Another super-show has now arrived on the small screen: Marvel's Runaways, which debuted on Hulu today. This latest addition to the Marvel TV universe is intended to appeal to a younger demographic than the existing Defenders universe on Netflix, or Agents of SHIELD and Inhumans on ABC. However, if 'teen' shows like Riverdale have shown us anything, it's that the age of the heroes doesn't define the age of the audience. While Runaways will definitely be more appropriate viewing for younger fans, there's little doubt that older fans are still going to be tuning in for teenage powers... and dinosaurs (yes, dinosaurs).The trailers for Runaways look like a whole lot of fun, and introduce both those dinosaurs and the basic premise: a group of powered teens who discover that their parents are into some spooky stuff, and decide to turn against them and fight. However, this team might not be as well known as some other Marvel heroes, so if you're not quite sure who these new kids on the block are, we've got everything you need to know about the Runaways and their powers.
Related: Marvel's Runaways Trailer 2
Nico Minoru a.k.a. Sister Grimm
Nico Minoru (Lyrica Okano) has also been known as Sister Grimm, although (like many of the Runaways) she is known as much by her real name as her 'super' name. Her power comes from a magical artifact known as the Staff of One; in the comics, after she discovers that her parents are dark wizards, she absorbs the Staff when her mother attempts to attack her with it. Since then, the Staff lives in her own body, and she can call it forth to use its magic. Although she is deeply connected to the Staff, Nico seems unaware of just how powerful it could be, with mystical beings such as Dormammu afraid of the Staff in the comics.
In the comics, Nico's use of the Staff is reliant on blood magic, and she has to cut herself in order to call the staff forth. However, in Runaways, Nico will be able to simply use the Staff without blood, a change made because of concerns that impressionable viewers shouldn't watch a hero self-harm. It also seems that the Staff may be a weapon that she physically carries, rather than carrying it within herself. Nico is also described as a 'budding Wiccan' and something of a loner thanks to her Goth style. Despite this, she is a strong leader in the comics, and we are sure to see this come through on the small screen.
Alex Wilder, Nerd Leader
Alex Wilder (Rhenzy Feliz) is one of the Runaways not gifted with any superpowers, and who doesn't choose to use a superhero name. Alex has said that he would rather fight under his own name to try and redeem it. Although he isn't superpowered, he is often seen as the leader of the group, and he uses his incredible intelligence and tactical mind to keep his friends out of trouble. While some of these talents are innate, Alex has also honed his tactical abilities through an obsession with video games, a passion that his parents disapprove of.
Described as another 'loner' and a 'loud and proud nerd', Alex's burning desire is to reunite his group of friends from childhood (although he probably didn't expect the reunion that he gets!). In the comics, it is Alex that discovers the secret passage that the teens creep down to discover what their parents are up to, and it looks like he'll be the driving force behind this event in Runaways as well.
Karolina Dean, a.k.a LSD
Karolina Dean (Virginia Gardner) only discovered her powers after she and the rest of the Runaways made their shocking discovery, but she has actually had them her entire life. Like her parents, Karolina is an alien, and her special physiology is the source of her abilities. She can absorb solar energy and convert it into glowing light energy, which can be used for a whole range of things. She can also fly, is superhumanly strong, and is impervious to heat. Thanks to her extraterrestrial heritage, Karoline took the name Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (LSD).
Initially, Karolina's actor parents suppressed her abilities with a bracelet made of an alien metal (that they pretended was an allergy bracelet). Once Karoline took it off, she learned just how much she is able to do. Karolina's parents have always put pressure on her, and although she is stunningly beautiful and talented, she struggles to live up to their expectations. In the comics, she comes out as gay, and this is expected to make it into Runaways as well; especially as she is described as wanting to "explore her identity and pursue her own desires".
Gert Yorkes a.k.a. Arsenic (& Her Dino, Old Lace)
Gertrude Yorks (Ariela Barer), or Gert, is a purple haired riot grrrl, intelligent but extremely suspicious and sarcastic. She has a sharp tongue and is described as a 'brash social justice warrior'. Like Alex, Gert doesn't have any inherit powers of her own, but unlike him, she does take on a code name: Arsenic.
Although Gert doesn't have powers per se, she does have something equally useful as a superhero: a psionically engineered deinonychus. This dino was designed and created by Gertrude's parents, who are actually time travelers who got the dino in the 87th century. Gert named her pet Old Lace, and took the code name Arsenic to match (after the play 'Arsenic and Old Lace', a farcical black comedy). The two share a telepathic link that is affected by Gert's emotional state; for example, if she is angry at someone, Old Lace becomes aggressive toward them.
Chase Stein a.k.a. Talkback
Chase Stein (Gregg Sulkin), the only other male Runaways member, is also without natural superpowers, but that doesn't mean that he can't help the team. The son of incredible inventors, Chase is innately talented with machinery, which he can understand and manipulate without knowing quite how he does it. He also fights with a couple of gadgets that he stole from his parents' home before leaving with the rest of the Runaways. He has a pair of extremely powerful x-ray glasses, as well as a pair of gloves called the Fistigons. The Fistigons are pyrokinetic, allowing him to shape and shoot fire from his hands.
Chase is described as "a lacrosse-playing high school heartthrob", which is in line with his character in the comics. His preference for sports over science has long been a problem for his parents, who want him to become an inventor-type like themselves. The oldest of the Runaways, Chase also had a romance with Gert, although it's not yet known if this will carry over into Hulu's adaptation.
Molly Hernandez a.k.a. Princess Powerful
The youngest member of the Runaways is Molly Hernandez (Allegra Acosta), a peppy, positive young girl who was the most excited about becoming a superhero. She named herself Princess Powerful, and even attempted to make a costume. Despite being the most immature of the group, Molly is possibly the most powerful of the Runaways. She is the child of telepathic mutants, and possesses super-strength and invulnerability. Although she is incredibly powerful, using her powers exhausts Molly, and the more she uses, the more tired she becomes.
As well as being the youngest, Molly is also the only character from the comics who does not see the parents engaging in their terrible ritual, which means that she is the most difficult to persuade to leave. Combined with her positive attitude, the fact that Molly was only told about her parents by the other teens means that she is the easiest to manipulate and sometimes seems to forget that their parents are evil. However, from the trailers, it looks like Molly will be with the rest of the gang this time around, which changes things a little bit.
It seems that Molly is the character who is most changed from the comics overall. Originally Molly Hayes, her name isn't the only thing altered. In the comics, Molly's eyes glow pink/purple when she uses her powers, but sneak peeks at Runaways show eyes glowing more of a gold color. Her parents' story and her abilities may also get a different explanation, as the Marvel property will presumably not have the rights to use mutant characters.
The Runaways
One of the most exciting things about Marvel's Runaways is how close the Hulu adaptation is sticking to the original comics. Thus far, it seems that the only changes are quite superficial; Nico no longer needs blood for her power and Molly's last name changes. While it's not clear yet how Molly will get her powers if she is not a mutant, the core of the character is in what she does and who she is, not why she has the abilities that she does. Other than those small changes, everyone seems true to the comics, which is something that any fan will be absolutely thrilled to see.
Brought together by the nefarious deeds of their evil parents, Marvel's Runaways looks like it will start much the same way as the comics, as well: with the kids discovering exactly what their parents get up to at their 'annual meeting'. This leads them to run away (hence the name) and try to fight their parents' plans as heroes, but that isn't the only appeal of Marvel's Runaways. Many of these teens are also fighting their parents on a more relatable level: fighting their expectations and restrictions, and finding a way to be themselves. Issues of feeling alone, of coming out, of early relationships and intense friendships are going to be at the heart of Runaways, just as they are in the comics themselves.
Runaways is available now on Hulu.