Old Lace (comics)

Old Lace
Old Lace and Gertrude Yorkes. Artwork by Jo Chen.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Runaways vol. 1 #2 (August, 2003) (July, 2003)
Created by	Brian K. Vaughan Adrian Alphona
In-story information
Species	Genetically-Engineered Deinonychus
Team affiliations	Runaways
Abilities	Good Intelligence Razor-sharp claws

Old Lace (often nicknamed as OL) is a fictional character, a superheroine in Marvel Comics.

She was created by Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona and debuted attacking the other characters in Runaways vol. 1 #2. Old Lace was given her name by Gertrude Yorkes after she had taken the code name Arsenic, making the pair Arsenic and Old Lace, which is a reference to a movie of the same name. Old Lace had originally belonged to Gert's parents. The dinosaur was genetically engineered to obey all of Gertrude's commands, meaning whenever Gert thought or felt something, so would the dinosaur. Initially believed to be a Velociraptor, she is later correctly identified as a Deinonychus by Victor Mancha. Due to the psychic link that they share, Gertrude and Old Lace share emotions and physical pain such that if Old Lace had a cut, or was injured (which is often), Gert would have to endure her pain. After the death of Gert, the psychic link was transferred to Chase Stein.

Old Lace was genetically engineered in the 87th century, the project being commissioned by Dale and Stacey Yorkes, the parents of Gertrude. At the parents request, the designer also put in several character traits which included a tele-empathic bond with Gertrude as well as being incapable of harming any of her immediate family, as discovered when Gertrude orders Old Lace to attack her parents and Old Lace refuses. Old Lace was originally intended to be part of Gert's inheritance for when her parents died but Gertrude and the rest of the Runaways stumble upon her while searching the Yorkes' basement for the body of a girl that they had witnessed their parents sacrificing.

Old Lace has a telepathic bond with Gert. This lets her feel each other's thoughts and pain, and allows Old Lace to act on Gert's emotions. Old Lace got her name from Gert Yorkes, who had temporarily been using "Arsenic" as her codename (essentially making the pair Arsenic and Old Lace, after the play and film of the same name). Though Gertrude later dropped the codename after deciding that some things from her parents (such as her real name) were worth keeping, Old Lace's name stuck. During their final encounter with The Pride Old Lace was briefly under the control of Alex Wilder while Gertrude was unconscious, but Gertrude quickly took control back when she came to. Seconds before Gert's death, she was able to pass her telepathic link with Old Lace to her boyfriend Chase Stein, since her death would have killed Lace as well via their telepathic link. Even though Old Lace has a telepathic bond with Chase now, she has been shown to have some free will. This is first shown when Old Lace attacks a vampire named Topher, despite Gertrude telling her to stop and again when Chase ties Nico up and Old Lace growls and tries to stop Chase.