I'm sure you have lots of questions, but you'll find all the answers you're looking for inside our Abstract, the sacred text that guides our organization. 
The Abstract was a set of six identical magical tomes given to the Pride by the Gibborim to act as their sacred text and guide. Each copy of the Abstract provides information on the Gibborim, chronicles the past and the future of the Pride, and contains various magical spells.[4][5][6] However, the text of the Abstract can only be deciphered and understood with the use of one of the decoder rings.[7][5][5][8]
History
To prepare the Earth for the coming, the Gibborim made a pact with six mortal couples granting them immense power for 25 years in exchange of a sacrificial human soul every year. The six couples would become the Pride, and each of the couples received a copy of the Abstract, their sacred text and organizational guide.[5][4]
_from_Runaways_Vol_1_1_001.jpg){kind=link}
The Pride meeting in the Wilders' lair near the Abstract
A year before running away, Alex Wilder witnessed his parents and the other members of the Pride murder an adolescent girl during the Rite of Blood. Alex spent the next several nights sneaking into his parents' lair to read the Wilders' copy of the Abstract and learn about the Pride's bargain with the Gibborim. One night, Alex was present when the Deans and Hayes broke in and tampered with the Wilders' Abstract as part of their plan to betray the other members of the Pride and claim the Gibborim's reward for themselves.
A year later, on the evening of the Rite of Blood, Alex led the others to witness the sacrifice of Destiny Gonzales. After seeing their parents murder a young woman, Alex, Nico, Chase, Karolina, and Gert agreed to collect evidence to turn their parents into the authorities. While searching for the body of the Pride's victim in the Yorkes' basement, the Runaways instead stumbled onto the Yorkes copy of the Abstract and a dinosaur. Lacking the decoder ring to read the book, the group goes on the run again until they eventually confront their parents at the Hayes' home. In the aftermath of the battle, Alex was able to take the decoder ring from Mrs. Dean. and next travelled to the Deans' home.[7]
_from_Runaways_Vol_1_13_001.jpg){kind=link}
Alex Wilder reading from the Abstract
After the Runaways settled into the Hostel, Alex Wilder spend the days and weeks trying to decipher the Abstract.[9][1] Once he had decode the story of the Pride, Alex shared it with the other Runaways. Soon after learning about the origins of the Pride, Lieutenant Flores and the LAPD found the Runaways and destroyed the Hostel.[5]
With the Rite of Thunder approaching, the Runaways used the Abstract to followed their parents into the Marine Vivarium. After confronting their parents and learning about Alex's true motives, the Runaways escaped the collapsing Marine Vivarium abroad the Leapfrog.[10] The Yorkes copy of the Abstract seems to have been left in ruins of the Marine Vivarium.
Following the destruction of the Marine Vivarium and the revelation of the Pride, most of the Pride's property and paraphernalia was seize by the Avengers and the FBI.[11][2] However, several secret safe houses were not initially found.[12][2][13][14]
_from_Runaways_Vol_2_14_001.jpg){kind=link}
Hunter, Stretch, Lotus, and Oscar using the Abstract in an attempt to resurrect Alex Wilder
Month after the death of the Pride, a New Pride was formed by Alex's old gaming friends, Hunter, Stretch, Lotus, and Oscar. Using the Steins' Abstract, quartet was able to summon a young Geoffrey Wilder from the past by accidentally sacrificing Oscar.[2] Wilder led the others to believe they would save the world while he secretly plotted with the Gibborim to resurrect his family and destroy the world. With his new Pride, Wilder kidnapped Molly Hayes with plans to sacrifice her at Griffith Observatory. Luckily the Runaways were able to save her, but Gert was seemingly killed during the confrontation.[15]
_and_Old_Lace_(Earth-TRN846)_from_Runaways_Vol_2_18_001.jpg){kind=link}
Chase Stein and Old Lace with the Abstract and the decoder ring
Determined to bring Gert back from the dead, Chase took the ring and Abstract from Griffith Observatory and left the Runaways.[8] On his eighteenth birthday, Chase found Lotus and forced her to help him find the Gibborim.[16] However, after finding the Gibborim, Chase learned that he could not sacrifice himself to bring back Gert because his soul is not innocent. Disappointed, Chase released Lotus and demands that she burn the Abstract after covertly stealing a few pages for himself.[17]
Alternate Reality Versions
Catherine Wilder holding the Abstract with Geoffrey Wilder
Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)[]
In Earth-199999 the Abstract was a book containing the knowledge of the Gibborim, alien beings made of light. One of them, possessing a human body named Jonah, allowed the P.R.I.D.E. to access and safekeep the book since they were unable to translate the alien language it was written in. Eventually Victor Stein realized that the key to unlocking the book could not be kept written because of secrecy and also had to be easy enough to remember. Because of this Janet Stein kept trying mathematical equations until one of them fit, allowing the Steins to read the Abstract and learn about the alien technology.[18]Trivia
- Doctor Strange appears to have a copy of the Abstract or some type of access to its text.[19]
- Only two of six copies of the Abstract are currently accounted for: the Yorkes copy buried in the Marine Vivarium and the Steins' copy last seen with Lotus. The locations of Minorus, Hayes, Wilders, and Deans' Abstract copies are unknown, but may be in the custody of the authorities (like the FBI or the Avengers).[11][2]
- Due to Catherine Wilder's many boobytraps, the FBI was never able to enter the Wilder Estate meaning that their copy of the Abstract may still be hidden in their subbasement lair.[14]
- The Abstract bares six-toed footprint of the Gibborim on its cover.[20]
See Also
- 35 appearance(s) of Abstract (Book)
- 2 minor appearance(s) of Abstract (Book)
- 1 mention(s) of Abstract (Book)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Abstract (Book)
- 13 image(s) of Abstract (Book)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Runaways #11
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Runaways (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Runaways (Vol. 2) #15
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Runaways #3
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Runaways #13
- ↑ Runaways #17
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Runaways #3–6
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Runaways (Vol. 2) #18
- ↑ Runaways #7
- ↑ Runaways #14–17
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Runaways #18
- ↑ Runaways (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Runaways (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Runaways (Vol. 5) #19
- ↑ Runaways (Vol. 2) #15–18
- ↑ Runaways (Vol. 2) #19–20
- ↑ Runaways (Vol. 2) #21–22
- ↑ Marvel's Runaways S2E05
- ↑ Iron Man: Legacy #10
- ↑ Runaways #14