WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Runaways #13 by Rainbow Rowell, David Lafuente and Kris Anka.


History in the Marvel Universe is an ancient thing that stretches back long before the rise of humanity on Earth. In this mysterious, nebulous (and yet relatively well-cataloged) time period, all manner of strange things were happening on and around our little planet. Prehistoric heroes battled ancient evil. Cataclysms buried entire nations. Gods (and other monstrously powerful beings) fought to the death. At one point, a powerful group called the Elder Gods was corrupted, which lead to a cleansing of sorts. Not much survived, but at least three beings did. They called themselves the Gibborim.

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These mystical beings would lie dormant for billions of years before awaking in the modern age, hungry for sacrifices that would fuel their quest to turn the Earth into their own vision of a utopia. They made a pact with six humans who would later go on to become known as the Pride. The Gibborim promised the Pride that, if they served them well (see: sacrificed the occasional innocence bystander) they would be blessed with unfathomable power and a front row seat to the grisly apocalypse, safely behind the splash zone. It didn't work out like that. The Pride's children, a superhero team named the Runaways, thwarted their own parents and the Gibborim.

Though, that last point might be up for debate now.

The Gibborim, from Marvel's Runaways Vol. 1 #13

Runaways #13 reveals that the Gibborim isn't wholly thwarted -- at least, they live on in the form of the Seed of the Gibborim. The Seed of the Gibborim are the children of the original Gibborim (seen above) and, much like their parents, they have one-track minds. Runaways #13 reveals that the Seed of the Gibborim have been tracking Alex Wilder, a former member of the Runaways who ended up betraying the team when they needed him most. The reason for their dogged pursuit? They want to get the band back together. Or, more precisely, they want to create another Pride and start the sacrifices back up again.

Naturally, the Runaways want nothing to do with this plan. Unfortunately, though, they don't have much of a choice. The last issue of Runaways revealed that Alex Wilder has returned to the team, though the reception isn't exactly a warm one. The last time most of the Runaways saw Alex was when he betrayed the team to save his family. Alex would die for his betrayal, but he wouldn't stay dead for long. Those who have seen Alex since his resurrection don't have nice things to say about their former leader. If anything, Alex has become something of a prolific villain since he returned to life, wreaking havoc on other people's lives left and right. He's keeping his streak hot at the outset of Runaways #13, as he has led some kind of dog-hydra monster right to his former team.

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Alex immediately falls into leader mode, commanding the Runaways to synergize their powers and fight the creature. The team accepts his orders, though it's clear they do so begrudgingly. When it comes to Alex Wilder, it's just a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop. None of the Runaways keep their backs to the traitor any longer than they must. In the end, though, the creature is defeated, but that's just the beginning of the team's problems. It turns out that the monster is more of a hound dog than anything else. It's been on a journey to find the Pride, and its hunt has led the creature straight to, well, not the Pride, but rather their killers. Naturally, the Seed of the Gibborim wants sacrifices to stoke their magical powers.

Beyond that, though, it's unclear exactly what the Seed of the Gibborim have to offer. Their parents were dread eldritch monsters, but they at least had a barter system established. It was revealed back in the first volume of Runaways that the Pride sacrificed innocents because the process allowed the Gibborim to increase their power while also securing a Get Out of the Apocalypse Free card. The Pride was killing innocent people, sure, but they could at least lie to themselves and say they were doing it for, if not their own good, then at least the good of their children. The Gibborim, in return, offered them something of great value for their efforts.

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The Seed of the Gibborim, though? They don't really have much to offer. So far, their demands can be boiled down to "sacrifice humans to us or we will sacrifice you." The Seed of the Gibborim goes on to say that, if sacrifices are not doled out by the Runaways, then they will assemble a new Pride and take revenge. That's a lot of stick and not a whole lot of carrot, but it does cast the Seed of the Gibborim in an interesting light.

First of all, the stature of the supervillain team hints that the Seed of the Gibborim is very, very young. Their parents were massive, imposing things that towered over the Pride. The Seed of the Gibborim is seemingly tall enough to stand face-to-face with the Runaways, but they're not their parents. So, they're inexperienced and still learning the whole supervillain ropes. Second, their entire plan revolves around making empty threats that don't really go anywhere. They're not proposing an eloquent deal with the devil so much as they are demanding a kid's lunch money with the promise of avoiding a swirly. The Seed of the Gibborim, then, is a bunch of teen bullies, which makes them the perfect adversaries for the Runaways.

While it's still too early to tell if this is exactly how things will play out, the Seed of the Gibborim so far acts as a kind of warped mirror for the Runaways. While the Runaways turned away from the temptations of their unhinged parents (most did, anyway), the Seed of the Gibborim is keeping their own evil parents' traditions alive. This begs the question: Are they trying to start a new Pride because they want to, or because it's what they were taught? While the reveal of a new Gibborim is startling, it could also be the beginning of a new relationship between the Elder Gods and the teen superhero group. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Seed of the Gibborim eventually walk a path different from those who raised them.