- Klara Prast
Superherobox|
caption=Klara as seen on page 4 of Secret Invasion Runaways/Young Avengers. #1.
Art byTakeshi Miyazawa .
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Klara Prast
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Runaways (Vol. 2)" #27 (July, 2007) (July, 2003)
creators=Joss Whedon
Michael Ryan
real_name=Klara Prast
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Runaways
aliases=
powers=Chlorokinesis, Command over Plants.|Klara Prast"Runaways": Volume 2, #28] is a young
Marvel Comics superheroine in the award-winning series, "Runaways", created by authorJoss Whedon and artistMichael Ryan , the lone character that the duo added to the title as a permanent team member during their short tenure on the book (which Whedon hinted at doing when it was announced he would be taking over the writing duties). [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83669 Joss Whedon talks Runaways] ] She is introduced in vol. 2 #28. Like every member of the Runaways, her family ties have been awry; twelve year-old Klara lived to serve her abusive middle-aged husband.Klara's ability is to control, or "talk to" as she puts it, plants. Her name may be a play on the word
chloroplast , relating to her plant powers. When her family discovered her powers, they married her off to someone moving to America, (even though she was still a child), where she ran into the time displaced Runaways in 1907, who later brought her back to the present with them."Runaways": Volume 2, #30] Klara is roughly Molly's age, has a signature jet-black hair twisted in a braid, and gray eyes. [ [http://www.comicvine.com/klara/29-54555/ Klara Prast] ]Fictional character biography
1907
Readers are first introduced to Klara after the Runaways helped to stop a fire in a factory full of children in New York City in the year 1907, ["Runaways" vol.2 #27] where they had become displaced due to a time device created by Gert's parents. ["Runaways" vol.2 #26] After the fire is put out, Karolina flies through the factory looking for survivors and comes across a bridge of rose vines through a hole in the wall and catches a glimpse of Klara as she runs away. Later that night, Karolina came across some similar roses and spied into a window where she saw young Klara about to be beaten by an older man for not selling the flowers for money, angering Karolina greatly. The next day, Karolina takes Molly with her to confront Klara about her powers, and tell her not to worry. When Molly asks if she'd like to join the team to get away from her abusive life, they are stunned to learn that it's not so easy for her, as the man Karolina saw was not her father, but her husband."Runaways": Volume 2, #29] She makes it clear to Karolina, though Molly doesn't understand, that he both physically and sexually abuses her. (I do not enjoy it - my, er, Marital duties. Molly: Oh My God! He makes you do Chores???)
As it turns out, Klara's family had married her off to Mr. Prast (who was traveling to America), and turned their backs on her, because her mother had seen her as something unholy and called her powers a "curse". Karolina and Molly manage to persuade Klara to come with them, albeit hesitantly, Klara gets scared and runs off after seeing Karolina and
Xavin , in her female form, have an intimate moment, something herChristian upbringing makes her perceive as "disgusting", as well as the fact that Xavin's form is of an African American. Molly confronts her on this and leaves her saddened, saying she's acting just like another grown up. Klara returns home after this as evidenced by the fact that after finding the Runaways just after their great alley battle, she turns up battered and bruised by her husband, and the team gladly still accepts for her to come with them, returning back to the same point they left.Personality
Klara, after spotting Xavin, calls her a "negress", and is for the most part uncomfortable around gay people because of her upbringing, which was common during the time she was raised. This attitude may have changed when they adopted her as a member. Besides Karolina, Molly is the one member Klara connects well with, because of their ages, even though it can seem that Klara is "much older and wiser than Molly because of the way she's grown up and the life she's experienced already." [ [http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.4232.Tuesday_Q&A~colon~_Terry_Moore Tuesday Q&A: Terry Moore] ]
ecret Invasion
At the start of the "Runaways/Young Avengers" tie in to Secret Invasion, the team is still fresh from arriving back in the present and giving Klara one final tour of the present version of New York City before heading back to
California . Klara is the first one of the group to spot theSkrull ships descending upon the city, and after the invasion starts, she is knocked out, along with the rest of the team, by their own Skrull member, Xavin, as he is trying to protect them from these Skrulls who he recognizes to be religious extremists. ["Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers" #1] Klara later plays a vital role in the battle between the two teams and the Skrull known as Chrell, Xavin's former mentor and a powerful member of the invading army. As the other Runaways, minus Xavin, are held in his clutches, Klara manages to cause a large tree to spring under Chrell's feet, wrapping him up and allowing the others to be freed, which turns the tide of the battle against him until he's forced to go nova to try and kill them all, but only succeeds in destroying himself. ["Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers" #3]Return to L.A.
When the Runaways finally return to Los Angeles, Klara is constantly in awe of the various inventions and advancements the world has made, everything from television to food. When the team makes a trip to the local mall so Chase can look for a job, a manager from a local radio station falls over a high railing, and Klara immediately leaps into action, ordering the indoor plants to grow up and catch him, then lie back down once he's safe. The team then beats a retreat from the mall, hoping no one noticed them."Runaways": Volume 3, #1]
Powers and Abilities
Klara is a chlorokinetic and as such can control and manipulate the growth and movement of plants at will. She likes to describe this ability as "talking to" the plants, something she says she did back on her family's farm in
Bern . She appears to be able to manipulate any kind of plant material, but has an affinity for roses since they "speak back" to her. Klara had once caused large, violent vines to burst out of the ground and shield her. Furthermore, the plants she manipulates also seem to react to Klara's emotions; such as when Molly leaves Klara saddened after confronting her on her attitude toward her friends, the roses on the vines begin to wilt.An example of her actually speaking to the plants comes when Klara manages to save a radio station manager from falling by calling out "grow!" prompting the mall plantlife to burst out of their planters and save him, then "thank you, yes, lie down" when finished.
Relationships with other Runaways
Molly
When they travel to the past, Karolina introduced Molly to a Klara because they are closer in age."Runaways": Volume 2, #27] Molly invites her to join the team, and together they manage to convince her to come with them to escape her tragic fate of being married to an abusive husband (the details of which Molly does not fully seem to understand due to her sheltered life). When Klara is upset by Karolina's seemingly interracial (actually interspecies) lesbian relationship, it causes a rift between her and Molly, as Molly defends Karolina and can't relate to Klara's homophobic/racist attitudes, a result of her upbringing. Klara is visibly saddened by the confrontation (her emotions reflected in her roses) and leaves. Later, she returns, beaten by her husband, and the team accepts her back.
While Molly has come to be close with Xavin, Klara has not (Xavin was the one she saw Karolina kissing) and this is one thing the two twelve year olds will have to resolve in the process of solidifying their friendship. Klara's abilities are of an almost opposite nature to Molly's, being more defensive and transportive, whereas Molly's are offensive and sturdy. They also have very different personalities, with Molly feeling young compared to Klara who has weathered a lot of difficulties in her life.
References
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