Chase Stein (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Talkback

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Real Name

Chase Stein

Current Alias

Talkback

Aliases

Talkback

Identity

Secret

Alignment

Good

Affiliation

Runaways

Relatives

Victor (father, deceased), Janet (mother, deceased)

Universe

Earth-616

Base Of Operations

The Hostel II, a former base of operations for the group of supervillains called The Pride, located under the La Brea Tar Pits at Los Angeles Natural History Museum

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Blonde

Status

Citizenship

American

Marital Status

Single

Occupation

Adventurer; former student

Education

High school drop-out

Origin

Origin

Chase Stein is the athletic son of scientists Victor and Janet Stein.

Place of Birth

Los Angeles, California

First appearance

Runaways # 1 (1st Series)

History

Runaways Volume I

Chase Stein is the son of mad scientists Victor and Janet Stein. The two supposedly made a fortune from inventing a tool that removes stickers from CDs, but were actually members of the secret group of super villains called The Pride.Chase often comes across as being a dumb, obnoxious jock, but he is surprisingly street smart. Before learning that his parents were members of The Pride, Chase wanted to be an announcer for ESPN, but after his experiences with the Runaways he decides that he wants to join the FBI to help other troubled teens like themselves (with the added perk of carrying a gun all the time.)

He receives his codename "Talkback" from Gertrude's sarcastic remark for his habit of talking back. The only Runaway with a driver's license, Chase transports the team in his unmarked white van (very inconspicuous, commonplace, and difficult to track. Furthermore, it has a stolen licence plate.) He uses equipment taken from his parents' secret underground lab: Fistigons and X-ray goggles, but the both are destroyed in the final battle with the Pride. Chase was the one who originally found the Runaways' first hideout, a "missing mansion" which was swallowed up during an earthquake in the 1920s or 1930s that he nicknamed "The Hostel."

When the Runaways sneak into the under-sea lair of The Pride in an effort to stop their parents from presenting an offering to the Gibborim, the teens are attacked by the hideout's security system: a giant stone golem. During the ensuing battle, Chase saves Gertrude Yorkes and her pet dinosaur Old Lace from the creature by luring it into a water channel. Although the plan works, the golem knocks him underwater and he nearly drowns. He comes back to life when he is given CPR by Gertrude. He shows his gratitude by kissing her, and calls her "the hottest chick [he's] ever seen." As he is too weak to continue on to face The Pride, Chase offers the Fistigons and goggles to Alex Wilder, who later betrays them all. Chase saves the team from certain death by hot-wiring the transport ship his parents designed, the Leapfrog, and getting them out of the Gibborim's lair before it explodes.

When the Runaways are split up by Social Services, Chase tells the authorities that he is going to go and live with an Aunt in Anaheim, but instead gives them a false address and runs away again. Later, when the rest of the Runaways leave their foster homes to meet each other, Chase turns up by surprise and leads the teens off to release Gert's raptor from an Avengers storage complex. After successfully rescuing Old Lace, the kids decide to stay together rather than return to their foster homes and move off to their new lives in the Leapfrog.

Runaways Volume II

With the Fistigons now gone, Chase helps the team by piloting the Leapfrog, which serves as their getaway vehicle. As opposed to most vessels, which are designated "she," Chase has specifically designated the Leapfrog a male vessel, as the team had "more than enough estrogen". Chase uses the Leapfrog's lasers, which he has only just discovered, to attack Excelsior. Chase now knows how to fix The Leapfrog after it was shot down by a blast from Darkhawk's amulet. He has also recently discovered that the "Frog" can talk, and it calls him "Master," to Chase's delight.

The Runaways have a shocking encounter with Gert's older self, who travels from 20 years in the future to tell the Runaways about Victor Mancha, a boy who will grow up to be a deadly super-villain. Suffering from internal injuries sustained in a battle with "Victorious," the older Gert confesses her love for Chase before dying in his arms. Visibly shaken, Chase vows to "tear [Victor's] damn heart out."

However, the present-day Victor is an innocent young man, and a battle with Ultron leaves him an orphan. He joins the Runaways despite Chase's clear animosity towards him. Chase is also concerned that Gert may be infatuated with Victor, who is more her intellectual equal. Though Gert assured him that she only loves him, Chase remained leery of Victor's place among them long after his teammates accepted him. It wasn't until Victor begged Chase to knock him out while under the influence of the New Pride that Chase finally accepted him as a teammate and brother.

More recently, it has been hinted that Chase himself has a dark-side. In the "East Coast/West Coast" arc, Chase tells the Pusher Man that he once beat a gang member to death when the other teen tried to steal Chase's van. He did not confirm whether it was fact, though he says that his relationship with Gert is what keeps him "good.”

At the end of the Parental Guidance arc, Gert sacrificed herself to save Chase's life. To do so, she had to tell Geoffrey Wilder that Chase was a bad person. In her dying breaths, she told Chase that she lied to protect him, something that he had taught her. She also transferred Old Lace's psychic link to Chase and tried to tell him how much she loved him. After an unseen dispute with Nico about what to do with Gert's body he leaves the team with Old Lace, a copy of the Abstract, and Geoffrey Wilder's decoder ring.

While the other Runaways find methods to deal with their grief, Chase uses Old Lace to hunt down Lotus, the only member of the New Pride who had not attempted to atone for the murder of Gert. Using the Abstract and the decoder ring, Chase opened a portal to the dimension of the Gibborim and was offered the resurrection of Gertrude in exchange for one innocent human soul. Chase glared menacingly at Lotus, but released her, realising that her innocence was stripped during the murder of Gert. As they left the Gibborim's dimension, the old gods told Chase that their offer still stood: One innocent soul for the resurrection of Gert. Chase then ordered Lotus to burn the abstract, but not before he secretly ripped several pages from the tome. Chase then returned to the Hostel and acted as though none of his encounters had happened and returns to the group.

Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaway

During the Civil War event he has become a very angry young man, who is very eager to fight and snaps at his fellow teammates. Sometimes the anger is justified, such as when Xavin (unintentionally) insulted a damaged Victor. Other times, he is out of line; he caused Molly to run away from the Hostel in tears after she made a simple request. His intelligence also seems to have increased, as he was attempting to repair Victor, although he had previously repaired the Leapfrog several times and may just have an aptitude for all things mechanical.

Runaways Volume II (continued)

Chase then puts his plan into action to resurrect Gert, He then tells Nico the truth. That his killing of the carjacker was really a made up story used to explain the beatings Chase received at the hands of his father. He tells Nico that he intends to sacrifice himself on Gert's behalf and shuts down Victor when he tries to intervene. He takes the Staff of One and leaves. Molly hears a voice that tells her to alert the others, and they follow Chase, using a urine trail that Old Lace leaves for them.

The team finds the end of the trail behind a donut shop and leaves Molly behind with Victor. Using Chase's portal, they enter the realm of the Gibborim, only to find that the giants will not accept Chase as a sacrifice. Apparently, his self-sacrifice has removed him from the category of "innocent" and instead the giants move to consume Nico. As Victor regains consciousness, he and Molly enter the realm of the Gibborim to save Nico, without their sacrifice, the Gibborim fade from reality. As the team returns to the Hostel, Chase is forced to accept Gert's death.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Chase has an empathic bond with Old Lace, meaning that they share both emotions and pain. Chase can also command Old Lace to follow any order he gives.

Abilities

Has an intimate knowledge of how to pilot the Leapfrog.

Strength level

Chase was an athlete in high school and has the strength, speed and endurance of a typical adolescent male who engages in regular exercise.

Weaknesses

None known.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: Formerly X-Ray Goggles
Transportation: The Leapfrog.
Weapons: A new pair of Fistigons after his first pair were destroyed. This new version can shoot electricity, missiles as well as fire. He occasionally uses switchblade to defend himself as well.

Notes

• In Brian K. Vaughn's original pitch for the series, Chase was originally called John. The relationship Chase has with Molly in the comics was also originally given to Gert.

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Appearances of Chase Stein (Earth-616)
• Character Gallery: Chase Stein (Earth-616)
• Fan-Art Gallery: Chase Stein (Earth-616)
• Quotations by Chase Stein (Earth-616)

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Links and References

• None.