Gail Gibbons

**Gail Gibbons**, also known as the superhero **Golden Gail**, is one of the lead characters in *Black Hammer*. When she was nine, Gail gained the ability to access the powers of the wizard Zafram by saying his name, which would transform her into Golden Gail. While Gail ages, her Golden Gail counterpart retains her appearance as a nine-year-old girl.

## History

### Golden Age ( 1940s )

When Gail was nine years old, she ran away from the Spiral City Orphanage one night during a thunderstorm. While taking shelter under the marquee of an abandoned movie theater palace, she is asked by a mysterious, shadowed figure in the ticket booth why she is out on the street at night all alone. She then asks him if he is a "copper", which the stranger replies that he simply a friend who wants Gail to be safe and give her a movie ticket. Within seconds, the man vanishes from the booth. Confused, Gail goes into the theater out of curiosity. On stage stands the stranger, revealing himself to be Zafram the wizard, who then grants Gail her powers via saying his name. Zafram then explains that he had been imprisoned in her world for eons and it was prophesied that someone worthy and pure of heart will inherit his power. Suddenly he collapses on stage, dying in while being cradled by Gail. Before his death, Zafram's last request was for Gail is to say his name.

Using her newfound abilities, she fought crime on the streets of Spiral City as Golden Gail, America's superpowered sweetheart, while balancing her life as a civilian student. During World War 2, she ( along with Abraham Slam ) joined up with the Liberty Squadron against the Axis forces in Europe. After the war had ended , it was around this era that Sherlock Frankenstein became her main archnemesis.

### Silver Age ( 1950s - 1960s )

As Gail Gibbons continued her double life as a superhero and grew into a young woman, she began to resent her alter ego as she was forced to turn back into her nine year old self every time she uttered "Zafram" and often thought of quitting entirely due to this. This led Gail to being hesitant with saying her magic word during some emergency situations that needed her help, particularly around people her own age, as Gail was afraid this would expose her as Golden Gail. This was done less to protect Gail's secret identity and more as a way to prevent from embarrassing her in front of her peers as well as her boyfriend, as Gail believed that no one would want to date her if they knew she could transform into an adolescent superhero.

During one episode during the 1950s as a teenager, Gail went to the local drive-in theater to see her boyfriend at the time, Rex Pacer, drag race against Dirk Atwood. As they were both racing, an alien being born from the Para-Zone enter this dimension and time period and latched on unto Dirk's face, causing him to lose control of the wheal and crash into Rex's car. Seeing the cars collide, Gail turns into Golden Gail and rushed into action. When Gail approached the now-possessed Dirk, the creature fired a green energy blast at her from its eye. Unharmed, she tackled Dirk and ripped the interdimensional parasite from his face. After the creature fled and went back to the Para-Zone, she ran to pull Rex from the wreckage, only to discover him dead inside. Gail laments over the death of her lover and the "gift" of Zafram that now feels like a dreadful curse.

### Bronze Age ( 1970s )

As Gail approached middle age, began to somewhat like her Golden Gail form, seeing it as a kind of fountain of youth to retain her energy and life as a way to deal with aging. Drained from decades-old superheroics and wanting, in her words, to live a "real life", Golden Gail decided to give four other individuals a portion of Zafram's power and formed the Golden Family, in the hopes of passing the Golden torch to worthy successors.

Golden Gail was invited to attend the funeral of the recently slain young hero The Slam, although Gail watched the service in her civilian identity from a distance, as she didn't want it to seem that her alter ego was endorsing government-sponsored superheroes. She also meet Abraham Slamkowski out of costume there, where she discloses her secret identity to him. Gail remarks to Abe that he was always "the craziest of them", considering that Abe fought crime without superpowers and continued his vigilantism even into old age. She also tells Abe that she is retiring as Golden Gail and advices him to do the same, claiming world doesn't need them anymore.

One day, Gail called her Golden Family for a meeting at the original movie theater where Zafram bestowed his powers to her. When Gail arrives in her superhero identity, she explains how proud the wizard would have been of them and proud she is. Confused, Golden Gwen asks Gail if she is okay. Gail then reveals that she gave her powers to the Golden Family not only so they can share her adventures with them, but so that they would eventually replace. Suddenly, Gail transforms herself back into her civilian identity, announcing her retirement. When asked by her team if she would be needed if a new threat arises, she says that isn't her concern anymore and tells them to "deal with it" on their own.

Soon after retiring, Gail visits Sherlock Frankenstein (apparently no longer a supervillain and now the CEO of a large corporation) in her Golden Gail form at his high-rise office. There, Gail admits her romantic feelings for and kisses him. For next few years, Gail and Sherlock were romantic partners and often spend time with each other's company.

### Cataclysm ( 1986 )

While enjoying a night with Sherlock Frankenstein on his yacht, Sherlock asks Gail if she misses her life as a superhero. Gail tells that she's done with that life and only wants to be with him. Before Sherlock can tell her that he loves her, Gail is suddenly teleported (along with the other heroes of Spiral City) to New World in her Golden Gail form. When Starlok warns them that Anti-God is heading to Earth and they must stop him, Gail refuses, saying she is retired. Black Hammer then informs her that she and the rest of her comrades are last remaining heroes Earth has, as Y-Force, The Lightriders, and the Golden Family have all been defeated and killed. Gail quickly changes her position and decides to join with the rest of her team.

During the battle against Ant-God, a large explosion consumed the Spiral City heroes and dislodged them from their reality. They later woke up on a farm with no memory of how they got there. Soon after, Gail discovers she can no longer transform back into her true self even when saying her magic word.

### Rockwood ( 1986 - 1996 )

Stuck in the body of a child, Gail was forced to assume the identity of Abraham's granddaughter for the next years, as part of a cover story for the former heroes to blend in with the locals.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

* **Flight:** She can fly miles up into the air and travel at high speeds from long distances.
* **Super-Strength:** She able to left up objects more than hundreds of pounds than her and ten times her size, such as cars, and is able to punch robots made of solid steel.
* **Super-Speed:** She can travel on gun at speeds faster than most normal humans.
* **Invulnerability:** She is immune from most forms of damage, such as powerful energy blasts and bullets from guns.

### Abilities

* **Gymnastics:**
* **Hand-to-hand combat:**

## Weaknesses

### **Biological**

* **Aging:** When not in her Golden Gail form, she has the same strength and abilities as any normal human woman her and she does not remain in the same state as she grows old.
* **Smoking:**
* **Alcoholism:**

## Equipment

* **Hero Costume:** Golden Gail wears a superhero costume with a black domino mask hiding her face. Her white skirt contrasts with the bright orange cape and vest she wears. Her symbol is a stylized yellow "G" made to resemble a lighting bolt on her chest.

### Allies

```
Spiral City Heroes

```

* Mark Marz
* Abraham Slama
* TLK-E WLK-E
	+ - A-Train
		- The Deep - Friend
		- Stormfront † - Former Girlfriend, Former Colleague, and Former Rival
		- Translucent † - Former Colleague
		- Lamplighter † - Former Colleague
* Mesmer † - Informant
* Naqib † - Test Subject
* Victoria Neuman - Situational Ally
* Storm Chasers - Supporters
* Todd - Fan

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### Enemies

* Vought International
	+ Stan Edgar - Boss
	+ Madelyn Stillwell † - Former Boss, Former Love Interest and Victim
	+ Jonah Vogelbaum † - Creator, Former Father Figure
	+ Unnamed Teacher † - Former Mother Figure and Victim (Unintentional; Spine broken, didn't control his strength)
	+ The Seven
		- Supersonic † - Former Colleague and Victim
		- Black Noir † - Former Colleague, Former Friend, Former Rival and Victim
* Queen Maeve - Ex-Girlfriend and Former Colleague
* The Boys
	+ Grace Mallory
	+ Billy Butcher - Former Situational Ally, Attempted Victim, and Attempted Killer
	+ Hughie Campbell - Attempted Victim and Attempted Killer
	+ Mother's Milk
	+ Frenchie
	+ The Female
	+ Annie January - Former Colleague
* Elena
* Kenji Miyashiro † - Attempted Victim
* Blindspot

### Victims

* Becca Butcher † - Rape Victim, Mother of Child, rival Parent
* Mayor of Baltimore † - Victim (Intentional; Crashed their plane, wanted to ensure Compound V remained secret)
* Mayor of Baltimore's Son † - Victim (Intentional; Crashed their plane, wanted to ensure Compound V remained secret)
* Popclaw † - Indirect Victim (Intentional; Ordered A-Train to kill, wanted to ensure Compound V remained secret)
* Unnamed Shooter † - Victim (Intentional; Punched through chest, "got carried away")
* Passengers of Flight 37 † - Indirect Victims (Intentional; Abandoned to die, botched rescue attempt)
	+ Unnamed Mother † - Indirect Victim, Passenger of Flight 37 (Intentional; Abandoned to die, botched rescue attempt)
	+ Unnamed Daughter † - Indirect Victim, Passenger of Flight 37 (Intentional; Abandoned to die, botched rescue attempt)
	+ Unnamed Husband † - Indirect Victim, Passenger of Flight 37, recorded the incident (Intentional; Abandoned to die, botched rescue attempt)
* Several Unnamed Syrian Terrorists † - Victims (Intentional; Eviscerated by Heat Vision, "Doing his job")
* Unnamed Syrian Terrorist † - Victim (Intentional; head crushed under Homelander's boot, "Enjoying his job")
* Unnamed Syrian Terrorist † - Victim (Intentional; Bisected by Heat Vision, "Finishing his job")
* Madelyn Stillwell † - Victim (Intentional; Eyes melted with Heat Vision, because she lied to him)
* Doppelganger † - Perverse sexual partner and victim (Intentional; Neck snapped, to prove a point)
* Unnamed Super-Villain † - Victim (Intentional; Shot in the abdomen with heat vision, "Doing his job")
* Unnamed Teenage Boy † - Accidental Victim (Unintentional; Mortally wounded in the abdomen by heat vision, "Collateral Damage")
* Unnamed Armed Robber † - Victim (Intentional; Head crushed by Homelander's hand using his super strength, serving out his own form of "justice")
* Vought Mercenary † - Victim (Intentional; cut in half with Heat vision, conspiring to steal his son)
* 6 Vought Mercenaries † - Victims (Intentional; unknown, conspiring to steal his son)
* Chelsea † - Victim (Intentional; threatened to jump off a building, suicide rescue turned show of force)
* Octopus named Timothy † - Indirect Victim (Intentional; eaten alive by The Deep, forced by Homelander)
* Supersonic † - Victim (Intentional; brutally beaten to death, to make an example to Starlight to not betray him)
* Termite † - Victim (Intentional; stepped on while shrunken down)
* Black Noir † - Victim (Intentional; Perforated in the belly, lied to him for years)
* Unnamed Protestor † - Victim (Intentional; Decapitated with heat vision, threw a drink at his son)

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## Trivia

* Golden Gail is based on DC Comics' Shazam ( formerly known as Captain Marvel).