Gertrude Yorkes

Gertrude Yorkes
Gertrude Yorkes with Old Lace. Artwork by Jo Chen.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Runaways vol. 1 #1 (July, 2003)
Created by	Brian K. Vaughan (writer) Adrian Alphona (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Gertrude Yorkes
Team affiliations	Runaways
Notable aliases	Arsenic, Heroine
Abilities	Psychic link to genetically engineered deinonychus

Gertrude Yorkes (self-referred to as Arsenic), is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters. Like every member of the original Runaways, she is the daughter of evil villains with special abilities; in Gert's case, time-travellers. Gertrude, often called "Gert" for short, is often regarded as the most "book-smart" of the Runaways yet also the most sarcastic and cynical. She has socialist leanings and is ethnically Jewish but spiritually agnostic. Gert is known for her sarcastic one-liners, glasses, and purple-dyed hair. She stands at a rough height of 5'1" and weighs 125 lb (57 kg).

In 2008, Marvel.com named Gert's death as the sixth out of ten best deaths in Marvel Comics history.

Gertrude Yorkes first appeared in Runaways #1 and was created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.

The daughter of Dale and Stacey Yorkes, Gert is first seen flatly yelling that she does not want to go to the Wilders' annual supposed charity organization; after the witnessing of the murder of an innocent girl by their parents ("the Pride"), despite being shocked her parents are a part of it, Gert remains the only one not surprised that her parents are actually villains, saying that she had suspected her parents of being evil ever since her pet pig suspiciously disappeared. Gert joins her team in the mass ransack to escape from their respective homes. Before leaving, however, Gert discovers a dinosaur in a hidden room in her basement that has a telepathic bond with Gert's mind, meaning it obeys her every command. Clueing a holographic message featuring Gert's parents and the fact her basement is full of rare antiques, the Runaways conclude Gert's parents are actually time travellers. After running off, Gert takes the name Arsenic and dubs her dinosaur Old Lace, a reference to the film of the same name. While the other members take codenames to be more like superheroes, Gert takes her name to cut all ties to her parents and former life. Later she and the other Runaways decide to use their real names again, but Old Lace continues with her codename, since she did not have any name before.