Gloria Martinez

Gloria is hardworking, protective and fiercely ambitious for her son. She believes David's intelligence gives him a genuine opportunity to escape the poverty surrounding them and insists on maintaining his Arasaka Academy education even when he questions whether he belongs there.

Her determination is practical rather than idealistic. Gloria understands Night City's inequality and knows that talent alone will not protect David, which is why she sees corporate education as a route to security and social mobility.

She is also willing to operate outside the law when necessary. Selling recovered cyberware gives her additional money, but the purpose remains supporting the future she wants for David.

Gloria is a trained emergency medical technician working for REO Meatwagon. Her job brings her directly into the aftermath of Night City's frequent shootings, cyberpsycho incidents and other violent emergencies.

She understands cyberware well enough to identify valuable implants recovered during medical work and arrange their sale through black-market contacts.

Gloria is not presented as a combat specialist. Her strengths lie in emergency medicine, resilience and navigating the economic realities of Night City.

Gloria's efforts to keep David at Arasaka Academy establish the economic pressure shaping his life. Their arguments center on whether the sacrifices required for his education can realistically give him the future she imagines.

After the cyberpsycho James Norris is neutralized, Gloria acquires his military-grade Sandevistan and arranges to sell it to Maine.

While Gloria and David are driving through Santo Domingo, their vehicle is caught in crossfire between gang members. Gloria is critically injured and later dies after receiving inadequate medical care. David subsequently discovers the Sandevistan among her belongings and installs it himself, setting his transformation into an edgerunner in motion.

David Martinez is Gloria's son and the focus of nearly all her ambitions. She works relentlessly to keep him at Arasaka Academy because she believes he can rise beyond their circumstances.

Maine is one of Gloria's black-market contacts. She intends to sell him the military-grade Sandevistan recovered from James Norris.

James Norris is the cyberpsycho whose recovered Sandevistan passes through Gloria before eventually being implanted into David.