Old Lace (comics)
Encyclopedia
Old Lace is a fictional character
in the Marvel Comics
award-winning series Runaways
. She was created by Brian K. Vaughan
& artist Adrian Alphona
and debuted attacking the other characters in Runaways vol. 1 #2. Old Lace was given her name by Gertrude Yorkes
after she had taken the code name Arsenic, making the pair Arsenic and Old Lace
, which is a reference to a movie of the same name. Old Lace had originally belonged to Gert's parents. The dinosaur was genetically engineered to obey all of Gertrude's commands, meaning whenever Gert thought or felt something, so would the dinosaur. Initially believed to be a Velociraptor
, she is later correctly identified as a Deinonychus
by Victor Mancha
. Due to the psychic link that they share, Gertrude and Old Lace share emotions and physical pain such that if Old Lace had a cut, or was injured (which is often), Gert would have to endure her pain. After the death of Gert, the psychic link was transferred to Chase Stein
.
Old Lace is known for being the only unique regular dinosaur character in the Marvel Universe
.
s. Old Lace got her name from Gert Yorkes, who had temporarily been using "Arsenic" as her codename (essentially making the pair Arsenic and Old Lace, after the play
and film
of the same name). Though Gertrude later dropped the codename after deciding that some things from her parents (such as her real name) were worth keeping, Old Lace's name stuck. During their final encounter with The Pride
Old Lace was briefly under the control of Alex Wilder
while Gertrude was unconscious, but Gertrude quickly took control back when she came to. Seconds before Gert's death, she was able to pass her telepathic link with Old Lace to her boyfriend Chase Stein
, since her death would have killed Lace as well via their telepathic link. Even though Old Lace has a telepathic bond with Chase now, she has been shown to have some free will. This is first shown when Old Lace attacks a vampire named Topher, despite Gertrude telling her to stop and again when Chase ties Nico up and Old Lace growls and tries to stop Chase.
In Runaways Vol. 3 #11, the first issue written by Kathryn Immonen and drawn by Sara Pichelli
, Chase, Nico, Victor and Karolina hold a house prom. An outside source manages to send a UAV
flying into the Runaways' Malibu home, in the upstairs living room where Klara and Old Lace lie. Nico, Victor and Karolina rush to save Klara and Old Lace - upon arriving at the top, however, it's revealed that Old Lace had heard the UAV
coming but had only enough time to shield Klara with her body. Old Lace succeeds in protecting Klara but dies as a result.
In issue #13 Molly notices that Old Lace's body is missing.
In #14, Chase sees a girl resembling Gert. Before he runs out onto the street and gets hit by a truck, the girl yells at him to stop. Behind her in the shadows a dinosaur can be seen.
Old Lace's claws are also shown to be incredibly sharp, to a point where she can break through and hold onto a wall.
because she is allergic to bee stings and posits that even one sting on her could end the both of them.
book. In several panels, the zombified Runaways
are feeding upon Old Lace while a group of zombies chases down Blob
.
In honor of "Pet Week", a celebration of all the Marvel Universe animals, several animal debut issues was available for free on Marvel's digital comics. Runaways #3 (June 2003), Old Lace's debut, was available to read for free on Friday, April 10.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
award-winning series Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
. She was created by Brian K. Vaughan
Brian K. Vaughan
Brian Keller Vaughan is an American comic book and television writer. He is best known for the comic book series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad, and was one of the principal writers of the television series Lost, during seasons three through five...
& artist Adrian Alphona
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....
and debuted attacking the other characters in Runaways vol. 1 #2. Old Lace was given her name by Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
after she had taken the code name Arsenic, making the pair Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (film)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a 1944 film directed by Frank Capra based on Joseph Kesselring's play of the same name. The script adaptation was by twins Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. Capra actually filmed the movie in 1941, but it was not released until 1944, after the original stage version...
, which is a reference to a movie of the same name. Old Lace had originally belonged to Gert's parents. The dinosaur was genetically engineered to obey all of Gertrude's commands, meaning whenever Gert thought or felt something, so would the dinosaur. Initially believed to be a Velociraptor
Velociraptor
Velociraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils...
, she is later correctly identified as a Deinonychus
Deinonychus
Deinonychus was a genus of carnivorous dromaeosaurid dinosaur. There is one described species, Deinonychus antirrhopus. This 3.4 meter long dinosaur lived during the early Cretaceous Period, about 115–108 million years ago . Fossils have been recovered from the U.S...
by Victor Mancha
Victor Mancha
Victor Mancha is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 2 #1 . Like the original runaways, Victor has a supervillain for a parent; his father is the robot Ultron...
. Due to the psychic link that they share, Gertrude and Old Lace share emotions and physical pain such that if Old Lace had a cut, or was injured (which is often), Gert would have to endure her pain. After the death of Gert, the psychic link was transferred to Chase Stein
Chase Stein
Chase Stein , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
.
Old Lace is known for being the only unique regular dinosaur character in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Initial appearance
Old Lace was genetically engineered in the 87th century, the project being commissioned by Dale and Stacey Yorkes, the parents of Gertrude. At the parents request, the designer also put in several character traits which included a tele-empathic bond with Gertrude as well as being incapable of harming any of her immediate family, as discovered when Gertrude orders Old Lace to attack her parents and Old Lace refuses. Old Lace was originally intended to be part of Gert's inheritance for when her parents died but Gertrude and the rest of the Runaways stumble upon her while searching the Yorkes' basement for the body of a girl that they had witnessed their parents sacrificing.As a Runaway
Old Lace has a telepathic bond with Gert. This lets her feel each others' thoughts and pain, and allows Old Lace to act on Gert's emotionEmotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s. Old Lace got her name from Gert Yorkes, who had temporarily been using "Arsenic" as her codename (essentially making the pair Arsenic and Old Lace, after the play
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
and film
Arsenic and Old Lace (film)
Arsenic and Old Lace is a 1944 film directed by Frank Capra based on Joseph Kesselring's play of the same name. The script adaptation was by twins Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. Capra actually filmed the movie in 1941, but it was not released until 1944, after the original stage version...
of the same name). Though Gertrude later dropped the codename after deciding that some things from her parents (such as her real name) were worth keeping, Old Lace's name stuck. During their final encounter with The Pride
Pride (comics)
The Pride are a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team, a criminal organization that controlled the Los Angeles area of the Marvel Universe. As they are the parents and the initial and more prominent foes the Runaways have faced, they are perhaps the team's greatest enemy to date...
Old Lace was briefly under the control of Alex Wilder
Alex Wilder
Alex Wilder is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters. Like every member of the original Runaways, he is the son of evil...
while Gertrude was unconscious, but Gertrude quickly took control back when she came to. Seconds before Gert's death, she was able to pass her telepathic link with Old Lace to her boyfriend Chase Stein
Chase Stein
Chase Stein , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. He was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
, since her death would have killed Lace as well via their telepathic link. Even though Old Lace has a telepathic bond with Chase now, she has been shown to have some free will. This is first shown when Old Lace attacks a vampire named Topher, despite Gertrude telling her to stop and again when Chase ties Nico up and Old Lace growls and tries to stop Chase.
Apparent death
Chase, after his girlfriend's death, has been using Old Lace in a much more angry and aggressive manner, even going so far as to command Old Lace to rip an enemy's throat out; though eventually was called off by Chase after being scolded by Nico. The Deinonychus later went on to follow Chase but when ordered to hurt Karolina as well as Nico, Old Lace showed her own will by greeting them warmly.In Runaways Vol. 3 #11, the first issue written by Kathryn Immonen and drawn by Sara Pichelli
Sara Pichelli
Sara Pichelli is an Italian comic book artist best known for first illustrating the Miles Morales version of Ultimate Spider-Man. After starting her career in animation, Pichelli entered the comic book industry working for IDW Publishing before joining Marvel Comics in 2008 after getting discovered...
, Chase, Nico, Victor and Karolina hold a house prom. An outside source manages to send a UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
flying into the Runaways' Malibu home, in the upstairs living room where Klara and Old Lace lie. Nico, Victor and Karolina rush to save Klara and Old Lace - upon arriving at the top, however, it's revealed that Old Lace had heard the UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
coming but had only enough time to shield Klara with her body. Old Lace succeeds in protecting Klara but dies as a result.
In issue #13 Molly notices that Old Lace's body is missing.
In #14, Chase sees a girl resembling Gert. Before he runs out onto the street and gets hit by a truck, the girl yells at him to stop. Behind her in the shadows a dinosaur can be seen.
Powers and abilities
Despite being a normal dinosaur she has shown a good level of intelligence. In the first volume Old Lace had followed Gertrude and the group while they were traveling throughout Los Angeles after they discovered the dinosaur in her parents basement. She defeated the super hero Dagger with ease, because of her immunity to her light daggers. She was also useful when they first clashed with the Pride taking down the Stein's and in their second battle when it defeated Mr. Hayes and their last battle with the Pride it was helpful in taking down Karolina's parents. It also should be mentioned on how it took down some of the Wrecking Crew. And while under Chase's leadership it has shown the intelligence in leaving a urine trail to be found on purpose and maneuvering on the side of a building to save Chase's life by sliding down the wall with its claws.Old Lace's claws are also shown to be incredibly sharp, to a point where she can break through and hold onto a wall.
Gertrude
Gert discovered that she had a telepathic bond to Old Lace when the dinosaur halted from attacking the Runaways because Gert yelled out "NO!" in fear. In one of the Runaways' early encounters with the Pride, Gert also discovered she had an empathic bond to Old Lace when she experienced the same pain Old Lace felt. Gert's telepathic bond to Old Lace allowed her to directly communicate with the dinosaur and command it to do anything she wished. The bond worked both ways, enabling Old Lace to transfer her thoughts directly to Gert, but Old Lace could not give commands to Gert in the same fashion. Old Lace was unconditionally loyal to Gert, even to the point of fighting against the team; Old Lace once lashed out at Nico without Gert's orders when Gert and Nico had their brief falling out. Gert and Old Lace's empathic bond allows them to share more than just thoughts, but physical pain as well. If Gertrude were to be hurt, Old Lace would feel the pain and vice versa. This is the reason why in Runaways volume 2, issue 7, Gert refuses to fight SwarmSwarm (comics)
Swarm is a fictional character and supervillain, an enemy of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics universe. A former Nazi sympathizer, his most notable physical feature is that his entire body is composed of bees....
because she is allergic to bee stings and posits that even one sting on her could end the both of them.
Chase
At the moment of Gertrude's death, she transfers her psychic link with Old Lace to her boyfriend Chase. From this moment, Old Lace becomes loyal to Chase. Chase uses Old Lace much more aggressively then Gertrude did, ordering her to rip an enemy's throat out. However, Old Lace does not follow Chase's order quite as well as she followed those of Gert. Old Lace sometimes protests and Chase has to remind her that he is in charge of her now. Just as with Gertrude, the psychic link with Chase shares the same disadvantage in that if either is injured, they will both share the pain.Alex
Alex was the original leader of the Runaways. He learned of Old Lace's existence before even Gertrude and masterminded a plan for her to stumble upon Old Lace seemingly accidentally. During the final battle with The Pride, Gertrude tells Old Lace that if anything happens to her, OL should obey Alex's commands. However, Gertrude is unaware that Alex is the teams traitor and is actually working for The Pride. Alex sees to it that Gertrude is knocked out and assumes control over Old Lace. Old Lace follows Alex until Gertrude revives and immediately takes control of Old Lace again and has the dinosaur turn against Alex.Other Versions
Old Lace can also be found in the Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of DarknessMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
book. In several panels, the zombified Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
are feeding upon Old Lace while a group of zombies chases down Blob
Blob (comics)
The Blob is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #3 ....
.
In honor of "Pet Week", a celebration of all the Marvel Universe animals, several animal debut issues was available for free on Marvel's digital comics. Runaways #3 (June 2003), Old Lace's debut, was available to read for free on Friday, April 10.