History:
SQUIRM
Real Name: Jerome "Jim" Walkins
Identity/Class: Alternate reality (New Universe) human paranormal
Occupation: Student
Group Membership: Formerly the DDTeens (Dynamite, Ghost-Driver, Mothball, Quiver, Raindrop, Scuzz), the Black Powers (Bazooka, Charlotte Beck, Blindspot, Chill, Indigo), the Clinic for Paranormal Research's Therapy Group D (Bazooka, Mutator, Scrap Iron, Sponge, Thrust)
Affiliations: Bazooka (Dwight Frye), Charlotte Beck, Blindspot (Lionel Berry), Chill (Ross Wexler), Dynamite, Ghost-Driver (Evan Huebner), Stephanie Harrington, Indigo, Dave Landers, Mothball (Joel Larson), Randy O'Brien, Quiver (Annie Stevenson), Raindrop (Heather Hanneman), Scrap Iron, Scuzz (Dennis Cuzinski), Thrust
Enemies: Lenore Fenzl, Freefall, Shock, Stalagmite, Tangler, Wormhole
formerly the DDTeens
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA;
formerly the Clinic for Paranormal Research, south of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
First Appearance: D.P.7 I#14 (December, 1987)
Powers/Abilities: Squirm's body is able to elongate itself up to 1.5 times its normal length. His bones are flexible and cannot be broken.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 130 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(D.P.7. I#19/The Clinic) - Following the White Event on July 22, 1986 caused by the Star Brand, Jim Walkins was one of many people who discovered they had paranormal abilities. On May 6, 1987, Jim became a patient at the Clinic for Paranormal Research in Wisconsin and assigned to Therapy Group D.
(D.P.7 I#14) - On July 20, 1987, Jim, now calling himself "Squirm," attended the first meeting of the Black Powers, a group comprised of Clinic patients who were Black. The other Black Powers were Charlotte Beck, Blindspot, Chill and their leader Indigo. The group were invited to identify racist staff at the Clinic, with Blindspot volunteering Freefall and Tangler and Charlotte offering Randy O'Brien. Squirm joined the Black Powers in an ambush against Freefall and Tangler in the parking lot. While Blindspot, Chill and Indigo gave the two men a terrific beating, Squirm hung back. Next, they went to the Clinic's gym and started a fight with Randy and his Anti-Bodies. Squirm again hung back during the fight, which was broken up by Jeff Walters.
(D.P.7 I#15) - Bazooka joined the Black Powers and the gang started wearing matching leather jackets. Bazooka, Blindspot, Chill and Squirm started a confrontation with Randy O'Brien, accusing him of using his Anti-Bodies to spy on their teammate Charlotte. Randy denied doing this but when Blindspot shoved him, his Anti-Bodies instinctively emerged to defend him. Squirm was afraid of the Anti-Bodies but fought with them so the other Black Powers wouldn't think he was "wussy." The fight was broken up by Lenore Fenzl, who used her parability to knock out all of the Black Powers and the Anti-Bodies.
(D.P.7 I#16) - The Black Powers went to the cafeteria together and intimidated Shock, Stalagmite and Wormhole into giving up their table to them. When Scuzz came over to invite Charlotte to join the DDTeens, Indigo assaulted him, causing him to cry. After dinner, Scuzz led the DDTeens in a retaliation against the Black Powers while they were dancing in one of the Clinic's lounges. Annie Stevenson used a powerful sonic note to disorient the Black Powers as the fight began. Squirm attacked Dynamite and wrapped himself around his body. Finally Charlotte used her parability to stick all of the Black Powers and DDTeens to the floor to stop the violence. Dave Landers arrived with Mothball, who hurled an energy-draining mothball at Squirm that temporarily shut off his parability. Dave helped end the altercation. For using her parability against the other Black Powers, Charlotte was kicked out of the group by Indigo. Squirm hoped he and the other Black Powers could make her reconsider.
(D.P.7 I#17) - Squirm attempted to reconcile Charlotte to the Black Powers, although they were briefly interrupted when Scrap Iron and Bazooka got into a fight in the hallway. Squirm asked Charlotte to consider speaking to Indigo. When Squirm saw Tangler and Freefall were out of intensive care he ran off to inform Indigo. The night the Black Powers had a meeting about Tangler and Freefall and Chill convinced the others to take no action for the time, as Freefall and Tangler hadn't identified them as the ones who put them into intensive care. The next morning, Chill was gone and a bloody smear was found on the ground outside his window. Squirm informed Charlotte about Blindspot and Chill's disappearances and Indigo blamed Freefall and Tangler. As there was an assembly scheduled in the Clinic at noon, Indigo and Bazooka planned to murder Freefall and Tangler at the event, with Charlotte and Squirm tasked with guarding their backs. Squirm didn't want to participate and suggested to Charlotte they could run away but Charlotte refused to run. While Squirm was working out in the gym on his own, he was ambushed by Tangler and Freefall. Freefall made Squirm float in the air while Tangler shoved his tanglewire down Squirm's throat, attempting to choke him to death.
(D.P.7 I#18 (fb) - BTS) - After Tangler and Freefall fled the Clinic, staff found Squirm tied up and stuffed between pipes inside a wall. Randy O'Brien thought Squirm was dead at first but he turned out to be alive, his rubbery nature surviving Tangler's assault.
(D.P.7 I#18) - On December 23, 1987, Squirm's throat was still badly wounded and he was unable to speak or eat but Randy tended to him in the Clinic's infirmary. Squirm was grateful to Randy for saving his life.
(D.P.7 I#21 (fb) - BTS) - Squirm elected to leave the Black Powers and join the DDTeens, where he was more comfortable.
(D.P.7 I#21) - On January 3, 1988, the DDTeens had a snow fight, with Squirm, Quiver, Scuzz and Raindrop fighting against Ghost-Driver, Dynamite and Mothball. They were observed by Jensen, a journalist who had been brought to the Clinic by ex-employee Abner Heath to view where the bodies of the dead Clinic staffers Reinforcer and Receptor had been buried. When Scuzz saw Jensen taking photographs of them he realized the entire Clinic could be brought down. Scuzz decided the DDTeens should flee the Clinic and headed to Sheboygan, arriving on January 9, 1988 and inviting themselves into Stephanie Harrington's home as her new houseguests.
(D.P.7 I#23) - The DDTeens took up residence in the Harrington's basement but Stephanie's husband Chuck didn't enjoy hosting them. On April 24, 1988, Scuzz and Mothball got into a fight in the basement and Chuck ordered them to leave that evening. Stephanie brought them to the nearest bus station and waited with them for the bus. Stephanie was confronted at the bus station by Major Edward Zentner of the U.S. Army and Dave Landers, who had been drafted. Zentner tried to recruit Stephanie into the Army but Dave turned against him and knocked him out, then told the Harringtons to flee the country for Canada. Dave asked the DDTeens to help protect Stephanie and her family. Instead, Scuzz ordered the DDTeens back to the Harringtons' house, intending to squat there.
(D.P.7 I#25) - On June 2, 1988, Scuzz led the DDTeens to King Supermarket in Sheboygan and stole a load of groceries. Running to the Harringtons' station wagon, Scuzz drove them away but the supermarket staff called the police. A police car soon gave chase and Scuzz accidentally drove the station wagon off the road and down a cliffside. The police called an ambulance.
(D.P.7 I#31 (fb) - BTS) - Squirm, Scuzz, Dynamite and Raindrop were confirmed to have survived the car crash, although all were badly injured. Mothball and Quiver died from their injuries.
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Paul Ryan and Danny Bulanadi.
Randy called him "Jerome" in D.P.7 I#18 yet the Clinic profile in D.P.7 I#19 gave his first name as "Jim." Some people named Jerome do go by "Jim" as a nickname so I think neither is in error.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Squirm should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
D.P.7 I#17, page 4, panel 6 (main)
D.P.7 I#19, Clinic profile (face)
D.P.7 I#16, page 18, panel 5 (powers)
Appearances:
D.P.7 I#14-18 (December, 1987-April, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
D.P.7 I#21 (July, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
D.P.7 I#23 (September, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
D.P.7 I#25 (November, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
First posted: 10/27/2026
Last updated:
10/26/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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