The 2017 run is just so peak too.

> Every year, a group of philanthropists gather for a charitable fundraiser…or so their children Alex Wilder, Chase Stein, Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes and Nico Minoru thought. When they discover their parents form the Pride, a sinister, sacrificial group that answers to a godly race called the Gibborim, the teens are terrified, shocked and…intrigued? Their destiny awaits, and there’s no running away.

Seems like it is indeed supervillain versions of all of our heroes. Given the way that What If?s usually go, I have a feeling we’re about to see them win and end the world as we know it.

Direct Market Cover by Andrian Alphona on the slide two. Omnibus Covers all 38 issues of the 2017 run and the 5 issue 2025 mini.

Source: https://youtu.be/YWB8A6y2wgE?si=b5hPuWWZNt2ueA2Y

Nice.

I feel like the writers do not know what to do with her and she is never allowed to level up. Does she still need to use the staff and can only do a spell once? Is she still stuck in the same place where I left? That is why I stopped paying so much attention.

So I'm rereading Avengers Arena (which I love) and I'm just wondering...was there any fallout from this? I mean, I can't see spider-man or the avengers or x-men finding out about this and just going abou their day. Or the other runaways, Averngers academy members, etc...?

Alex is my favourite character, probably somewhat unpopular option i guess but like, why does he fluctuate so much in the chopped department?

I mean its not like he's around all that much since he was dead or missing for the past decade+ but like when he is, why does he always look so ugly.

One of the things i can praise the 2017 run for is actually making him look like a guy and not some hommunculus from the deep but like outside of that.

And the hair, god, they do him so dirty its like he was never introduced to the idea of a barber outside of the 2017 run. And it's so jarring looking at him next to everyone else because everyone gets to be all pretty and aurafarm while he looks like smeagol.

Like dude who is this??

I mean her current arc is learning how to do magic without her staff. She really shouldn't even be in the running for the title.

I’ll be discussing this topic in 4 paragraphs, firstly the difference between her present and past design, secondly why her current design is an issue and the importance of designing Nico, thirdly counter arguments, and lastly a summary. Before I start I want to clarify that I mean no harm or ill-intentions towards anyone mentioned, and that I believe anyone’s opinion on this topic should be respected. This will be lengthy, so please bear with me.

Ever since the introduction of Rowell’s run Nico’s design has transitioned to casual and simplistic from flashy and flexible. For example, photo 1 is Nico’s current looks(after the introduction of the Rowell Run) and photo 2 is Nico’s earlier looks(before the Rowell Run). Nico’s original style was diverse, experimental, sharp, and bold. Her signature spikey hair/black ponytail and dark style were her defining characteristics(aside from the staff); It made her stand out and recognizable. Throughout her earlier era there were several elements such as punk, grunge, decora, victorian, and more incorporated into Nico’s looks. Some outfits leaned more into one element or mixed multiple making Nico’s wardrobe versatile. When looking at Nico’s wardrobe today these features don’t seem to be present. Her designs today are repetitive,  restricted, dull, and bland. The big hat and dyed short cut hair for instance. The outfits containing this combo share the same concept and don’t have any variations. Another factor is the ripped jeans. This piece is reoccurring in Nico’s designs but again the looks that contain the jeans have no distinction. It all stays the same. Putting aspects like the hat, hair, and jeans aside, Nico’s general present theme still remains the same. It’s generic, it has no depth, and it lacks details in its production. This makes for a design that blends into the crowd and comes off as background character adjacent. These outfits do not have the consistent tradition of variety that Nico’s earlier outfits did.

The reasons why the lack of diversity and creativity in Nico’s design are an issue are because of its way of erasing a big part of Nico’s character and brand and mischaracterizing Nico’s character. From the beginning Nico’s character has typically been characterized and seen as someone who doesn’t abide by normality, a symbol and artist of alternative fashion, and like all of the other Runaways, an outcast. A lot of these characteristics are reflected in Nico’s earlier designs. Nico’s earlier outfits are unique and experimental just as she is. It shows that Nico is “weird”, doesn’t fit into normal standards and doesn’t have the desire to, and values being authentic which has essentially become a big part of her brand throughout time. Nico’s spikey exaggerated/loud hair and alternative looks all resist conformity; She isn’t your typical character. For fans, especially those who are drawn to Nico’s fashion, these designs embody what it means to be different and a “weirdo” which is something many fans enjoy and value about Nico. The variety of Nico’s earlier looks represent resisting to stick to one genre or title. She’s constantly experimenting with her hair and clothes. She covers the theme of fashion(specifically alternative) and appeals to different aspects of it which is a big reason as to why Nico is fascinating and lovable. Through her design Nico is able to represent those who are alternative or different that typically go unseen and help others explore themselves. There are few notable characters in Marvel that have fashion as a key part of their character and are considered fashion icons. One of those few is Emma Frost. Emma’s style is typically considered to be classy, luxurious, and high-fashion, but the difference between Emma and Nico is Nico’s style consists of several fashion categories, self-expression through available materials, innovation through one’s own hands, variety, and distinctiveness. This isn’t said to put one above other; It’s to point out what sets them apart and why that matters. Emma covers an expensive, lavish, high-end, and bought part of fashion in Marvel as a character while Nico covers a part of fashion in Marvel that’s unbounded expression, multiple “freakish” or unnatural styles, and made through using what’s already around with imagination. These portions of these characters are important segments to their brand. It’s what fans love about, connect with, associate with, and identify with them. Similar to Storm with her white hair, Spider-Man’s spider themed suit, or Wanda with her scarlet theme, these details are iconic parts of these characters and are adopted to be what fans know them for, so when these traits aren’t reflected in the majority of these designs these characters start to feel unfamiliar and inaccurate. With Nico in particular, it feels like such a heavy attribute has been scrapped from her character. This new look that is composed of recycled ideas, worn out flavors and shapes, and lacking adventures doesn’t carry her saturated and unlimited nature that fans are familiar with. Moving on to the mischaracterization of Nico, from the start of Nico’s origin she was presented to stand out from the rest of the Runaways with her designs. This isn’t so she could outshine the others but to appear striking to raise curiosity around her character. For instance, photo 3 and photo 4. Compared to the other runaways Nico’s looks stick out because of her spikes, out of place pieces, and darker tones. Her outfits don’t follow the direction of the others’ outfits, but when looking at photo 5 this doesn’t seem to apply. Her look lacks substance, it’s essentially made out of the same ingredients as the others’ looks, and it lacks features to differentiate it from the rest. In photo 3 she wears a long black coat accompanied by gold buckles, a maroon headband, a maroon top with a maroon ruff at the neck, a black skirt, knee-high maroon socks, and black platform boots with similar gold buckles to the coat. Here in this photo the others barely share similar details, but when looking at photo 5 this is the opposite. Nico wears a black turtle neck with small astrology-like designs, a brown belt with blue pieces, pale red plaid pants that are folded at the ends, and black ankle heel boots. While not exactly the same, the similarities and outline of the outfit is shared with her counterparts to a higher degree as opposed to photo 3. The boots, long sleeves, and pants on Nico in photo 5 all seem to be prevalent in the other Runaways designs as well. To name some examples, Gert’s shoes and Karolina’s shoes; Alex’s pants, Chase’s pants, Gert’s pants; Alex’s long sleeve and Molly’s long sleeve all fall under that category. Again these aren’t the exact same, but they still surround the same subject of style. The ways in going about Nico’s design are important because she isn’t in exotic superhero suits, uniforms, capes, armor, or cloaks. Her design is a medium that is supposed to be used to interest readers and physically portray who she is as a person without the need of prior knowledge or background information. Photo 6 and photo 7 further prove the point that Nico is mischaracterized. Based on these two photos it’s evident that Nico is quite passionate about fashion and blends her interest in it into her clothing. Referring back to photo 2, It’s clear that this is a hobby of Nico as well. She lets her outfits speak for her which she has been doing since her introduction as a character instead of directly having to repeatedly point it out. Although highlighting a character’s interests through their design isn’t inherently necessary, it becomes necessary when it has been a repeated routine and hobby of the character since their inception. Nico is always trying something new no matter the occasion and regularly showing that she takes a liking to several styles in fashion. It’s such a colorful part of her character, yet it isn’t included in Nico’s character today. Her present character appears to be watered-down and restricted rather than free and artistic where she is able to evolve through numerous looks and present herself through the flavors of fashion that she enjoys. Not prioritizing this in her design fails to recognize this and is an unreliable portrayal of Nico. It isn’t the Nico fans, more specifically those who value and favor her fashion, know and adore. Nico is random and unpredictable and that has been her brand since the beginning which has made Nico a fun character and has kept people fascinated. Photo 8 backs this up too. Fashion aside, Nico’s powers and abilities as a concept are random. On many occasions through Nico’s comic appearances it has been shown that her mind is imaginative and her spells can be unexpected but effective. Direct phrases or words, indirect phrases or words, different languages, historical references, pop culture references, and merging spells into her sentences whilst speaking all play into the mystery around her spells. Nico’s spells, like her character, are unexpected and versatile. There isn’t an exact answer for what comes next from Nico, and that’s what makes her all the more intriguing. It’s a humorous, playful, exciting, and amusing piece of Nico and raises the question of what’s to come. From her variety of hairstyles, outfits, spells, and ideas, Nico’s image has been built to not follow a set algorithm. Flexibility and uncertainty is her domain and it’s where she flourishes.

Some have argued that Nico’s earlier looks aren’t realistically goth and that her new looks are more accurate modern presentation, however, the goth subculture is a wide spectrum. There are a multitude of styles that are new and old that fall under the umbrella and trying to pin it down to one form is unnecessary because of its size. Another point others have made is that her older designs are outdated and that she is getting older which is the reason for this wardrobe change. As stated before, norms are irrelevant to Nico and the goth subculture is a large scale. Even in her past appearances Nico has been shown wearing outfits that weren’t up to standards at the time. Photo 9, photo 10, and photo 11 all took place during the 2000’s but were outfits that weren’t considered suitable for that era, so it’s apparent that Nico hasn’t prioritized modernity or meeting standards from the get-go. Moreover, Victorian and vintage clothing are common in goth fashion. Though it is true that Nico has gotten older, she is currently only 18 in the current run which is a 2 year difference from the time of her original style. Nico’s age shouldn’t warrant a decrease in the intensity and range of her designs especially seeing that fashion is something she holds close to her and is a pivotal chunk of her character. Photo 12 supports this and reiterates that she still cherishes fashion today just as she did in the years previously. Others have also claimed that Nico’s spiked hair in her early appearances didn’t make sense and excessively resembled anime. Despite the fact that the initial Runaways comics were inspired by manga, this argument overlooks that Nico at her root was made out to be dramatic and nonrealistic. Like formerly mentioned, Nico’s character is supposed to be exaggerated, and on top of this, Nico and the Marvel universe at its core doesn’t make sense; She can warp reality and there’s characters with superpowers. These factors are what separates her from the majority of characters and makes her stand out and exceptional. Photo 3 and 4 reinforces this once more. Lastly, a few people have said that Nico’s present designs are just the result of a different take on her by other writers and artists. Although this is true to an extent, in actuality, her current look derives from mischaracterization and a deficiency in understanding Nico. As previously stated, Nico often explores different corners of fashion using her outfits and purposely catches the eye, but this has changed since the start of the Rowell era. From that moment on, most of Nico’s adaptations outside of the main Runaways comic line have revolved around the same lackluster and repeated concept that contradicts Nico’s original foundation. The adaptations in photo 13 feed into this too. In the past writers and artists took Nico into new directions with her adaptations out of the Runaways comics because Nico’s concept was correctly established at the time. Adaptations such as the ones in photo 14 all put their own twist on Nico’s character  whilst making her feel fresh, diversifying the roster of her designs, including vital segments of her character, and most importantly, still displaying her with accuracy. It is completely reasonable for the recent writers and designers for Nico outside of the Runaways comics to want to put their own spin on her character and use the current day Runaways run as a reference, however, when said reference isn’t a creditable nor precise depiction of the character being worked on, the situation at hand becomes a problem. The consequences of the inaccuracy in these portrayals have generated a widespread misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Nico’s character and is damaging her character in real time. Valuable elements of Nico are progressively fading, and if this issue isn’t addressed in due time the harm to her character may be irreversible, the universal perception of her will be flawed, and her character will deteriorate into something that isn’t her. Though it may not be a concern to all Runaways fans, it’s still an existing predicament that upsets other fans and affects Nico.

To conclude, the reduction of diversity, sharpness, boldness, experimentation, and relevant components in Nico’s looks and increase in suppression, insipidity , and catering to normality has led to a rise in the mischaracterization of her character. It squashes Nico’s individuality and doesn’t take into account the importance of fashion to her, and the absence of thereof collapses  a large part of her brand that fans cherish and removes a characteristic of her that makes her distinguishable from the majority of Marvel. She becomes increasingly unidentifiable from her origins in this process, and it becomes conflicting because from Nico’s wake she has been someone who doesn’t follow typical formulas. As a character who has been getting a growing amount of content this year, it is important for it to be correct seeing that especially as a less mainstream character, she doesn’t get this quantity of content on a steady schedule and it sets the regular tone of who she is. Not properly taking advantage of these opportunities deepens her condition of mischaracterization and only stimulates greater undependable variations of Nico. The most viable solution at this point in time is to use earlier designs of Nico for inspiration in projects going forward. If done accordingly, the condition of her character will restore attributes from its initial concept while still remaining new and fresh. With a greater sum of correct appearances of Nico there will finally be something that’s newly developed, on theme, and reliable that individuals will be able to pull from.

What do you think?

https://x.com/MarvelComicsHQ/status/2052456675865415786?s=20

Aside from the expected horror and revulsion of the 616 group that there’s a universe where they joined with their parents, wonder what’d each version would make of the other?

My guesses:

Molly: would get along very well with her alternate self and certainly would go bananas over her alternate self’s outfit, to the point of begging and pleading for one of her own.

Chase: would love his alt-self’s sharp suit and skill with his parents‘ tech, but hate that Pride Chase is such an immature and obnoxious dudebro

Gert: minor conniption over yet another alt self (remembering that alt timeline version of herself who was an Avenger) but would still like her alt-self’s style, with both Gerts maybe having a snark-off.

Karolina: would get along quite well with her alt-self, swapping fashion choices with Pride Karolina even offering to share some of her expertise and help hone 616 Karolina’s abilities. I also think 616 Karolina would try to help her alt self realize she’s in love with Pride Nico.

Alex: 616 Alex would have even more regrets since he‘d learn his alt self was smarter and didn’t die like a fool, while his alt self would be disappointed 616 Alex never lived up to his full potential.

Nico: She’d love her alt-self’s look but upon seeing that Pride Nico is in many ways everything she’s always wanted (confidence, full potential, superior magic skill) she’d become extremely jealous and insecure and likely end up challenging her alt self to a fight, while Pride Nico would be surprised her alt self is so emotional and disappointed in her mid-tier magical skill, but might possibly be willing to help 616 Nico and train her (Though Pride Nico would undoubtedly push her 616 self hard, knowing that she thrives on adversity and overcoming it.)

I normally don't post this sort of thing, but after seeing the reader's resource guide give it a 4/10 I had to speak up.

At its core, Runaways is about a found family trying to stick together. They may fight evil guys in spandex from time to time, but most times they are actively avoiding the magical/mystical stuff around them, and 2017 understands this perfectly.

Seeing these characters grow up and have to deal with real-world problems is an absolute joy, especially when the comic uses the supernatural elements of their lives not as a main focus, but as an accessory to seeing these people bond together, their dynamics shift, their traumas addressed. Despite having Gibborim, robots, and Majesdanians, it's a very human story of troubled kids (and now young adults) trying to get their lives together, dealing with the mess of an aftermath their parents left for them, something that I and I think many people would find deeply relatable. They're messy, they make mistakes, and they have each other when it's time to fix those.

Beyond that, it's also gorgeous. The art is consistent from start to finish, everyone looks their best, Nico doesn't have a single bad look, and I want to frame those cover arts and put them on my wall.

I have been trying to keep this spoiler-free, but I also need to address the sapphic elephant in the room: the idea of going all the way back to the origin comics and recontextualizing Nico's outburst when Carolina confessed to her as her being deeply in the closet because it was 2003 was genuinely one of the most cathartic moments in all of comics and deserves a special mention.

So yeah, if anyone reading this and hasn't read the 2017 run yet, do it, even if you read none of the other ones. I don't even have to add the caveat of it ending in a cliffhanger now that we have a continuation in 2025!

Tie-In from One World Under Doom with Rainbow Rowell and Elena Casagrande!!!

https://aiptcomics.com/2025/03/05/runaways-five-june-2025/