Zak

A yellow shirt paired with blue-and-yellow striped sweatpants makes up his usual outfit. He is an African American teen whose dark hair sits short and curly.

Warmth and curiosity define him. Zak treats young Sam as a real friend, never talking down to her or competing with her, and he clearly prizes her intelligence. When she starts explaining science, he leans in with honest interest instead of feeling threatened, admiring her brilliance rather than resenting it.

Little of Zak's wider life is recorded beyond his stint as the sitter the Wilkins hired for Samantha whenever they went out. One evening, with her parents assured she could manage on her own, he settled in to cram for a school exam while keeping an eye on her. Curious about his textbook, Sam offered a strikingly sharp observation about electrons and mercury, revealing a grasp of chemistry far beyond her years and pulling him into a string of eager questions.

By the time Adam and Betsy came home, the two had built molecular models out of Lego, and Zak proudly called Sam a science prodigy, praising her skill even as her parents looked uneasy. He thanked her for the help before leaving, credit he later put toward acing his test. What became of him afterward is unknown, though he is never counted among those killed in the Destruction of Chicago or, later, the Invincible War.