Gloom is the secondary antagonist of the 1995 children's novel Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage and its 2000 animated film adaptation Lion of Oz. He is a sentient fog in service to the Wicked Witch of the East and assists in her plans of taking over Oz.
He was voiced by Scott McNeil.
Biography[]
A living mist of misery, Gloom works with the Wicked Witch of the East in her plan to capture the Flower of Oz so she can take over Oz. Many have tried to stop them, but Gloom spreads his misery to make the troops lose hope and surrender. With his help, most of Oz has already fallen into the Witch's control.
Gloom first appears when Lion was trying to save Starburst the fairy who was trapped in a chest of emeralds at the bottom of a deep pond. When Lion opens the chest, Gloom tries to manipulate Lion into leaving Starburst and only taking the emeralds. Lion ignores him and saves Starburst. After Lion returns to the surface, Gloom attempts to attack him, but the fairies hold him off. Gloom warns Lion that he will alert the Witch to ensure that she will make him pay for resisting him before fleeing.
As Lion meets Wimzik and the living toys Silly Oz-Bul, Caroline, and Captain Fitzgerald, Gloom reports his failure to the Witch. They confront the group and take Fitzgerald hostage, threatening to inflict more pain on him each day until they find the flower. As the Witch vanishes and the group departs to find the flower, Gloom silently follows them.
The group then finds the bridge leading to the garden that has been cursed by the Witch to appear as an illusion and turned the Munchkins of the village small so they couldn't rebuild it. When Wimzik sings a song to the Munchkins in believing in themselves, Gloom attempts to spread fear upon the crowd but fails and the curse on the bridge is broken. Angered, Gloom orders two Flying Monkeys to warn the Witch as he continues to follow the group.
Eventually, the group reaches the garden covered in ice, which Wimzik thaws with her touch, making Lion realize that Wimzik was the flower all along. The Witch and Gloom arrive and attempt to capture Wimzik, with Gloom holding Caroline and Silly back. Lion bounces the Witch's blast with his medal, causing it to hit Gloom, making him drop the two and Fitzgerald (who was trapped in the box the Witch was planning to lock the flower away in). The Witch tears off Lion's medal and gives it to Gloom. Fortunately, Wimzik reaches a giant blossom, her throne, which restores her powers. Her powers break the Witch's broom, who orders Gloom to attack her. Gloom attempts to absorb Wimzik, but her powers overwhelm her and he is sent flying in the air. What happens to him afterwards is uncertain.
