Loners (originally named Excelsior) are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published Marvel Comics. They first appeared in the pages of Runaways. The group consists of a Los Angeles–based support group for former teenage superheroes from New York, founded by Turbo of the New Warriors, and Phil Urich, the heroic former Green Goblin. Their goals are initially stated to be to help fellow teenage superheroes to adjust to normal lives while coping with their powers, and to dissuade other superpowered teenagers from becoming heroes, but these goals are discarded in their own miniseries in favor of the group apparently wanting to avoid using their powers for any reason,Loners #1 even if that means abandoning helpless victims of crime to their fate.Loners #3 Although all the characters were created by different authors and artists, the team itself was created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, with other characters (Spider-Woman, Hollow, and Red Ronin) added to the cast during the events of the 2007 miniseries.
The group originally appeared in the Runaways story arc "True Believers". At the end of the story arc, it was revealed that the group was secretly sponsored by Rick Jones, on behalf of Captain America, who hoped to ensure the Runaways do not get into trouble. Following their battle with Ultron, Rick offered to sponsor the team full-time. Its creative team is C. B. Cebulski (writer) and Karl Moline (artist).
Overview Originally debuting in the book Runaways under the name "Excelsior", the team later received their own limited series with an option to continue as an ongoing should sales be high enough, though this was not the case. The title of the series and the team was changed from Excelsior to Loners, due to trademark issues as Stan Lee holds a trademark on the term "Excelsior!", though the team did appear in an issue of the third volume of Marvel Team-Up under the name Excelsior before Loners was published.Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #15 The title premiered on April 11, 2007, and ran for six issues. In a stylistic departure from their debut appearance in Runaways as comic relief, Loners is not a comedy, though the covers of the individual issues still suggest a lighthearted tone by being direct homages to the imagery of John Hughes' films, and the exaggerated personalities from their Runaways debut are also retained entirely for the cast, though this does create some continuity discrepancies, particularly Darkhawk's infrequent lapses into potentially murderous violence in a manner that ignores later events from the Darkhawk series, and Julie Power no longer having the ability to teleport, her powers now including the ability to hover in the air without being in motion, and her character purporting to be from New York instead of Bainbridge Island, Washington.Power Pack vol. 2 #1–4Runaways vol. 2 #1–6 In a further departure from both their debut appearance and their appearances elsewhere in Marvel titles as a fully functioning superhero group who gather in costume, the group has a different and unprecedented function, changing from a peer support/counseling group of active superheroes to an addiction/recovery group. It can be observed that the methods utilised by the group in many instances contradict common practices of individual empowerment found in addiction/recovery groups in favor of codependency upon the group and its rituals. In the series, the "addiction" specified is addictive behavior: using superpowers, fighting crime, and helping those in need. The addictions are not to narcotic substance at any time during the series, although Mattie Franklin is seen getting drunk in a bar during the closing montage of issue 3 despite still being in high school, suggesting the possibility of alcohol dependence.
Julie Power and Johnny Gallo are also the subject of character retcons during the course of the series: whereas in his Runaways appearance Johnny's reasons for joining the group were given as being so he could be around other ex-teen heroes who had experienced early fame as a superhero and later couldn't cope without it,Runaways vol.2 #1 this was revised in Loners to being that he used superheroics for thrill seeking and to meet women,Loners #2 then revised a third time to being a response to his friend being killed during a superhero battle (though this battle—occurring during the events of the 'Wolverine: Enemy of the State' story arcWolverine vol. 3 #20–32—did not actually occur until after Johnny first appeared as a member of the Los Angeles–based Excelsior group, though he is portrayed during Loners in flashbacks as still living in New York at the time, working as a superhero alongside the friend in question: Eddie McDonough, who is also portrayed as being back in the Hornet armor he lost, somehow cured of the cerebral palsy which afflicted him). Julie's low intelligence displayed in the Runaways 'True Believers' story arc and the first three issues of Loners is also revealed as an affectation she adopts to fit in with the natives of Los Angeles and her fellow teammates,Loners #4 though she retains this personality for the rest of the series regardless of her revelation. Julie's age is also revised by several years, from the indeterminate "ex-teenage" of Runaways to the specific age of 17, and she no longer displays her teleportation powers,Power Pack vol. 2 #4 or the ability to create shields.Runaways vol. 2 #6
Three new team members were also introduced in the series: Penance (known as Hollow), Spider-Woman and Namie (the second version of the Red Ronin). After the miniseries, The Loners appear in a special ten page Christmas story within the 2007 Marvel Holiday Special.
After Mattie was killed and Darkhawk was severely injured (in "Grim Hunt" and The Thanos Imperative respectively), the remaining members of the team join the Avengers Academy.Avengers Academy #21
Members
Sponsor Rick Jones, on behalf of Captain America.
Original members Darkhawk (Chris Powell). He decided to give up his powers after his nightmares became too intense for him to handle. Chris is short-tempered and prone to violence, especially in his Darkhawk form, attacking not only his targets, but his own teammates. He later joins the New Avengers. Green Goblin (Phil Urich), the fourth, heroic, incarnation of the Green Goblin. After losing his costume and equipment during a battle, he finished college, earned a degree in journalism, and helped start Excelsior. He returned to New York City, working for the Daily Bugle (formerly Front Line). He became the Hobgoblin, who is working for Kingpin.Amazing Spider-Man #648–50 Lightspeed (Julie Power), formerly of Power Pack. Convinced that the superhero lifestyle robbed her of her childhood innocence, she left her family at 15 years old and moved to California, hoping to become an actress. Currently attending the Avengers Academy as a teacher's assistant. Ricochet (Johnny Gallo), formerly of the Slingers. He is a mutant who has an early warning sense much like Spider-Man's, as well as acrobatic agility, dexterity with thrown objects, reflexes, and coordination. Turbo (Michiko "Mickey" Musashi), formerly of the New Warriors. Deciding she would do more good with her education than she would through adventure, she retired the Torpedo armor and returned to investigative journalism. Geoffrey Wilder, a time-displaced member of the Pride, disguised himself as Chamber to spy on the Loners.
Later members
Hollow, formerly known as Penance of Generation X. It is unknown who is now residing in this hollow body. Namie, a mystery female character that is not one of the previously introduced teen female characters. Cebulski previously hinted that she does have ties to the Marvel Universe, eventually outed as a cyborg and the new model for the Red Ronin; UJ1-XD Spider-Woman (Mattie Franklin). After being exploited to create Mutant Growth Hormone, Mattie moved to Los Angeles to start over and has been going to meetings regularly, but she left the team afterwards. Later, she was seen in New York City but was captured by Ana Kraven and was later killed by Sasha Kraven.Amazing Spider-Man #611Amazing Spider-Man #634
Within War of Kings: Darkhawk #1 are three former heroes that are seen among the Loners' support group, although they have not been identified.
Plot summary The covers for each issue of the series are based on posters from 1980s teen films directed or written by John Hughes.
Fear of Flying Issue One: The Breakfast Club
The first issue opens with Julie Power apologizing to Phil Urich on her cell phone; Phil tries to convince her not to do anything rash but fails: Julie steps off a tall building, free falls, and then flies into the air. Shortly afterwards, both Phil and Mickey Musashi discuss Julie's actions and plan their next move.
The support group meets in the basement of a church,First seen in Runaways vol. 2 #1 and after waiting for Julie to arrive, decide to begin without her. Mattie Franklin is asked to speak first, recalling her experiences as Spider-Woman. Julie finally arrives at the tail-end of a cell phone conversation apparently with her brother Alex. She apologizes to the group for both her tardiness and her recent relapse.
Chris Powell insults Julie, who suggests that she has the hardest struggle of them all because she has had her powers the longest (seven years). Mattie, however, points out that although she has not been in the hero business as long as the rest of the group members, concealing her psionic spider-legs subjects her to constant physical pressure. After dramatically revealing her appendages, she storms out of the meeting.
Outside the church, Mattie explains to Chris that she has some unfinished business with MGH dealers,From Alias #16-21 who exploited her in the past; she has tracked them to Los Angeles. She asks that he assist her as Darkhawk for just one mission.
Darkhawk and Spider-Woman storm the MGH dealers' hideout and defeat the dealers easily, but they are attacked by the person "supplying the materials" for MGH, Nekra. Luckily, support group member Johnny Gallo (Ricochet) has followed Darkhawk and Spider-Woman to the dealers' base of operations and aids them in escaping Nekra's clutches. After defeating her, the trio discovers a list containing the names of supervillains being supplied MGH by the dealers and decides to investigate further, while agreeing not to tell the rest of the group.
Reflex Actions Issue Two: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
A week later, Johnny contemplates what to do next. Later at a restaurant, Johnny tries to convince both Chris and Mattie to tell the rest of the support group about what they have done. Mattie insists that she needs more time to follow up on the information they have gathered. When Johnny sarcastically reminds Mattie of her "act" during the recent group meeting, she nearly attacks him and accuses him of attending the group for selfish reasons.
At the next support group meeting, Phil mentions the MGH bust and suggests that it could be used as an additional reason to further encourage teen superheroes to establish normal lives. Johnny gets up to speak, Mattie and Chris thinking he is about to reveal their recent actions. However, he tells the group about why he moved to Los Angeles. After the Slingers disbanded, his best friend Eddie McDonough (Hornet) convinced Johnny to continue as a superhero. Ricochet admits that he did so for the glory rather than to help people, but when Hornet was killed by Wolverine, Johnny blames himself for his friend's death, since he refused to help him prior to the situation.