KAROLINA DEAN

'Karolina Dean', sometimes known as 'Lucy in the Sky', is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics comic book series ''Runaways''. Karolina was created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona. She debuts in ''Runaways'' vol. 1 #1 with the other five original runaways.
Karolina used to be the only extraterrestrial in the cadre of friends, but since her return to Earth with Skrull fiancee Xavin, Karolina now takes comfort in having another alien to relate and speak with. However, Karolina still holds the distinction of being the sole homosexual within the group, and is among the ranks of openly LGBT comic book characters that have a leading role in a comic series.

Contents

Fictional character biography

The Pride

Runaway Bride

Relationships

Nico Minoru

Xavin

Powers and abilities

Conceptual changes

Footnotes

Fictional character biography

Main articles: Runaways story arcs

The Pride

Karolina Dean is the daughter of Frank and Leslie Dean, two Hollywood actors who are secretly alien outcasts and members of a crime organization called the Pride. She joins her friends in a mass escape from their homes and takes shelter in a run-down mansion hideout that comes to be called "The Hostel." Karolina constantly struggles with her alien heritage in the runaways' early times together, feeling that it she is a "freak" amongst the group, the only one who needs to actively hide her true form. Her insecurities even prompt Karolina to offer her life to vampire Topher, as Karolina expresses little desire to live. Upon her first near-death experience at the hands of Alex Wilder, the Pride's mole within the runaways, Karolina overcomes her death wish and helps the runaways escape the rampaging Gibborim as the Pride fight their former benefactors. After the Pride's defeat, Karolina is sent to live with foster parents, but she organizes a secret reunion for the runaways, after which they run away again, this time to the Pride's old lair beneath the La Brea Tar Pits.

Runaway Bride

In the early issues of ''Runaways'' vol. 2, Karolina fights under the command of Nico Minoru, Alex's ex-girlfriend and de facto leader of the motley crew since Alex's demise. Karolina expresses more comfort with being an extraterrestrial and makes strong hints at being a homosexual, especially as she stops to compliment Julie Power on her beauty during a battle with Excelsior over the custody of Victor Mancha. Soon after Victor joins the team, Karolina "comes out" to Nico with an attempted kiss, which Nico rejects outright. Karolina's "outcast" insecurities resurface for a short while before her Skrull fiancee Xavin comes to Earth in search of Karolina. Unbeknownst to her, Karolina's parents arranged Xavin's and Karolina's marriage as part of a peaceweaving effort between the Skrull and Majesdanian homeworlds. Karolina leaves with Xavin, much to Nico's distress. While on her home planet Majesdane, Karolina learns to control the shift between her Majesdanian and humanoid forms and how to further control her solar powers. However, the wedding does not go as planned and the couple flees towards Earth as their homeworlds reignite the old war. They crash land near the Hostel and return in time assist in the rescue of Molly Hayes. Karolina remains with the team and Xavin becomes accepted as a member after Gertrude Yorkes' death, and they both join the runaways in defeating the Gibborim for good and then fleeing Iron Man and the pro-registration forces of Marvel's Civil War.

Relationships

Nico Minoru

It was subtly hinted throughout ''Runaways'' vol. 1 that Karolina had a crush on Nico, but Karolina did not make her feelings explicitly known until vol. 2 #7 when she attempted to kiss Nico. When Nico refused, Karolina was distressed, having just gotten over the isolation of being the team's sole alien and now was outed as the team's only lesbian. Soon after, Karolina was taken away by Xavin to be wed, and left her medic alert bracelet with Nico as a token of remembrance. When Karolina returned to Earth, it was revealed that Karolina still has feelings for and is attracted to Nico, but remains staunch in her devotion to Xavin, putting stress on the girls' friendship.

Xavin

Karolina met Xavin after suffering rejection from Nico, her crush for many months. She initially rejected Xavin when he told her that Karolina was promised to be his bride, but after hearing that the marriage would be part of a peace treaty between her world and Xavin's, Karolina felt more inclined to accept the proposal. She accepted fully when Xavin expressed no concern of changing his physical appearance to female to please his future bride. The couple take solace in being the only two aliens on the team and turn to each other for help in their common struggle to maintain a personal identity while disguising themselves from the public. Xavin once took the form of Nico in order to please Karolina, but Karolina refused, reassuring Xavin that she loves him as he is.

Powers and abilities

Like all Majesdanians, Karolina's natural form is luminous, iridescent, and visually fluid, often depicted with waves of rainbow-like light floating off her body, though body structure is essentially humanoid. Originally, Karolina required a custom made medic alert bracelet constructed of an unspecified alien metal to revert to humanoid form. However, after spending some months on Majesdane, Karolina learned to control the change and can make it at will.
In her Majesdanian form, Karolina is able to manipulate solar energy absorbed by her body in the form of large concussive blasts, fine laser-like beams, and forcefields capable of stopping cave-ins and barrages of bullets. Though her parents were able to bind people and objects with the energy, Karolina has yet to demonstrate that ability. Karolina's Majesdanian form also grants her the ability to fly. It has also been shown that her powers are hot enough to melt metal as she has once melted a steel door to gain entry to rescue Old Lace.
Leslie Dean stated early in the ''Runaways'' series that Majesdanians abilities do not affect one another.
During an encounter with the vampire Topher, it is revealed that Karolina's blood also harbors solar energy-based properties, since drinking her blood caused Topher to combust.

Conceptual changes

In Brian K. Vaughan's original pitch for the series, Karolina was originally called Leslie. This name would eventually be given to the character's mother. Her parents were originally real estate magnates, as opposed to famous actors.^[1]
Karolina's Majesdanian form has been colored in two distinct styles. Brian Weber, the first colorist of ''Runaways'', colored Karolina with many different colors of the visible spectrum from panel to panel. Christina Strain, the second colorist for ''Runaways'', colors Karolina in lighter tones, using primarily blue, yellow, and pink with a glitter-like effect.

Footnotes

1. Runaways Vol. 1 Hardcover