The Gibborim Confirmed For Marvel's 'Runaways' — How Will Marvel Adapt This Demonic Race?

Marvel has a strong presence at New York Comic Con 2017, and the highlight is undoubtedly the Runaways booth, which acts almost like a set laid out for fans to interact with. It looks as though the lockers on display belong to "Atlas Academy," which we assume is the school the kids attend in the #MCU series. Each of the lockers belongs to one of the stars, providing fans with a unique sense of the characters. Nerdy Alex's locker features a PS4 controller and a book on calculus, sporty Chase's includes a lacrosse hoodie, and Nico's includes a photo of Nico with her sister. But the real twist is in Karolina's locker...

The Gibborim Are Confirmed To Appear

The villains of Marvel's Runaways are a criminal group known as the Pride, who have been blessed with wealth and power by inter-dimensional entities known as the Gibborim. Their name comes from a Biblical term used in Genesis 6: 4, which refers to a mysterious race known as the Nephilim. Inspired by this concept, writer Brian K. Vaughan turned the idea on its head to create a demonic race known as the Gibborim. They granted the Pride wealth and honor in return for human sacrifices, and promised that their children would be spared when the Gibborim destroyed the world. Doctor Strange considered the Gibborim to be liars, so we can be confident they never intended to keep their word.

We've long wondered how Marvel would adapt this concept for the series, not least because the show promises to be remarkably comic-book-accurate. Surprisingly, Karolina's locker offer us with the first clues as to how the Gibborim will play into the show.

As reported by MCUExchange, Karolina's locker include two references to the Gibborim. Firstly, there's "The Book of Gibborim," which purports to be written by one David Ellerh. There's also a sticker on Karolina's locker showing her support for the "Church of Gibborim," with the O stylized in a manner reminiscent of the creatures' mystic weaves in the comics.

It looks as though the TV series is subtly rewriting the Gibborim, turning them into the objects of worship for some sort of cult. Karolina's family may well be the most loyal members of the Pride, given her locker is the only one containing these markings, and it's even possible that Karolina herself has been brought up under Gibborim teachings.

The Book of Gibborim ultimately played a major role in Vaughan's first arc, with the children stealing it from their parents to work out exactly what was going on. As with many cults, we can assume leaders have access to secret knowledge that's hidden from the 'rank and file.' If that's the case, we can safely presume that a copy of the Book of Gibborim which is kept in a school locker won't contain details on rites of human sacrifice!

Just how faithful will Marvel's Runaways be? With Brian K. Vaughan involved, we're expecting a tremendously accurate take on the comic-book series. This time round though, it looks as though the plot will contain added depth. After all, the kids aren't just learning that their parents are bad guys. They're also going to be questioning the cult in which at least one of them was brought up...

(Source: MCUExchange)