are getting prepared for the day, with the Swell advising. Nico splits the team up, so that they have better chance of finding another overdrive device to get them back to their own time. Chase and Xavin will meet the Sinners on the Mineola, a private subway train owned by the Others. The Others run a group called the Sinners, and the Swell thinks they might know where to get a new overdrive. Nico sends her boyfriend, Victor, with Lillie the Spieler to meet Professor Duck, who built Tristan his wings and is very good with machines. Victor just happened to dream about Lillie the previous night. Karolina wants to slip out with Molly, so Nico goes to the Merchant’s Trust alone to see if they have an overdrive in their vaults.
Karolina and Molly go to see Klara, the little girl that had used super-powers to escape from the burning factory and whom Karoline witnessed being threatened at her home the previous night. Molly is happy to tell her that she and Karolina are “wonders” as well and Karolina tells her that she doesn’t have to be pushed around. Molly would like Klara to join the Runaways, but Karolina is against it. Klara reveals that Mr. Prast is not her father, but her husband. Karolina and Molly then take Klara to eat and she tells about her powers, how her mother had sent her away with Mr. Prast and how she doesn't enjoy her marital duties. Molly assumes that Mr. Prast makes Klara do chores.
Victor and Lillie end up fighting strike-breakers and dancing in the sky, which is witnessed by Tristan.
Nico uses magic at the Merchant’s Trust to make the bank employees to open the safety boxes for her. She is stopped by the Upward Path, the group protecting the city. The team consists of Daystick, Nightstick, Black Maria and the Difference Engine. Nico is talking with the Upward Path when Adjudicator sneaks up behind her and knocks her unconscious. Nico is taken to the Witchbreaker, who tells Nico that she is a great disappointment to her ancestors.
The Swell takes Chase and Xavin to the Mineola, but their meeting with the Sinners’ Maneater ends up in a fight when Chase wants to meet the Others instead. The Yorkes come to see what is causing the ruckus and are shocked to run into Chase, who is likewise surprised. The Yorkes have travelled to 1907 from a few years before their death and are even more shocked when Chase tells them that their Gertrude loved him and is now dead. Stacey wants to go to her present to save Gert, but while Xavin holds Maneater and Dale Yorkes, Chase knocks her down and uses the time-machine himself. Xavin then escapes, carrying the Swell off.
Maneater starts giving orders to the Sinners. They now plan to kill the Street Arabs and Runaways, and prepare themselves for a war with the Upward Path.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Black Maria
Daystick
Karolina Dean
Difference Engine
Forget-Me-Not
Molly Hayes
Kid Twist
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Morphine
Nightstick
Klara Prast
Mr. Prast
Chase Stein
Swell
Tristan
Witchbreaker
Xavin
Dale Yorkes
Stacey Yorkes
<hr>
Runaways #29
April 2008
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-29t.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #29" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11812)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 5
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inkers: Rick Ketcham & Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Professor Duck
Death: Creeper, Hoyden
Xavin is telling Karolina and Molly how Chase vanished with the Yorkes' time machine, while the Swell warns other Street Arabs about the Sinners. Xavin and Karolina argue about taking Klara with them and Xavin loses his concentration, transforming back into a girl. This proves Karolina that Xavin is sincere and they start kissing. This horrifies Klara, who then runs away and disappoints Molly.
Elsewhere, Professor Duck tells Victor and Lillie the Spieler that the overdrive’s power source is used up and that if they want to get to the future, they should live a very long time. Lillie asks Victor to stay with her and guarantees that Tristan is only like a brother to her. Victor says he can’t stay and after a long kiss, asks Lillie to come with them instead.
The Sinners prepare themselves for a gang war, while their masters (the Yorkes) finish a sophisticated device. The Sinners' Kid Twist, Forget-Me-Not and Morphine run into two Street Arabs, Hoyden and Creeper, who are both killed by Kid Twist.
Witchbreaker is disappointed with Nico's small capacity for pain, because she would be able to control more power by learning to take more pain. Nico tells her great-grandmother to bring it on.
The other Runaways learn that Nico’s been taken by the Upward Path, claimed protectors of the city. The Sinners arrive with allies, such as Goldbrick, Ratdog and a six-handed woman, and normal gunmen. The Upward Path likewise arrives and the war of wonders begins, with the Runaways and Lillie in the middle. Kid Twist cannot miss a target he has laid his eyes on and fires behind him, intending to kill the Swell. Thanks to his stick, the fortune always falls to the Swell’s way, but it’s uncertain which wonder proves lucky. Victor is picked up from the fight by Tristan, who tosses Victor to a rooftop, yelling that Lillie is his girl. Victor hits the Yorkes’ device which is about to go off.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Black Maria
Creeper
Daystick
Dead George Pelham
Karolina Dean
Difference Engine
Forget-Me-Not
Goldbrick
Molly Hayes
Hoyden
Kid Twist
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Morphine
Nightstick
Klara Prast
Professor Duck
Ratdog
Swell
Tristan
Witchbreaker
Xavin
Dale Yorkes
Stacey Yorkes
<hr>
Runaways #30
August 2008
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-30t.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #30" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-30.jpg)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids conclusion
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inkers: Rick Ketcham, Victor Olazaba, Roland Paris & Craig Yeung
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Death: Kid Twist
The Yorkes' bomb is not metal and Victor Mancha cannot hack or even move it. Victor tells Tristan that bombs are a bit more efficient in the future, so Tristan gathers his strength and takes the bomb in the sky. Victor hurries back in the middle of the fight to protect Lillie, while Xavin and Karolina put their shields together to protect everyone. The Upward Path and the Sinners still continue fighting each other's forces, with the remaining Street Arabs in the middle. The Sinners' Kid Twist boasts about having killed the Street Arabs, but then empties his gun into Dead George Pelham to no avail before getting his brains eaten. Nearby, the Arabs' Swell is still running from one of Kid Twist’s bullets that never miss their target. The bullet hits the Swell's cane that gives him his powers and he is devastated, saying that he has been killed.
The Sinners' Maneater and the Upward Path's Abjudicator fight each other for Manhattan when they are interrupted by the arriving Nico Minoru, who briefly fills the burning streets with water. Nico is floating and others notice that her staff been "pimped". Nico turns Maneater into vegan, so to speak, telling Abjudicator that their war will never end and they will only get kids killed. Nico tells the others that she will make the Yorkes take them back to their time, even though Chase is still missing. She says that they are taking another person with them and tells Victor to give Lillie the Spieler Tristan's message from the future. They're interrupted by Old Lace, who has goggles from either of the Yorkes with her. The Runaways need to move fast, so they leave the street war behind them, Nico saying that it will still be there when they get back.
Tristan has also survived the explosion, but was heavily scarred in the process. While Xavin is pulling the others in a carriage, Victor gives Lillie the message, thinking it‘s from her future self. "This is your last dance. Your chance to change your fate. Leave this world for a better one or waste your days in regret." They arrive at the alley where they hid the Leapfrog, but they are frozen in one place with the Yorkes' technology from the future. Chase, who had taken pieces of the overdrive device (the Leapfrog's time-travel device) to prevent the Yorkes from using it, returns to 1907 with the Yorkes’ time machine and attacks the Yorkes, freeing his teammates. They are easily defeated and Nico uses a spell to take them back to when they came from and make them live their lives exactly like they did in the Runaways' past, not able to change anything despite knowing that their Gert will die.
Suddenly, Klara staggers to the alley after being beaten by his elder husband. Karolina wants to deal with him, but they don't have time, so they decide to take Klara with them as well. Lillie on the other hand is too scared to leave, which she will regret over a century. In the Runaways' time, Lillie knows that Victor managed to give her the message, but that it's always in vain.
The Leapfrog emerges in the present day's New York, with the Kingpin's missiles still coming at them. Chase uses battle gloves taken from his father to deal with the missiles. They then stop quickly in the park. Kingpin won't come after them after they have left his turf and the Punisher is still recuperating from Molly's hit. Nico and Chase have a talk. Nico tells that she practically threw Lillie at her boyfriend, because she couldn't have fought their love. Chase tells that he watched Gert in the Yorkes' time for a bit, but stayed hidden because of the butterfly effect and because he couldn't have promised that she wouldn't die any sooner if she had come with him.
The Runaways then decide to go home, back to Los Angeles, even though they don't know where they will live there.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Black Maria
Daystick
Dead George Pelham
Karolina Dean
Difference Engine
Molly Hayes
Kid Twist
Kingpin
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Nightstick
Old Lace
Klara Prast
Punisher
Ratdog
Chase Stein
Swell
Tristan
Xavin
Yellow Kid
Dale Yorkes
Stacey Yorkes
Runaways (2005) #13-24 | Runaways (2005) #25-30 | Runaways (2008) #1-
June 2007
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-25t.jpg ( http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10830)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inker: Rick Ketcham
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Randy Gentile
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Lillie the Spieler (unnamed), Tristan (unnamed)
Death: Pusher Man
The Runaways decided to spend some time in New York, but in order to prevent any registered super-heroes from tracking them, they contact Kingpin, a powerful crime-boss with whom their late parents associated with. Kingpin has had his men investigate the kids' background and shows them pictures of the late Pusher Man, a drug dealer the Runaways had met earlier, to show the kids that he is able to take care of super-powered individuals. In exchange for the favor, Kingpin asks the runaways to steal a certain artifact. Kingpin organizes the accommodation for the kids, who argue with each other whether they are doing the right thing.
Elsewhere, a muscular man with a long blade tells an old woman that the kids will unwittingly play their part in some scheme, just like Kingpin.
Nico and Karolina have a discussion on the roof, but it ends in cries when Nico doubts the true self of Xavin, Karolina’s fiancé.
The following night, the kids go to do the theft. They leave the Leapfrog on the opposite rooftop, and Chase and Old Lace stay behind in guard while the others break in a vault. Chase and his dinosaur have to jump down the roof when it’s hit by the Punisher’s missile, but luckily Chase is caught by Old Lace, who slides down the wall with her claws. The others escape from the burning building, and are shocked to see the Punisher aiming at them, with the mysterious muscle man behind him, now winged and about to behead the Punisher with this blade.
Characters:
Captain America (flashback)
Karolina Dean
Molly Hayes
Kingpin
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Nico Minoru
Old Lace
Pride (flashback)
Punisher
Spider-Man (flashback)
Chase Stein
Tristan
Wolverine (flashback)
Xavin
Gertrude Yorkes (flashback)
<hr>
Runaways #26
July 2007
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-26t.jpg ( http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10941)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 2
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inker: Rick Ketcham
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Tristan (named)
The Punisher and the winged monster, Tristan, fight each other, so the Runaways try to use the chance to run away. They need Nico’s spell to escape when they end in the middle of the Punisher and Tristan.
Kingpin has been paid by the old woman to have the Runaways steal the artifact. The woman and her aide, Tristan, wrongly believe that Kingpin doesn’t know what the artifact is.
The Runaways think that they lost Chase and Old Lace, and grieve for them. They are happy to learn that they had it wrong, but the kids are then again cornered by the Punisher. Chase thinks that the artifact was built by his parents, but the Punisher is still going to punish them for the theft, until Molly hits him way too hard. The runaways leave, and Chase realizes that the artifact fits some mechanism called “overdrive” in the Leapfrog. They plan to get their stuff from the apartment and leave, but Kingpin is waiting for them there with a hoard of ninjas. A fight starts when kids won’t give Kingpin the artifact. On the roof, Victor is captured by the winged man, who gives Victor a message of some sort. Nico is cut by a ninja’s sword, so she is able to finish the fight with a spell, but she collapses before she can do a healing spell. Victor tells the others that they have to leave at once, and when Kingpin's contact at Stark launches multiple missiles at them from a battle armor, Victor tells Chase to put the artifact in the overdrive. The Runaways then find themselves in the past.
Characters:
Karolina Dean
Molly Hayes
Kingpin
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Nico Minoru
Old Lace
Punisher
Chase Stein
Tristan
Xavin
<hr>
Runaways #27
August 2007
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-27t.jpg (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11047)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 3
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inkers: Rick Ketcham & Jay Leisten
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Adjudicator, Creeper, Dead George Pelham, Forget-Me-Not (unnamed), Hoyden, Kid Twist (unnamed), Lillie the Spieler (named), Maneater, Morphine (unnamed), Klara Prast (unnamed), Mr. Prast (unnamed), the Swell, Yellow Kid
The kids find themselves a hundred years in the past. The artifact that brought the Leapfrog and the Runaways to the past is broken and they can’t have Nico transport them back to present, because the Leapfrog informs that it is impervious to magic. The Leapfrog shows a holo-record where the Yorkes talk with Victor Stein about the artifact and mention that they have stashed similar artifacts all over the century. The kids decide to find one and Nico casts a spell that gives everyone proper attire. The Leapfrog is left cloaked in the alley and Chase leaves Old Lace to watch it, because he doesn’t trust the Leapfrog anymore.
Suddenly there’s an explosion at the nearby sweatshop and the runaways use their powers to save the children therein. They also find strange vines leading to ground from a hole in the wall and a girl running away. Afterwards they are trying to get away unnoticed, but they are approached by the Swell, a fellow “Wonder”, who offers to help them. Meanwhile, Adjudicator is investigating the ruins of the sweatshop. This mysterious man seeks to end the Sinners’ war against humanity, which is killing innocent children. Adjudicator wonders how come the explosion didn’t kill that many people, and since something called the Upward Path wasn’t present, he realizes that there were new people involved.
The Swell brings the Runaways to Camelot, where they are introduced to a group of Wonders called Street Arabs. These Wonders include Tristan, the winged man who was after the Runaways in the present. He looks normal now, except for his wings.
The Runaways are given a room, but is so excited about their adventure that she decides to look around the old New York that night. Unfortunately a girl walking alone in the streets draws wrong kind of attention to her and she has to use her powers against an intrusive man. She then notices same kind of roses that were in the mysterious vines earlier. She witnesses an alcoholic man yelling at a young girl and threatening her in their home.
The Swell has gone to Mineola to talk about the Runaways to Maneater, who is the spokesperson of the Others. The Swell wants money from finding them and tells Maneater that he could also have gone to the Upward Path. Maneater goes to talk to his masters, who tell to either recruit of kill the Runaways. The masters happen to be the time-travelling Stacey and Dale Yorkes, parents of the runaways’ late teammate Gertrude.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Creeper
Dead George Pelham
Karolina Dean
Forget-Me-Not
Molly Hayes
Hoyden
Jacob
Kid Twist
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Morphine
Old Lace
Klara Prast
Mr. Prast
Chase Stein
Victor Stein (holo-record)
Swell
Tristan
Xavin
Yellow Kid
Dale Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes (holo-record)
Stacey Yorkes
<hr>
Runaways #28
December 2007
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-28t.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #28" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11426) <img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-28vt.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #28 (zombie variant)" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11427)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 4
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inker: Rick Ketcham
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Black Maria, Daystick, Difference Engine, Forget-Me-Not (named), Kid Twist (named), Morphine (named), Nightstick, Klara Prast (named), Witchbreaker
In 1907, the time-displaced Runaways are getting prepared for the day, with the Swell advising. Nico splits the team up, so that they have better chance of finding another overdrive device to get them back to their own time. Chase and Xavin will meet the Sinners on the Mineola, a private subway train owned by the Others. The Others run a group called the Sinners, and the Swell thinks they might know where to get a new overdrive. Nico sends her boyfriend, Victor, with Lillie the Spieler to meet Professor Duck, who built Tristan his wings and is very good with machines. Victor just happened to dream about Lillie the previous night. Karolina wants to slip out with Molly, so Nico goes to the Merchant’s Trust alone to see if they have an overdrive in their vaults.
Karolina and Molly go to see Klara, the little girl that had used super-powers to escape from the burning factory and whom Karoline witnessed being threatened at her home the previous night. Molly is happy to tell her that she and Karolina are “wonders” as well and Karolina tells her that she doesn’t have to be pushed around. Molly would like Klara to join the Runaways, but Karolina is against it. Klara reveals that Mr. Prast is not her father, but her husband. Karolina and Molly then take Klara to eat and she tells about her powers, how her mother had sent her away with Mr. Prast and how she doesn't enjoy her marital duties. Molly assumes that Mr. Prast makes Klara do chores.
Victor and Lillie end up fighting strike-breakers and dancing in the sky, which is witnessed by Tristan.
Nico uses magic at the Merchant’s Trust to make the bank employees to open the safety boxes for her. She is stopped by the Upward Path, the group protecting the city. The team consists of Daystick, Nightstick, Black Maria and the Difference Engine. Nico is talking with the Upward Path when Adjudicator sneaks up behind her and knocks her unconscious. Nico is taken to the Witchbreaker, who tells Nico that she is a great disappointment to her ancestors.
The Swell takes Chase and Xavin to the Mineola, but their meeting with the Sinners’ Maneater ends up in a fight when Chase wants to meet the Others instead. The Yorkes come to see what is causing the ruckus and are shocked to run into Chase, who is likewise surprised. The Yorkes have travelled to 1907 from a few years before their death and are even more shocked when Chase tells them that their Gertrude loved him and is now dead. Stacey wants to go to her present to save Gert, but while Xavin holds Maneater and Dale Yorkes, Chase knocks her down and uses the time-machine himself. Xavin then escapes, carrying the Swell off.
Maneater starts giving orders to the Sinners. They now plan to kill the Street Arabs and Runaways, and prepare themselves for a war with the Upward Path.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Black Maria
Daystick
Karolina Dean
Difference Engine
Forget-Me-Not
Molly Hayes
Kid Twist
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Morphine
Nightstick
Klara Prast
Mr. Prast
Chase Stein
Swell
Tristan
Witchbreaker
Xavin
Dale Yorkes
Stacey Yorkes
<hr>
Runaways #29
April 2008
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-29t.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #29" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=11812)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids part 5
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inkers: Rick Ketcham & Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
First Appearance: Professor Duck
Death: Creeper, Hoyden
Xavin is telling Karolina and Molly how Chase vanished with the Yorkes' time machine, while the Swell warns other Street Arabs about the Sinners. Xavin and Karolina argue about taking Klara with them and Xavin loses his concentration, transforming back into a girl. This proves Karolina that Xavin is sincere and they start kissing. This horrifies Klara, who then runs away and disappoints Molly.
Elsewhere, Professor Duck tells Victor and Lillie the Spieler that the overdrive’s power source is used up and that if they want to get to the future, they should live a very long time. Lillie asks Victor to stay with her and guarantees that Tristan is only like a brother to her. Victor says he can’t stay and after a long kiss, asks Lillie to come with them instead.
The Sinners prepare themselves for a gang war, while their masters (the Yorkes) finish a sophisticated device. The Sinners' Kid Twist, Forget-Me-Not and Morphine run into two Street Arabs, Hoyden and Creeper, who are both killed by Kid Twist.
Witchbreaker is disappointed with Nico's small capacity for pain, because she would be able to control more power by learning to take more pain. Nico tells her great-grandmother to bring it on.
The other Runaways learn that Nico’s been taken by the Upward Path, claimed protectors of the city. The Sinners arrive with allies, such as Goldbrick, Ratdog and a six-handed woman, and normal gunmen. The Upward Path likewise arrives and the war of wonders begins, with the Runaways and Lillie in the middle. Kid Twist cannot miss a target he has laid his eyes on and fires behind him, intending to kill the Swell. Thanks to his stick, the fortune always falls to the Swell’s way, but it’s uncertain which wonder proves lucky. Victor is picked up from the fight by Tristan, who tosses Victor to a rooftop, yelling that Lillie is his girl. Victor hits the Yorkes’ device which is about to go off.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Black Maria
Creeper
Daystick
Dead George Pelham
Karolina Dean
Difference Engine
Forget-Me-Not
Goldbrick
Molly Hayes
Hoyden
Kid Twist
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Morphine
Nightstick
Klara Prast
Professor Duck
Ratdog
Swell
Tristan
Witchbreaker
Xavin
Dale Yorkes
Stacey Yorkes
<hr>
Runaways #30
August 2008
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-30t.jpg" align top align=left alt="Runaways #30" border="0"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/runawaysv2-30.jpg)
Story Arc: Dead-End Kids conclusion
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Michael Ryan
Inkers: Rick Ketcham, Victor Olazaba, Roland Paris & Craig Yeung
Colorist: Christina Strain
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Death: Kid Twist
The Yorkes' bomb is not metal and Victor Mancha cannot hack or even move it. Victor tells Tristan that bombs are a bit more efficient in the future, so Tristan gathers his strength and takes the bomb in the sky. Victor hurries back in the middle of the fight to protect Lillie, while Xavin and Karolina put their shields together to protect everyone. The Upward Path and the Sinners still continue fighting each other's forces, with the remaining Street Arabs in the middle. The Sinners' Kid Twist boasts about having killed the Street Arabs, but then empties his gun into Dead George Pelham to no avail before getting his brains eaten. Nearby, the Arabs' Swell is still running from one of Kid Twist’s bullets that never miss their target. The bullet hits the Swell's cane that gives him his powers and he is devastated, saying that he has been killed.
The Sinners' Maneater and the Upward Path's Abjudicator fight each other for Manhattan when they are interrupted by the arriving Nico Minoru, who briefly fills the burning streets with water. Nico is floating and others notice that her staff been "pimped". Nico turns Maneater into vegan, so to speak, telling Abjudicator that their war will never end and they will only get kids killed. Nico tells the others that she will make the Yorkes take them back to their time, even though Chase is still missing. She says that they are taking another person with them and tells Victor to give Lillie the Spieler Tristan's message from the future. They're interrupted by Old Lace, who has goggles from either of the Yorkes with her. The Runaways need to move fast, so they leave the street war behind them, Nico saying that it will still be there when they get back.
Tristan has also survived the explosion, but was heavily scarred in the process. While Xavin is pulling the others in a carriage, Victor gives Lillie the message, thinking it‘s from her future self. "This is your last dance. Your chance to change your fate. Leave this world for a better one or waste your days in regret." They arrive at the alley where they hid the Leapfrog, but they are frozen in one place with the Yorkes' technology from the future. Chase, who had taken pieces of the overdrive device (the Leapfrog's time-travel device) to prevent the Yorkes from using it, returns to 1907 with the Yorkes’ time machine and attacks the Yorkes, freeing his teammates. They are easily defeated and Nico uses a spell to take them back to when they came from and make them live their lives exactly like they did in the Runaways' past, not able to change anything despite knowing that their Gert will die.
Suddenly, Klara staggers to the alley after being beaten by his elder husband. Karolina wants to deal with him, but they don't have time, so they decide to take Klara with them as well. Lillie on the other hand is too scared to leave, which she will regret over a century. In the Runaways' time, Lillie knows that Victor managed to give her the message, but that it's always in vain.
The Leapfrog emerges in the present day's New York, with the Kingpin's missiles still coming at them. Chase uses battle gloves taken from his father to deal with the missiles. They then stop quickly in the park. Kingpin won't come after them after they have left his turf and the Punisher is still recuperating from Molly's hit. Nico and Chase have a talk. Nico tells that she practically threw Lillie at her boyfriend, because she couldn't have fought their love. Chase tells that he watched Gert in the Yorkes' time for a bit, but stayed hidden because of the butterfly effect and because he couldn't have promised that she wouldn't die any sooner if she had come with him.
The Runaways then decide to go home, back to Los Angeles, even though they don't know where they will live there.
Characters:
Adjudicator
Black Maria
Daystick
Dead George Pelham
Karolina Dean
Difference Engine
Molly Hayes
Kid Twist
Kingpin
Leapfrog
Lillie the Spieler
Victor Mancha
Maneater
Nico Minoru
Nightstick
Old Lace
Klara Prast
Punisher
Ratdog
Chase Stein
Swell
Tristan
Xavin
Yellow Kid
Dale Yorkes
Stacey Yorkes
Runaways (2005) #13-24 | Runaways (2005) #25-30 | Runaways (2008) #1-