Victor Mancha
Encyclopedia
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 (April 2005
). Like the original runaways, Victor has a supervillain for a parent; his father is the robot Ultron
. Victor's flesh and natural tissue is cloned from his human mother and completely conceals metal parts and circuitry underneath, making him a cyborg
.
. Due to his prophesied betrayal, Victor was kept under close surveillance when he first joined the team, but has since been accepted as a full-fledged member. He is the team's only Latino
member and one of two members who can pilot the Leapfrog
, the Runaways' mode of transportation.
single mother Marianella Mancha, supposed widow of a United States Marine Corps
member who was killed in action
.
When an older version of Gertrude Yorkes
arrives in the present, she informs the Runaways of a villain in her time named "Victorious", and how they must stop him right now while he's still a teen. It is at this point she dies, but the Runaways decide to comply with her wish. After the Runaways track Victor down at his school, the sight of Karolina Dean
activates Victor's electromagnetic superpowers - it would later be revealed that Victor's powers would manifest only when he came in contact with another superhero, hence Karolina.
Remembering how future-Gert mentioned that Victorious's father was the "greatest evil in all the universe", the Runaways sift through possibilities such as Magneto
, Electro
, Kingpin
, Red Skull
, the Leader
and Galactus. Although Dr. Doom calls Victor proclaiming he is his father, it turns out this Ultron, disguised as Dr. Doom; Victor later discovers that his actual "father" is Ultron
, who created Victor as a sleeper agent
for the Avengers
. Victor was meant to grow up, travel to New York and meet the Avengers. After years of loyal service, he would have access to their most guarded secrets, and then Ultron would have taken over and destroyed every hero on the planet. The Runaways foiled this plan, but Victor still fears this future may come true. Ultron kills Marianella and overrides Victor's circuits, forcing him to attack the Runaways. With help from Excelsior, the Runaways and Victor defeat Ultron, but they take Victor in after realizing that Victor is in the same boat as they are.
, in battle to make up for his alternate future self. He falls out of grace for a short while after Nico Minoru
discovers that the second Pride
has tapped into Victor's circuits and was using him to spy on the team.
After the Runaways' fight with the second Pride, Victor begins a physical relationship with Nico; he confesses to have initiated it because he harbors romantic feelings for her, but Nico claims to have participated as a way to escape her survivor's guilt
regarding the death of Gertrude Yorkes
. However, Victor still attempts a rescue when he discovers Chase has Nico hostage, but is easily shut down when Chase asks him a rhetorical question designed to overload Victor's circuits. Victor recovers with help from Molly Hayes
(vicariously by Alex Wilder
) and saves Nico from becoming an innocent sacrifice to the Gibborim
. At this point, the pair begin a romantic relationship, but their moment of bliss is interrupted when the team is forced to run from Iron Man
and the pro-registration forces of Marvel's Civil War
.
operation to capture the Runaways, Victor uses his powers to shield the Leapfrog
from a barrage of missiles. The second wave of missiles are coated with teflon, so they are unaffected by Victor's magnetic powers and hit him. He suffers grievous damage and the team returns with him to the Hostel. Victor then experiences intense seizures when the Vision
arrives with the Young Avengers
.
Although the Runaways are initially mistrustful of the Young Avengers, Stature
is able to pull the Vision away from Victor. The Vision explains that he and Victor were experiencing a form of feedback caused by their shared programming because both of them were created by Ultron
.
Nico and Victor also initiate a relationship.
Victor's assortment of humorous nicknames is a sort of running gag
in the series' second volume, with such names as "Static Cling Lad", "Mr. Roboto
", "Victron", "Calculator Kid", "Señor Cyborg", "Man of La Mancha
", RoboPinnochio, and Magnet Man."
and S.H.I.E.L.D.
, Nico makes a decision to make a deal with the Kingpin
, which disgusts Victor. In a twisted turn of events, the Runaways end up time-displaced in 1907 New York. It is during this period where Victor meets Lillie "the Spieler" McGurty, a girl who can fly to the sound of music. While separated from Nico, Victor bonds with Lillie's carefree spirit. A short time later, he has a dream of kissing Lillie. Nico, understanding her relationship with Victor is deteriorating, backs off allowing Victor to initiate a relationship with Lillie, who agreed to return to the present with the Runaways. Right before the Runaways boarded the time machine taking them home, Lillie changes her mind and decides to stay instead, due to fear of jumping into the future. Klara Prast
takes her place instead, arriving with the Runaways in the present. Although the Runaways don't know, Lillie is still alive, regretting her decision.
The Runaways come under attack when a group of Majesdaneans arrive on Earth to capture Karolina. In the end the team is overpowered but Xavin shapeshifts into Karolina's form and takes her place as a prisoner of the Majesdaneans.
when the team separates to buy supplies because Molly is the only individual member of the team strong enough, in theory, to take Victor down should he go rogue. The pair have respect for each other, but often bicker over small things, such as board games and cereal. Molly admits that she isn't really scared of Victor, but does realize the responsibility she carries. Victor sometimes uses Molly to find out what the other team members think of him, presumably to actively try to change what the team fears. Molly and Victor eventually grow close as Molly's sibling-like relationship with Chase grows weaker.
and android Vision
. Nico and Victor's relationship ended during their time-traveling trip to 1907 where Victor falls for a girl named Lillie the Spieler.
before she came to the past and warned the Runaways of the looming threat; the future Gert died in Chase's arms. Her death made locating Victor personal for Chase
, as he sought to prevent his current girlfriend's murder. He disagreed vehemently with Nico about letting Victor stay with the team, even after Nico stated she was prepared to kill Victor if necessary. As such, Chase has tried to distance himself from Victor, despite the cyborg's attempts to prove himself. Chase did admit to Victor that he envies Victor more than hates him, primarily because Victor is the son Chase believes his parents wanted. Chase also stands up for Victor when Nico believes that he is spying for the New Pride telling everyone that Victor's "No Alex" (ironically, Gert, in a paranoid mood, attacks Victor with a monkey wrench. Normally, she is the one that stands up for Victor and Chase distrusts him). By the end of Brian K. Vaughan
's stint on Runaways, Chase and Victor had switched roles: Victor stood by the team without hesitation while a grief-ridden Chase carried out his own agenda without regards to the team's safety. Victor even questioned Nico when she admitted Chase back into the group as Chase questioned Victor's membership earlier, yet Nico's response remained the same: if Chase went rogue again, she would not hesitate to kill.
, created from the DNA
of Marianella Mancha and the technology of Ultron. Victor was constructed using advanced nanite
technology that will evolve and mature with Victor into adulthood so that his robotic innards will transform into artificial human organs, indistinguishable from real ones. Ultron created Victor with several computer-related abilities, including a high level of intelligence, vast amounts of hard drive memory (which Victor refers to as photographic memory), and the ability to communicate with other machines directly. Victor also possesses some level of superhuman strength, incredible speed, a powerful jumping ability, and an automated self-repair function.
In combat, Victor primarily employs his electromagnetic abilities; he is capable of directing high voltage electrical energy from his hands and manipulating magnetic fields to reshape and bend metallic objects. Much like Magneto
, Victor can use Earth's natural magnetic lines of force to levitate and fly.
Despite his array of powers, Victor has four known weaknesses, many of which stem from his mechanical roots. At his current age, Victor's nanites have not yet fully transformed into human organs, so his entire body will set off metal detectors, potentially drawing him unwanted attention. Second, Victor's mainframe can be hacked
and controlled remotely; "Hunter" (of the second Pride) (Victor removed it with an internal firewall) and Ultron are the only two that have successfully hacked Victor thus far. Victor discovered his third weakness during the Runaways' first encounter with the Young Avengers
, when he and the Vision
both short-circuited upon getting too close to each other. The Runaways and Young Avengers eventually discovered that when any two of Ultron's creations come within a close vicinity, both create a devastating feedback, harming both machines.
While decoding The Abstract, Chase discovered Victor's last and most potent weakness: three questions designed specifically to overload Victor's circuits and lock him into a never ending loop of meaningless binary
, which Nico refers to as "the blue screen of death
." Chase used the first phrase against Victor after the cyborg discovered Nico in chains: "Could God make a sandwich so big that even He couldn't finish it?
" The only way for Victor to recover from his shutdown mode is by hearing the question's answer from someone else. Once Victor's mainframe becomes functional again, he cannot be affected by that specific phrase ever again. The two other phrases are unrevealed as of yet, and are known only to Chase and Nico.
.
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'...
. He was created by author 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...
and artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways vol. 2 #1 (April 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
). Like the original runaways, Victor has a supervillain for a parent; his father is the robot Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
. Victor's flesh and natural tissue is cloned from his human mother and completely conceals metal parts and circuitry underneath, making him a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
.
Fictional character biography
The Runaways first heard of Victor Mancha as a boy who would grow up to become the villain "Victorious", a man who would rule the world after dismantling the AvengersAvengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. Due to his prophesied betrayal, Victor was kept under close surveillance when he first joined the team, but has since been accepted as a full-fledged member. He is the team's only Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
member and one of two members who can pilot the Leapfrog
Leapfrog (comics)
The Leapfrog is the personal mode of transport for the Marvel Comics superhero team Runaways. The ship takes on the form of a large frog. Originally created by Janet Stein and Victor Stein, the Leapfrog was used by the Pride when they had to perform their Rite of Thunder for the Gibborim...
, the Runaways' mode of transportation.
True Believers
Victor is first introduced as the son of HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
single mother Marianella Mancha, supposed widow of a United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
member who was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
.
When an older version of 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...
arrives in the present, she informs the Runaways of a villain in her time named "Victorious", and how they must stop him right now while he's still a teen. It is at this point she dies, but the Runaways decide to comply with her wish. After the Runaways track Victor down at his school, the sight of Karolina Dean
Karolina Dean
Karolina Dean , also briefly known as Lucy in the Sky, 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 #1 with most of the other main characters...
activates Victor's electromagnetic superpowers - it would later be revealed that Victor's powers would manifest only when he came in contact with another superhero, hence Karolina.
Remembering how future-Gert mentioned that Victorious's father was the "greatest evil in all the universe", the Runaways sift through possibilities such as Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, Electro
Electro (comics)
Electro is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a supervillain and an enemy of Spider-Man who gained the ability to control electricity after being struck by lightning while working on a power line. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first...
, Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
, Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
, the Leader
Leader (comics)
The Leader is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62, and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In 2009, The Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Actor Tim Blake...
and Galactus. Although Dr. Doom calls Victor proclaiming he is his father, it turns out this Ultron, disguised as Dr. Doom; Victor later discovers that his actual "father" is Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
, who created Victor as a sleeper agent
Sleeper agent
A sleeper agent is a spy who is placed in a target country or organization, not to undertake an immediate mission, but rather to act as a potential asset if activated...
for the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. Victor was meant to grow up, travel to New York and meet the Avengers. After years of loyal service, he would have access to their most guarded secrets, and then Ultron would have taken over and destroyed every hero on the planet. The Runaways foiled this plan, but Victor still fears this future may come true. Ultron kills Marianella and overrides Victor's circuits, forcing him to attack the Runaways. With help from Excelsior, the Runaways and Victor defeat Ultron, but they take Victor in after realizing that Victor is in the same boat as they are.
Runaways
Over the next few months, Victor proves himself to the team, particularly to Chase SteinChase 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...
, in battle to make up for his alternate future self. He falls out of grace for a short while after Nico Minoru
Nico Minoru
Nico Minoru , is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. Created in 2003 by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the character first debuted in Runaways vol. 1 #1 with most of the other main characters...
discovers that the second 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...
has tapped into Victor's circuits and was using him to spy on the team.
After the Runaways' fight with the second Pride, Victor begins a physical relationship with Nico; he confesses to have initiated it because he harbors romantic feelings for her, but Nico claims to have participated as a way to escape her survivor's guilt
Survivor guilt
Survivor, survivor's, or survivors guilt or syndrome is a mental condition that occurs when a person perceives themselves to have done wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not...
regarding the death of 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...
. However, Victor still attempts a rescue when he discovers Chase has Nico hostage, but is easily shut down when Chase asks him a rhetorical question designed to overload Victor's circuits. Victor recovers with help from Molly Hayes
Molly Hayes
Molly Hayes , 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 #1 with most of the other main characters...
(vicariously by 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...
) and saves Nico from becoming an innocent sacrifice to the Gibborim
Gibborim (comics)
The Gibborim are a group of comic book characters in Marvel Comics' award-winning series, Runaways. They were created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona...
. At this point, the pair begin a romantic relationship, but their moment of bliss is interrupted when the team is forced to run from Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and the pro-registration forces of Marvel's Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
.
Civil War
During a S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
operation to capture the Runaways, Victor uses his powers to shield the Leapfrog
Leapfrog (comics)
The Leapfrog is the personal mode of transport for the Marvel Comics superhero team Runaways. The ship takes on the form of a large frog. Originally created by Janet Stein and Victor Stein, the Leapfrog was used by the Pride when they had to perform their Rite of Thunder for the Gibborim...
from a barrage of missiles. The second wave of missiles are coated with teflon, so they are unaffected by Victor's magnetic powers and hit him. He suffers grievous damage and the team returns with him to the Hostel. Victor then experiences intense seizures when the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
arrives with the Young Avengers
Young Avengers
Young Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
.
Although the Runaways are initially mistrustful of the Young Avengers, Stature
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
is able to pull the Vision away from Victor. The Vision explains that he and Victor were experiencing a form of feedback caused by their shared programming because both of them were created by Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
.
Nico and Victor also initiate a relationship.
Victor's assortment of humorous nicknames is a sort of running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the series' second volume, with such names as "Static Cling Lad", "Mr. Roboto
Mr. Roboto
"Mr. Roboto" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung and performed by the band Styx on their 1983 concept album Kilroy Was Here. In Canada, where they were always more popular than in their native U.S., it went to #1 on the RPM national singles chart, becoming their third single to top the charts in...
", "Victron", "Calculator Kid", "Señor Cyborg", "Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote...
", RoboPinnochio, and Magnet Man."
Dead-End Kids
After escaping Iron ManIron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, Nico makes a decision to make a deal with the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
, which disgusts Victor. In a twisted turn of events, the Runaways end up time-displaced in 1907 New York. It is during this period where Victor meets Lillie "the Spieler" McGurty, a girl who can fly to the sound of music. While separated from Nico, Victor bonds with Lillie's carefree spirit. A short time later, he has a dream of kissing Lillie. Nico, understanding her relationship with Victor is deteriorating, backs off allowing Victor to initiate a relationship with Lillie, who agreed to return to the present with the Runaways. Right before the Runaways boarded the time machine taking them home, Lillie changes her mind and decides to stay instead, due to fear of jumping into the future. Klara Prast
Klara Prast
Klara Prast is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Comics award winning series, Runaways. The character first appeared in volume 2, #27 and was created by writer Joss Whedon and artist Michael Ryan, the lone character Whedon had mentioned he would add when he began his tenure of the...
takes her place instead, arriving with the Runaways in the present. Although the Runaways don't know, Lillie is still alive, regretting her decision.
The Runaways come under attack when a group of Majesdaneans arrive on Earth to capture Karolina. In the end the team is overpowered but Xavin shapeshifts into Karolina's form and takes her place as a prisoner of the Majesdaneans.
Molly Hayes
Victor is often paired with MollyMolly Hayes
Molly Hayes , 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 #1 with most of the other main characters...
when the team separates to buy supplies because Molly is the only individual member of the team strong enough, in theory, to take Victor down should he go rogue. The pair have respect for each other, but often bicker over small things, such as board games and cereal. Molly admits that she isn't really scared of Victor, but does realize the responsibility she carries. Victor sometimes uses Molly to find out what the other team members think of him, presumably to actively try to change what the team fears. Molly and Victor eventually grow close as Molly's sibling-like relationship with Chase grows weaker.
Nico Minoru
Victor first met Nico when she and the Runaways kidnapped him to discover his true parentage; she kicked Victor in the face with a stilleto heel to knock him out. After their initial encounter, Victor and Nico grew closer and she grew to trust and accept him as part of the team. Unbeknownst to Victor, Nico secretly swore to Chase that if Victor ever betrayed the team, she would have no reservations about killing him. Throughout the second volume, both Victor and Nico started harboring romantic feelings for each other, but neither expressed them until after Gert's death, when they began a physical relationship. Nico refused to admit romantic feelings for Victor for fear of being seen by the team as "cheap", despite Victor expressing romantic feelings. However, even after a rejection and many awkward moments between the two, Victor stood up to defend Nico from Chase without question and acted just as quickly to save Nico from the Gibborim. By the end of Brian K. Vaughan's stint on the title, Victor and Nico become an official couple; his relationship with Nico mirrored that of mutant sorceress Scarlet WitchScarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and android Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
. Nico and Victor's relationship ended during their time-traveling trip to 1907 where Victor falls for a girl named Lillie the Spieler.
Chase Stein
Victor's alternate future self, Victorious, managed to fatally wound an alternate version of GertGertrude 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...
before she came to the past and warned the Runaways of the looming threat; the future Gert died in Chase's arms. Her death made locating Victor personal for Chase
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...
, as he sought to prevent his current girlfriend's murder. He disagreed vehemently with Nico about letting Victor stay with the team, even after Nico stated she was prepared to kill Victor if necessary. As such, Chase has tried to distance himself from Victor, despite the cyborg's attempts to prove himself. Chase did admit to Victor that he envies Victor more than hates him, primarily because Victor is the son Chase believes his parents wanted. Chase also stands up for Victor when Nico believes that he is spying for the New Pride telling everyone that Victor's "No Alex" (ironically, Gert, in a paranoid mood, attacks Victor with a monkey wrench. Normally, she is the one that stands up for Victor and Chase distrusts him). By the end of 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...
's stint on Runaways, Chase and Victor had switched roles: Victor stood by the team without hesitation while a grief-ridden Chase carried out his own agenda without regards to the team's safety. Victor even questioned Nico when she admitted Chase back into the group as Chase questioned Victor's membership earlier, yet Nico's response remained the same: if Chase went rogue again, she would not hesitate to kill.
Xavin
On Xavin's homeworld, androids and cyborgs exist only as servants to the Skrulls. Upon his first encounter with Victor, Xavin condescendingly tells Victor this, angering the cyborg into attacking. The two rarely get along due to Xavin's prejudice towards androids and his difficulty in accepting Victor as an equal. Xavin and Victor are polar opposites in motivating factors; while they both want to prove themselves to the team, Xavin fights to prove he is a seasoned warrior (feeding his ego) while Victor fights to make up for his alternate future self (seeking atonement). While they can be civil, Xavin and Victor have not yet reconciled their differences, and as Xavin has been taken off-planet, they may never do so.Powers and abilities
Victor Mancha is a cyborgCyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
, created from the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
of Marianella Mancha and the technology of Ultron. Victor was constructed using advanced nanite
Nanorobotics
Nanorobotics is the emerging technology field of creating machines or robots whose components are at or close to the scale of a nanometer . More specifically, nanorobotics refers to the nanotechnology engineering discipline of designing and building nanorobots, with devices ranging in size from...
technology that will evolve and mature with Victor into adulthood so that his robotic innards will transform into artificial human organs, indistinguishable from real ones. Ultron created Victor with several computer-related abilities, including a high level of intelligence, vast amounts of hard drive memory (which Victor refers to as photographic memory), and the ability to communicate with other machines directly. Victor also possesses some level of superhuman strength, incredible speed, a powerful jumping ability, and an automated self-repair function.
In combat, Victor primarily employs his electromagnetic abilities; he is capable of directing high voltage electrical energy from his hands and manipulating magnetic fields to reshape and bend metallic objects. Much like Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, Victor can use Earth's natural magnetic lines of force to levitate and fly.
Despite his array of powers, Victor has four known weaknesses, many of which stem from his mechanical roots. At his current age, Victor's nanites have not yet fully transformed into human organs, so his entire body will set off metal detectors, potentially drawing him unwanted attention. Second, Victor's mainframe can be hacked
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
and controlled remotely; "Hunter" (of the second Pride) (Victor removed it with an internal firewall) and Ultron are the only two that have successfully hacked Victor thus far. Victor discovered his third weakness during the Runaways' first encounter with the Young Avengers
Young Avengers
Young Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
, when he and the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
both short-circuited upon getting too close to each other. The Runaways and Young Avengers eventually discovered that when any two of Ultron's creations come within a close vicinity, both create a devastating feedback, harming both machines.
While decoding The Abstract, Chase discovered Victor's last and most potent weakness: three questions designed specifically to overload Victor's circuits and lock him into a never ending loop of meaningless binary
Binary numeral system
The binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, represents numeric values using two symbols, 0 and 1. More specifically, the usual base-2 system is a positional notation with a radix of 2...
, which Nico refers to as "the blue screen of death
Blue Screen of Death
To forse a BSOD Open regedit.exe,Then search: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\i8042prt\ParametersThen make a new DWORD called "CrashOnCtrlScroll" And set the value to 1....
." Chase used the first phrase against Victor after the cyborg discovered Nico in chains: "Could God make a sandwich so big that even He couldn't finish it?
Omnipotence paradox
The omnipotence paradox is a family of semantic paradoxes which address two issues: Is an omnipotent entity logically possible? and What do we mean by 'omnipotence'?. The paradox states that if a being can perform any action, then it should be able to create a task it is unable to perform, and...
" The only way for Victor to recover from his shutdown mode is by hearing the question's answer from someone else. Once Victor's mainframe becomes functional again, he cannot be affected by that specific phrase ever again. The two other phrases are unrevealed as of yet, and are known only to Chase and Nico.
Conceptual origins
On colorist Christina Strain's Live Journal, she revealed that Victor's eyes are green with a golden center, which was modeled after Gael García BernalGael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal is a Mexican film actor and director.-Early life:García Bernal was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, the son of Patricia Bernal, an actress and former model, and José Ángel García, an actor and director. His stepfather is Sergio Yazbek, whom his mother married when García Bernal was...
.