Kid Quantum

Kid Quantum is the name of three superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Kid Quantum
The Jazmin Cullen incarnation of Kid Quantum as depicted in The Legion #15 (February 2003). Art by Kevin Walker (penciller), Andy Lanning and Simon Coleby (inkers), and Jason Wright (colorist).
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	(James) Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 #33 (September 1992) (Jazmin) Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 #82 (July 1996)
Created by	Tom Bierbaum Mary Bierbaum David A. Williams
In-story information
Alter ego	Protean James Cullen Jazmin Cullen
Species	Xanthuan
Place of origin	Xanthu (31st century)
Team affiliations	(All) Legion of Super-Heroes (James, Jazmin) Amazers
Abilities	(Protean) Shape-shifting Telepathy (deactivated as "James Cullen") Ability to create stasis fields (James) Ability to create stasis fields (externally augmented) (Jazmin) Ability to create stasis fields

Fictional character biographies

Original

James Cullen / Kid Quantum as depicted in Legionnaires #11 (February 1994). Art by Chris Sprouse.

James Cullen, the first Kid Quantum, was retconned into the Legion's past, ostensibly as a result of a history-changing disaster. He is described as having been the first Legionnaire to die in action after the belt that he derives his powers from malfunctioned. Following Cullen's death, a rule was implemented that forbid Legionnaires who derived their powers from technology.^[1] It is later revealed that Cullen is a humanoid body used by the Proteans, a shapeshifting alien species, to protect them from the villain Glorith. Rather than being killed, Cullen had gone into hiding.^[2][3][4][5]

Reboot

The post-Zero Hour incarnation of James Cullen shares a similar history to his original counterpart. Unlike his previous counterpart, Cullen is definitively established to have died.^[6]

The second Kid Quantum is James' sister Jazmin Cullen, who underwent surgery to augment her power and no longer have to use the belt. Despite initial hostility from the Legion's members, she is eventually elected leader of the team and later enters a relationship with Cosmic Boy.

Post-Infinite Crisis

In the miniseries Countdown: Arena, an alternate universe variant of James Cullen / Kid Quantum appears as a counterpart of Monarch. In the final issue of the series, Monarch kills Kid Quantum and his alternate universe counterparts to gain their powers.^[7]

Powers and abilities

Both incarnations of Kid Quantum possess the ability to create time-stasis fields in a limited area, within which they can slow down or accelerate time. The fields are usually no larger than a person, and the effect is measured in minutes rather than something long term.^[8][9]

In other media

• The James Cullen incarnation of Kid Quantum makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "New Kids in Town".
• The Jazmin Cullen incarnation of Kid Quantum makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023).
• The James and Jazmin Cullen incarnations of Kid Quantum appear as character summons in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[10]