Gum Baby

Not part of Riordanverse The following article/section is from the Tristan Strong continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon.

Gum Baby
Biographical information
Full name	Gum N. B. Baby
Gender	Female
Family	Anansi (creator)
Affiliation	Midfolk
Residence	MidPass
Status	Alive
Physical description
Eye	Dark
Hair	Dark
Height	10'
Species	Doll
Behind the scenes
Appearances	Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Tristan Strong Destroys the World Tristan Strong Keeps Punching Calamity Juice The Gum Baby Files

“	SAP ATTACK!	”
–Gum Baby before throwing sap, at someone or something.

Gum N. B. Baby is a living doll that houses the essence of a fairy.

History

While he was on a quest, Anansi created a wooden doll and covered it over with gum, then puts a plate of yams in its lap, in order to capture an African fairy named Mmoatia. She takes the bait and eats the yams but grows angry when the Gum Baby does not respond and strikes it, becoming stuck in the process.

Tristan Strong Trilogy

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

She is sent by John Henry and Brer Rabbit to another world to find the stories of Anansi. The night Tristan Strong arrives at his grandparent's farm, she searches for Eddie's Journal in Tristan's bedroom. When he inadvertently reveals the journal's location in his backpack, she snatched it and runs away with Tristan going after her. As she hides in the cornfield she throws sap at a crow, revealing her location to Tristan. As she makes her way to the bottle tree forest, she is seen, and Tristan goes after her. As Gum Baby is about to go into a small tree, Tristan calls her a doll and she attacks him in a fit of rage. As he is about to break a bottle on a tree, she warns him not to but Tristan does so and unleashes a gust of hot wind and the ground splits open. The two go after Eddie's Journal and they fall into the fissure once they reach it.

She and Tristan then land in the Burning Sea and, as she cannot swim, he puts her on her back as they narrowly escape three Bone Ships with the help of a Flying Raft. When they board, she is greeted by Ayanna, who says she was gone for a year. As they escape the bone ships she grasps Eddie's Journal. When they land, she insults Tristan as he helps her ashore and puts the journal in his hood. As they head to the Thicket, they run into Fetterlings and she is captured but Tristan saves her.

A day later she brings a young rabbit named Chestnutt to Tristan and tells him to go to the meeting. She tells a group of elders who he attacked her during her mission but she gets berated by them for take a year to complete a simple task. She is present when Tristan is interrogated on the whereabouts of the journal. When Tristan says he lost it and Brer Rabbit berates him, while she is berated by Rose and Sarah. When Tristan snaps and nearby butterflies reenact his story. She calms him down and calls him an Anansesem. John Henry thanks her for bringing Tristan to them and dismisses her. She then takes Tristan to the mess hall and eats some of his stew.

Later she sneaks aboard the Flying Raft to join Tristan, Ayanna, and Chestnutt in finding the Story Box. When she blames Tristan for her reprimanding and explains how she wants to be a pilot like Ayanna, he tells her and Chestnutt of the prank he and Eddie pulled as they go to the Golden Crescent. They scout out the city before splitting up, she and Tristan go one way while Ayanna and Chestnutt go another way. Tristan stops her from throwing sap at a statue before regrouping and heading to Nyame's Palace. They go inside and find a statue of Nyame and a trap door. When Tristan tells the story of how Anansi gave humanity, they hear a booming voice. The statue is revealed to be the actual sky god restrained and paralyzed by iron monsters. Tristan continues to tell the story and tells the others to touch s statue. Tristan throws her at a statue which comes to life and takes out the bosslings, but also takes them to Nyame. She throws sap at a leopard's tail while the others negotiate for the Story Box. He agrees but reveals he does not have it.

They make their way to Anansi's Palace and Tristan finds a hidden entrance that leads to a room full of dissected fetterlings and, after Chestnutt reads some notes, Tristan realizes the story box is hidden in the Ridge. They talk about the fortress city's defenses and transportation. When they arrive, she and Ayanna take out the rock lasers before landing in the train. They ride in the trash car for a few minutes flying into a tunnel leading to the Ridge, however they are quickly apprehended. She is shoved in a sack as they are brought before a spirit who believes they are the ones responsible for abducting their people. She faints as Tristan tells his story of the chaos of Alke to the Ridgefolk. When the Abiyoyo Tristan created starts attacking the Ridgefolk, she fights it with the rest of the Ridgefolk. After it is defeated, they are given the Story Box. But seconds later a man arrives asking for it. She recognizes him as High John. When he says MidPass is overrun by iron monsters, she is at a loss for words. She slaps Tristan when he wakes up and is disappointed in the state of the Story Box. She and the others eat and debate to go back to MidPass or to go to Nyame. When iron monsters attack the Ridgefolk, she jumps on a fetterling and rides it around throwing sap at the enemy. After the Hullbeast breaks down the door, she covers the group as they retreat. She comforts an injured Ayanna and Chestnutt on their way back to the Golden Crescent.

When they land High John takes them to a sycamore where a Mmoatia, fairy heals Ayanna and Chestnutt. She is disturbed by the sight of it, as she was one. She and the others go to Nyame's Palace have the sky god fix the Story Box. She is startled when the Maafa arrives. As the others go to fight the Maafa, she and Tristan defend the Story Box. When Tristan charges at the Maafa she joins him and takes part in him pain to have both the story box and Eddie's Journal. When the time comes, she throws sap in Uncle C's face. When the ship starts to submerge, she and Tristan search for a way out. They end up in a bus where Eddie greets them and explains how Uncle C was using the journal to track Tristan and telling stories from the journal to feed the Maafa. After a brief conversation she and Tristan and end up in the holding compartment of the giant slave ship. As they leave Tristan looks around and finds someone.

As they surface and swim to shore Tristan tells her something and he gives her his bracelet. As Tristan plays keep away with Brer Rabbit, she presses the charms on the bystanders to reveal that they found the real Brer Rabbit on the Maafa and that Anansi has taken his place. She and the rest of her group go to watch Anansi's sentencing and says goodbye to Tristan.

Tristan Strong Destroys the World

Gum Baby is tasked by John Henry to bring Tristan to him when the Anasesem arrives. She disguises herself as a fountain and waits until he arrives. When Tristan arrives with Junior. She flings sap at them and lunges at Tristan. After he realizes it's her, she tells him to go to John Henry and they follow. Along the way, she tells Junior embarrassing stories about Tristan. When they arrive, they are greeted by the steel driving man. After they leave she goes to get Ayanna, who is angry at her for crashing her raft. After learning where the Shamble Man is, they head to Keelboat Annie and she gives out fake orders as she mimics the goddess. After Tristan is swept overboard, she and the others track him down to the Grasslands and she crashes a sap covered raft into DJ Kulture. She then lands on Tristan and falls asleep in his hood.

An hour later the raft returns, and Ayanna lets her pilot it, however she soon crashes it when taunting Tristan for letting Anansi escape. They land in a dried riverbed and are escorted inside by invisible guards. After a while she runs away as the others chase after her. Soon they meet up with Chestnutt, who explains the city is threatened by an incoming storm and that Mami Wata, the city's patrol goddess, is missing. As the others talk about the Shamble Man and having Lady Night fix the SBP, she throws sap at a fish and knocks it to the side of the pool. She cries over it thinking she killed it until it wiggles and jumps back into the pool.

She flies the raft back to the Golden Crescent and crashes it before they arrive. After completing her supposed landing skills, she hides as the other are surrounded by the forces of Big Big. Later she crashes and raft into the Juke Joint and distracts Big Big while the others get Lady Night her skin back. After they succeed, Big Big is bound in a cloak and they are given a meal as thanks. As the others talk about restoring and fixing the SBP, she dances and plays the drums. She mocks Tristan when she sees the SBP in a pot of Jollof Rice and guides him to the stage as he carries the pot. When they reach the stage, she falls asleep as Tristan fixes the SBP and wakes up when the plat-eyes arrive. She stays with Tristan as the others heard the plat-eyes to the stage. She readies to fight as Tristan uses a new app to see their story. Moments later the Shamble Man arrives, and Tristan reveals his true identity, Brer Bear. She pushes Tristan out of the way and takes a hit from Brer Bear. She is knocked out cold and Tristan picks her up just as they get away. She wakes up on the flying raft and, after Tristan tells her they lost, tries to reassure him he is not to blame along with the others. When Anansi suggests Brer Bear might be being manipulated, Tristan sets course for the Maafa.

As they fly over the Burning Sea and summon the sentiment slave ship, she and the others urge Tristan to hurry up so they can leave. They learn that Brer Bear took a mask made of her sap that embodied what was left of Uncle Cotton as the Maasai attacks them. Luckily they manage to escape. As they plot out their next move, Tristan realizes that Brer Bear is hiding in MidPass. As they fly over the burned island, they reach the Tree of Power and go in. They find Mami Wata as the tree starts to implode and she clasps the SBP as oozes sap, much to Anansi's disgust. When they escape thanks to Mami Wata, with help from Tristan, the Anasesem tells them he knows where Brer Bear is and what his plans are. As they fly, they introduce themselves and the water goddess reveals that she heard of her, causing Gum Baby to blush. When they reach the juke joint, they find it completely destroyed and abandoned. However, they find Lady Night and a group of Ridge warriors close by. She watches as the Boo Hag and water goddess embrace and are soon joined by Keelboat Annie. Soon the storm reaches the Golden Crescent and they realize Brer Bear has arrived.

She and Ayanna fly to the Golden Crescent as Tristan, Lady Night, and the goddesses imbue a quilt with stories. They land and she watches as Tristan tries to get through to the rogue god. She watches aboard the keelboat with Ayanna, Keelboat Annie, and Lady Night as Tristan and Mami Wata remove Brer Bear's armor and mask. However, when they finish, she notices the storm hasn't stopped and tells the others. As the residence of the Golden Crescent and the gods gather on the beach, she asks Tristan what they are going to do. As they head to Tristan's world, she holds the SBP as Tristan and the gods imbue the stories of Alke into a quilt in the hopes of rebuilding. She makes it to Tristan’s world but gets separated. Two days later Tristan gets a picture of her, Ayanna, and Junior at a gas station.

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities: New Stories About Mythic Heroes

Calamity Juice

She is seen by Sal Vidón as he and Norberto are chasing Gladis Machado and Carmita across the multiverse.

The Gum Baby Files

When in Jackson, Mississippi, she is listening to Tristan's message to the displaced Alkeans as Ayanna scolds her for listening to the message out loud, fearing they would be seen. Gum Baby then rests on Junior's head and the bus they were hiding behind pulls away. Ayanna uses one of Junior's stones to clean sap off her staff as best she can. The three see a group of campers are Junior and Ayanna's age about the enter the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. As they plot their next move, the counselor, Ms. James, mistakes Ayanna and Junior for campers as she hides behind Junior. The teens go with Ms. James as she takes Ayanna's bat and has Junior check in his bag. When they enter the museum, they fail to notice a gray cloaked figure close by. As they get into the elevator, Gum Baby rips herself free from Junior's hair, causing him to yelp and Ms. James takes notice of her. Ayanna says she is a stress relief object, but Ms. James does not allow her to keep Gum Baby for the trip and drops Gum Baby, Ayanna's bat, and Junior's pouch into baggage check in. As Ms. James escorts her companions to the elevator, Gum Baby notices a figure made out of gray cloth get in with them.

As she struggles to get out of the bin, an old woman helps her out and introduce herself as Granny Z. As Granny Z explains how children are going missing and that she was stationed at the museum and cannot leave until her business is finished, Gum Baby mentions she saw something going after her friends. Granny Z promises to help her. Granny Z gives her a map and she set out to find her friends. When she is in a hallway, struggling to read the map, she sees two people walking down as well talking about two new kids experiencing a power outage in the Evers exhibit. She heads into the security and, after seeing the monitors, realizes she has to be more careful. When she exits, Gum Baby comes face to face with a child. He is shocked but agrees not to mention her and she heads to the Evers exhibit. She arrives at the exhibit to find it empty and, after looking at a pillar with the exhibit's namesake, the lights go out. She takes a defensive stance and backs up into a button that triggers a video to play. After watching it, the ghost appears and floats over to a set of journals on display. After it touches one of the books while saying forget, it vanishes, and she attacks it to stop it from touching another journal. The ghost vanishes as soon as the lights come back on and a security guard finds the exhibit covered in sap.

She hides in a locker before he sees her and watches as he is joined by the museum director and a custodian. The director, Ms. Fields, asks the two what happened to the Hamer exhibit, confusing Gum Baby. They assume a kid did it as the custodian, Mr. Clyde, says it will take a week to clean. Ms. Fields leaves as she has Mr. Clyde and the security guard, Larry, clean it up. Gum Baby look at the map to find the name of the exhibit changing as if Evers never existed. Gum Baby follows Ms. Fields. She hides in the shadows until the director goes through a door, watches as anything related to Medgar Evers, the exhibit's former namesake, either vanishes or is replaced with something about Fannie Lou Hamer. Ms. Field's returns to the exhibit, followed by the ghost. It touches her as the exhibit becomes empty with a sign saying it is under construction. Gum Baby watches in horror as Larry drags the "culprits", Ayanna and Junior, and shows the director a sap covered stone. Ms. Fields takes the teenagers to her office and Gum Baby watches as she scolds the two and says she is looming for their permission slips and will call their parents. She gets a call from Larry, who cannot find the permission slips, and Gum Baby enters to try and save them and that she found the ghost. However, they tell her to return to the lost and found before she gets them into more trouble. She returns to the Lost and Found and tells Granny Z no one has faith in her. Granny Z says sometimes one's purpose is not what they think it is and she just has to stick to it. Gum Baby gets an idea and goes to stop the ghost.

She runs across the hall, throwing sap at the security cameras. When she reaches the stairs, she creates a slingshot out of sap flings herself to the third floor. When she reached the exhibit on Ida B. Wells, she sees Ms. Fields and Larry walking to the exhibit with Ayanna and Junior in tow. The ghost appears, visible to everyone, and drapes itself over the curator and security guard. As it stretches towards the printing press to erase Ida B. Wells, Gum Baby makes a replica of Ever's journal and says the names of Evers, Hamer, and Wells. Junior and Ayanna join in and the ghost goes to grab Gum Baby, however its tendril gets stuck on her, and Gum Baby fires a ball of sap at it.

In the lobby, Mr. Clyde wheels the sap covered ghost, believing it to be part of an exibit, as Ms. Fields demands answers from Junior and Ayanna after none of the counselors can varefy if they are campers. Granny Z comes over with Ayanna's bat and Junior's bag and says they are with her, and their parents are coming soon. Ms. Fields accepts this and leaves. Granny Z says she will take them where they need to go and that someone wants to talk to them. Ayanna speaks into her staff and Mami Wata replays, says Tristan is missing.

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching

After being separated from Junior and Ayanna, she is imprisoned on a barge for a week, but is freed by Tristan, Seraphine, and Terence Strong. She jumps on Tristan's shoulder as Seraphine, who is in awe at Gum Baby, politely introduces herself as Tristan introduces a stunned Terrence. As Gum Baby mentions how she, Ayanna, and Junior were separated by a haint, Terrence asks it it walked on four legs. When Tristan asks why his cousin thinks that Terrence says it's close by them. Gum Baby assists Tristan in fighting and manages to get the haint stuck. However it transforms into a spider like creature made out of wood with a hammer head. Terrence recognizes it as a Coffle, a device used to shackle slaves together as they were moved to the fields to work. The Coffle starts to attack Terence as Tristan keeps attacking in a blind rage until nothing is left. She and the others look shocked at Tristan's aggressive actions as she says his hands are on fire. Tristan starts to panic and accidentally sets the barge on fire. She and the others flee just as a wave spontaneously puts out the fire and Mami Wata appears.

The following night aboard the River Queen, she listens as Tristan explains everything to his grandparents and the gods. After telling them King Cotton is back and they have to act immediately, they reveal to Tristan that they will handle it and he is being sent home to Chicago with her. He tries to protest, but they say his anger demonstrates during the previous night makes him to much of a liability and take the SBP from him. They say their goodbyes and leave. As they sail north, Gum Baby recites names for a steamship she wants before vanishing. The following morning, she reappears with the SBP just as Tristan is seen hugging Ayanna and she teases the two. Gum Baby hands the SBP to Tristan and asks to speak with Ayanna privately.

Later as they pass Old Angola, she and the other's voice their desire to keep going, even the River Queen wants to move forward. However, Tristan sees something and, after taking Ayanna and Mami Wata's hands and puts her on his head, he gets them to see the ghostly old mansion surrounding the prison as he realizes it is a former plantation. They see Tendrils dragging spirits into it, including the River Queen. She throws sap but her attacks have no effect. Just then they notice a small shack transforming into a monster with King Cotton on the porch. He taunts them as he thanks Tristan for freeing him and giving him the strength, he needed in Alke. He introduces the shack monster as Old Angola and leaves to find the Alkeans as Old Angola attacks. Tristan is locked in a state of anger until Ayanna snaps him out of it and tells him to help Mami Wata.

They manage to break free and escape. After putting an exhausted Mami Wata in her cabin, she steers the boat as Tristan and Ayanna inspect the damage. However, Ayanna forces her to give her the wheel and Gum Baby is given a small banjo to play as Anansi forcibly listens to her play. Anansi insults her musical skills, and she nearly throws the SBP off the River Queen. They soon reach a fork in the river and find three steamships, two beached and a third upside down. As they question if it's a trap, they hear a cry for help and Tristan goes to investigate. However, he is trapped by Patty Roller. They manage the escape and Tristan tells the others what happened and tells them about his theory on what Cotton's plan is, to to gather the stories of African Americans where they suffered from the most. After looking at a map, Ayanna predicts that Cotton's next target is Fort Pillow north of Memphis, Tennessee. Anansi becomes elated and reveals he has sensed various Alkean signals from Memphis and believes his son is there. As Tristan tries to tell the trickster to not get his hopes up, he scolds Tristan for failing to find Junior and reveals he has put in a request to Nyame to be taken out of Tristan's custody, be given his true form back, and have Tristan removed as anansesem. Mami Wata sadly confirms it and places Tristan on probation until they hear back from the sky god, confines the boy to his cabin, and confiscates the SBP.

She visits Tristan in his room and gives him a pep talk. She says he can be a hero without the SBP and, much to his surprise, he gets his spirit back. He says they need to get off at Memphis, and Gum Baby reveals she had Anansi speed things up and Ayanna is waiting for them in a boat. They make it to shore and get a taxi. They stop outside the Memphis Zoo, with her paying with a credit card, and see spirits fleeing and High John flying around on Old Familiar. They find the zoo in ruins and see two masked figures in cloaks, Harold and Darla, inspecting birds in a partially destroyed aviary. They realize they are looking for Old Familiar as she successfully sets a trap and, after the two are subdued, Tristan and Ayanna walk over to question them. However, they recognize Tristan and Harold tries to call the police and pin everything on the boy, but Old Familar swoops down and grabs Tristan. Later after High John fades, Tristan picks her and Ayanna up in an self driving SUV, Old Familiar, and find Thandiwe.

They walk down a hallway as Thandiwe explains she and High John ended up their fleeing Alke and the old woman who owns the facility let them stay rent free if they help out. They emerge on a catwalk overlooking an indoor skate park as Thandiwe explains how she and High John helped get the word out about the place, leading to more runaway and troubled children seeking refuge there. A girl hurts herself and the princess of the ridge folk goes to help. When the others arrive the girl notices John, a spirit, despite not possessing an adinkra. They realize the girl, and the others, are in danger if Cotton finds them and they call a meeting. After everyone meets by a bowl, Thandiwe and another girl perform skate tricks as they wait. After everyone is present, Tristan tells them magic is real, however one boy thinks Tristan is crazy until he activates his power and Ayanna and Thandiwe show of their items, and she reveals herself. The kids cheer just as someone asks what is going on. An old woman who she addresses as Granny Z appears and sends her and the others to eat as she speaks to Tristan and John alone.

Soon an explosion is heard, and they find a group calling themselves the redliners charging in and saying they called the police. Just then Granny Z comes over and orders them to leave. Soon Patty Roller arrives on a talking horse haint, Twennymiles. When Granny demands they leave, the lights go out and the children start screaming. Patty and Twennymiles get away with a child, Chayse, as she, Tristan, Ayanna, and John chase after her in Old Familiar. As they follow the haints, they go into a distorted world to follow them. They eventually find themselves at an outlet mall twenty miles outside of Memphis and Tristan remembers the horse from a story his grandmother told him. Everyone has a bad feeling, but Tristan believes they are hiding in one of the stores and he gets out. She and the others, save for John, follow him into a store called Patty Roller's Wig Emporium. When they enter, Tristan suggests they spit up, however the girls are against it but reluctantly agree. She finds Tristan fighting Breakers and helps him; however, they are overpowered, and she is broken arrives. Old Familiar, Ayanna, and Thandiwe arrive, and the Breakers disburse. When they leave, the group finds Gum Baby motionless as her spirit is brought to Old Angola.

Tristan carries her body with him and discovers her spirit after venturing into Old Angola. She ignores him until he tells her story and enters her body just as tentacles are about to grab Tristan, stopping them with sap. He hugs her happily as dozens of breakers swarm them. Tristan summons the shadow gloves as Gum Baby fires sap at the breakers. The two combine their powers to create flaming sap projectiles that takes down the living plantation. As they leave the crumbling building, Tristan trips and she falls to the beach. She watches a he takes out both the living plantation and King Cotton. After the battle, she and the others congratulate Tristan as he exits the ruble that was Old Angola and lives with Tristan.

Afterwards she, Ayanna, Thandiwe, and Junior reside in an apartment close to Tristan paid for by Granny Z.

Appearance

Gum Baby looked like a homemade doll that someone had carved out of wood, painted it a dark molasses brown that hadn’t quite dried yet, drawn two black dots for eyes, and glued curly black wool on its head in two afro-puffs. She was almost a foot high, and she wore a black turtleneck and pants but her tiny feet were bare. Each of her footsteps made a sound like Velcro strips separating and left behind a trail of stains.

Her voice sounded strange and high-pitched, like when someone breathed in helium from a balloon and their voice gets squeaky. This is unlike the Gum Baby that Anansi made that was silent and also wore leaves for clothes instead.

Personality

Gum Baby is shown to be short tempered and aggressive. She often mispronounces words and hates when others correct her. She is also impulsive and arrogant; however she cares about her friends and tries to comfort and reassure them when need be.

Abilities

• Láspikinesis: Gum Baby can generate sap from her body.
• Drumming Skills: Gum Baby is a decent drummer.

Relationships

Tristan Strong

While the two get on each other's nerves most of the time, especially with her twisting facts to make it look like he was wrong when she is the one in the wrong, they generally care for one another. She often goes with him during questions, such as when they were looking for a Story Box or saving his grandmother. Tristan trusted her enough to include her in his plan to board the Maafa and ambush Uncle C. He would also comfort her when she is distressed, such as when Alke was being destroyed.

Ayanna

Gum Baby greatly trusts Ayanna and enjoys her company. The two often go on quests together and watch out for one another during battle.

Trivia

• Gum Baby's story is extremely similar to the one of the Tar Baby. In it, Brer Fox creates a similar doll made out of tar to trap Brer Rabbit. In fact, this story has been told in many versions in many different countries.
• She refers to herself in the third person.
• Gum Baby cannot play the banjo.