Renegades

“Captain Chromium and the Dread Warden were practically the world’s favorite sweethearts. The tabloids were forever going on about whether or not they were planning to adopt another child, or if they were going to retire from the Council and move to the tropics, or if a dark, hidden secret from the past was threatening to tear them apart.”

In addition to illustrating the celebrity culture that surrounds the Renegades, this passage also reveals that Gatlon City is largely free from social issues like anti-gay bias. The people love and respect Chromium and the Warden as their leaders and as a married couple. In some ways, this aspect of the author’s world-building adds a paradoxically utopian element to the recovering dystopian world of Gatlon. Most importantly, the fact of their marriage is presented without comment, making it clear that in this world, diversity is the norm and needs no additional clarification.

“Back when the Renegades had first formed, they didn’t have to play by any rules—there were no rules to play by. They were more like vigilantes than law enforcers, and they certainly weren’t lawmakers. They did what needed to be done in order to make the world a better, safer place. Even if that meant blackmailing someone for information, or infiltrating a hideout because they thought there was something suspicious going on—with or without hard evidence.”

This passage begins to compare the Renegades to a police force and to emphasize the more ambiguous aspects of their vigilante origins, acknowledging that even at the beginning of their organization, the Renegades rationalized corrupt actions in the name of justice. While Adrian idealizes this past and sees it as a simpler approach, the author uses this passage to imply that the Renegades are not the heroes to the Anarchist “villains.” Instead, they are simply villains with a different goal in mind.

“Everyone wanted fire manipulation. It was a classic, and it came with so many applications, from lighting birthday candles to torching an entire warehouse stocked with illegal narcotics. Not that he’d ever stumbled across such a warehouse, but if he did, he liked knowing he could do something about it.”

Adrian’s character development reflects his ongoing quest to increase his own power, and this passage highlights the fact that he clearly desires to possess a dangerous level of power that serves no practical purpose. Thus, Adrian’s thoughts reveal that his view of power and control is overly simplistic and mirrors the same “might makes right” perspective that the Anarchists hold, even if he sees them as his enemies.

“If it wasn’t for our lot, then the boy with the barbed tail almost certainly would have been slaughtered at birth, his remains stuffed into a jar of formaldehyde for further examination.”

The starkly cynical tone of this passage conveys the intense abuses that many prodigies suffered before the Age of Anarchy, implying that they were once treated as subhuman by people without powers. Leroy’s reminder in this exchange presents an important dynamic, revealing that the Anarchists and the Renegades serve equally important roles within the ecosystem of superhumans. The comment also implies that both sides are equally capable of committing acts that span the full spectrum of morality.

“Tell her that the next time she goes after the Council, I’ll be there, waiting to destroy her. And I won’t wait for the Council’s permission to do it.”

The Sentinel’s statement in this scene encapsulates Adrian’s true self. While Adrian projects a heroic persona and ostensibly follow orders, the mask of the Sentinel allows him to pursue his own ends regardless of the moral implications, and his actions are therefore no better than those of Frostbite, who mistreats Anarchists and Renegades alike. Adrian’s sense of justice is too personal to truly be justice, and his threat to “destroy” Nightmare shows that he does not view her as a human being, but an amorphous, impersonal evil to defeat. This moment highlights the corruption that threatens to engulf Adrian, due to his overwhelming grief and his fear of being powerless.

“This was the fourth annual [trial] and it still gave him a sense of unease in his stomach. There was just something so ridiculous about it all—that the future of a prodigy could be decided based on a few questions and a thirty-second demonstration of their power. Could that really be all it took to decide whether or not someone was fit to be a hero? Capable of fighting for justice, defending the weak, protecting the city? He seriously doubted it, and what’s more, he suspected that if he’d been forced to enter through the trials, he might not have made it.”

While Gatlon City has overcome many real-world social issues, Adrian’s thoughts touch upon the problems of the dangerous new meritocracy that the existence of supernatural powers has created, which arises from a misguided assumption that “might makes right.” In this brave new world, people with showy or powerful abilities gain greater power and recognition. Adrian’s rhetorical questions about the nature of heroism also reflect his nagging doubts about the wisdom of the current system, even as he engages in a level of vigilantism that takes full advantage of the hypocrisy inherent in the Renegades’ regime.

“To no longer be seen as a parasite in society. To be feared would be so much better than this—the sneering, the mocking, the small-minded insults from people who would rather be kept under the thumbs of their idols than be allowed to live free, by their own will and choices.”

This passage highlights the cruel treatment that the Anarchists receive on a societal level, especially when the word “parasite” emphasizes Nova’s anger at being rejected and disrespected for most of her life. This, in turn, implies that if the Anarchists had been treated with more kindness and respect, Nova’s perspective on the world could have been entirely different. At the same time, Nova’s belief that only the Anarchists are capable of free thought is ironic, since she is completely dominated by her own idol—Ace Anarchy.

“Hugh and Simon liked to start new family traditions every few months, and over the years had cycled through everything from Friday board-game nights to summer picnics at the park to a short stint in which they agreed to all go jogging together at six a.m. every morning, which had lasted exactly one day. Adrian knew it was their way of trying, as though after all these years his dads still weren’t convinced that the three of them really were a family.”

This passage projects an image of an idealized family—a vision that Hugh and Simon are determined to create—and their struggle emphasizes the difficulties faced by adoptive families. Even if these difficulties are imaginary—as Adrian is undoubtedly their son, adopted or not—these deeper worries still affect the family’s collective emotional reality. This issue connects to Adrian’s own unease over his mother’s death; while Adrian outwardly insists that he is part of Hugh and Simon’s family, he is still grieving over his mother, and this dynamic has an unseen effect on his dads.

“Even the Anarchists didn’t like to touch her. Not because being put to sleep was such a great tragedy, but because sleep left you vulnerable. She made people vulnerable.”

A major part of Nova’s characterization is her inability to rest, both literally and metaphorically, and she receives no comfort or reprieve from her relationships with others. Touch is a vital part of human connection, and vulnerability is inherent to this dynamic. Therefore, Nova has been essentially cut off from any form of emotional intimacy since childhood, and this spiritual isolation warps her perception of herself and others.

“So why do you keep dealing with things like painting over graffiti, or stepping in on behalf of a clerk who can’t figure out the correct change? Why not set up a non-prodigy police force to deal with situations that don’t need a… you know. A superhero.”

Nova’s question addresses the central issue of what role “ordinary” humans play in a world with superheroes. The Anarchists believe that no police forces should exist at all, but the Renegades take the burdens of governance and law enforcement upon themselves. Neither model provides space for people without superpowers, and Nova’s question is a sign of her increasing awareness of the disparities between the two factions’ beliefs.

“A woman entered the circular room wearing a cumbersome suit, complete with a full-face shield and self-contained breathing apparatus. Though most of the suit was pristine and white, it was embellished with metallic cuffs around the wrists, ankles, and throat. It looked like the sort of uniform one would wear to scour a nuclear wasteland. The woman carried a white medical box.”

The imagery in this section emphasizes the stark isolation of Max’s life, and although the situation is clearly a harmful one, the mistreatment he receives is not considered to be a crime, because the Renegades define the laws as they see fit. Max’s dehumanizing lifestyle is recognized by no one except Nova, an outsider, as everyone else has been desensitized to the situation and has come to believe that personal value is derived from superpowers, not from someone’s inherent humanity.

 “On one of the walls Nova noticed a thirty-year-old calendar, still stuck on July, showing a faded photo of some far-off coastal town, where all the sun-bleached buildings were painted in shades of coral and peach. Nova could imagine some bored office drone dreaming about traveling there someday, a place as different from Gatlon City as they could possibly get.”

This passage highlights the disparity between the past and the present, proving that in many ways, Gatlon City has not progressed much in 30 years. Even now, the remnants of the past still haunt the present, reminding everyone of how the world used to be. This image of a boring but idyllic past is essentially harmless, but the specific idea of imagining a place outside Gatlon City highlights how isolated the city has become from the rest of the world.

“She figured she might as well use this reconnaissance mission to start breaking [her shoes] in, though now she could tell it wasn’t necessary. They were, in fact, ridiculously comfortable, and a part of her hated the Renegades for winning even at this.”

By emphasizing the higher quality of the Renegade supplies, the author indicates that this is a class war as well as a war of ideals. Nova has grown up in poverty and has never owned quality items. Her resentment therefore fuels her existing anger toward the Renegades, who carelessly wield their extreme privilege. While the Anarchists want to create a world where everyone fights for supplies and the strongest get the most, the Renegades’ choice to drive their enemies into squalor has not restored a healthy balance to the world.

“A Renegade team walking right into our hands. The Captain’s son, no less. Finally, our chance to show them the pain and loss we’ve had to suffer. And you ruined it!”

A dominant aspect of Ingrid’s character is her inability to think ahead, but this passage reveals that her talent in this regard is tainted by her anger and her taste for vengeance and violence. Notably, although Adrian and the others are children, Ingrid is eager to kill them simply because they are Renegades. Her lack of mercy forces Nova to question her own belief in the Anarchists’ cause, given that Ingrid judges others’ value by their ability to help her to hurt her enemies.

“As she watched Narcissa fall, sobbing, over her grandfather’s body, Nova knew that she could not have killed him. Not even to protect herself. What sort of villain did that make her?”

As Nova ventures into the Renegades’ ranks, their differing worldview forces her to redefine her own understanding of morality. While she claims to want people to have the freedom to do what they want, the Anarchist beliefs that she has been taught focus on doing whatever is necessary to survive. Nova’s realization that she cannot live up to these dangerous ideals makes her feel like she is betraying her true self, but in reality, this moment represents a key moment in her inner development, directly paralleling her later choice to kill Detonator in order to protect the lives of others and to safeguard her own personal cause.

“Nova shut her eyes and thought, if she were a villain worthy of the name, she would be with them now. Celebrating, or mourning. And if she were a hero, she would be hurrying to help any Renegades who might be trapped and hurt beneath the rubble. Instead, she listened to the sounds of a city in distress, and did nothing.”

In this moment of physical and spiritual isolation, Nova undergoes an intense identity crisis that is layered in her questions about the nature of community. Both the Renegades and the Anarchists have intense flaws, and both factions also enforce a specific code of conduct among their members. Nova’s inability to fully align with the ideals of either side forces her into a space that she finds to be devastatingly lonely and paralyzing.

“Perhaps the most unnerving part of seeing them there was that his dads, like the others, were wearing their iconic superhero uniforms—not the gray bodysuits the current Renegades wore, but the vigilante costumes they had long ago become famous for. The Dread Warden in his black cape and domino mask. The Captain in muscle-defining Lycra and shoulder armor.”

The costumes that Adrian’s dads wear are designed to reflect the aesthetic of traditional superhero costumes like those of iconic figures such as Superman and Batman. The Council’s choice to wear costumes to conduct official business symbolically separates them from the other Renegades, establishing their dominance over and separation from the group that they lead. The Council therefore uses costumes to leverage power over the other Renegades, reminding them of their role in “saving the world” from the Anarchists.

“He made it seem so easy, diffusing the tension. Respecting their weaknesses—in this case, they all knew that Oscar’s body was still recovering from the exertion of the day before, even if he would never admit to how much he was hurting.”

This passage highlights Adrian’s kindness even as it reveals the difficulties that Oscar faces as a Renegade. Being a Renegade is a symbol of power and capability, yet Oscar must engage in acts of internalized ableism by faking his own health to maintain his image as a hero. While Adrian “creates” a safe space for Oscar, it is clear that the culture of the Renegades is far more ableist than they will ever admit. Oscar’s inability to ask for accommodations or assert his own needs alludes to the Renegades’ dogmatic rejection of weakness in any form.

“They were not superheroes. They were frauds, and this whole system that was meant to protect and serve was nothing more than a failed social experiment. She could see now that many Renegades had good intentions—Adrian was proof enough—but it didn’t change the fact that their society was not being run by strong, competent leaders, but by dictators who had put themselves in this position of power without cause, and now had no idea what to do with it.”

At this stage in the series, Nova’s political opinions have little room for nuance. While Renegade-run society has many issues, her choice to label their regime a dictatorship is an oversimplification, demonstrating that she is reluctant to let go of her uncompromising worldview. Nova’s critiques of the world hold some merit, but her assumption that everything around her is evil and will fail illustrates that her opinions are fueled by personal fears rather than objective analysis.

“[W]hen Adrian was around, she was finding it more and more difficult to keep her eyes scanning for exits and resources, or her senses attuned to potential threats, when all she really wanted to do was study him. She wanted to know how he managed to strike that balance between self-assured and humble. Relaxed, yet focused.”

Nova’s positive response to Adrian emphasizes his ability to exude a sense of safety for himself and his team. The novel therefore creates an implicit parallel between Adrian and Ace—two leadership figures who make Nova feel safe in vastly different ways. Ace manipulates Nova’s fears and trains her to react and respond to them, while Adrian’s natural demeanor soothes and reassures her. This contrast also draws attention to Adrian’s role as a stabilizing element in Nova’s life, for he symbolizes the peace that she can find on the Renegade side of the war.

“Nova stopped when she was an arm’s length away from the helmet, overcome with memories. Uncle Ace standing over the sleeping form of a murderer, looking at Nova with both sadness and awe. Ace making the bells of the cathedral thunder and chime, just to bring a smile to Nova’s face.”

Nova’s entire backstory is shaped by people who do not care about her as an individual, and the intense imagery in this passage shows that Ace is important to her because Nova believes that he sees her for who she is, not for the benefit that her powers might bring. Nova’s need to be seen as an individual worthy of love is heavily shaped by her trauma, and she clings to Ace for stability and reshapes her entire identity according to his values.

“Adrian’s gaze slipped past her, darting around the front room. The tattered furniture, the stained carpet, the peeling wallpaper. Though he said nothing and his expression remained perfectly neutral, Nova had the distinct sense that her real home wasn’t adding up to be much better than the gutter he’d imagined.”

The novel frequently indicates that class differences are a vital thread in the war between the Anarchists and the Renegades. Nova’s self-awareness about the decrepit state of her home—combined with Adrian’s refusal to acknowledge this fact—emphasizes the unspoken tension that exists between different social classes. The relative wealth of Adrian’s parents has given him an innate sense of privilege, while Nova must live in perpetual squalor. This difference also symbolizes their respective ideologies; Adrian believes that he can change the system by himself, while Nova is constantly aware of the flaws in her life and in the world.

“She doubted the Renegades would ever recruit someone who didn’t have at least a little bit of a superpower, but Danna and Adrian had both suggested that she could stay on the team even if Max had stolen her ability. And if that was possible, maybe a non-prodigy could someday be accepted too.”

The novel frequently emphasizes the different ways in which superhumans and ordinary people are valued. Nova is painfully aware that those without powers are dismissed as useless and decreed to have no “meaning” to society—except as people who need the protection of the superheroes. Nova, who has been excluded from mainstream society for most of her life, worries for those who are not welcome in the club of the Renegades, and her idealistic goal is to create a world without dividing lines.