Before Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka’s RUNAWAYS launches in September, take a look at all of their major adventures as seen on Marvel Unlimited!

One of the hardest lessons learned on the pathway to adulthood revolves around the fact that people and groups always change. In their first volume, the RUNAWAYS kids learned this thanks to Alex’s betrayal of them, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier when life reminds you of that lesson.

In RUNAWAYS #7–8, by Brian K. Vaughan and Takeshi Miyazawa presented Nico, Molly, Chase, Gert, Victor and especially Karolina with one of their most difficult challenges yet: letting a friend find themselves.

After facing off with, and appropriately mocking the sentient Nazi bee colony Swarm and an awkward moment were Karolina came on to Nico who did not reciprocate the feelings, a Skrull invaded! Named Xavin, the shape-shifter revealed himself as Karolina’s fiance thanks to a deal made between her parents and his people.

As you might expect, Karolina’s friends threw down to defend her, but ultimately the young Majesdanian decided to leave Earth for her home planet after Xavin shifted into a more female form.

Though they missed their friend, the gang continued on in their efforts to make the world a better place which included helping Cloak in RUNAWAYS #9–12 by Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. He’d been framed for nearly killing Dagger and a battle with the New Avengers helped dislodge his memories of the Pride’s children. Finding them, he asked for their help in tracking down who really hurt his friend Tandy.

In New York City for the first time, the kids split up with Chase and Nico tracking down Pusher Man, a guy selling mutant growth hormone laced with Darkforce, while Gert and Victor tried tracking down Dagger’s assailant, but instead ran into Spider-Man. Oh, and Molly had a run-in with Wolverine, Captain America and Iron Man in a church.

Aside from Molly punching Wolverine straight through the church door, the kids avoided a dust up with their elder heroes, but still left an impression as they uncovered the unbalanced individual who attacked Tandy, taking him out and clearing Cloak’s name in the process.

The adventure ended with Cloak sending the Left Coasters back home plus another hindered view of a new group, apparently kids, with the Pride’s Abstract in hand. To see how that shakes out, come back next week!

LOST & FOUND

The two stories above went a long in introducing the Runaways to the larger Marvel Universe. In addition to meeting the New Avengers, they also came into contact with one of the cosmos’ most prevalent alien races in Xavin. That continued in 2006’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SPECIAL. In that story, by Vaughan and Skottie Young, Cyclops, Wolverine and the other X-Men dropped into LA to recruit Molly as one of the surviving 198 mutants on the planet. Her pals didn’t take kindly to their approach and a good, old super hero brawl ensued. Ultimately, though, Emma Frost made peace after finding the recently lost Old Lace and reminding Cyclops that threats and violence tend not to work as positive motivators, especially when it comes to children who can punch holes in walls.

One friend returns as another falls in RUNAWAYS #13–18 by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.