Victor Chase Stein (also known as Talkback''Runaways'' #6) is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

appearing in media published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. The character was created by

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

Brian K. Vaughan Brian K. Vaughan (born July 17, 1976) is an American comic book and television writer, best known for the comic book series '' Y: The Last Man'', '' Ex Machina'', '' Runaways'', ''Pride of Baghdad'', ''Saga'', and '' Paper Girls''. Vaughan was a ...

and artist

Adrian Alphona Adrian Alphona is a Canadian comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' '' Runaways'', which he co-created with writer Brian K. Vaughan. Slated to be pencilling the second volume of ''Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane'' when writer Ter ...

, and debuted in '' Runaways'' #1 with most of the other main characters.''Runaways'' #1 Like every member of the original Runaways, he is the son of evil

villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

with special abilities—in Chase's case, mad scientists. Chase tends to be viewed as the "wild card" in the series due to his shifting roles within the group (e.g. getaway guy, technical wiz, loose cannon).''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #21 Chase, 18 years old, is the eldest of the Runaways. Chase shares a psychic and empathic link with dinosaur ''

Deinonychus ''Deinonychus'' ( ; ) is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur with one described species, ''Deinonychus antirrhopus''. This species, which could grow up to long, lived during the early Cretaceous Period, about 115–108 million ye ...

'' Old Lace, granting Chase the ability to command the creature. Chase also possesses his signature set of gauntlets, The Fistigons.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #30 Chase Stein was portrayed by

Gregg Sulkin Gregg Sulkin (born 29 May 1992) is a British actor. He made his film debut in the 2002 ''Doctor Zhivago'' mini-series. He later starred in the 2006 British release '' Sixty Six'', and subsequently appeared in the Disney Channel comedy series ''A ...

in the

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

television series '' Runaways,'' which is set in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

Publication history

Chase Stein first appeared in '' Runaways'' # 1 (July 2003) and was created by

and

. Chase Stein appeared in ''

Avengers Arena ''Avengers Arena'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in December 2012 as part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. The series shows 16 young heroes from the Marvel Universe and pit them against each other in a kill-or-be-kill ...

'', written by

Dennis Hopeless Dennis Hallum, known professionally as Dennis Hopeless and Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum, is an American comic book writer from Kansas City, Missouri who has written for Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Arcana Studio and Oni Press. Hallum ha ...

and illustrated by

Kev Walker Kevin Walker is a British comics artist and illustrator, based in Leeds, who worked mainly on '' 2000 AD'' and ''Warhammer'' comics and the collectible card game ''Magic: The Gathering''. He is now working for Marvel Comics. Biography Walker be ...

as well as its sequel, ''

Avengers Undercover ''Avengers Undercover'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in March 2014 as part of wave three of the ''Marvel NOW!'' relaunch. It serves as a sequel to ''Avengers Arena'', and concluded with September's issue #10. Pu ...

''.

Fictional character biography

The Pride

The son of

Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

and Janet Stein, Chase is first seen taking a punch from his abusive father for getting straight C's and being a "dumb athlete"; after witnessing the murder of an innocent girl by their parents ("the

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

"), Chase appears not to be surprised, though blames everyone else's parents for the murder.''Runaways'' #2 Chase joins the team in the mass ransack to escape from their respective homes. While going through Chase's parents' homes, he discovers that his parents are mad scientists, with many technological advances. Chase steals the Fistigons, which Janet Stein calls "the world's strongest gloves".''Runaways'' #7 Able to conjure and mold fire with the gloves, Chase also steals the special X-ray goggles from his parents.''Runaways'' #4 The Fistigons are later destroyed, giving Chase the role of "getaway guy".''References'' #13 Chase provides the Runaways with their first hideout, a dilapidated caved-in mansion he called "the Hostel," and their first transport, his white, unmarked van with stolen license plates.''Runaways'' #3 After running off, Chase wishes to take the name Neo, but Gert calls him talkback, a reference to his defiant nature. It is later revealed Janet's pregnancy with Chase prompted the remaining Pride to have kids, and to give them eternal life in continuing the Pride.

Personality

When Chase first confronts his parents (in their scientific villain-attire), Chase remains defiant and unafraid of his parents, firmly establishing himself as the most rebellious and reckless of the group, a trait he carries for the rest of

's initial run on the title.''Runaways'' #5 Chase is portrayed as having a free, reckless spirit, shown when he purposely repeatedly crashes the

Leapfrog Leapfrog is a children's game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs. History Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century. Chase is known for having a temper;''Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers'' after the death of Gert, Chase leaves the team for a time, with the intention of resurrecting Gert in exchange for selling his own life.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #23 The search for Victor Mancha ends up being personal for him, to kill the one person who'd be destined to murder Gert.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #1 Chase also mentions he had murdered someone in the past, and refuses to talk about it.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #14 An associate to the Kingpin describes him as being simple, despite his scientific pedigree.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #25 Chase seems to be a devout

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

- when attacked by Old Lace, he recites

The Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...

, and he later refers to

the Devil Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. ...

as a real being. He also called Karolina an angel after her alien origins are revealed.

As a fugitive

Since the Fistigons and X-ray goggles were destroyed, Chase resumes his "getaway guy" role as the

Leapfrog Leapfrog is a children's game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs. History Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century. In a relationship with Gert, Chase is able to comfort Nico over the loss of Karolina; two issues later, Nico kisses him, straining their relationship. When a new incarnation of the Pride reveals Chase and Nico's kiss to Gert, she ends up hurt, angered, and the resulting friction almost tears the Runaways apart and seriously wears on Chase, but the group reconciles in time to rescue Molly. After Gert's death, Chase departs the Runaways for a short period, but he is convinced to return, after turning eighteen. Chase strikes a deal with the Gibborim to exchange one innocent soul for Gert's life and eventually settles on sacrificing himself, viewing his life as worthless compared to Gert's. This deal fails to please the Gibborim, as going through with this removed Chase's 'innocent' status. Chase is saved from making a dire mistake, and is gratefully allowed to return after learning that his grief nearly destroyed all his friends.

Homecoming

In ''Runaways'' (vol. 3) #7, the Runaways pay little attention to Chase's opinions, prompting Chase to question his role on the team. In ''Runaways'' (vol. 3) #9, the last issue to have been written by Terry Moore, features Chase acting as an older brother to Molly and Klara. Moore had wanted this storyline to heavily focus on Chase's relationship with the team, and identifies him as a kid who "will grow up to become the next

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

." In ''Runaways'' (vol. 3) #11, the first issue written by

Kathryn Immonen Kathryn Immonen (; Kuder) is a Canadian comic book and webcomic writer. She has written a number of comic books for Marvel Comics since 2007, in collaboration with her husband Stuart. Biography In 2007 Immonen began working for Marvel Comics wr ...

and drawn by

Sara Pichelli Sara Pichelli (born 15 April 1983) is an Italian comics artist best known for first illustrating the Miles Morales version of ''Ultimate Spider-Man''. After starting her career in animation, Pichelli entered the comic book industry working for ID ...

, Chase, Nico, Victor and Karolina hold a house prom. An outside source manages to send a

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

flying into the Runaways' Malibu home, in the upstairs living room where Klara and Old Lace lie. Nico, Victor and Karolina rush to save Klara and Old Lace - upon arriving at the top, however, it's revealed that Old Lace had shielded Klara, who ends up alive. Old Lace, however, dies. Chase, feeling her death because of their link, falls into a slump and repeatedly mutters an apology for Gert. In ''Runaways'' (vol. 3) #12 Chase encounters a man claiming to be his (paternal) uncle Hunter Stein. Chase believes the man is lying because he remembers killing his uncle and driving off. Not long thereafter, Chase makes the error of following a girl resembling Gertrude, and is hit by a car, ending up in the hospital. However, he is shown in ''S.W.O.R.D.'' #2 alive and well with the group in Los Angeles. It is later revealed that the other Runaways are aware of Chase being hit by a car, but he apparently did not reveal to them further details of what happened. When

Daken Daken (; birth name: Akihiro) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Daken was created by writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon and first appeared in '' Wolverine: Origins'' #10 (March 2007). ...

, the psychopathic son of

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...

, invades the Runaways' home, Chase knocks him out with his gloves. Chase began having dreams about Old Lace, but soon began sensing her presence in his waking hours. He asked Nico to try to find it and discovers that Old Lace was sent to a different dimension as a result of Nico's spell to put her to rest. Chase led the Runaways to the

Avengers Academy ''Avengers Academy'' is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the " Heroic Age", and concluded after thirty-nine issues in November 2012. The series was written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and t ...

to receive help from Giant-Man and Reptil. After a brief skirmish, the two teams join forces to open a portal and find Old Lace in a prehistoric dimension.

Avengers Arena

Chase and Nico are later abducted by

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

and placed into an arena with other young heroes where they are forced to fight to the death. The two try to form an alliance with

Hazmat Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

Reptil Reptil is a superhero figure and character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is best known as a supporting member on ''The Super Hero Squad Show'' and a member of the Avengers Academy in the comics. Publication hist ...

and

X-23 Laura Kinney (born X-23; codename Wolverine) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by Marvel Entertainment, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character was created by writer Craig Kyle for the '' X-Men: Evolution' ...

, reasoning that they can work together to find a way to escape. The alliance soon dissolves after an unknown party frames Chase for an attack on Reptil. While fleeing, Chase finds the amulet that belonged to the presumably deceased superhero

Darkhawk Darkhawk (Christopher Powell) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Darkhawk'' #1 (March 1991), and was created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Mike Manley. The c ...

. The amulet attaches itself to Chase's body and transforms him into the new Darkhawk. He was then possessed by

Apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex ...

in his Darkhawk armor, resulting in him cutting off Nico's arm and causing her death. When the Staff of One resurrects Nico, it increases her power level enough to destroy the Darkhawk armor and defeat Apex. Chase returns to his normal self and then helps Nico and Reptil fight a possessed Cullen. In the ensuing battle, Nara is killed returning Cullen to human form and Anachronism goes wild. Reptil asks Nico and Chase for help breaking up the fight, but Nico insists she and Chase stay out of it. At Nico's command, Chase then turns into Darkhawk and sucker-punches Reptil as part of some secret plan that he and Nico devised. Chase showed regret at having to attack Reptil. When Chase refused to let Cammi stop Nico, she broke his arm and leg, taking the Darkhawk amulet for herself to stop Nico from killing everyone. Cammi gives Chase the amulet again when Apex unleashes bugs, sentient typhoon, and weaponized sand to attack the remaining teens on Murderworld.''Avengers Arena'' #18 Soon after, Deathlocket stops the fight by killing Apex, and everyone is able to escape Murderworld and disperse.

Avengers Undercover

Once news broke about Arcade's kidnappings, Chase and the other Murder World Survivors became infamous at the start of ''

''. Unlike the others, Chase has gone public, opening up his story to several talk shows much to Nico's chagrin. Chase now has shaved most of his head in favor of a mohawk, has gotten his ears pierced, and constantly wears sunglasses. However, when Cammi and Anachronism reveal that Cullen Bloodstone has gone missing, all the survivors team up to head to

Bagalia The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...

to find him. Once they do, he reveals that he enjoys life among the villains, and the others, minus Cammi, start to enjoy it as well. When Cammi tries to tell the others to leave, Bloodstone instead has

Daimon Hellstrom Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Daimon made his live-action debut in the Hulu television series '' Helstrom'', played by Tom ...

teleport the group to Arcade's latest party so they can kill him. After Hazmat seemingly kills Arcade, the group decides to infiltrate Bagalia by pretending to join

Baron Zemo Baron Zemo () is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut Zemo have both been depicted as a major adversary of Captain America and the Avengers, as well as t ...

's Masters of Evil, excluding Deathlocket who they never had a chance to inform of the plan. On a mission to A.I.M. Island, Deathlocket has a chance to shoot Captain America. When she tries to take the shot, Chase tries to talk some sense into her by having her "choose who she is fighting for." Excavator gets into a scuffle with Chase. Deathlocket tries to get them to stop and finally opens up her arm cannon and shoots Chase in the chest, seriously wounding him. Though Nico is able to cast a "Fix him" spell to heal his body, he remains in a coma. He is next seen, apparently fully recovered, enjoying some vacation time on a lake with the rest of the group in the final issue of the series.

Runaways Reunion

Some time after the team's last appearance, Chase salvaged the Leapfrog and went back in time to rescue Gert from the moment of her death, taking her into the present so that Nico can heal her injuries. Time-displaced Gert felt confused and left behind by her friends who had grown up without her. Chase comforted her telling her he would never abandoned her and in fact, came back for her. Gert tells Chase they can't be anything anymore because of their current age difference. He also received Victor's head in the post from the Avengers after Victor was destroyed by Vision's new family, which Chase eventually reactivated. Although in reality, Victor awoke weeks earlier with his "Victorious" program booted and just remained 'asleep' until Chase aggravated him enough to tell him they must go rescue Molly and Gert from Molly's creepy grandmother. Chase re-banded the team and rescued Molly and Gert and reported the grandmother to the Avengers. The Runaways resettled into their old hideout, The Hostel, which Chase repaired and remodeled. He was determined to step up as a provider for his found family and got a job. Also, Chase and Nico magically became Molly's legal guardians. After a battle with Dr. Doom, who turned out to be Victor's Avengers A.I. friend, Doombot, Chase and Doombot fought over who would fix Victor with a new body, who's content to remain just a head.

Powers and abilities

Weapons

In the first volume, Chase stole telescopic

X-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

goggles and the Fistigons from his parents' secret laboratory. The X-ray goggles allowed Chase to see through clothing, walls, and even through miles of rock. The Fistigons were metal gauntlets with built-in flamethrowers. The gloves allowed the wearer to mentally shape the produced flame into any form the wearer desired. Before the final fight with their parents, Chase nearly drowned and was too weak to go on. He gave the Fistigons and X-ray goggles to Alex, who subsequently betrayed the team to their parents. Nico used the Staff of One to magically destroy the gauntlets while he was still wearing them,''Runaways'' #17 and the X-ray goggles were incinerated with Alex by the Gibborim. Chase has been known to use the

Leapfrog Leapfrog is a children's game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs. History Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century. and a switchblade.''Runaways'' #18 Before Gert's death, she transferred telepathic control of Old Lace to Chase.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #18 He now shares an empathic link with the dinosaur, so both suffer from one another's injuries and benefit when the other heals. Chase and Old Lace's minds are also directly connected so the dinosaur can telepathically communicate thoughts and feelings to her master. Old Lace is engineered to follow Chase's every mental command though she can express dissatisfaction; to date, Old Lace has directly disobeyed only one of Chase's orders and was able to only with Karolina's help. Chase has also used Nico's Staff of One against Nico. Chase uses a time machine later in the series to travel through time. He returns shortly afterward with newly built Fistigons of his own design; to protect the team from the Yorkes' by conjuring fire and electricity to defeat them. And then protects the

Leapfrog Leapfrog is a children's game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs. History Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century. In addition it was revealed that most of his father's devices are protected against magic, though obviously the first pair were not. In promotional art for upcoming ''Runaways'' issues, Chase is shown with a pair of rocket boots. In ''Runaways'' (vol. 3) #5, he calls them "the Footstigons". During the events of

, Chase obtained Darkhawk's powers, as the original owner was separated from the amulet. At the series' end, Chase returned the amulet to its original owner.

Relationship with other Runaways

Gert

Gert dated Chase from ''Runaways'' #16 to ''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #18.''Runaways'' #16 Their relationship was often defined by bickering - Chase's dim-witted moments often clashed with Gert's sarcastic and intelligent quips. Gert's relationship with Chase softened her somewhat, though she did not entirely lose her sarcastic edge. Their relationship developed quickly, with a few off-hand comments suggesting that they shared the same bed and were sexually intimate. However, their relationship was threatened when Gert learned that Nico had kissed Chase; though Chase rebuffed Nico's advances, Gert was still hurt that Chase had kept the interaction hidden from her.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #11''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #15 She revealed her insecurity about her appearance and fear that Chase would eventually leave her for a more conventionally pretty girl. Though implying she was hurt beyond reconciliation, she still ran into a burning building to save Chase from

Geoffrey Wilder Geoffrey Wilder is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics series '' Runaways''. Geoffrey is the leader of the Pride, a supervillain crime ring in Los Angeles.''Runaways'' #2 He is the father of Alex Wilder. Geoffrey Wilder was played b ...

after their falling out. She bluffed some details about Chase's past to keep Geoffrey from sacrificing Chase and Geoffrey fell for the bluff, but plunged his dagger into Gert's stomach instead. As she lay dying, she transferred control of Old Lace to Chase and died forgiving Chase for Nico's kiss and without finishing saying she loved him.

Molly

Ever since the beginning of the series, Molly and Chase engage in a big brother/little sister relationship: they bicker, call each other names, and joke around. Chase had always stood up to protect Molly.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) After Gert's death, Chase's relationship with Molly turns into one of pure anger, prompting Chase to say in ''Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways'' "Molly why don't you $&!?ing grow up?!" Their relationship is repaired by the end of the

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...

when Chase expresses jealousy over Molly's growing attachment to the Young Avenger

Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

, who tells him at the end of the story that no matter what, Molly looks up to him. Chase continues to be a father figure to Molly.

Nico

Nico provides the motherly and leadership foil for Chase's rule-breaking persona. The pair maintain a strong respect for each other despite often disagreeing over major group decisions, including Gert's burial site and allowing

Victor Mancha Victor Mancha, also known as Victorious, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appeared in the award-winning series '' Runaways''. Like the original Runaways, Victor has a supervilla ...

to join the team. Chase cares for Nico's safety and well-being, as evidenced from when he comforted Nico after Karolina's departure and later when he took the Staff of One from Nico to destroy it (along with himself) and give her a normal life.''Runaways'' (vol. 2) #9 Nico and Chase shared a kiss after Chase bluffed their way out of a potentially fatal encounter with inter-dimensional drug lord Pusher Man and managed to get a customer's name from the drug lord. Chase rejected the kiss but did not make a huge deal of it, even though Nico treated him more as an employee instead of a friend after the incident. After Gert's death, Chase and Nico's friendship strained as he allowed anger and grief to isolate him (both physically and emotionally) from the group's support. Nico was also the only person that Chase bid farewell before leaving to sacrifice himself for the Gibborim, which Nico interpreted as a cry for help, and is presumably a signal of the level of trust and respect Chase holds for Nico. In Joss Whedon's stint on ''Runaways'', Chase and Nico's friendship appears more stable now that Chase seems to have moved past grieving for Gert. Their relationship became strained when Chase acted out frequently during Terry Moore's run on the series. However, their relationship stabilized and during Kathryn Immonen's run they were close once again. After a heated argument following the "death" of Old Lace, the two rekindled their relationship and had sex.''Runaways'' (vol. 3) #13 Both were later kidnapped by Arcade and participated in the Avenger's Arena. During the events of the arena, Nico was angry at Chase for acting differently or untrustworthy, even kicking him out of the group at one point. Despite this, Chase planned on protecting Nico and making sure she, and not himself, was going to survive Murder World. After the events of ''Avengers Arena'', Nico became reclusive while Chase became the sole guardian of the Runaways. Nico was angry that Chase had reverted to his old self after Murder World, while she thought of herself as broken. She was devastated when Chase was left comatose after a battle in ''Avengers Undercover''.

Victor Mancha

Victor's alternate future self, Victorious, managed to fatally wound an alternate version of Gert before she came to the past and warned the Runaways of the looming threat; the future Gert died in Chase's arms. Her death made locating Victor personal for Chase, as he sought to prevent his current girlfriend's murder. He disagreed vehemently with Nico about letting Victor stay with the team, even after Nico stated she was prepared to kill Victor if necessary. As such, Chase has tried to distance himself from Victor, despite the cyborg's attempts to prove himself. Chase did admit to Victor that he envies Victor more than hates him, primarily because Victor is the son Chase believes his parents wanted (he even has the same name as Chase's father). By the end of

's stint on ''Runaways'', Chase and Victor had switched roles: Victor stood by the team without hesitation while a grief-ridden Chase carried out his own agenda without regards to the team's safety. Victor even questioned Nico when she admitted Chase back into the group as Chase questioned Victor's membership earlier, yet Nico's response remained the same as it was when Victor asked it: if Chase went rogue again, she would not hesitate to kill him. As time progressed, Chase and Victor became close. After Victor was killed by Vison's wife, Chase is attempting to fix Victor by trying to reboot his head.

Victor Stein

The first time the Stein family appears, Victor Stein punches Chase in the face and berates him for getting bad grades. A few issues later, it is implied that Chase's father regularly hits him—when Alex informs Chase that Victor attacked Chase with one of his inventions, Chase replies "What else is new? I probably had it coming." In volume two, Chase tells Nico that he's evil, and implies that he once killed someone who tried to carjack his van (this as it turns out is his uncle Hunter, whom he accidentally hit and killed with his car). However, after Gert's death Chase realizes he is not evil. He admits that his mother allowed his father to abuse him, and because none of his dad's reasons for hitting him ever seemed good enough, Chase started making up reasons and convincing himself they were true.

Alternate versions

In the storyline ''What if the Runaways had formed the

Young Avengers The Young Avengers are the names of two fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first team, created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, features numerous adolescent characters who typically have ...

''?, Chase is badly injured by Victorious when he travels into the past to confront the Young Avengers - the Runaways having reformed as this team after Iron Lad witnessed Victorious' future while travelling into the past, but he is able to save himself by using Iron Lad's armor to keep his damaged heart beating.

Conceptual changes

In Brian K. Vaughan's original pitch for the series, Chase was originally called John. The relationship Chase has with Molly in the comics was also originally given to Gert.

In other media

Television

* Chase Stein appears in the

television series '' Runaways'', portrayed by

. This version is intellectually gifted as well as physically fit with the Fistigons being his own creation. He becomes a jock, which Alex tells him he used to make fun of. Despite this, he shows a softer side, admitting that he is okay with Molly. He skips out on Gert's tutoring to go to a party, but becomes disillusioned. He rescues Karolina from getting raped by his friends and takes her to Alex's house for safety.

Video games

* Chase appears as a playable character in ''

Lego Marvel's Avengers ''Lego Marvel's Avengers'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Windows, ...

''. * Chase Stein (accompanied by Old Lace) is a playable character in the Facebook video game '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. * Chase is a playable character in ''

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November 2 ...

''. He appears in the "Runaways" DLC.

References

External links

Chase Stein (Talkback)
at Marvel.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Stein, Chase Fictional characters from Los Angeles Marvel Comics superheroes Characters created by Brian K. Vaughan Comics characters introduced in 2003 Fictional mechanics Time travelers