First published by Marvel Comics in July 2003, The Runaways is a comic book series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan (Saga) and artist Adrian Alphona. It launched as part of Marvel’s “Tsunami” imprint, an initiative designed to attract readers who were fans of manga and other youth-oriented genres. Although the Tsunami line was discontinued after a brief period and despite modest initial single-issue sales, The Runaways found new readers with the help of the trade paperback collections, which led Marvel to revive the title in 2005 after an initial cancellation.
This starts as the story of six teenagers from Los Angeles: Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Karolina Dean, Gertrude Yorkes, Molly Hayes, and Alex Wilder. They have little in common beyond the annual gatherings of their wealthy parents. When they accidentally discover that their parents are part of a secret criminal cabal known as the Pride, an organization that has covertly controlled much of the city’s underworld, their lives are upended. Shocked by the revelation, the teens band together and flee from their homes, determined to put an end to their parents’ criminal activities while struggling to survive on their own.
Over time, the group members each develop distinct roles and abilities that aid them in their fight against the Pride and other adversaries. Nico Minoru wields a powerful magical artifact called the Staff of One; Chase Stein utilizes advanced technology stolen from his parents; Karolina Dean learns she is an alien with the ability to manipulate solar energy; Gertrude Yorkes bonds telepathically with a genetically engineered dinosaur; Molly Hayes manifests superhuman strength and invulnerability; and Alex Wilder emerges as a strategic leader, though his loyalty becomes a pivotal point in the early narrative.
Following Vaughan and Alphona’s departure after 30 additional issues, The Runaways was continued by other creative teams, including notable writers such as Joss Whedon and Terry Moore. The Runaways inspired a 3-season (2017-19) live-action adaptation for the streaming service Hulu.
Marvel Runaways Comics Collection
The Original Runaways – The First Three Volumes
First, all of the stories from the original creators, Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, have been collected in one omnibus (not necessarily easy to find nowadays).
- Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona Omnibus
Collects Runaways (2003) #1-18, Runaways (2005) #1-24, Free Comic Book Day 2006.
The Runaways: The Complete Collection
The first three volumes of The Runaways have been collected by Marvel Comics in a complete collection made of four books. Starting naturally with all of Vaughan and Alphona’s stories before continuing with the next creative teams, but also the mini-series and other one-shots from the era. But let’s start at the beginning.
Teenagers Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Karolina Dean, Gertrude Yorkes, Molly Hayes, and Alex Wilder are connected only by their parents’ annual business meetings. Their lives change when they discover that their parents are secretly members of the Pride, a criminal organization that has controlled Los Angeles’ underworld for years. Exposed, the Pride will go to any lengths to protect their secrets, even if it means harming their own children. Forced to run, the teenagers band together, relying on one another to survive and fight back against their families.
- Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects Runaways (2003 – 2004) #1-18. - Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 2
Collects Runaways (2005 – 2008) #1-18, Free Comic Book Day 2006 (X-Men/Runaways) #1.
Once Vaughan and Alphona left in 2007, writer Joss Whedon and artist Michael Ryan ended the second volume with a 5-issue story.
- Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 3
Collects Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #1-4, Runaways (2005) #19-30, Runaways Saga #1, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1-3. This volume contains tie-ins to two major comic book crossovers of the era, the Civil War and the Secret Invasion.
Spin-off Alert! The Loners is a comic series by C. B. Cebulski and Karl Moline featuring the former teen heroes who were foils to the Runaways in Vol. 2. They were the teen heroes known as Darkhawk, Turbo, Ricochet, Green Goblin, and Lightspeed. Now young adults, they form a support group in Los Angeles, attempting to leave their superhero identities behind and live normal lives, away from crime-fighting and costumes.
- The Loners: The Secret Lives of Super-Heroes
Collects Loners #1-6.
Launched a few months after the conclusion of Volume 2, The Runaways Volume 3 came from writer Terry Moore and artist Humberto Ramos, then (starting with volume 3 issue 11) it was Kathryn Immonen and Sarah Pichelli’s turn.
This 14-issue third Runaways series features the cast of Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, Victor Mancha, Xavin, and Klara Prast. Soldiers from Karolina Dean’s home planet arrive on Earth, demanding her return. The team fractures over how to respond to the alien threat, straining their ability to work together. Meanwhile, a Los Angeles DJ unleashes a mystical song that turns people with plastic surgery into mindless zombies, creating chaos across the city. Tragedy strikes when a mysterious plane crash claims the life of one of the Runaways, and before the team can properly mourn, armed forces arrive to secure the crash site. As the Runaways struggle with grief and division, a familiar enemy from their past resurfaces, forcing them into another battle for survival.
- Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 4
Collects Runaways (2008) #1-14, What If The Runaways Became The Young Avengers?, And Material From Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm And Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way #1.
II. Not The Runaways anymore
Up until this point, the Runaways were relatively easy to follow, despite occasional complications caused by larger Marvel crossover events. This changed with the launch of the Heroic Age in 2010, a new status quo for the Marvel Universe following the events of Siege. During this period, the Runaways‘ appearances became more scattered, with many characters appearing individually or as guest stars in other titles, often without the full team present.
What follows is a listing of notable appearances by Runaways characters during this time. However, it is important to note that the team as a whole would not formally reunite until later.
- S.W.O.R.D. #2, 5
Gyrich is able to persuade the heads of S.W.O.R.D. to pass legislation to have all aliens currently living on Earth deported from the planet while Brand was distracted with another mission. He manages to take several notable aliens into custody, including Karolina Dean. Collected in S.W.O.R.D. - Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age
Molly meets the Beast at the La Brea Tar Pits, where the two discuss extinction. Collected in Uncanny X-Men: Birth of Generation Hope. - Strange #4
Nico Minoru makes a non-speaking cameo in this issue (February 2010) collected in Strange: The Doctor is Out. - Daken #17-19
When Daken must kill a member of the Pride, he goes to find out the kids who must know how: the Runaways, in a story arc collected in Daken: Dark Wolverine: The Pride Comes Before the Fall. - Iron Man Legacy #7-8 & #10-11
Tony Stark wants to bring back hope to an impoverished L.A. neighborhood, a plan not approved by The Pride! Alex Wilder guest stars in those issues collected in Iron Man: Industrial Revolution. - Avengers Academy #27-28
Giant-Man, Victor Reptil, and Chase… Lightspeed and Karolina… what are the connections that make these combustible crews collide? In those issues collected in Avengers Academy: Second Semester. The Runaways also make a brief appearance in #39. - Avengers Arena
The series takes 16 young heroes (Nico Minoru and Chase Stein are two of them) and pits them against each other in a kill-or-be-killed reality-show-like scenario on Murderworld run by Arcade. Other Runaways appeared in issue #13. X-23 is also in this series. Those comics are available in the Avengers Arena: The Complete Collection. - Young Avengers #11-14
Karolina Dean appears in those issues collected in Young Avengers Vol. 2: Family Matters. - Avengers Undercover
A follow-up to the Avengers Arena comics. Damaged by their experience in Murder World, five conflicted young superhumans go rogue and infiltrate the Masters of Evil, planning to bring the Avengers’ rivals down from within. Collected in Avengers Undercover: The Complete Collection. - Infinity: The Hunt #1
Molly Hayes makes an appearance in this comic book collected in Infinity: Heist/Hunt. - Avengers A.I.
Following the Age of Ultron storyline, Victor Mancha joins up with Henry Pym’s Avengers A.I. alongside Monica Chang, Vision, and a reprogrammed Doombot. Those Avengers A.I. comics are collected in 2 Trade paperbacks Vol. 1: Human After All and Vol. 2: 12000 AD. - Vision Vol. 2: Little Better Than A Beast
Collects Vision (2015) #7-12. Sometimes after the Avengers A.I. series, Victor moves in with Vision after getting an internship in Washington, D.C. It’s better to have read the first volume for a better comprehension of the story.
III. Runaways & the Secret Wars
In 2015, the Secret Wars event told how the main Marvel Universe collided with the Ultimate Universe. Following the collision, remnants of both universes, along with pieces of other realities, are combined to form the new “Battleworld.” To fully understand the event and its ramifications, reading the main Secret Wars series is essential.
Taking place during the event, the Battleworld: Runaways mini-series follows a version of the Runaways who are trapped in a dystopian world created by the collision of multiple realities. The story explores how the team adapts to this altered reality, facing new challenges and enemies while trying to survive in a world that is vastly different from the one they know.
- Battleworld: Runaways
Collects Runaways (2015) #1-4, Secret Wars: Secret Love #1. - A-Force (2016)
In A-Force, a new hero named Singularity emerges from the events of Secret Wars to join the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe. Attempting to reunite the team she led on Battleworld, Singularity summons She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Dazzler, Medusa, and Nico Minoru to form a new version of A-Force. Together, they must face the villainous Antimatter, a formidable threat that tests their strength and unity. As they battle to protect the multiverse, the team faces the challenge of reconciling their past and determining whether they can trust Singularity, who claims to be their friend. The A-Force comics are collected in two trade paperbacks: Vol. 1: Hypertime and Vol. 2: Rage Against The Dying Of The Light.
IV. Runaways by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
As Marvel does, with the TV Show came a relaunch of The Runaways. Coming from author Rainbow Rowell with art by Kris Anka, the new incarnation goes back to the original cast (even the dead characters are back).
Following the success of the Hulu TV show, Marvel Comics decided to relaunch the Runaways comics. This new volume, written by Rainbow Rowell with art by Kris Anka, returns to the original cast of characters, including Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, and Gert Yorkes, even bringing back those who had previously died.
The story picks up with the team grappling with both their past and present, navigating the challenges of being on the run and dealing with the aftermath of their previous battles. As they try to rebuild their lives, the Runaways face new threats and emotional struggles that force them to confront their identities and relationships with each other, while also uncovering deeper mysteries tied to their families and the dark legacy of the Pride.
- Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #1-6 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 2: Best Friends Forever
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #7-12 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 3: That Was Yesterday
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #13-18 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 4: But You Can’t Hide
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #19-24 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 5: Cannon Fodder
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #25-31 - Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 6: Come Away With Me
Collects Runaways vol. 5 #32-38
In August 2021, Marvel celebrated the title’s 100 issues with co-creator Adrian Alphona returning for a special giant-sized Runaways #38, which turned out to be the final issue of Rainbow Rowell’s run. In 2023, a six-issue arc resolving one of the cliffhangers from that issue, written by Terry Blas and drawn by Bruno Olivera, was published as part of Marvel’s Voices Infinity Comic series on the Marvel Unlimited app.
- Marvel’s Voices Infinity Comic #58-63
In 2025, as part of the One World Under Doom comics crossover event, Rainbow Rowell is writing a new Runaways series with artist Elena Casagrande. The story starts with Nico Minoru, who has lost her girlfriend, her best friend, and her magic. With Karolina, Chase, and Alex all out of the picture, Gert’s doing her best to shake the remaining Runaways out of running on autopilot. But when Doctor Doom tries to reclaim one of their own (Doombot!), it’s time to start running.
More Coming Soon!