Runners, aka "ghosts," are the souls of the deceased who manage to avoid Judgment by fleeing from Jack and avoiding his capture. Jack, in an act of sympathy, usually allows some runners an hour to come to terms with the existential trauma of recognizing they're dead, and most willingly come back to him after they calm down. Those who continue running are usually captured shortly because Jack knows the places in their life they're likely to return to. Once taken to Judgment, they will be judged as normal as simply avoiding Jack will not make any major new stains on their record.
All attempts to avoid Judgment are temporary as Jack will eventually find them, but some successful runners can avoid him for years, decades or even centuries if they find isolated areas to hide. They are stuck on Earth as long they avoid divine detection, and are imperceptible to all but the very young.
The actions of runners around the living reflect what's traditionally known as "ghosts" and their continued presence and activities in an area will be interpreted by the living as a "haunting." Ghosts who have had training by other ghosts can interact with the world around them, including tormenting and teasing the living. Ghosts wishing to avoid Jack will usually avoid doing too much to attract attention however.
Jack can spot spot runners while investigating supernatural activity or simply stumbling on one while collecting a separate soul. He usually has zero tolerance for a runner and collects them immediately upon detection. Runners can be injured by other ghosts or Jack as long as they're on Earth, including rending off limbs and other violent assaults.
In rare instances, runners who are initially destined for Hell have an opportunity to redeem themselves if they assist Jack in stopping evildoers. Jack himself cannot offer any bargains or guarantee them leniency, but their actions on Earth, even as ghosts, are still being judged and righteous actions can result in them ending up in Purgatory instead.
Canon appearances[]
- Arc XXX: Those That Run
- Arc XXXVII: Megan's Run
- Arc XIII: One Way To Win (Attempted Runner, first mention of the term runner)