Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #1
Civil War continues from Cable & Deadpool #50….
Since the passage of the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA), SHIELD has deployed their new Cape-Killer teams across America in an effort to make the general public feel safe during the civil war that has broken out in the superhero community.[1] One such location is the farmer’s market in Santa Monica, California. In attendance that day are the young superhumans known as the Runaways (Karoline Dean, Molly Hayes, Victor Mancha, Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, and Xavin). Seeing the enhanced security has them on edge as they are only out to buy groceries.
As they browse the fruits and vegetables, Xavin badgers Victor due to his half-mechanical nature.[2] Meanwhile, Nico and Karolina discuss how the recent loss of Gert Yorkes, which has been hard on them all.[3][4][5]
Meanwhile, back at the gate, the Cape-Killers stop a suspicious looking man. He refuses to comply with their request to search. Before the SHIELD agents can act, the man strips off his civilian clothes and pulls a mace out of his hand bag. As it turns out, this man is the anti-nationalist known as the Flag-Smasher and attacks the guards.[6] While Chase is ordered to get the Leapfrog, Karolina and Xavin attack Flag-Smasher before he can kill the SHIELD agents. Nico, meanwhile, asks Victor to cut her so she can summon the Staff of One. He’s not comfortable with this and instead asks what Flag-Smasher’s powers are. She explains that he enhances his strength with a mechanical exo-skeleton, something that Victor can work with. Using his ability to control machines, Mancha incapacitates Flag-Smasher allowing Molly to boot him with her super-strength.
With the fight over, the Cape-Killers thank the Runaways for their help as well as apologize because, as unregistered superhumans, he has to bring them in. That’s when a SHIELD gunship arrives to apprehend them. As the team flees to the Leapfrog, Victor uses his powers to deflect the missiles that are being fired at them. However, they have a counter measure for magnetic attacks and fire teflon ordinance that breaks up into shrapnel. This ends up striking Victor, shattering his bio-mechanical form.
Meanwhile, in New York, the Young Avengers have sided with Captain America (Steve Rogers) in the superhero civil war and have been stuck on monitor duty.[7] They are complaining about being sidelined to monitor duty. This is interrupted when news footage of Victor Mancha getting injured causes a violent reaction in the Vision. The rest of the team are appalled that SHIELD is using such ordinance on teenagers not much older than they are.[8] They all want to go to California to help them, but Eli needs to run it by Cap first. However, when Bradley proposes the idea to Captain America, Steve refuses it outright.[9] He tells them that their numbers are stretched thin as it is and they need the Young Avengers to stay put where they will be safe. This angers Patriot who decides to take his team out west against Cap’s orders anyway. Taking off in a Quinjet, Wiccan tries to narrow down their search by casting a locator spell.[10] As they head to Califronia, Stature checks to make sure the Vision is fine, and he insists that there was no ill effect from the feedback he experienced.
Back in California, the Runaways have returned to their hideout where they have discovered they are blowing up in the media. Chase is trying his best to see what he can do for Victor, but everyone’s bickering gets on his nerves and he ends up snapping at Molly, who runs out of the room in tears. Outside, Molly runs into the Young Avengers who try to tell her that they are there to help. She sees them as a threat and used her super strength to toss their jeep at them. The team is forced to knock her out and they take her inside.
There, the Runaways are still trying to figure out how to fix Victor when the Young Avengers enter the room. They are angry to see Molly knocked out and are prepared to fight. That’s when the Vision phases into the room over Victor and their proximity to one another causes both to start shorting out.
… Civil War continues in Civil War: Front Line #4.
Recurring Characters
Young Avengers (Patriot, Wiccan, Hulkling, Stature, Hawkeye, Vision, Speed), Runaways (Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Victor Mancha, Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Xavin, Old Lace), “Secret Avengers” (Captain America, “Daredevil”, Falcon, Goliath), SHIELD
Continuity Notes
After hundreds of people were killed during a superhuman clash in Stamford, Connecticut, the US government passed the SHRA to force superheroes to register with the government. This caused divisions within the community and a civil war. This story takes place after the events of Civil War #1-3. It will remain a law until Siege #4.
Victor is the offspring of the robot Ultron and his mother Marianella Mancha. See Runaways (vol. 2) #6 for the details.
Gert was fatally stabbed in Runaways (vol. 2) #18. She will be resurrected in Runaways (vol. 5) #1.
Also mentioned here is Karolina’s relationship with Xavin. Karoline is a Majesdanian who has been betrothed to Xavin, a Skrull. See Runaways (vol. 2) #7-8.
In addition to this, we get references to how the Runaways parents are all evil. Per Runaways #1, their folks form the Pride a criminal organization that obtained wealth and power through worshiping the Giborrim.
This Flag-Smasher should not be confused with the original, Karl Morgenthau, who died in Cable & Deadpool #28. This man is later identified as Guy Thierrault in Deadpool: Rank and Foul #1. Here, the Runaways mention they fought him previously, as of this writing (May, 2024) that specific encounter has yet to be told.
One of the news reports here is about how Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) has recently been hospitalized. This was after he was beat up by an angry mob over the Stamford disaster. See Civil War #1.
Stature mentions how she wanted to join the Runaways before she heard about the Young Avengers. We learned this in Young Avengers Special #1.
The man in the background that appears to be Daredevil is actually Iron Fist in disguise. He took on the role in Civil War: Choosing Sides #1 to help put distance between Matt Murdock and his alter ego while he is in prison (See Daredevil (vol. 2) #82-87). At the time of this story, Murdock was fighting to keep his double life a secret after his true identity was leaked to the papers back in Daredevil (vol. 2) #32.
It is mentioned here that Captain America had placed the Runaways in foster homes and that they ran away from them. See Runaways #18.
Topical References
When watching the news coverage about their fight with SHIELD, Molly quips that they should skip reruns of Friends and watch the news. Friends was a sitcom that ran from 1994 to 2004. Since Molly is referring to watching it in re-runs, this wouldn’t technically be considered a topical reference. However, you could replace this with a more contemporary example if you were so inclined to do so.
Civil War Reading Order
Road to Civil War: Amazing Spider-Man #529, 530, 531, Fantastic Four #536, 537, New Avengers: Illuminati #1
Main Event: Civil War #1, She-Hulk (vol. 2) #8, Wolverine (vol. 3) #42, Amazing Spider-Man #532, Civil War: Front Line #1
Civil War #2, Thunderbolts #103, Civil War: Front Line #2, X-Factor (vol. 3) #8, New Avengers #21, Wolverine (vol. 3) #43, Amazing Spider-Man #533, Fantastic Four #538, Civil War: Front Line #3, Thunderbolts #104, Civil War: X-Men #1
Civil War #3, Cable & Deadpool #30, Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #1, Civil War: Front Line #4, X-Factor (vol. 3) #9, New Avengers #22, Wolverine (vol. 3) #44, Amazing Spider-Man #534, Fantastic Four #539, Civil War: Front Line #5, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #6, Civil War: X-Men #2, Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #1, New Avengers #23, Wolverine (vol. 3) #45, Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #2, Cable & Deadpool #31, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #7, Civil War: X-Men #3
Civil War #4, Wolverine (vol. 3) #46, Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #2, Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #3, Civil War: Front Line #6, Captain America (vol. 5) #22, Cable & Deadpool #32, Amazing Spider-Man #535, Civil War: Choosing Sides #1, Fantastic Four #540, Civil War: Front Line #7, Civil War: X-Men #4, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #8, Wolverine (vol. 3) #47, Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #3, Captain America (vol. 5) #23, New Avengers #24
Civil War #5, Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways #4, Iron Man (vol. 4) #13, New Avengers #25, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #1, Civil War: Front Line #8, Amazing Spider-Man #536, Black Panther (vol. 4) #22, Captain America (vol. 5) #24, Civil War: War Crimes #1, Civil War: Front Line #9, Iron Man (vol. 4) #14, Fantastic Four #541, Black Panther (vol. 4) #23, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #2
Civil War #6, Civil War: Front Line #10, Amazing Spider-Man #537, Fantastic Four #542, Civil War: The Return #1, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #3, Black Panther (vol. 4) #24
Civil War #7, Amazing Spider-Man #538, Civil War: Front Line #11, Black Panther (vol. 4) #25, Civil War: The Initiative #1, Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #15, Mighty Avengers #1, Captain America (vol. 5) #25, Civil War: The Confession #1, Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Fantastic Four #543-544, Avengers: The Initiative #1
