Runaways v3 #1-6

[JD]

RUNAWAYS v3 #1-6
Writer : Terry Moore
Penciller : Humberto Ramos
Inker : Dave Meikis
Published from August 2008 to January 2009

Cast :
- The Runaways : Nico Minoru/Sister Grimm, Molly Hayes/Bruiser/Princess Powerful, Chase Stein/Talkback, Victor Mancha/Victorious, Old Lace, Karolina Dean/Lucy in the Sky, Xavin, Klara Prast, Leapfrog
- Majesdanian remnants : General vaDrann, Lieutenant vaRikk (red-haired, pilot), vaDanti (blonde) Sergeant deHalle (stripe-haired female)
- KZIT radio station : Val Rhymin, "Mitch", Bob (station manager), plus various others.
- "Mother"
- Cadie McDunnough, newsreporter (last seen in RUN2 21)

RUNAWAYS v3 #1 :
Characters : Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Old Lace, Karolina Dean, Xavin, Klara Prast, Leapfrog, Val Rhymin, Bob, Mitch-VO, vaRikk, vaDanti, deHalle, vaDrann

Pages 1-2, flashback ("two days ago") : the Majesdanians have finally found where Karolina Dean is holing, and are homing on her.

Pages 3-12 (evening, then night) : The Runaways are finally back in LA. The Leapfrog indicates that there's still a Pride hideout available at Malibu, so they go there. Of course, there's the obligatory fight scene with the guardian demons.

Pages 13-22 (the next day) : The Runaways need money, so they go to the nearest mall, home to the KZIT radio station, where Chase finds a job as star chronicker Val Rhymin's assistant. For some reason, the station manager jumps off from 20 stories, but Karla discreetly softens his fall.
Back at the Malibu house, everyone has barely regrouped when the quatuor of Majesdanian soldiers arrive and want a word with Karolina...

Notes :
- This is set after Secret Invasion, of course. The Runaways talk as if Iron Man is still in charge, but they could be behind the news. Or it could be before Osborn officially comes into power.

RUNAWAYS v3 #2 :
Characters : Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Karolina Dean, Xavin, Klara Prast, vaRikk, vaDanti, deHalle, vaDrann, Val Rhymin, Bob

(continued from last issue)
Big fight scene, which ends with Nico scattering most of the Majesdanians all over the planet (Africa jungle, Great wall of China, Antartica), leaving only vaDanti as prisoner. He exposits that the Majesdanians survivors are still angry about the Deans selling out to the Skrulls, and allowing their home planet to be destroyed.
Meanwhile, the three other Majesdanians are starting to regroup.
Also, Val Rhymin goes to Bob's hospital bed (where he lies in a coma) just to say how much he hates him.

Flashbacks :
- page 12 : the destruction of Majesdane, from the point of view of deHalle & vaDanti (who were luckily off-planet).

RUNAWAYS v3 #3 :
Characters : Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Karolina Dean, Xavin, Klara Prast, vaRikk, vaDanti, deHalle, vaDrann, Val Rhymin, Mother-BTS

The next day : the Runaways are completely undecided about what to do, so they scatter around (Chase goes to his job, Molly and Klara build a fort, etc.). The Majesdanians are still regrouping.

Notes :
- Val Rhymin is asking someone called "Mother" about zombies on the phone. It's not his mother, as we'll see in the next arc.

RUNAWAYS v3 #4 :
Characters : Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Karolina Dean, Xavin, Klara Prast, Old Lace, vaRikk-BTS, vaDanti-BTS, deHalle-BTS, vaDrann-BTS

(continued from last issue)
Nico gathers most of the Runaways back in the house (except for Chase, who's still at work), but they find out vaDanti has escaped, leaving a slime booby trap behind him. By the time they escape, the Majesdanians' spaceships arrives...

Notes :
- vaDanti is BTS because we don't see him this issue, but he's behind what's happening.
- Since the spaceship is shown on panel, and that's where the three other Majesdanians were last seen, I'm giving them all a BTS (it's confirmed they're inside in the next issue).

RUNAWAYS v3 #5 :
Characters : Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Karolina Dean, Xavin, Klara Prast, Old Lace, Leapfrog, vaRikk, deHalle, vaDrann

The next day (directly continued from last issue, but since that ended during the night, and we reach down a few pages in, let's call it a new day) :
Big pursuit scene between the Majesdanian spaceship and the Leapfrog. Chase, separated from the others, finds some neat gadgets (including a flying van). The Leapfrog manages to hide for a moment, but then Chase's flying van starts gathering attention...

RUNAWAYS v3 #6
Characters : Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Karolina Dean, Xavin, Klara Prast, Old Lace, Leapfrog, vaRikk, vaDanti, deHalle, vaDrann, Val Rhymin, Cadie McDunnough

(continued from last issue)
More fighting, until Xavin shapeshifts to Karolina's form, and "surrenders" to the Majesdanians.
Oh, and Val Rhymin makes an screed against superpowered vigilantes.

Notes:
- There's a flashback on pages 20-21 that takes place between pages 13 and 14, and features Karolina and Xavin.

[Paul Bourcier]

JD, I assume that the plot synopsis you wrote for RUN3 6 occurs in the first 19 pages. What happens in that flashback on pages 20-21 with Karolina and Xavin? And what happens on what I assume is the last page, page 22?

Also, I assume the flashback in issue #2 is new material. Between which panels of which issue of RUN2 should this go?

[JD]

JD, I assume that the plot synopsis you wrote for RUN3 6 occurs in the first 19 pages. What happens in that flashback on pages 20-21 with Karolina and Xavin? And what happens on what I assume is the last page, page 22?

Basically :
- page 13 is Karolina telling Xavin she has no other choice than surrendering
- pages 14-20 have "Karolina" surrendering to the Majesdanians... and just after they're gone, the real Karolina shows up, explaining that Xavin knocked her out and went in her place
- Page 20 panel 4 and page 21 show the remainder of the Karolina/Xavin conversation, where Xavin details his/her plan.
- Page 22 panel 1 shows the Runaways reacting to Karolina's flashback
- Page 22 panels 2-4 shows Xavin/"Karolina" looking at earth from the spaceship, with deHalle talking to her.

Also, I assume the flashback in issue #2 is new material. Between which panels of which issue of RUN2 should this go?

The destruction of Majesdane happened off-panel at some point between RUN2 8 (where Karolina and Xavin leave for it) and RUN2 16 (where they come back). We've never actually seen any of it before, so it's all new material.

[Paul Bourcier]

Thanks, man!