Zumbado

"*Can be hard once you realize you're not like everyone else. It was for me. People start to look at you differently. But the trick is learning to control your powers. I used to be ashamed of who I was. Thought something was wrong with me, but there's not. World's full of sheep. I was meant for more. I finally realized... Why be a sheep when you can be a wolf?*"
—Zumbado to Naomi[src]
**Zumbado** is a main character on The CW's superhero drama *Naomi*. He is portrayed by Cranston Johnson.

Zumbado is the mysterious owner of a local used car lot. Having heard troubling rumors about his past, Naomi actively tries to avoid him, but a tense encounter leaves her both shaken and curious.

## Biography

### Following Naomi

Zumbado follows Naomi to Main Street, where she takes photos at the sight of the attack involving Superman. He remains hidden within the darkness of the alley as she passes by. Later, he follows her to Red River Forest, where he tells her to hand over the ancient disk she discovered in the rubble. He questions why out of all the comic book heroes in the world, she idolizes Superman. Clearly, she feels some kind of connection to him. As he approaches, her powers begin to manifest and the surrounding leaves begin to float off the ground. Zumbado isn't surprised nor intimidated, and recalls how hard it was for him when he realized that he wasn't like everyone else, but the trick is learning how to control their powers. He used to be ashamed of who he was, but he realized that in a world full of sheep, he's a wolf. Naomi screams at him to stay back, which causes a force of energy to knock her to the ground. Zumbado then grabs the disk and tells Naomi not to believe everything she thinks.

Zumbado follows Naomi and her friends to the abandoned mill just a few miles way from Falls Creek. He agrees to allow her friends to leave, so long as Naomi stays behind. When asked what he wanted, Zumbado explains that she needs to stay out of this before she gets hurt. Naomi then conjures a vortex of energy around her. He's impressed, as she's much more focused than when they were in the woods, but using her powers will only get her into trouble, he warns her. Naomi wants to know what happened on March 14th and asks to know what the markings mean, but Zumbado simply blows a gust of wind in Naomi's direction, knocking her to the ground and warning her to never come back.

### Reuniting the Twenty-Nine

After sixteen years apart, Zumbado tracks down Akira, an old friend of his, though she has still not forgotten or forgiven him, as he's the reason she can never return to her home planet. When she questions how he found her, Zumbado reveals that he found the disk and the girl, who Akira warns him to stay away from, but he can't do that, especially since her abilities are starting to manifest. Not only are they not safe in their own world, they're no longer safe on earth with the government hunting their kind down, Akira informs Zumbado.

Zumbado is confronted by Mrs. Anderson after being told by Naomi and Annabelle that he sold someone a car at a discounted rate, which Zumbado insists isn't true, as he's simply a small business owner. When Naomi proposes that the lady check the lot for a cheaper car, Zumbado is forced to accompany her, leaving Naomi and Annabelle unattended in his office. Later, when he checks his safe, Zumbado discovers that Naomi has stolen the replica disk he created, while the real disk remains hidden inside a secret compartment. Zumbado grabs the disk and places it on a tiny altar, causing it to glow.

Zumbado returns to Akira's art gallery, where he shows her the now glowing disk, reminding Akira that Naomi is the only one who can make it glow. Whether Naomi is ready or not, it's time to reunite their people. Naomi and the disk are how they take back their planet. Zumbado recalls him and Akira being allies once, and he would like to be that again, but Akira will never trust him again. That said, Zumbado informs Akira that what he has planned is bigger than any one person and that if she won't help him, he will at least make certain that she can't stop him. He then returns to the dealership, where he opens his journal to a page labeled "The Twenty-Nine" and crosses Akira's name off the list.

Zumbado receives an unexpected visit from Naomi, who instead of attempting to steal the disk again, simply asks for him to hand it over, even as he warns her to go home. She knows that he's not from this earth and that the numbers on the disk say the Twenty-Nine, but Zumbado assures Naomi that she doesn't know nearly as much as she thinks. When she refuses to leave without the disk, Zumbado hands it over, reminding Naomi of what he told her before: "Don't believe everything you think."

Zumbado enters his office to find a strange man waving a device around his desk. The man has come in search of something, but not necessarily a car. When Zumbado asks what he wants, the man replies that he wants something rare, valuable, and powerful enough to be dangerous. Zumbado warns him that he's getting in over his head and tells him to leave.

### Hunting the bounty hunter

Zumbado is visited at his dealership by Dee after learning that he too encountered the bounty hunter. Zumbado claims none of this would've happened if Dee stayed away from Naomi as they agreed, but Dee explains that she came to him despite initially making a deal with Zumbado, who tells Dee never to come back. However, Dee can't leave just yet, as the bounty hunter is still on their earth. And so, the two of them work together to track down Jaeger, who carries a device, a record of his targets. And if they can get this, they'll know who sent him. When Jaeger refuses to talk, Zumbado knocks him to the ground and takes the device from his pocket to gather more information on his employer. And while his employer is of no threat to Dee, Zumbado reveals that there's another name on the list that will be of interest to him, that being Qyeala.

### Saving Naomi from S.T.A.R Labs

Zumbado breaks into the McDuffie home to warn Greg and Jennifer. Someone is coming for Naomi, and her presence in Port Oswego puts them all in danger. It's time for them to leave, but Greg informs Zumbado that he doesn't answer to him. Zumbado grabs Greg's gun, which he previously knocked out of Greg's hand with his abilities, places it on the table, and advises him to deal with the situation, or else he'll take matters into his own hands.

Zumbado knocks Naomi off her skateboard to have a chat with her, more specifically to tell her to stay away from S.T.A.R. Labs and Dr. Bell, who is dangerous, as is the device he stole from her, which could be used to ruin their planet. She's proven time and time again that she's not ready for this or to think for herself or even ask the hard questions. Naomi insists that he's wrong and uses her abilities against Zumbado, who deflects two of Naomi's energy fueled attacked before throwing her own energy back at her and knocking Naomi off her feet, remarking that she's such a disappointment. To make matters worse, Naomi ignores his warning and returns to S.T.A.R Labs, where Dr. Bell tries to steal her powers. Fortunately, Zumbado arrives in time to save Naomi and carry her away.

After fending off some guards and allowing Naomi to regain consciousness, Zumbado escorts her to the electrical room, where they hide out until they can find a way to escape S.T.A.R Labs. Realizing that he can no longer protect Naomi from the truth, using mental teleportation, he shows her what happened to Earth-29. While escaping through a ventilation duct filled with plasma, he shares with Naomi the day on Earth-29 when everything changed. He was at work one day, working on a lift, when a purple meteor shower came hurtling down into earth's atmosphere, knocking Zumbado off the lift. He fell off the lift, but hovered above the ground, as the meteor shower gave him powers. Though, he was not alone. One day, he was approached by Akira, who could manipulate fire and believed that their gaining of abilities was destiny. There were 29 of them total, and they used their abilities to save people. Unfortunately, no amount of heroic actions could save their dying world. And to make matters worse, they were being hunted by a man named Brutus, who divided the Twenty Nine by telling Akira that Zumbado gave him the disk and betrayed them.

Zumbado and Naomi escape down the stairwell, as Zumbado shares with Naomi that it took some time for him to adapt to this earth. He discovered that people like them, were treated differently, and not just because of their powers. As they near the service exit, Zumbado stays behind to hold off the guards so that Naomi can escape, which leads to his capture by Dr. Bell, who intends to repurpose his power to create a portal. However, Zumbado is rescued by Naomi and escapes. The next day, he reveals to Naomi that she was the child of two members of the Twenty-Nine, and this is why Brutus hunted them down. Zumbado knew her parents well and made them a promise: that if anything were to happen to them, he would find Naomi and keep her safe. Which he did. By the time he arrived on this earth, he saw that she'd been adopted by the McDuffies and was being well cared for. And now that she knows the truth, they must prepare, as Brutus will send more people after her.

### Training for war

Zumbado and Dee are at odds over the best method to train Naomi. Zumbado isn't impressed with Dee's hand-to-hand and weaponry training, as they will do little to help her fend off alien attackers. He proposes that maybe it's time Naomi find a new teacher, such as himself, and goes behind Dee's back to train Naomi. Their first lesson is flight, which Naomi is doubtful is an ability she even possesses. Still, Zumbado tries to coach her to find the confidence to at least try. When that doesn't work and he fails once more to convince Dee to accelerate the emergence of Naomi's powers, he challenges Dee to a hand-to-hand fight to determine who will train Naomi. Between the two of them, Dee is clearly the superior fighter, but Zumbado refuses to back down and then proceeds to use his powers to launch random car parts and miscellaneous items at Dee, breaking the rules of engagement. Zumabdo explains that there's no honor with Naomi's enemies, who will use every underhanded tactic they can. With this, they come to an agreement that Naomi will need the both of them to prepare for the battle ahead.

After Zumbado gets word from Dee that he received an unexpected visit from Commander Steel, Zumbado reveals to Dee that Naomi told him that someone broke into her house and stole the disk, and that there may be another being amongst them. Given the imminent danger they all face, Zumbado and Dee decide to warn the McDuffies personally, during their anniversary party. Zumbado also warns Naomi that if there is another alien at the party, she should consider why they may want to stay hidden. After learning from Greg and Jen that Commander Steel found Naomi's birth rock and that he may be on to them, the McDuffies decide to initiate their contingency plan, which consists of Zumbado and Jen sneaking onto the base and planting evidence on Steel's computer to frame him. However, in doing so, they discover that Steel has been watching them and suspects Naomi of being an alien. Zumbado and Jen also argue over whether Zumbado was right to tell Naomi the truth.

After Naomi learns that her parents are also aliens, which Zumbado was already aware of, he tells her that they too are from Earth-29. He met them on their home planet and they seemed like good people, so when he came to earth and saw them caring for Naomi, he knew she was in good hands. Zumbado is later confronted by Greg, who blames him for sending Naomi down her current path, but Zumbado reminds Greg he had 16 years to tell Naomi the truth. However, the reason Greg came was not to argue, rather seek out Zumbado's help, as the military are still going after aliens, Naomi included, which has become easier than ever now that they've got a prototype that can detect alien energy, which came together after the incident at S.T.A.R. Labs, which was caused by Naomi, meaning her energy is all over the site. So, Zumbado and Greg go to S.T.A.R. Labs to erase Naomi's energy and discuss Naomi's destiny.

Zumbado receives a visit from Akira, who warns him that Brutus has found Naomi and that he sent Mac to retrieve her. Zumabdo suspects that Akira is working with them, but she insists that she isn't. And so, the two of them go searching for Naomi together and find her in a fight at the shipyard with Mac, who flees. After saving Naomi, they go back to the lot for drinks and to discuss how they're going to protect Naomi and her loved ones.

Zumbado and the McDuffies learn from Dee that there's a force field around the school, trapping Naomi and her friends inside. Fortunately, Zumbado has a plan to disrupt the force field around the school, but they need to go to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Greg reveals that there's a quantum machine that is similarly being protected by a force field. Zumbado believes the force field at the school is connected to the device on the quantum machine. And so, he and Dee go to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Zumbado uses his power on the quantum machine to hopefully dampen the force field around it, allowing for Dee to penetrate it with help from his nth wrist guard and destroy the device, but when there's no explosion, they realize it was merely a decoy. Fortunately, Naomi manages to save her friends herself.

After meeting with Dee, Akira, and the McDuffies to determine Naomi's future, during which they agree to get her out of town for her own safety, Zumbado and Dee warn Lourdes and Anthony to go away after they come to Dee's shop asking questions about the Superman incident. After they leave, Zumbado and Dee follow them out to the woods, where they are attacked by Julian. Zumbado and Dee defend Naomi's friends and scare Julian off. They take Lourdes and Anthony back to the shop, where they reveal that they're aliens and Naomi's protectors.

Zumbado receives an unexpected visit from Naomi at the dealership. She's returning the disk, which leads him to realize that she's running, which he advises her against, as he believes that she's a hero, telling Naomi that it's up to her to decide who she is. Zumbado is then taken along with the rest of Naomi's guardians by Julian and the Assassin and placed in a power dampening room, where they realize that they're being used as bait to lure Naomi out. Fortunately, Naomi and her friends manage to track them down and free them. Zumbado and Dee then go searching for Naomi. After crossing paths with Julian, Zumbado and Akira open a portal to Earth-29 to rescue Naomi, who has decided to confront Brutus. However, Akira decides to stay behind to make sure the portal remains closed.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

* **Alien physiology:** Due to his alien physiology, Zumbado has demonstrated abilities.
	+ **Telekinesis**: Zumbado possesses the ability to move objects with his mind, demonstrated when he disarmed Greg of his gun.
		- **Transmutation**: Zumbado was able to create a replica of the Disk and allowed Naomi to steal it.
	+ **Superhuman Durability**: Zumbado did not show any visible injuries despite being punched by Dee.
	+ **Superhuman strength:** Zumbado was able to rip a car door off a burning vehicle to save the people inside.
	+ **Energy projection:** Zumbado was able to contain Naomi's energy and project it back at her.
	+ **Telepathy:** Zumbado has displayed the ability to reach into people’s mind and to bring them into his.
		- **Mental Teleportation:** During the escape from S.T.A.R. Labs, Zumbado was able to temporarily meld his and Naomi minds together, allowing him to share and transfer all the knowledge, emotions, and memories he had of their earth to Naomi.
	+ **Levitation**: After the meteors passed, Zumbado began to fall and right before he nearly hit the ground, he started to float.

### Abilities

* **High-level intellect/Great business acumen:** Zumbado is a very sharp-witted and methodical man, alert and adaptive to the situation.
* **Skilled hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist:** To an unknown degree, Zumbado is a skilled fighter able to handle himself in a fight against the S.T.A.R. Labs security.

## Appearances

### Season 1

* "Don't Believe Everything You Think"
* "Unidentified Flying Object"
* "Zero to Sixty"
* "Enigma"
* "Shadow Ridge"
* "Homecoming"
* "I Am Not a Used Car Salesman"
* "Fellowship of the Disc"
* "Keep Your Friends Close"
* "Fallout"
* "Worst Prom Ever"
* "Ready or Not"
* "Who Am I?"

## References

1. ↑ Season 1, Episode 1: ***"Don't Believe Everything You Think"***
2. ↑ Season 1, Episode 2: ***"Unidentified Flying Object"***
3. ↑ Season 1, Episode 3: ***"Zero to Sixty"***
4. ↑ Season 1, Episode 4: ***"Enigma"***
5. ↑ Season 1, Episode 5: ***"Shadow Ridge"***
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Season 1, Episode 6: ***"Homecoming"***
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Season 1, Episode 7: ***"I Am Not a Used Car Salesman"***
8. ↑ Season 1, Episode 8: ***"Fellowship of the Disc"***
9. ↑ Season 1, Episode 9: ***"Keep Your Friends Close"***
10. ↑ Season 1, Episode 10: ***"Fallout"***
11. ↑ Season 1, Episode 11: ***"Worst Prom Ever"***
12. ↑ Season 1, Episode 12: ***"Ready or Not"***
13. ↑ Season 1, Episode 13: ***"Who Am I?"***