Alex Wilder

Few debut issues in Marvel's Modern Age hit as hard as Runaways #1 (2005), where writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona introduced Alex Wilder alongside a cast of young characters — including Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes, Chase Stein, and the unforgettable Old Lace — who would become one of the most talked-about ensembles of their generation. Alex is the kind of character whose presence in a story raises the stakes simply by being there, and his place in the Runaways mythos has proven durable enough to earn him a spot in Marvel's official handbooks and collected editions spanning two decades. With only 19 catalog appearances, he's a figure whose impact punches well above his page count — exactly the sort of character a sharp collector keeps an eye on.