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"The family plans to open an interstellar gateway between their world and this one."
Xavin

Rite of Thunder is the fourth episode of the third season of the television series Runaways.

Synopsis[]

The kids search for Leslie and Alien Alex. Meanwhile, Leslie gives birth and Xavin fulfills her prophecy. The kids go head to head in a final battle against the aliens.

Plot[]

The Magistrate's Son, now fully controlling Alex Wilder, strikes a deal with his father: in exchange for bringing Leslie Dean's baby once they are born, he will be allowed to stay on Earth. He then takes Leslie to a hospital so she can deliver the baby, but then realizes that Leslie and the baby will have to remain there, which he cannot afford. Therefore, due to being able to access Alex's memories, he drives Leslie to Tamar and requests her help. Leslie, however, has understood that something is wrong with Alex and secretly instructs Tamar to contact her daughter Karolina.

In the Hostel, the Runaways and Xavin realize that they have lost Alex to the Magistrate's son. Still ignoring her mother's whereabouts, Karolina is determined to go to the Stein Mansion as she believes that it is where the Gibborim will have taken Leslie. Nico Minoru advises against the idea, stating that they would only be doing what the Gibborim expect from them and instead suggests to find a clue regarding Leslie's location. Chase Stein decides to take some time to develop new anti-Gibborim weapons by covering blades with a coating made from the Inhibitor Pods. Meanwhile, Molly Hernandez asks Xavin whether they truly loves Karolina, which puts the prophecy Xavin believes in question.

Runaways 304 13

Chase Stein and Gert Yorkes craft Anti-Gibborim Weapons

Minoru is contacted by Morgan le Fay through a mirror, and is urged to embrace the power of the Staff of One instead of rejecting it. When Minoru claims that she destroyed the Staff, le Fay replies that the artifact still lives inside her. Minoru is then asked by her teammates to watch a KTOZ News report indicating that Catherine Wilder was murdered. While Stein and Gert Yorkes keep working on the weapons, including a sword, a mace and knives, the others receive the message from Tamar and rush to Leslie's rescue.

The Magistrate's son realizes that Tamar is gone and fully reveals himself to Leslie, before being attacked from behind by Tamar. He quickly retaliates and nearly kills Tamar, but she is saved by the arrival of the Runaways. Minoru and Karolina chase the Magistrate's son, while Hernandez and Xavin remain to help Tamar as the baby is arriving. Minoru manages to catch up with the Magistrate's son, but he threatens to take control of her instead and to harm Karolina. Frightened by this perspective, Minoru lets him escape. Minoru and Karolina thus return to the house where Leslie gave birth to her second daughter, who she names Elle.

Elle's birth triggers a reaction in the Abstract which the Magistrate's son had brought along. Xavin warns the Runaways that a beacon to the planet Gibborim has been activated, meaning that the Gibborim are planning to use an interstellar portal to return to their planet and to send the Scrub Squad to erase all trace of the Gibborim on Earth. They pinpoint the location of the platform to the Marine Vivarium Desalination Plant, a PRIDE facility. The Runaways thus return to the Hostel to prepare for battling the Gibborim, while Xavin is tasked with watching over Leslie and Elle.

Leslie reveals to Xavin that her own father, David Ellerh, made a prophecy similar to the one the Xartans believe in. Together, they figure out that the great love mentioned in the prophecy is actually one between a mother and a daughter, respectively Xavin and Elle. Thus, Leslie entrusts Elle to Xavin, making them swear to protect her no matter the cost so she can fulfill her great destiny. However, Elle is kidnapped by the Magistrate's son. Xavin alerts the Runaways who are preparing for battle. Before departing, Stein tells Gert Yorkes that he truly loves her, but she does not fully reciprocate.

Although upset that her husband had another child, the Magistrate's Wife reluctantly agrees to take the baby to Gibborim and to allow her son to remain on Earth and lead the Scrub Squad. They begin to activate the portal, but are soon confronted by the Runaways. The Gibborim manage to hold their own against the teenagers, but Xavin joins the battle and disguises themself as the Magistrate to reclaim Elle from the Magistrate's son. Xavin then explains that they will leave with the baby, as they feels that they truly loves her based on what Hernandez told her earlier about love.

Staff of One - Nico Minoru (R304 Rite of Thunder)

Nico Minoru banishes the Gibborim

Once Xavin and Elle are gone through the portal, the Runaways are attacked by the combined force of the four Gibborim, and Karolina is unable to properly counter them all. Upon facing defeat, Minoru hears the voice of le Fay convincing her that she can end the battle. Thus, Minoru gives in to her powers from the Dark Dimension and manifests the Staff of One out of her own body. She then casts a powerful spell which causes the Gibborim to simply vanish. However, the effort also released le Fay from the Dark Dimension, enabling le Fay to go to the South Los Angeles Medical Center and to revive Minorus father Robert from his coma.

Cast[]

Main Cast:

Special Guest Star:

Guest Stars:

Appearances[]

Locations[]

Events[]

Items[]

Vehicles[]

Sentient Species[]

Creatures[]

Organizations[]

Mentioned[]

Music[]

Song title Artist Location(s)
Little Miss Can't Be Wrong Spin Doctors
Kick the Door Betta Lemme
I'm Not in Love
(10cc cover)
Kelsey Lu

Trivia[]

  • The title of this episode is a reference to the Rite of Thunder, a ritual in the comics that The Pride had to complete in which the soul of the person they are sacrificing is fed to the Gibborim. In the comics, the Rite of Thunder occurs at the Marine Vivarium, which the episode references when the final battle is at the Marine Vivarium Desalination Plant, an old PRIDE facility.

References[]

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Rite of Thunder.

External Links[]

Season One ReunionRewindDestinyFifteenKingdomMetamorphosisRefractionTsunamiDoomsdayHostile
Season Two Gimmie ShelterRadio OnDouble ZerosOld SchoolRock BottomBury AnotherLast RitesPast LifeBig ShotHostile TakeoverLast WaltzEarth AngelSplit Up
Season Three Smoke and MirrorsThe Great EscapeLord of LiesRite of ThunderEnter The DreamlandMerry Meet AgainLeft-Hand PathDevil's Torture ChamberThe Broken CircleCheat The Gallows
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