CHERUB

Real Name: Gabriel Brathwaite

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: High school student, adventurer

Group Membership: Children of the Atom (Cyclops-Lass, Daycrawler, Gimmick, Marvel Guy)

Affiliations: Mr. Boggs, Cyclops (Scott Summers), Cyclops-Lass (Beatrice Bartholomew), Daycrawler (Jay Thomas), Gimmick (Carmen Maria Cruz), Maggott (Japheth), Magma (Amara Aquilla), Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), Marvel Guy (Benny Thomas), Arthur Nagan, Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), Pixie (Megan Gwynn), Carlina Reyes, Cole Rivera, Victor Rivera, Storm (Ororo Munroe), Aidan Thomas, Wolverine (Logan)

Enemies: Hell's Belles (Briquette, Flambe, Tremolo, Vague), Hordeculture (Augusta Bromes, Lily Leymus, Edith Scutch, Opal Vetiver), U-Men (Dr. Barrington, Commander Kruger)

Known Relatives: Celeste Brathwaite (sister), Mrs. Brathwaite (mother), Mr. Brathwaite (father, deceased)

Aliases: "Gumby" (nicknamed by his sister)

Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York, USA

First Appearance: (unidentified) Marvel's Voices I#1/2 (April, 2020)
(identified) Children of the Atom I#1 (May, 2021)

Powers/Abilities: Cherub wears a lightly armored battlesuit with two artificial wings that emerge from his back and grant him flight. The wings are built from energy similar to that created by a force field and he can wrap the wings around his body or other people to defend them from harm. Gabe is also a good basketball player.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'3")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 200 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Children of the Atom I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Gabe's father had been a fireman and from him Gabe learned what it was to be a hero. His father died from cancer when Gabe was in the 1st grade, which was the only time Gabe's marks at school slipped. Gabe helped care for his sister Celeste, who had asthma. In the 2nd grade, Gabe went into advanced math classes thanks to his mother's tutoring. One of Gabe's best friends growing up was Cole Rivera.

(Marvel's Voices I#1/2) - Gabe and his friends Beatrice, Jay, Carmen and Benny watched a car race between Forge and Shuri. Afterward, they asked Forge and Shuri for their autographs.

(Children of the Atom I#1 (fb)) - Gabe visited his classmate Cole in the hospital when he was sick.

(Children of the Atom I#2 (fb)) - Gabe showed Cole some old Dazzler music videos that Cole enjoyed.

(Children of the Atom I#3 (fb)) - Gabe, Beatrice, Jay, Carmen and Benny wandered aboard a spaceship and accidentally activated it, sending them into Earth's orbit. Using escape pods they ejected back to the Earth, lading in Vaux Cove.

(Children of the Atom I#4 (fb)) - From analyzing the extraterrestrial technology, the five friends realized they could fashion equipment to simulate superhuman powers. As fans of the mutant heroes the X-Men, they decided to masquerade as mutant heroes, basing their costumed identities on the X-Men. Gabe took the identity Cherub, which he based on the X-Men's Archangel.

(Children of the Atom I#1) - The Children of the Atom fought Hell's Belles, whose three members Flambe, Tremolo and Vague had lost their powers on M-Day. Hell's Belles assumed the Children of the Atom were mutants and resented them, thinking they'd kept their powers after M-Day. Flambe attacked Cherub with a flamethrower but the shield aruond his wings protected him. When they defeated Hell's Belles, the five friends celebrated together. Suddenly, Maggott, Magma and Pixie arrived and wondered why they hadn't seen the five of them on Krakoa. Cherub lamely insisted they'd "get there eventually." When the police arrived, the three mutant heroes offered to teleport them away to Krakoa but, as they weren't mutants, the five of them had to facilitate their own escape.

    Gabe and Benny played basketball at Peter Cobreau Preparatory High School. Gabe was surprised when Cole returned to play and bested him on the court. After school, the five friends donned their costumes and attempted to enter the Krakoa Gate on Coney Island but failed to pass through the portal.

(Children of the Atom I#2) - Gabe wrote up an article on social media called "You Must Be a Mutant to Have Abs Like That" Workout where he explained his workout process. While getting ready to see Dazzler in concert, Gabe's mother wondered why he was so fascinated by mutants. At the concert, Gabe, Betrice, Benny and Carmen met up with Cole. Suddenly, Jay contacted them, telling them the Hell's Belles were active again.

    Gabe and the other four met up with Jay and switched into their costumes, only to find the three non-powered villains had joined up with their super-powered teammate Briquette. In the fight, the team fared poorly so Cherub decided the other should retreat while he held back the Hell's Belles. Before he could be badly beaten, Daycrawler teleported Cherub away; unfortunately, Briquette found them as they'd only teleported one room away. Fortunately, Storm arrived to defend the heroes, offering Hell's Belles sanctuary on Krakoa. Storm suggested the Children of the Atom come to Krakoa with her but they declined; Storm gave Cyclops-Lass a communication device to ask for their help. Later, in their civilian clothes, the team again tried to enter a Krakoa Gate.

(Children of the Atom I#3) - Gabe and Beatrice went to Carmen's house to pick her up for dinner with Cole. Beatrice suggested Cole might be a mutant due to his sudden recovery and increased strength and wondered if Cole could help them access the Krakoa Gates. Gabe mentioned Cole had a crush on Carmen and told her to "let him down gently when the time comes." At Cole's, they met Arthur Nagan, who was friend of Cole's fathers and responsible for saving Cole's life. When Beatrice blurted out her belief that Cole was a mutant, Cole was offended and told Gabe he resented that Gabe had stopped visiting him in the hospital.

(Children of the Atom I#4) - At school, the five friends saw in the news that Krakoa was opening its gates for one night only and Beatrice insisted they should visit. That night, they went back to the Coney Island Krakoan Gate but were attacked by the U-Men, who believed them to be mutants. The U-Men captured all of them except for Daycrawler and took them back to their base. However, Daycrawler brought a number of heroes from Krakoa to save his friends.

(Children of the Atom I#5) - When the U-Men used machines against the mutant heroes that neutralized them, the Children of the Atom came to their rescue. Consequently, the mutants realized the Children of the Atom weren't mutants and told to go home and stop masquerading as mutants. As the five of them considered their next moves at the Thomas family house, Storm came and revealed Carmen was in fact a mutant and welcome on Krakoa.

(Children of the Atom I#6) - While Beatrice became angry at Carmen for not sharing her mutant status with them, Gabe insisted Carmen was still their friend. The next day, the Children of the Atom fought Hordeculture at a greenhouse; Cherub considered it humiliating that they were being beaten by a team of old women. The Hordeculture finally surrendered when the police arrived. The team finally agreed they'd stop posing as mutants. Beatrice and Carmen also sorted out their feelings for each other as Gabe admitted he knew Beatrice had feelings for him but wanted them to be a couple.

(Dark X-Men II#1) - Gabe was arranging a meet-up with his friends when Carmen was arrested by the anti-mutant Orchis forces.

Comments: Created by Vita Ayala and Bernard Chang.

   

    This profile was completed on 03/26/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Cherub should not be confused with:

images: (without ads)
Children of the Atom I#1, page 11, panel 3 (main)
Children of the Atom I#2, page 5, panel 3 (face)
Children of the Atom I#1, page 2 (in action)

Appearances:
Marvel's Voices I#1/2 (April, 2020) - Vita Ayala (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Chris Robinson (editor)
Children of the Atom I#1-2 (May-June, 2021) - Vita Ayala (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Chris Robinson (editor)
Children of the Atom I#3-6 (July-October, 2021) - Vita Ayala (writer), Paco Medina (artist), Shannon Andrews Ballesteros (editor)
Dark X-Men II#1 (October, 2023) - Steve Foxe (writer), Jonas Scharf (artist), Jordan White (editor)

First posted: 09/24/2026
Last updated: 03/26/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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