Gloria James, also known as Cherry Bomb, was the sidekick of the Human Bomb.
History
Early Life
Gloria's father Professor Brian James was a chemist who assisted Roy Lincoln, the Human Bomb. Professor James was killed by a pair of criminals looking for a liquid that he had invented which could open any lock without damaging it. Gloria learned that Roy Lincoln was the human bomb and asked him to let her help him catch her father's killers but he refused. Using her knowledge of chemistry, she replicated the accident that gave Lincoln his explosive powers, destroying her lab in the process.
Lincoln found her and gave her a suit that would contain her powers like the one he wore, and trained her to control her powers. They brought her father's killers to justice and Gloria became Lincoln's sidekick Cherry Bomb. Unfortunately they soon discovered that, unlike Lincoln's, her powers were increasing over time and quickly grew beyond her ability to control, forcing her to remain permanently in her suit while Lincoln tried to find a cure.[1] However, she disappeared on July 5, 1942 and all memory of her was erased.[2]
The Thirteen
Gloria was one of thirteen heroes and villains who were erased from history when Barry Allen and Doctor Manhattan altered the timeline. The Time Masters preserved them by placing them in stasis pods in the Time Lab.[1][3] Per Degaton's meddling in the timeline caused the pods to fail and they were reintegrated back into history before the timeline was fully restored.[4]
Lost Children
A "time scavenger" known as The Childminder captured Gloria and many other forgotten sidekicks of Golden Age heroes before they could be fully restored to their proper place in history. They were imprisoned on Orphan Island, an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean outside the normal flow of time.[1][5] The sidekicks managed to defeat the Childminder and her employer, an adult version of Corky Baxter, with the help of Stargirl, Red Arrow and Hourman. As they could not be returned to their proper places in time, Hourman transported them to the present, where they became known as the Young Justice Society.[6]
The new Doctor Mid-Nite worked with Gloria to try and find a way for her to control her powers.[2] Unfortunately Doctor Mid-Nite was distracted with also trying to cure Wildcat, who had been possessed by Eclipso.[7]
Phantom Lady volunteered to mentor Gloria and Ladybug and introduced them to the modern version of the Freedom Fighters.[8]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Superhuman Durability: Gloria is immune to her own explosions and possesses limited resistance to other impacts such as bullets.
- Thermal-Blast
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Power Instability: Gloria is not in full control of her powers, and is forced to wear a fibro-wax containment suit to keep her from unintentionally detonating.
Notes
- Cherry Bomb was created by James Robinson, Paula Sevenbergen, and Jerry Ordway, first appearing in Earth-Prime #4. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Cherry Bomb first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in The New Golden Age #1 by Geoff Johns, Todd Nauck, and Matt Herms.
- However she was first mentioned Flashpoint Beyond #6
- According to The New Golden Age #1, James became Cherry Bomb in the year 1943 or later, while Justice Society of America (Volume 4) #6 establishes that Cherry Bomb vanished in 1942.
Trivia
- Supposedly, Gloria first appeared in Police Comics #25, but does not appear in said issue.
Related
- 11 Appearances of Gloria James (Prime Earth)
- 9 Images featuring Gloria James (Prime Earth)
- Quotations by or about Gloria James (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Gloria James (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
  This character is or was a member of the Freedom Fighters, a team of American super-heroes who fight threats to the nation and its ideals under the leadership of Uncle Sam. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Freedom Fighters members" category. |