Nico Minoru

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Nico Minoru
Cover art for Runaways 2 #10. Art by Jo Chen.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Runaways # 1 (July, 2003)
Created by	Brian K. Vaughan Adrian Alphona
In story information
Alter ego	Nico Minoru
Team affiliations	Runaways
Notable aliases	Sister Grimm
Abilities	Cast spells through the Staff of One

Nico Minoru, sometimes known as Sister Grimm, is a Marvel Comics teenage superheroine in the comic book series Runaways. She was created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, and first appears in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with many of the other staple characters of the Runaways title.^[1] By the second series, Nico is the de facto leader of her unofficial and nameless superhero team, making her one of the few female superhero team leaders and one of the very few Japanese-American^[2] superhero team leaders. Nico's trademark is her elaborate and ornate gothic lolita wardrobe.

Nico is a sorceress like her parents^[3] and grandmother^[2] before her and can cast nearly any spell imaginable with the mystical Staff of One. She 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 organized crime.

Contents 1 Fictional character biography 1.1 The Pride 1.2 Mystic Arcana 1.3 Defender of Los Angeles 2 The Staff of One 3 Relationships 3.1 Alex Wilder 3.2 Karolina Dean 3.3 Chase Stein 3.4 Gertrude Yorkes 3.5 Victor Mancha 4 Conceptual Changes 5 References

[edit] Fictional character biography

Main Article: Runaways story arcs

[edit] The Pride

During their parents' annual "fundraiser," Nico and her friends Alex Wilder, Chase Stein, Karolina Dean, Gertrude Yorkes, and Molly Hayes discover that their parents are members of an archetypal supervillain cabal called The Pride; Nico's parents are the dark magicians of the crime ring.^[4] She runs away from home with the other five kids and begins a life in hiding at Chase’s dilapidated mansion hideout called “the Hostel.” In an altercation with her parents, Nico accidentally acquires her mother’s Staff of One and slowly begins to tap her abilities as a sorceress. She expresses feelings for Alex Wilder during their original getaway, but is hesitant to start a romance. She impulsively agrees to date Alex after he saves her from a vampire attack some time later. This pattern of clinging to people during stressful and/or intense situations follows Nico throughout the entire first volume and continues into the second volume. However, Nico proves her loyalty to the runaways when Alex betrays the group and offers her a seat in the new world promised by the Pride's Biblical benefactors, the Gibborim. She refuses Alex's offer and helps usher her friends to safety as the Gibborim slaughter Alex and the Pride; soon afterwards, the gang is apprehended by Captain America and split among different foster homes; 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; Nico is generally accepted as de facto team leader.

[edit] Mystic Arcana

The 2007 magic-related crossover event Mystic Arcana^[5] fills the gap between Runaways vol. 1 #17 and #18, during Nico's brief time at Father Flanagan's Home for Unwanted Goth Kids. The story begins with Nico dressed in plain clothing, stating that it's perhaps time to let go of the goth trend. She is soon talked into going to a nightclub with her friends, where she meets her parents' old rival Marie Laveau; 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, 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 and with the runaways.

[edit] Defender of Los Angeles

The second volume of Runaways finds Nico taking the leadership position with ease, proving that she has the intelligence and courage to make difficult decisions. After being warned of a future threat named Victor Mancha, Nico and the runaways find and abduct Victor to question him. After Victor witnesses his mother's murder and the rending of his "father," the android villain Ultron, Nico invites Victor to become part of the team, much to the chagrin of some members, most notably Chase. Nico reassures them that she is willing to "rip [Victor's] damn heart out"^[6] if necessary.

Despite Nico's resolve to remain single after Alex's betrayal, Karolina attempts to kiss Nico, revealing herself as a homosexual. Although Nico refuses the advance, she is emotionally distraught when Karolina leaves with Xavin to be part of a peaceweaving marriage, displaying her affection yet again in a stressful situation. 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. Gert's untimely death sends Nico into the arms of Victor Mancha, with whom she begins a physical relationship. When Victor asks Nico be his girlfriend, she tells him that between her tendency to seek physical affection as a coping mechanism, her insecurities regarding that tendency, and her survivor's guilt regarding Gert's death, she could not be a steady girlfriend. Nico confronts these insecurities in a dream involving her deceased parents berating Nico for acting like a "slut." She kills her parents in the dream, a symbol of overcoming her insecurities, but awakens bound in a chair at the mercy of Chase, who managed to steal the Staff of One. He reveals his plan to sacrifice himself to the Gibborim in exchange for Gert’s resurrection. Nico interprets this exchange as a cry for help and leads the runaways to intervene Chase's self-sacrifice. The Gibborim do not consume Chase, but instead try to take Nico, revealing that Nico's soul is innocent, thus suitable for the Gibborim's consumption. After defeating the Gibborim, Nico starts a romance with Victor, but soon thereafter leads the runaways in a cross-country escape from Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. superhuman registration forces.

[edit] The Staff of One

Nico's sole weapon is the Staff of One, a magical staff that can cast any spell imaginable. There are two demonstrated limitations to the Staff of One's power. First, 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 a "Fumigation" spell, the Staff teleported Nico and Karolina miles outside of Los Angeles.^[7] The sole demonstrated exception to this limitation is former runaway Alex Wilder. Alex used the Staff to cast a spell off-panel which bound Karolina's parents in power-dampening chains, and then used the same spell later on Karolina.^[8] The reason for this exception is unrevealed; possibly Alex--a gifted strategist of exceptional intelligence--was simply able to find a way to overcome the weakness.

The second limitation of the Staff of One is that it cannot be used to bring people back from the dead. Nico discovered this limitation when she tried to resurrect her former lover Alex Wilder off-panel, between Runaways vol. 1 #17 and Runaways vol. 2 #2. Nico revealed this attempted resurrection to explain why she could not magically revive the deceased future version of Gertrude Yorkes.^[9]

In the crossover event Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways, series author Zeb Wells established that Nico does not need to speak English words to cast spells; Nico cast a teleportation spell using a Latin phrase supplied to her by the Vision.^[10]

Only Nico can summon the Staff, but anyone can cast spells with it. When not in use, the Staff retreats into her body, which Nico describes as "feel[ing] like I have something in my eye, but instead of my eye, it's... it's my soul." ^[11] To summon the Staff, Nico must shed blood and then recite the incantation "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. As the series progressed, Nico found alternative ways to make herself bleed, including brushing her gums for extended periods of time and having Gert's deinonychus Old Lace bite her arm. During her monthly menstrual cycle, Nico does not need to cut herself to evoke the Staff.

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 emerges after the vampire Topher begins to drain Nico's blood and pierces directly through the center of his chest. ^[12]

In issue 29, while Nico and her fellow runaways are in 1907 New York, Nico is kidnapped by the Upward Path and brought to a woman, named the Witchbreaker, who claims that she is her ancestor. The Witchbreaker states that she will teach Nico how to withstand more pain and, therefore, wield more magic with better profiency. She wields a weapon similar to the Staff of One, with more adornments.

[edit] Relationships

Nico is a very emotional person and has repeatedly expressed difficulty with knowing precisely what she is feeling. In vol. 2 #19, Nico admitted a tendency to seek physical comfort during or after highly emotional situations or periods of stress. Nonetheless, 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.

[edit] Alex Wilder

In volume 1, Nico and Alex share a brief relationship. She kisses him for the first time during the runaways' attempted rescue of Molly Hayes in vol. 1 #5, but refuses to talk about it for fear of ruining the moment; it's later revealed in vol. 2 #22 that Alex was Nico's first kiss. 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. However, 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 in Mystic Arcana # 4; she states in vol. 2 #2 that although Alex was a traitor, he did not deserve death.

[edit] Karolina Dean

Karolina's feelings for Nico were hinted at throughout volume 1, culminating with Karolina sheepishly blushing when Nico says she has sworn off boys in vol. 1 #18. However, Karolina's feelings were not explicitly expressed until vol. 2 #7 when Karolina startles Nico with an attempted kiss. Nico had not shown romantic feelings for Karolina previously and turns Karolina down, saying that she wants time alone. However, when Karolina decides to travel to her home planet Majesdane with Xavin, Nico is distraught and seems to react the strongest to Karolina's departure despite not showing many signs of romantic feelings or even a close friendship during the course of the series. Chase stops Nico from casting a spell to bring Karolina back to Earth, and later catches Nico strewing Karolina's clothes about her floor for remembrance's sake. After Karolina returns, Nico becomes overjoyed and hugs her, though the friendship is occasionally strained between Nico's ambiguous feelings towards Karolina and Karolina's betrothal to Xavin.

[edit] Chase Stein

Chase provides the rule-breaking foil for Nico's motherly and leadership role. 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 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. Nico and Chase shared a kiss after Chase bluffed their way out of a potentially fatal encounter with inter-dimensional drug lord, which Chase rejected. Chase does not make a huge deal of it, even though Nico treats him more as an employee instead of a friend after the incident. After Gert's death, Chase and Nico's friendship strains as he allows anger and grief to isolate him (both physically and emotionally) from the group's support. However, 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, and is presumably a signal of the level of trust and respect Chase holds for Nico. In Joss Whedon's current stint on Runaways , Chase and Nico's friendship appears more stable now that Chase seems to have moved past grieving for Gert.

[edit] Gertrude Yorkes

Gert and Nico had been close friends since birth. Nico had knit Gert a purple scarf on her birthday, subsequently inspiring Gert to dye her hair the same color and Nico had even requested that Gert take over the leadership position should something happen to Nico. However, they briefly had an altercation when Gert discovered that Nico kissed Chase after he talked Pusher Man into revealing Reginald Mantz's name; their falling out caused much friction in the group and threatened to crumble the cadre from the inside. Nico and Gert finally resolved their differences with a short bout of tossing insults and AOL Instant Messenger slang. 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 after Gert dies, knowing that Gert's murderer Geoffrey Wilder had initially meant to kill Nico and begins a physical relationship with Victor Mancha to cope.

[edit] Victor Mancha

After her first sexual encounter with Victor, 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 wouldn't 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. By the end of Brian K. Vaughan's run on the title in vol. 2 #24, Victor and Nico are a couple. Joss Whedon's current stint on Runaways tests Victor and Nico's relationship as a carefree girl from 1907 named Spieler subtly seduces Victor.

[edit] Conceptual Changes

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. In vol. 1 #4, Robert Minoru uses the spellbook originally intended to be Nico's instead of the Staff of One. In the same issue, Nico disbelieves that her parents are sorcerers, citing that they take her to church every Sunday. In the original story, Nico was to be a devout Christian, inciting an internal clash between her devotion to Christianity and the necessity to use dark arts for survival.^[13] In vol. 2 #9, Vaughan reveals that Nico is a former altar server, a throwback to his original plans for the character. Later, Nico tells Victor that her parents had raised her to be religious, but she quit her faith after finding out their identities as dark magicians. After Molly is kidnapped by the New Pride however, she confesses that she began to pick up on her Christian beliefs since their parents deaths as the Giborim were real, so maybe the rest of the Bible was real as well (she also confesses to Victor that she hopes that there is a "better place" if they die).

[edit] References

v • d • e Marvel Comics Runaways Main characters Karolina Dean • Molly Hayes • Victor Mancha • Nico Minoru Chase Stein • Alex Wilder • Xavin • Gertrude Yorkes • Old Lace Villains The Pride • Geoffrey Wilder • The Gibborim Spin-offs Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways • The Loners