GAIL RUNCITER
Real Name: Gail Runciter
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Technician
Group Membership: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Affiliations: Captain America, Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Nick Fury, Nomad (Jack Monroe),
Wendell Vaughn (Quasar)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: S.H.I.E.L.D. Central, New York
First Appearance: Captain America I#268 (April, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: Gail Runciter was a typical agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., trained in espionage, armed combat, and unarmed combat.
History: (Quasar#1 (fb)) - Gail Runciter was a cadet with S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside Wendell Vaughn, and had to spar with him on one occasion. Gail performed better than Wendell, as he lacked a killer instinct.
(Captain America I#268) - Agent Runciter assisted Captain America in locating a pair of psychics who had been captured by August Masters by using a Prober on Captain America to find where they were being held.
(Captain America I#275) - Gail met Captain America again when he came to S.H.I.E.L.D. Central to check on his friends Arnie Roth and Michael. He apologized to her for being rude the last time he met her, and Gail began to wonder if she could romance him.
(Captain America I#276) - Captain America met with Gail, Dugan and Nick Fury after a creature controlled by Helmut Zemo rescued Vermin from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody and captured Arnie Roth and Michael. Captain America set off to face Zemo alone, but Fury commanded Gail to lead a squad after him, and they bugged the ship used to transport the Captain to Zemo.
(Captain America I#278) - Gail led her squad into Zemo's castle and began to slaughter the creatures of Zemo's found there, until Captain America called her off, as the creatures were mostly harmless.
(Marvel Team-Up I#128) - Gail met up with Captain America after Vermin appeared again, and she apologized to him for how she handled the affair at Zemo's castle. She invited him to her apartment for coffee, and propositioned him. Although he was attracted to her, he informed her that he was already involved with someone. Gail observed that "no one would know" if he had a fling with her, but he replied "I'd know, Gail-- and that's one person too many." He then left her apartment.
(Captain America I#281) - Gail was sent on an undercover assignment to the Viper's base in Hartsdale, Illinois, where the Viper was preparing to unleash the bubonic plague.
(Captain America I#282) - Gail contacted Fury to inform him on the Viper's actions, but she was found by the Viper and her transmission was cut off. The Viper broke her down with drugs, and used her and Captain America to trap the hero Nomad when he came to stop the Viper.
(Captain America I#283) - The Viper used the drugged-up Captain, Nomad and Runciter in her Hartsdale parade, during which he intended to unleash the bubonic plague. Captain America and Nomad managed to overcome the effects of the drugs, and stopped the Viper.
(Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.#6 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Gail Runciter was selected for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Project: Delta, run by the Deltite. The Deltite replaced Gail with an LMD duplicate
(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. II#43 (fb) - BTS) - The real Gail Runciter's body was placed deep within S.H.I.E.L.D. Central in suspended animation.
(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. II#43) - Gail was discovered some time later by Nick Fury when he found the Project: Delta victims within S.H.I.E.L.D. Central.
(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. II#44-47 - BTS) - Fury turned Gail and the other Project: Delta victims over to Dino Manelli, Isadore Cohen and Percival Pinkerton to be revived and deprogrammed from any HYDRA brainwashing.
(New Avengers: Most Wanted Files - BTS) - Gail sent Jessica Drew for her and the other Avengers an e-mail with attached cheatsheets on the escapees from the recent Raft breakout. Comments: Created by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck and John Beatty.
Gail was included in a pin-up of the women in Cap's life in Captain America I#350.
It isn't clear at what point Gail was replaced with an LMD. It is tempting to speculate that she had already been replaced by Marvel Team-Up I#128; if she could have seduced Captain America, it might have been a great help to the Deltite.
I've decided that all of Gail's vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. appearances were made by her LMD, although it wasn't made clear that she had been replaced until issue #6.
by
CLARIFICATIONS:
Gail Runciter should not be confused with:
(Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.#1) - When HYDRA came to steal the power core of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Gail was among the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who fought back, but they were unable to prevent the theft.
(Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.#3) - After Nick Fury had been named an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D. and betrayed by Valentina De Fontaine, Gail met Valentina in the corridors of S.H.I.E.L.D. Central, and tried to express her sympathy, but Valentina ignored her.
(Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.#5 - BTS) - Gail joined the other LMD duplicates as they were transported to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Satellite as they prepared to harvest the Infinity Formula from Fury.
(Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.#6) - Gail joined with the other LMD S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in battling the human S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aboard the satellite. She was destroyed with the other LMDs when the satellite was destroyed by the actions of Clay Quartermain's LMD.
Images taken from:
Captain America I#275, page 3, panel 1
Captain America I#275, page 2, panel 5
LMD- Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.#1, page 14, panel 2
Last updated: 08/28/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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