Karolina Dean
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Karolina Dean, sometimes known as Lucy in the Sky, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics comic book series Runaways. Her first appearance is Runaways vol. 1 #1.
[edit] Fictional character biography
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. Despite growing up with two famous parents, Karolina was untouched by Hollywood scandal and developed a strong moral compass. She shows an interest in new age beliefs, and is a vegan. Karolina originally wants to be an actress like her mother.
When Karolina and the other children of the Pride witness their parents' murdering a girl as part of a ritual sacrifice, they run away from home, determined to defy their evil legacy. Karolina discovers her alien heritage, which gives her the ability to fly and manipulate solar energy, powers that are inhibited for most of her life by a medical alert bracelet forged from an alien metal. The Deans, wishing to give their daughter a normal life, told her she has a deadly allergy and instructed her to never take the bracelet off. After learning the truth, Karolina is ashamed of her alien heritage and doesn't put much value in her life. She offers to sacrifice herself to save her friends when they are attacked by a vampire. The vampire is killed when he drinks her blood, due to the solar energy her body stores.
After their parents' destruction, Karolina's friends are split up by California Social Services. Karolina Dean is sent to a foster family that is addicted to prescription painkillers, and she is forced to see a psychologist. Missing her friends, Karolina organizes a reunion, asking the team to meet her at the James Dean memorial where they decided to run away the first time. The teenagers escape their new homes to regroup and fight the supervillains that fill the void in Los Angeles left by their parents' departure.
Karolina is plagued by insecurities about her status as an extraterrestrial, and her secret homosexuality, although she becomes more well-adjusted and open about her alien heritage. Karolina unsuccessfully tries to kiss her friend Nico but is rejected.[1] Her love life becomes more complicated with the arrival of Super-Skrull-in-training Xavin, her fiancé through an arranged marriage. After fighting Karolina's friends, Xavin tells her that he won't force her to marry him, but he hopes that she will come with him to witness the animosity between their two races. He says that their marriage might end the war between the Skrulls and the Majesdanians. Karolina reveals that she is not attracted to men and doesn't want to live a lie, so Xavin alters his form to that of a human woman and persuades her to leave with him. Karolina returns to her home planet with Xavin, hoping to stop the war, which was triggered by her parents. She gives her medical alert bracelet to Nico as a gift and remains in contact with her friends via voice transmissions.
Karolina later returns to the team, explaining that the conflict between the Skrulls and the Majesdanians reignited during the wedding, and the Skrulls destroyed Majesdane with anti-matter missiles. Karolina gained greater control over her powers on her homeworld, and no longer needs her bracelet to change her appearance.
[edit] Conceptual Changes
In Brian K. Vaughn'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.[2]
[edit] Footnotes
| Marvel Comics Runaways | |
|---|---|
| Main characters | Karolina Dean • Molly Hayes • Victor Mancha • Nico Minoru Chase Stein • Alex Wilder • Xavin • Gertrude Yorkes • Old Lace |
| Villains | The Pride • Geoffrey Wilder • The Gibborim |
