Creation

Gail Runciter was created by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck and John Beatty. First appeared in Captain America #268 in February 1982.

Major Story Arcs

Runciter was in the same SHIELD training class as Wendell Vaughan, who eventually became Quasar. After being promoted to a field agent, her responsibilities brought her into contact with Captain America. She became attracted to him, but his feelings for her were complicated by his romance with Bernie Rosenthal and a botched mop-up operation she led on the castle of Baron Helmut Zemo, in which innocents turned into mostly harmless mutates were killed. Later, she invited Captain America into her apartment and propositioned him. He declined, telling her that he was romantically involved with someone else. Runciter pushed, telling Captain America, "No one has to know." He left her alone in her apartment.

In spite of this faux pas, she was still able to work alongside Captain America. She helped him thwart the Viper's attempt to release an aggressive strain of bubonic plague in the United States.

At some point, Runciter was abducted by Project: Delta. She was placed in suspended animation and replaced with a Life Model Decoy. Eventually, Runciter and the other SHIELD agents taken by the Deltite Conspiracy were found in the core of SHIELD Central. They were revived and observed for any signs of HYDRA brainwashing.