Synopsis
Avengers Academy has settled into its new premises in the old West Coast Avengers Compound. And after a bit of a shakeup the staff have been reduced to Giant-Man and Tigra (plus Hawkeye and Quicksilver who aren't in this issue), and the 5 remaining original students (Finesse, Hazmat, Mettle, Reptil and Striker) have been joined by permanent students Lightspeed and White Tiger plus a varying cast of part-timers.
In #23 Brandon Sharpe revealed to Julie Power that he was gay. Now Lightspeed mentions it to team leader Humberto Lopez, which he says makes sense of things. She told him because she wants his opinion of taking Striker to a Pride march. Reptil thinks it's a good idea as long as the media don't catch on. Julie says Brandon's fame-hunger was just a front to hide his inner turmoil. But then they discover that he's holding a press conference to announce his sexual orientation. And then he rings his mom to handle the PR side. He doesn't understand why Julie thinks it was premature when he hasn't even dated a man yet. He says this will get him lots of offers, but she says only from other publicity seekers.
But as Mettle and Tigra usher the press off the grounds they don't see 6 of them have remained in hiding. Nico drops their disguise spell to reveal them as the teenage Runaways (Chase Stein, Karolina Dean, Klara Prast, Molly Hayes, Nico Minoru and Victor Mancha). Victor thinks the heroes won't hurt them anyway, but Nico says he wasn't with them when Captain America put them all in foster care and they'll probably insist they join the Academy. But Chase says he's gotta do what he's gotta do, and the others support him. And youngest Molly needs the bathroom.
Then they're found by Juston Seyfert and his Sentinel which detects the Ultron-tech in cyborg Mancha. Karolina puts up a force field to protect mutant Molly from the mutant-killing robot, and Klara sends plant life to attack it. Nico wants to retreat but Chase says he's not leaving without Old Lace, and dons his Fistigons to shoot fire at Tigra. Mettle tries to 'save' little Molly but his red metallic skullface frightens her so much she punches him through a wall into the building (and doesn't need the bathroom anymore). Reptil grows dinosaur wings and flies out to be met by flying Karolina. Juston tells Striker about the Ultron-things and Brandon lightning-zaps Victor, but that just supercharges him enough to take control of the Sentinel and make him attack Striker.
But then Giant-Man, towering over the Sentinel, stops the fight urged on by flying Lightspeed who recognises the Runaways and declares them good guys. The Sentinel had alerted him to the presence of Ultron tech. Victor admits to being a creation of Ultron, but Henry Pym created Ultron so that makes GM his grandfather. GM shrinks down to continue the conversation. He learns that (the original members of) the Runaways are children of the secret cabal of Los Angeles supervillans called the Pride. The Pride are dead but the Runaways have inherited their powers/tech. This immediately turns into the subject they expected about being unsupervised super-kids. Chase angrily says they already turned down membership of the X-Men (for mutant Molly). He's 18 so he's guardian for the others. Hank Pym says they've recently (in the last few issues) learned that they can't keep people here against their will.
But Tigra points out that the Runaways came here of their own free will so what do they want? Chase says he wants help finding his dinosaur. Old Lace is a dino genetically created in the 87th Century who has a psychic link with Chase. They thought she died (in Runaways (2008) #11), and Nico used a spell to send her body to another dimension where she'd be 'happy'. But lately Chase has felt her calling him. Nico can't cast the same spell twice to get them to Old Lace, but her Staff Of One told her that Reptil's amulet (which gives him his dino-powers) is linked to that place. And Victor told them that Dr Pym would figure out a way to get them there because he's been everywhere/when. It turns out he was programmed to study Pym, and then kill him last after he becomes a supervillain. Hank puts that aside for the moment and has a plan. But while he's working on it they should meet his students ...
... which is why we find them in the Rec Room with Lightspeed, Mettle, Reptil and Striker plus Hazmat and White Tiger (but for some reason not Finesse). The 2 groups aren't talking to each other. Molly says she wants to go home because they always say it will be great at their schools but it always isn't. Suspicious Nico expects Pym and Tigra are calling truant officers already. Chase says anybody who wants to can leave but he's staying.
Tigra enters (in her bikini costume) with a large silver ball levitating beside her and says she has someone for Klara and Molly to meet. Klara blurts out that she's not allowed to talk to prostitutes. Karolina apologises because Klara comes from an earlier century. Chase sarcastically adds that she doesn't realise that it's 'totally appropriate' for a teacher to be dressed like that. Greer Nelson responds he should try wearing clothes over fur in California. But anyway she opens the ball and introduces the 2 youngest girls to her son William, and his fur and stripes entrance them. Nico thinks it's a sneaky ploy.
Meanwhile Victor asks White Tiger if she is connected to the 1st WT Hector Ayala? She tells him he was her brother and he gushes that he used to worship him as the 1st Hispanic superhero. (Ultron may have created him but his human body comes from the DNA of his Hispanic 'mother' and he was given implanted memories of growing up with her.)
Meanotherwhile Karolina approaches Brandon and commends him for coming out in public. He turns to Julie and boasts that he's an inspiration to confused gay youth. K starts to say she's not ... And J tells him he can't assume someone's gay because they support gays. But K was going to say she's not *confused* even though she used to be. That confuses J because she thought K might be gay when they 1st met but then she never saw her again. K says she went off in space and got engaged but she's single now, and hesitantly asks about Julie.
Chase and Mettle notice and C asks if J is 'into girls'. M replies that she plays for both teams. C thinks he's getting to like this place. Nico and Hazmat overhear this and agree that men are voyeuristic pigs. But H can't resist getting in a dig about N's Goth Lolita look. N resents the Lolita part and comments about radioactive Asians (eg Radioactive Man). They exchange glares then shake hands in mutual respect.
Henry Pym rejoins Greer to say he's got a magic portal sorted out. But they quietly discuss what to do about the Runaways afterwards. They'll have to let those over 16 go but they can't do that for the younger ones like Klara and Molly. Hank says he's done some research and found a long list of places they've escaped from. Tigra says they'll just have to make them *want* to stay here. But if that doesn't work then they'll have to put the young ones into 'witness protection'.
'Berto impresses Victor with his ability to turn partial or full dino. This disturbs Klara but mainly because it makes her remember how Old Lace died protecting *her*. Chase says it's time for GM to put up or they'll leave, even if they have to fight their way out. Pym says he's ready but he'll need Nico and Reptil's help. And anyone else is welcome to join them.
The Runaways follow GM and Tigra to Hank's lab and Reptil stands within some machinery. Pym tells them this is a dimensional gateway. He can get the target from Humberto's amulet, seared into his chest, but he needs magic energy from Nico. She fires up the Staff Of One and Reptil grunts with pain. Molly runs forward to comfort him and the portal opens to a land of dinosaurs. (And no it's not the Savage Land.) 'Berto sags in relief and Pym says the portal should stay open now until it runs out of magic energy.
Henry says Klara and Molly should stay behind with Tigra but the Runaways object. Chase points out that Molly is actually the *strongest* of them all, and Klara's plant control will be useful in the prehistoric jungle. Hank gives in and they all cross over. The rest of the Academy students are now with them, including Finesse this time.
Chase senses Old Lace nearby and sure enough the future dinosaur leaps on him. There's a joyous reunion for all the Runaways. Chase reads her thoughts and says she perfectly fine and she's even made some friends. And we see Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy looming in the background.
But Nico is off by herself and she uses her Staff to show her GM and Tigra's true intentions - to take Klara and Molly to good homes where the others will never find them. And she swears to make sure that doesn't happen.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Chase Stein, Juston Seyfert, Karolina Dean, Klara Prast, Lightspeed (
Julie Power), Molly Hayes, Moon Boy, Nico Minoru (
Sister Grimm), Old Lace, Runaways, Victor Mancha, White Tiger (
Ava Ayala).