Minoru Nico (briefly known as Sister Grimm), 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
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s 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 ...
. Created in 2003 by writer
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 T ...
, the character debuted in ''
Runaways'' #1 (July 2003). Like every member of the original Runaways, Nico is the daughter of the super-powered villains calling themselves "
the Pride"; in her case, she is the daughter of
dark wizards. Upon finding out, Nico runs away with the rest of the runaways but later discovers that she inherited her parents' magical aptitude. Whenever Nico bleeds, a powerful staff emerges from her chest, called the Staff of One, allowing Nico to bend
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
.
After the Runaways are betrayed by one of their own in volume one, Nico reluctantly becomes the
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
leader of her unofficial and nameless superhero team, making her one of the few
Japanese-American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asia ...
superheroine team leaders. Nico's trademark is her elaborate and ornate
Gothic wardrobe. Nico is a
sorceress like her parents and great-grandmother before her and can cast nearly any spell imaginable with her staff. Nico uses her talents to make up for her parents' villainous actions and to prevent anyone from assuming the Pride's place at the top of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
organized crime.
In the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
, she was featured 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 ...
'' and 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 ...
'', which follows the survivors of the thirty day-long deathmatch in MurderWorld. Nico is traumatized by those events and temporarily walked away from the Runaways. She later joined Marvel's first all-female Avengers team, ''
A-Force
''A-Force'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in May 2015 as a part of Marvel's "Secret Wars" crossover storyline. The series, created by writers G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett and artist Jorge Molina, fea ...
''.
Nico's Staff of One responds to verbal commands, but can only respond to any given spell once. If she attempts to cast the same spell twice, the results have unforeseen consequences. To summon the Staff itself, Nico must bleed—as all magic comes with a cost. After working with the Witchbreaker, Nico develops the ability to cast spells without the Staff and upgrades her own abilities. In the wake of her resurrection in Murderworld, Nico jumps up to another power level and even receives a magical arm replacement that can channel supernatural energies more powerful than the Staff. By the relaunch of ''Runaways'' vol. 5, Nico's Staff and powers are reverted to its original condition and her magical arm replaced with a normal arm for reasons unknown yet.
Since her debut, Nico has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful LGBT female heroes.
Nico Minoru was portrayed by
Lyrica Okano
Lyrica Okano (born ) is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Nico Minoru in the Hulu original series '' Runaways''.
Biography
Lyrica Okano was born to parents who emigrated from Tokyo, Japan. They came to the United States ...
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 ...
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
series ''
Runaways'', 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 ...
(MCU). She reprised the role in the 2022
tactical role-playing game
Tactical role-playing games (abbreviated TRPGs), also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as (both abbreviated SRPGs), are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical (turn-bas ...
''
Marvel's Midnight Suns
''Marvel's Midnight Suns'' is a tactical role-playing game developed by Firaxis Games in collaboration with Marvel Games. It features comic book characters from multiple Marvel Comics properties, such as Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Run ...
''.
Publication history
Nico Minoru first appeared in ''
Runaways'' # 1 (July 2003) and was created by
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
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 T ...
.
In Brian K. Vaughan's original pitch for the series, Nico was called Rachel Messina. Her parents were still magicians, but posed as wealthy antique dealers; this cover story was ultimately used for Gert's time travelling parents.
Nico's source of power was not originally going to be her mother's Staff, but Robert Minoru's spellbook.
§
Nico Minoru 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 ...
'', a new series 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
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 ...
''.
Nico appears as one of the main characters in ''
A-Force
''A-Force'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in May 2015 as a part of Marvel's "Secret Wars" crossover storyline. The series, created by writers G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett and artist Jorge Molina, fea ...
'', an all-female
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
spin-off launched by
G. Willow Wilson
Gwendolyn Willow Wilson (born August 31, 1982) is an American comics writer, prose author, and essayist. Her best-known prose works include the novels ''Alif the Unseen'' and '' The Bird King''. She is most well known for relaunching the '' Ms. Ma ...
, Marguerite Bennett, and Jorge Molina during Marvel's ''
Secret Wars
''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written ...
'' crossover.
Fictional character biography
The Pride
Every year,
Nico's parents join
five other couples in a charity event; one year, Nico and the other kids spy on their parents.
Nico is shocked to discover her father speaking an enchantment, and after witnessing the murder of an innocent girl by their parents ("
the Pride"), Nico joins the others in their massive ransack to run away from their parents.
While on the run, Nico encounters her parents. Her mother, wielding a large staff with a ball at the end ("the Staff of One"), reveals that she and Nico's father are dark wizards; she then attempts to jam the Staff into Nico's chest. Nico's body absorbs it. After she is later cut by
Dale Yorkes
Pride, is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters are depicted as a criminal organization that controlled the Los Angeles area of the Marvel Universe. They are the parents and the initia ...
'
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
battle-axe, the Staff re-emerges from her chest, which prompts Nico to use the phrase "Freeze", and freeze
Stacey Yorkes. It is revealed that Nico is a witch, and that the Staff only emerges when she bleeds.
Sometime after running off, Nico takes on the name Sister Grimm to escape the name her parents gave her, but drops it after a while.
After team leader Alex outs himself as the mole and is defeated along with the Pride, Nico is accepted as the group's leader.
Mystic Arcana
In 2007, the magic-related crossover event ''
Mystic Arcana'' fills the gap between ''Runaways'' #17 and #18, during Nico's brief time at Father Flanagan's Home for Unwanted Goth Kids.
The story begins with Nico dressed in a Japanese school girl's outfit, stating that it's perhaps time to let go of the goth trend. She is soon talked into going to a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
with her friends, where she meets her parents' old rival
Marie Laveau
Marie Catherine Laveau (September 10, 1801 – June 15, 1881)''Marie Laveau The Mysterious Voodoo Queen: A Study of Powerful Female Leadership in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans'' by Ina Johanna Fandrich was a Louisiana Creole people, Louisiana ...
;
Laveau seeks revenge on Nico's parents for stealing the Black Mirror, one of the four Cornerstones of Creation. After Laveau explains that she needs Nico's blood to activate the Black Mirror, Nico gives Leveau her blood, while also purging out the Staff of One. The two fight, and Nico easily wins. Nico attempts to bring back
Alex Wilder using the Mirror, however the spell fails, the Mirror shatters and the last page of the Darkhold is revealed behind the glass.
Laveau takes it and flees, while Nico accepts her place as an outcast with the Runaways.
Artist Dave Sexton revealed Nico was one of the four magic characters chosen for the story arc because each character relates to some elemental themes:
Magik represents air and logic, the
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
represents the Earth and tools, the
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
represents water and emotions while Nico represented fire and wands.
As Nico must deliver blood in order to produce her Staff, fire and sacrifice prove to be very similar to Tarot's Minor Arcana suit of "wands".
Although
C.B. Cebulski wrote the ''Sister Grimm'' portion of Mystic Arcana, ''Runaways''-creator
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 ...
lent some assistance.
As a fugitive
After being warned of a future threat named Victor Mancha, Nico and the Runaways find and abduct Victor to question him. After Victor's mother is murdered and father,
Ultron
Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
, is destroyed, Nico invites Victor to become a part of the team, much to the anger of some members, notably Chase. Nico reassures them that she is willing to "rip
ictor'sdamn heart out" if necessary.
After Chase ties Nico up before he attempts to sacrifice himself to the
Gibborim, Nico interprets it as a cry for help and leads the Runaways to intervene to stop Chase's self-sacrifice. The Gibborim instead attempt to take Nico, revealing that Nico's soul is innocent, thus, suitable for the Gibborim's consumption. Victor rescues Nico and the two form a relationship. After defeating the Gibborim, Victor asks Nico what she's willing to do if Chase does something like this again; Nico responds by saying she is willing to "rip
hase'sdamn heart out" if necessary. After returning to their lair beneath the
La Brea Tar Pits
La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the gro ...
, Xavin realizes she had publicly exposed their location, drawing the attention of
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
and
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
Nico, stepping into her role as a leader, leads the Runaways in a cross-country escape from Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Witchbreaker
After escaping the authorities, the Runaways head to New York where Nico anxiously makes a deal with
the Kingpin
The Kingpin (Wilson Grant Fisk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #50 (cover-dated July ...
.
In a twisted turn of events, the Runaways end up time-displaced in 1907 New York, where Nico is kidnapped and brought to a woman named "the Witchbreaker".
The Witchbreaker claims she is Nico's great-grandmother, and states she will teach Nico how to withstand more pain and, therefore, wield more magic with better proficiency. She wields a weapon similar to the Staff of One, with more adornments. When reunited with her comrades, a significant development to Nico's abilities is evident, where she is freely able to float, displays more proficiency and confidence in casting spells and able to use a spell with an effect more complicated than most of her others thus far.
It is revealed that Nico had obtained the Witchbreaker's Staff. Little more information is given to how Nico and her ancestor's meeting had ended, though the
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications. The original 15-volume series was published in comic book format in 1982, followed by sporadic u ...
's more recent edition says that Nico had "escaped" her.
During this period, Victor falls in love with another girl, corrupting his relationship with Nico.
Secret Invasion
During the global shape-shifting
alien invasion
The alien invasion or space invasion is a common feature in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms invade the Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under an intense state, harvest people ...
by the
Skrulls
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated from ...
, Nico and the other Runaways briefly remain in New York after returning from 1907, trusting that "hiding in plain sight" would be sufficient to conceal their own identities and that it would be best if they showed
Klara around her city in the future before they returned to Los Angeles. However, to their shock, an armada of Skrull ships attack New York and its civilians.
Xavin
Xavin is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears in the series '' Runaways''. Xavin is gender-fluid (made more prominent due to their shape-shifting abilities) with seemingly no ...
, trying to fool the invaders into thinking she intends to help them, uses a force field to knock out the Runaways; Nico and Victor are still conscious, however, and they attack Xavin, accusing her of being a traitor. Xavin reveals that she is trying to protect them and convinces them that the Skrulls are too dangerous for them to fight and pleading with them to flee to the Leapfrog. The Runaways eventually unite with the Young Avengers to assist against the invading Skrulls. Nico insists on leading her team to help the Young Avengers continue the fight against the Skrulls, refusing to "run away." However, Wiccan urges her to leave, claiming that if the Young Avengers lose, they will need the Runaways to save them.
Dead Wrong/Rock Zombies
Nico uses a spell ("scatter") to scatter a group of invading Majesdanians all over the planet. The spell, however, had unwanted side-effects: it emotionally scatters the Runaways.
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 ...
realizes this in time, and Nico spearheads a massive escape from the returning Majesdanians. A short time later, the Runaways realize that having obeyed Nico, they broke the enchantment. Regardless,
Xavin
Xavin is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears in the series '' Runaways''. Xavin is gender-fluid (made more prominent due to their shape-shifting abilities) with seemingly no ...
shapeshifts into Karolina and leaves Earth, much to the other Runaways' great grief.
Later on, Nico uses the spell "Zombie Not" to turn an army of zombies back to humans; the spell, backfiring, turns the zombies into an actual "zombie knot", thus creating a one large zombie. The Runaways deduce that after the Witchbreaker tortured and trained Nico, Nico's magical abilities have been greatly augmented.
Val Rhymin's magician informs Nico that the Staff of One carries tremendous magical ability and Nico, being young, should not use it. The magician steals the Staff from her, only to be killed after the Staff defends itself. A silent Nico takes her Staff back, and warns the other Runaways not to touch it.
Dark Reign
At the 2009 Emerald City ComiCon, writer
Brian Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an Americans, American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Mich ...
implied that Nico might be one of the magicians sought by former
Sorcerer Supreme
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in '' Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorc ...
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
, seeing as the search "is not done yet."
Although the title went to
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #169 (September 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len W ...
, her image appeared as one of the many candidates the
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto () is a fictional, mystical item appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and other media, particularly in their Marvel Cinematic Universe films, with its first appearance in ''Doctor Strange''. The item ap ...
considered to assume the role of the new Sorcerer Supreme.
Nico also makes a non-speaking cameo in ''Strange'' #4 (Feb. 2010) as one of the powerful mages Dr. Strange asks to stop using their powers for an hour.
Avengers Arena
As part of the ''
Marvel NOW!
Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...
'' event in the pages of ''
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 ...
'', Nico is abducted by the villain Arcade and placed on a special island version of Murderworld. The Staff of One has its power drastically reduced for an unexplained reason, preventing her not only from being able to act out against Arcade or the island, but also requiring "dozens of spells" just to successfully grow food to eat. After mounting a frontal attack on
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, ...
and
Juston Seyfert
Juston Seyfert is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Juston Seyfert first appeared in ''Sentinel'' #1 (April 2003) as part of Marvel's Tsunami Imprint. It was canceled after 12 issues, b ...
's
Sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring grani ...
, Nico loses the Staff of One when she is dismembered by Chase (now in possession of the
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 ...
armor) and thrown off a cliff. She then crawls to the Staff of One and tries to cast the spell "help", but bleeds out before the Staff can act.
[''Avengers Arena'' #10] The Staff then resurrects her, using her massive blood loss as a sacrifice to grant her enough power to disarm Deathlocket, destroy the Darkhawk armor, and defeat Apex by trapping her underground.
[''Avengers Arena'' #12] 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 in order 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, Nico and the other Murder World Survivors became infamous. Nico has dyed her hair slightly red and still sports the witch arm she gained in the fight with Apex. She also has the power to teleport and create floating and cloaking spells. To the other Runaways' horror, she and Chase fight during one of Chase's interviews on the talk show, criticizing Chase for breaking their pact of silence, which was made moot when Arcade released video. She then teleported Chase away from the set. However, when Anachronism reveals Bloodstone's 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. On their way in, Nico berates Chase for saying they're "family," pointing out that he only came with them because she made him. Once they find Bloodstone, he reveals that he enjoys life among the villains, and the others, minus Cammi, start to enjoy it as well. Nico tries to convince Bloodstone to come back with them, but he refuses.
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 ...
has been helping Cullen control his monster and he offers to help Nico with her upgraded powers too. When Cammi tries to tell the others to leave, Bloodstone instead has Hellstrom teleport the group to Arcade's latest party so they can confront him. Hazmat uses this opportunity to kill Arcade. Baron Zemo then tell them they have two choices, join him or be returned to the surface to be punished by S.H.I.E.L.D.. Nico comes up with a third option, pretend to join Zemo and destroy his organization from the inside. She works closely with Hellstrom to strengthen her magical powers. Eventually they unwittingly feed to Avengers information planted by Zemo in order to trap the Avengers in Bagalia and then steal S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier. Cammi stops Zemo and reveals Arcade is alive. Since only a body double was killed, S.H.I.E.L.D. drops any charges against the teens. She is last seen enjoying some vacation time on a lake with the rest of the group in the final issue of the series.
[''Avengers Undercover'' #10]
A-Force
During the "
Secret Wars
''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written ...
" storyline,
A-Force
''A-Force'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in May 2015 as a part of Marvel's "Secret Wars" crossover storyline. The series, created by writers G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett and artist Jorge Molina, fea ...
, the defenders of the matriarchal
Battleworld
Battleworld is a fictional patchwork planet appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first Battleworld debuted in the ''Secret Wars'' crossover where it was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck.
The ...
nation of Arcadia, responds to a
megalodon
Megalodon (''Otodus megalodon''), meaning "big tooth", is an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs. It was formerly thought to be a membe ...
attack while on routine patrol. During the attack,
America Chavez throws the shark across the Shield, the wall that separates their borders, thus breaking the laws of
Emperor Doom and is subsequently arrested by Doom's enforcers, the Thor Corps. Despite appeals from
She-Hulk
She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 (cov ...
, the baroness of Arcadia, Chavez is sentenced to spend the rest of her life on the wall. In response, She-Hulk tasks the Sub-Mariners -
Namor
Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc. ...
,
Namorita
Namorita Prentiss is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a mutant clone of her mother, Namora, and a member of the New Warriors. She was killed in the explosion in Stamford that started the Superhero C ...
, and
Namora
Namora () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Ken Bald and Syd Shores, she first appeared in ''Marvel Mystery Comics'' #82 (May 1947). She is from Atlantis (Marvel Comics), Atlantis an ...
- to find the source of the megalodon attack. Meanwhile, Nico, lamenting the loss of Chavez, comes across a mysterious figure that fell out of the sky. The Sub-Mariners discover a strange portal in the ocean's depths but it implodes as they draw near. Later, at the behest of
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
, Minoru introduces her new friend to She-Hulk. When
Medusa
In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
accuses the stranger, a sentient
pocket universe
A pocket universe or bubble universe, also colloquially called pocket dimension is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth.
Description
It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many inf ...
, of creating the portal, a
sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring grani ...
falls from another portal and attacks the team. During the fight, the newcomer saves
Dazzler and convinces She-Hulk that she is not the cause. After destroying the sentinel, She-Hulk decides to travel through the still open portal and investigate the source herself. She-Hulk arrives in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan and after a brief encounter with more sentinels, she is chased back to Arcadia by the Thor Corps. The Thor Corps follow in pursuit, but Medusa manages to repel them back into the portal and is killed in the process. When the Thor Corps return, She-Hulk alerts the citizens of Arcadia that there is a traitor in their midst that is spreading discontent and vows to bring them to justice as she and other A-Forcers go into hiding inside the newcomer. The newcomer smuggles A-Force outside the city. There, She-Hulk realizes that the portals' energy is of
Asgardian origin and they deduce that the traitor is Loki. With A-Force outlawed, Loki is set to be crowned the new baroness of Arcadia but is preemptively attacked by A-Force. After Loki is defeated, she releases a final blast of energy that breaches the Shield thus allowing the
zombie horde on the other side to enter. As the horde approaches, She-Hulk rallies A-Force, the Thor Corps and other heroes in defense of Arcadia. During the fight, the zombies begin to overwhelm the city but the newcomer – now named Singularity – absorbs the entire horde, sacrificing herself in the process. In the aftermath of the battle, the Thor Corps arrests Loki as A-Force begins reconstruction of Arcadia. Meanwhile, She-Hulk comforts Minoru, who is still mourning the loss of her friends, telling her that she believes Singularity lives on.
Following the ''Secret Wars'' storyline, Singularity awakes in the primary
Earth-616 universe and quickly spots
Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the ...
but Danvers does not recognize her. Unbeknownst to Singularity, she is being pursued by a similar being named Antimatter. While Danvers confronts Antimatter, Singularity flees to New York City. With Antimatter still in pursuit, Singularity locates She-Hulk, who does not remember her either, and asks for help. As the pair fight Antimatter, Medusa arrives with reinforcements and takes Singularity into custody. After Antimatter kills one of Medusa's soldiers, she releases Singularity and teleports Antimatter to the moon. Realizing that physical attacks are having little effect on Antimatter, Singularity transports She-Hulk, Medusa and herself to Japan to seek the help of Minoru. When Antimatter returns, Minoru casts a spell that causes him to be temporarily unmade. The spell buys the women some time during which Danvers suggests that Antimatter maybe susceptible to intense levels of light particles. They then travel to Miami to recruit Dazzler just as Antimatter remerges. Dazzler hits Antimatter with everything she has to no avail but it gives Danvers time to activate a containment device that she designed. When Antimatter overloads the device, Singularity has Minoru remove Antimatter's tracking ability and transports the team to
The Peak. As Antimatter eventually reaches The Peak, She-Hulk orders Singularity to stay behind while the rest of the team leaves to parley with Antimatter. After talks fail, Antimatter fatally wounds Dazzler and in turn She-Hulk decapitates Antimatter. Angered by Dazzler's death, Singularity leaves to confront a recovered Antimatter one-on-one. As Singularity fights Antimatter, Dr. Tempest Bell, The Peak's lead scientist, develops a bomb capable of destroying Antimatter but denoting it will also kill Singularity. She-Hulk, Minoru and Danvers go to reinforce Singularity, while Medusa places the bomb inside Antimatter. Just as the bomb explodes, a revived Dazzler arrives with a dimensional teleporter and whisks Singularity away from the blast. With Antimatter destroyed, the team celebrates at a diner when Singularity senses a disturbance as remnants of Antimatter tear open portals to other worlds. In
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...
, A-Force tracks a dragon from Battleworld named Countess and discover that she is being pursued by an alternate version of Dazzler that belonged to the Thor Corps. A-Force joins Dazzler Thor in combat which causes Countess to retreat. As the heroes wait for Countess's return, Dazzler confides to Dazzler Thor that she has been infected by the
Terrigen Mist
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peopl ...
and is dying. When Countess arrives, she takes control of Minoru who then incapacitates the team. She-Hulk, Medusa, Dazzler, Dazzler Thor, and Danvers awake in a jail cell in Astoria to discover that their powers are gone and the populace under the control of the Countess. After She-Hulk taunts the Countess, she has Minoru turn She-Hulk against the others. As the fight with She-Hulk takes the team away from the city and their powers return, the Countess has Minoru turn their feet into
cement shoes
Cement shoes, concrete shoes, or Chicago overcoat is a method of murder or body disposal, usually associated with criminals such as the Mafia or gangs. It involves weighing down the victim, who may be dead or alive, with concrete and throwing them ...
and drag them under water. As the team is about to drown, Minoru commands them to breathe. Once out of the water, She-Hulk sends half the team to distract Countess, while the others rescue Minoru. After being rescued, Minoru reveals the true nature of Countess' powers and returns with Dazzler and Dazzler Thor to confront Countess. Minoru convinces Countess to have a change of heart as Dazzler Thor succumbs to the compounded effects that the Terrigen Mist are having on her otherworldly system. After Dazzler Thor's body vanishes, Dazzler warns her teammates that she may suffer a similar fate.
During the "
Civil War II
"Civil War II" is a 2016 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in June of that year, it is the sequel to 2006's "Civil War" and consists of a nine-issue eponymous core limited series, by writer Brian Michael Bendis ...
" storyline, after She-Hulk is gravely wounded in a battle with
Thanos
Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
, Danvers tells Minoru that the Inhuman
Ulysses
Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature.
Ulysses may also refer to:
People
* Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name
Places in the United States
* Ulysses, Kansas
* Ulysse ...
had a vision of her killing a woman named Alice. Refusing to be arrested for a crime that she has yet to commit, Minoru flees to a safehouse in
Ouray, Colorado
Ouray () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 1,000 as of the 2010 census. The Ouray Post Office has the ZIP Code 81427. Located at an elevation of , Ouray's clim ...
. Unbeknownst to Minoru, the town is under attack from a swarm of giant bugs. Minoru encounters
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Marvel's ''Bloodstone'' mini-series of 2001 written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. She is the daughter of the previously ...
. Bloodstone informs Minoru that the attack is the result of an infection that is turning the populace into insects and takes her to meet Janine, whose daughter Alice has gone missing during the commotion. Meanwhile, Danvers and Medusa race to find Minoru before Dazzler and Singularity, who disagree with their methods. Danvers and Medusa find Minoru and Bloodstone just before Dazzler and Singularity arrive. After a brief confrontation, they agree to split into two teams: one to find Alice and the other to protect the civilians. While searching for Alice in an abandoned mine, Danvers, Minoru and Bloodstone are attacked by a giant bug. The bug incapacitates Danvers and Bloodstone before telepathically communicating to Minoru that she is Alice and has been inadvertently infecting the townspeople after her transformation. Alice tells Minoru that killing her is the only way to save the people. When Minoru refuses, an infected Bloodstone threatens to kill Danvers. Medusa, Singularity, and an infected Dazzler are overrun by bugs and regroup with the others just as Bloodstone infects Danvers. After Dazzler infects Medusa, Minoru casts a spell to transform Alice back into a human but it does not cure the rest of the populace. Alice explains that she must be killed and Minoru reluctantly casts a death spell on Alice which transforms the infected back into humans. Alice then remerges in her final form and tells A-Force that she is no longer a threat as she now has greater control of her powers. When the commotion is over, Danvers and Minoru continue to disagree over each other's actions but agree to visit She-Hulk together in the hospital.
Powers and abilities
Spellcasting
Nico, being a witch, uses magic as her weapon. In the early issues, her sole weapon had been the Staff of One, an ancient
magical staff that can cast any spell imaginable.
[''Runaways'' #7] The Staff, however, comes with two limitations; first, and more importantly, Nico cannot cast the same spell twice, or the spell will misfire and a random effect will occur; for example, the second time she tried to cast "Freeze," she produced
pelican
Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...
s, and the second time she attempted to cast a "Fumigation" spell, the staff teleported Nico and Karolina miles in the Los Angeles desert.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #7] The second limitation of the Staff of One is that it cannot be used to bring people back from the dead.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #2] Nico discovered this limitation when she tried to resurrect Alex Wilder, and explained why she could not magically revive the deceased future version of
Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes (self-referred to as Arsenic''Runaways'' #6), is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in '' Runaways ...
.
Tina Minoru, the Staff's owner previous to Nico, mentions that the Staff even made
Dormammu
Dormammu () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (Nov. 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comi ...
(a demonic entity with vast magical power far surpassing even that of the
Sorcerer Supreme
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in '' Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorc ...
) tremble
[''Runaways'' vol. 7 #1] and that it gave the wielder "
l the power of the past, present and future" and would make its wielder "unstoppable." Tina is also able to do spells without saying them, as evident when she turns herself, Robert Minoru, and
the Steins
Pride, is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters are depicted as a criminal organization that controlled the Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles area of the Marvel Universe. They a ...
into their villain costumes.
[''Runaways'' #3] In ''
Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways'', Nico successfully cast a tunneling spell using a
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
phrase supplied to her by
the Vision, even without knowing its meaning.
[''Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways]
Only Nico can summon the Staff, but initially, anyone could cast spells with it. When not in use the Staff retreats into her body, which Nico describes as "feel
nglike I have something in my eye, but instead of my eye, it's...it's my soul."
To summon the Staff, Nico sheds blood and automatically recites "When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge."
Early in volume one, Nico would cut herself to release the Staff, often using Chase's
switchblade
A switchblade (aka switch knife, automatic knife, pushbutton knife, ejector knife, flick knife, Stiletto, flick blade, or spring knife (Sprenger,Benson, Ragnar (1989). ''Switchblade: The Ace of Blades''. Paladin Press. pp. 1–14. . The sw ...
.
[''Runaways'' #8] As the series progressed, Nico found alternative ways to make herself bleed, including brushing her gums for extended periods of time
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #16] and having Gert's ''
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 bite her arm;
[''Runaways'' #14] during her monthly
menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that make pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs a ...
, Nico does not need to cut herself to evoke the Staff.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #1] The Staff always emerges from the center of her chest, and passes through any clothing she is wearing without damaging it or Nico. However the Staff will damage anyone or anything directly in its way when ejected from Nico's body. For example, the Staff emerged after the
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
Topher began to drain Nico's blood and pierced directly through the center of his chest.
Nico cannot truly control what kind of effect her spells will have: she must conjure up painful memories to cast a spell, as well as imagining anything that makes her feel guilty. In the ''
Mystic Arcana'' series, Nico is said to have far greater magical potential than even she had realized, as the last living heir to the Clan Minoru; Nico overwhelms Marie LaVeau in a matter of moments, despite all of Marie's magical experience and power, and discovers that the roots of her family legacy are deeper than even she imagined, with her being the only person alive capable of unlocking the Black Mirror. Nico is told that she has stepped onto the Dark Path and that she and Marie shall meet again, "for all those who step onto the Dark Path are destined to travel that road together." On occasion, however, she has cast spells without resorting to the Staff, such as creating an image of
Alex Wilder in the palm of her hand. Time and space are also crucial limitations to the power of the Staff: all spells shown cast by it only have a temporary effect, and the effects of these spells weaken as the distance between Nico and the target increases.
In ''Runaways'' vol. 2 #17, it is revealed that if Nico steps into the path of the ashes of dead wizards, her powers will not work at all.
Extended magic
Nico's time with the Witchbreaker has granted her a newer version of the Staff of One, similar to the original but with more adornments and a larger ring (the ball on the original Staff is also removed). Nico can now wield its powers and cast spells with greater proficiency than before, even floating under her own powers instead of using the Staff, as Nico had already cast a variety of levitation enchantments before. Furthermore,
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 ...
also questions how Nico is floating, apparently indicating that this was indeed not of the Staff's own magic.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #30] Nico can now cast a variety of spells without using her Staff, bringing her closer to her parents' abilities. It is unknown where the Staff of One is now, though her new staff, regardless of its precise origins, is summoned in exactly the same method as the former.
[''Runaways'' vol. 3 #1]
More recently, Nico's Staff has displayed an ability to defend itself. The Staff now reacts violently toward anyone other than Nico who attempts to use it, turning into a demon or dragon and devouring that individual.
[''Runaways'' vol 3 #9]
Later in ''Daken: Dark Wolverine'' she shows that her spells can be extremely detailed when she freezes
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).
...
with "Freeze to the exact temperature and aesthetic appearance of a cheap Popsicle from a 7/11" though she still has the "One spell" rule.
After her murder 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, ...
and subsequent resurrection,
Nico once again received a new Staff of One with a new design up top. This staff also was shorter and did not extend to the ground, could be touched by anyone (as Apex proved), and could be summoned back to Nico upon command. Nico was also granted a new left arm where she could perform spells without holding the Staff of One.
According to the resurrected Alex, the left arm was clearly a more powerful conduit of dark magic than even the Staff of One. This upgrade increased her dark powers and allowed her to enter a blind rage where her magic is more powerful, as she runs purely on instinct.
[''Avengers Undercover'' #7]
General abilities
As mentioned before Nico is capable of doing essentially anything, her magic seemingly being reality warping in nature. But as of now She’s been shown to:
:Manipulate time
:Manipulate death
:Manipulate emotions
:Manipulate hellfire
:Manipulate energy
:Manipulate the powers of others
:Manipulate weather
:Manipulate the rotation of the Earth
:Manipulate matter
:Manipulate probability
:Warp reality
:Erase people from existence
:Teleport
:Heal herself and others
:Cast illusions
:Fly
:Create pocket dimensions
:Make herself and others invisible
:Grant abilities
:Create shields
:Use telekinesis
:Summon astral projections
:Shutdown others magic
:Share her full conscience into multiple bodies
Character attributes and personality
Nico is Japanese American.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #28] She is also shown to be a very emotional person. She expresses feelings for Alex Wilder during their original getaway, but is hesitant to start a romance.
[''Runaways'' #6] After Alex saves her from a vampire attack, sometime later she begins to date him.
This pattern of seeking physical or romantic comfort with people during stressful or intense situations follows Nico throughout the remainder of the series.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #19] Despite this, Nico proves her loyalty to the Runaways when Alex betrays the group and offers her a seat in the new world promised by Pride's
Biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
benefactors, the
Gibborim.
[''Runaways'' #17] She refuses Alex's offer brutally and helps usher her friends to safety.
Nico is sent to Father Flanagan's Home for Unwanted Goth Kids. However, the group organizes a mass escape from their homes to begin life as full-time
vigilantes
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
; Nico is generally accepted as the team leader.
[''Runaways'' #18]
When Nico takes the leadership position, it proves she has the intelligence and courage to make difficult decisions. One notable example is a risky decision in leaving
Xavin
Xavin is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears in the series '' Runaways''. Xavin is gender-fluid (made more prominent due to their shape-shifting abilities) with seemingly no ...
to battle a resurrected Geoffrey Wilder herself saying "Xavin knew the risks".
In another incident where the Punisher was holding them at gunpoint and was seriously injured by being punched in the stomach by Molly, when the others expressed concern about his condition, Nico flatly stated that she "wasn't going to waste a healing spell" on him. Nico also kisses Chase after he negotiates their way out of a potentially fatal situation with an interdimensional drug-dealer; this causes a falling out between Nico and Chase's girlfriend Gert, almost dissolving the team from the inside.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #17] Gert's untimely death sends Nico into the arms of Victor Mancha, with whom she reveals she has a habit of running to people when distressed.
She suffered
survivor's guilt
Survivor guilt (or survivor's guilt; also called survivor syndrome or survivor's syndrome and survivor disorder or survivor's disorder) is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumati ...
regarding Gert's death. Her insecurities and confusion over her romantic life comes to haunt her in a dream, where her deceased parents berated Nico for acting like a "slut" (for kissing Alex, Topher, Chase and Victor).
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #23] Nico admits she is confused but she will figure "who and what (she) likes on her own" and then she kills them.
She begins a relationship with Victor, but the relationship is quickly ended mutually after Victor falls for another girl.
Nico became very isolated and unstable after the events of Avengers Arena, where she was dismembered, resurrected, and ultimately survived MurderWorld, having almost no contact with the Runaways, even ignoring Molly's birthday. She explains she was destroyed after the events of the Arena, she was terrified of her new powers and was likely suffering from severe PTSD, and seeing Chase return to normal after the experience only made her hurt more.
Relationships with other Runaways
Nico is a very emotional person and has repeatedly expressed difficulty with knowing precisely what she is feeling.
Nico admits to Victor that she has a tendency to seek comfort after highly emotional situations or periods of stress.
Despite this, she is typically very open when trying to express her feelings and has thus been able to connect with many of the Runaways on an emotional level and maintain many close friendships throughout the series. Over the years, Minoru has romantic relationships with several people, including Alex Wilder - by whose treachery she is devastated - and Victor Mancha. She has a confusing and frustrating time with the mutual feelings between her and Karolina, however, a romantic relationship never developed as their timing never seemed to work out. Nico did eventually realize that she truly did love Karolina and after asking for a second chance, started a relationship with her.
Alex Wilder
In the first volume, Nico and Alex share a brief relationship. She kisses him for the first time during the Runaways' attempted rescue of
Molly Hayes
Molly Hayes (also known as Bruiser or Princess Powerful) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character debuted in the award-winning series '' Runaways''. Like every member of the original Run ...
;
it is later revealed Alex was Nico's first kiss.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #22] She kisses and expresses love for Alex after he saves her from the vampire Topher; it is generally accepted that Nico and Alex are a couple at this point.
[''Runaways'' #10] Despite her professed love for Alex, Nico chooses to side with the Runaways after Alex reveals his plan to bring her to the Gibborim's new world with her parents, firmly establishing her dedication to the team and her strength of character. However, despite the betrayal, Nico demonstrates willingness to forgive when she unsuccessfully tries to resurrect Alex, and states that even though Alex was a traitor, he did not deserve death.
In ''Mystic Arena'' set in volume one, she still misses and loves him.
During the events of ''Avengers Undercover'', Alex is resurrected by
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 ...
to become Nico's tutor in battle strategy. She reminiscences her past affection for him; however, it's now replaced with murder daydreams of him and annoyance of his attempts to flirt with her. She tells him "what we used to be, that's dead".
After Chase was injured in battle and left comatose, she is devastated and blamed herself. Nico momentarily gave up being good as it kept turning out wrong and hurt people she loves. She decided to 'do the wrong thing' in order to feel good, and briefly rekindled her romance with Alex before he betrayed her.
[''Avengers Undercover'' #8] And once again, they went their separate ways as she fought alongside the superheroes whereas Alex joined the super-villainous team,
Young Masters
The Young Masters are a comic book supervillain team created by Paul Cornell and Mark Brooks (comics), Mark Brooks. The team first appeared in ''Dark Reign: Young Avengers'' #1 (May 2009) as the analog to the Young Avengers.
Publication history
' ...
.
[''Avengers Undercover'' #9]
Karolina Dean
Karolina's feelings for Nico were hinted at throughout volume 1, ending with Karolina sheepishly blushing when Nico says she has sworn off boys.
However, Karolina's feelings were not explicitly expressed until she attempted to kiss Nico.
Nico immediately turned Karolina down; however, when Karolina decides to travel to her home planet Majesdane with
Xavin
Xavin is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears in the series '' Runaways''. Xavin is gender-fluid (made more prominent due to their shape-shifting abilities) with seemingly no ...
, Nico is distraught for losing her friend. The Runaways stop Nico from casting a spell to bring Karolina back to Earth. Months later, Chase catches Nico strewing Karolina's clothes about her floor for remembrance's sake and tells him, "I didn't hurt this bad when Alex betrayed us. I didn't even hurt like this when our parents died". After Karolina returns, Nico becomes overjoyed and hugs her, saying that she felt all alone with Karolina gone. Their friendship is an occasionally strained one, due to Karolina's unrequited feelings towards Nico and Nico's conflicted feelings towards Karolina's relationships.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #25] When the group re-bands some time later, Nico attempted to kiss Karolina, revealing her possible romantic feelings. However, Karolina rejected her, due to her wanting to be faithful to her girlfriend,
Julie Power, and dismissed it as Nico's habit of seeking physical comfort in times of stress.
[''Runaways'' vol. 5 #5] Following Julie and Karolina's break-up, Karolina invited Nico to attend her parents' legitimate foundation's charity ball with her. While there, Karolina's usual nervousness was replaced by newfound confidence because of Nico's support as she is "always seen the real" her.
[''Runaways'' vol. 5 #12] Nico confessed for a long time she was confused about herself so she couldn't see her clearly. Nico knows who and what she wants now and asks Karolina to give her a second chance. Karolina was surprised and a little scared but the two kissed, beginning a relationship.
Chase Stein
Nico admits she provides a motherly role to Chase's rule-breaking persona.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #9] The pair maintain a strong respect for each other despite often disagreeing over major group decisions, including Gert's burial site and allowing
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 ...
to join the team.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #6] Chase cares for Nico's safety and well-being, as evidenced from when he comforted Nico after Karolina's departure, and when he took the Staff of One from Nico to destroy it to give her a normal life.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #24] After Chase bluffed their way out of a fatal encounter with the drug lord, Pusher-Man, Nico kisses him. This causes a rift in their friendship, and into Gert and Chase's relationship.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #11] Nico is also the only person that Chase bids farewell before leaving to sacrifice himself for the Gibborim, which Nico interprets as a cry for help.
Following their adventure in 1907, Chase and Nico's friendship appeared to be more stable after Chase moved past grieving for Gert.
In vol. 3, issue #13, the two share a surprising and intimate kiss. Later, both were kidnapped together by Arcade to participate in his latest incarnation of Murderworld. In there, Nico started to develop a love-hate relationship with Chase. She repeatedly chided Chase for acting out of character and risking their lives. 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 the 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.
Gertrude Yorkes
Gert and Nico had been close friends since birth.
After Gert's death, Nico tells Victor (while crying) that Gert had sent her
My Little Pony
''My Little Pony'' (''MLP'') is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature c ...
dolls in the forest because Gert thought they should be free and Nico had knit a purple scarf for Gert's thirteenth birthday, prompting Gert to dye her hair that color.
Nico also told Gert that should Nico get hurt, Gert would be the leader of the group. The pair's friendship briefly breaks after Gert discovered Nico's kiss with Chase after their encounter with the Pusher Man.
Their falling out caused much friction in the group. Nico and Gert finally resolved their differences with a short bout of tossing insults. Despite Gert's cynical attitude, she rarely argued with Nico's decisions and was usually prepared to stand by her friend. Nico experiences
survivor's guilt
Survivor guilt (or survivor's guilt; also called survivor syndrome or survivor's syndrome and survivor disorder or survivor's disorder) is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumati ...
after Gert dies,
knowing that Gert's murderer
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 ...
had initially meant to kill Nico.
[''Runaways'' vol. 2 #18]
Victor Mancha
Nico explains that she seeks physical comfort after periods of stress.
While Victor expresses feelings for Nico, she asks for time alone to clear her head and figure her feelings out, much like how she initially dealt with Alex and Karolina after each expressed feelings for Nico.
However, Nico admits that Victor is genuinely a good guy and would not mind being in a relationship with him. Victor calls Nico his girlfriend when he attempts to save her from Chase, and although she is in a hostage situation, Nico still lightly scolds Victor for calling her such.
The two eventually become a couple.
However, the relationship is brief as Victor falls for Lillie, a carefree girl from 1907. Trying to become a better person, Nico, seeing that Victor and Lillie are in love, steps aside, deciding to remain friends even after Lillie decides to stay in the past.
Reception
Critical reception
Brandon Zachary of ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' referred to Nico as a "breakout star," writing, "Of all the Runaways, it makes a certain amount of sense that Nico would be the breakout lead. As one of the more assertive and overtly powerful members of the group, Nico often took center stage in battles and crossovers with other groups. Her mystical abilities allow her to keep up with other heroes in terms of raw power. This justifies her appearances in other stories when teammates like the relatively human Gert and Chase realistically can't. Her status as an Asian-American and LGBTQ+ character allows her to represent an often overlooked demographic in comics, giving these communities a chance to shine. While the Runaways still exist in the Marvel Universe, Nico is really the only one who has blown up in popularity. Although the entire cast has ties to the larger universe and played important roles in stories, Nico has outshone her teammates. While it's a shame the rest of the characters haven't been as central to the universe as Nico, it's still a sign that their legacy lives on." Tomi Nabach of ''
ComicsVerse
ComicsVerse is a comics journalism website covering comics news, reviews, analysis, and interviews with artists and writers. In addition to original written content, the site produces podcasts, videos, original webcomics, and covers news related ...
'' stated, "You may be wondering why Nico getting to be in a relationship with the girl she likes is such a big deal. There’s already a canon LGBT character in RUNAWAYS even without Nico. Certainly, Karolina is great. In fact, Karolina has stood out as a fundamental gay character in the comics for a while. There’s something to be noted about Karolina, though — she’s white. In fact, almost all the gay representation we saw in comics at the time of Karolina coming out was white people. This goes doubly for gay women. While the comics have a few more LGBT characters who are men of color, like Rictor, the dating prospects for LGBT women are…blindingly white. Nico represents a change for the better when it comes to the representation of LGBT people of color. There’s another problem Nico helps cover as well. Marvel, for all its steps forward in LGBT rep, has a bad habit of making bisexuals/pansexuals morally grey characters. Daken, Mystique, and Deadpool, for example, are all bisexual or pansexual in the comics. This seems to reflect the unfortunate stereotype that bi/pan people aren’t trustworthy, are sneaky, and/or manipulative. Nico changes this narrative as well — Nico’s a hero. Nico is unambiguously good. Unlike Marvel’s other bi/pan characters, Nico is someone who can’t be portrayed as an untrustworthy person who “can’t choose a side” when it comes to morality or sexuality. Nico’s refreshing representation for bisexual and pansexual people, especially women of color."
Accolades
* In 2014, ''
Autostraddle
Autostraddle is an independently owned online magazine and social network for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women ( cis and trans), as well as non-binary people and trans people of all genders. The website is a "politically progressive queer femin ...
'' ranked Nico 10th in their "11 Female Superheroes I Wish Marvel Would Make Movies About" list.
* In 2015, ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'' ranked Nico 4th in their "14 Female Superheroes Who Deserve Stardom" list.
* In 2017, ''
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
'' ranked Nico 10th in their "27 Kick-Ass Female Superheroes You'll Love If Wonder Woman Is Your Favorite" list.
* In 2018, ''
WhatCulture
WhatCulture Ltd. is an online entertainment news website and magazine which was launched in 2010. The site offers news in the field of professional wrestling, television, films, video games, and board games.
History
Originally started by Peter ...
'' ranked Nico 2nd in their "The Runaways: Every Character Ranked Worst To Best" list.
* In 2019, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Nico 1st in their "10 Most Powerful Members of The Runaways" list.
* In 2019, ''
Sideshow
In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction.
Types
There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:
*The Ten-in-One offers a program of ten seq ...
'' included Nico in their "Marvel’s Most Masterful Witches" list.
* In 2020, ''
Scary Mommy
Scary Mommy is a website that produces content targeting mothers, which generally focuses on parenting, motherhood, current events and pop culture. The site is owned by Bustle Digital Group and is based in New York City.
History
Scary Mommy ...
'' included Nico in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.
* In 2021, ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included Nico in their "10 Most Powerful Members Of Marvel's A-Force" list.
* In 2021, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Nico 4th in their "10 LGBTQ+ Marvel Characters Who Deserve A Solo Series" list.
* In 2022, ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' ranked Nico 78th in their "100 best Marvel characters" list.
In other media
Television
Nico Minoru appears in television series 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 ...
, portrayed by
Lyrica Okano
Lyrica Okano (born ) is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Nico Minoru in the Hulu original series '' Runaways''.
Biography
Lyrica Okano was born to parents who emigrated from Tokyo, Japan. They came to the United States ...
.
This version is a student at
Midtown School of Science and Technology in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
and became a goth after the death of her sister, Amy.
* Introduced in the live-action
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'', she accidentally discovers the Staff of One, a mystical artifact connected to the
Dark Dimension that requires familial DNA samples, and receives training from her mother Tina Minoru.
* An alternate reality version of Nico will appear in the
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
animated series ''
Spider-Man: Freshman Year'' (2024). This version will be Peter Parker's classmate at
Midtown High School.
Video games
* Nico Minoru appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel: Avengers Alliance''.
* Nico Minoru appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel: Future Fight''.
* Nico Minoru appears in ''
Marvel Strike Force
''Marvel Strike Force'' is a turn-based role-playing mobile game by FoxNext (later acquired by Scopely) for Android, iOS, and iPadOS platforms. The game was launched worldwide on March 28, 2018, and is primarily set in the Marvel Universe.
Pre ...
''.
* Nico Minoru appears in ''
Marvel Avengers Academy
''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not rel ...
'', voiced by
Maya Tuttle.
* Nico Minoru as Sister Grimm appears in ''
Pinball FX 2
''Pinball FX 2'' (stylized as ''Pinball FX2'') is a pinball video game for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows ( XP and higher) and is the sequel to '' Pinball FX''. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. It was ...
'' as part of the "Marvel's Women of Power" DLC.
* Nico Minoru appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Puzzle Quest
''Marvel Puzzle Quest'' is a video game released by D3 Publisher and Marvel Entertainment on October 3, 2013, and developed by Demiurge Studios. The fourth installment in the '' Puzzle Quest'' series, it is a free-to-play, match-three ''Bejeweled ...
''.
* Nico Minoru appears as 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 ...
'', as part of the "Runaways" DLC.
* Nico Minoru appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel's Midnight Suns
''Marvel's Midnight Suns'' is a tactical role-playing game developed by Firaxis Games in collaboration with Marvel Games. It features comic book characters from multiple Marvel Comics properties, such as Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Run ...
'', voiced again by
Lyrica Okano
Lyrica Okano (born ) is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Nico Minoru in the Hulu original series '' Runaways''.
Biography
Lyrica Okano was born to parents who emigrated from Tokyo, Japan. They came to the United States ...
.
This version is a member of the titular
Midnight Suns, whom she joined sometime after the Runaways disbanded.
References
External links
Nico Minoruat the Marvel Universe
Nico Minoruat Merging Minds
Nico Minoruat Comic Vine
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minoru, Nico
Fictional Japanese American people
Japanese-American superheroes
Fictional characters from Los Angeles
Marvel Comics characters who use magic
Marvel Comics witches
Characters created by Brian K. Vaughan
Comics characters introduced in 2003
Female characters in television
Fictional LGBT characters in television
Marvel Comics female superheroes
Marvel Comics LGBT superheroes
Fictional bisexual females
Fictional wandfighters