Hero Spotlight: Shazam

Billy Batson. Captain Marvel. Shazam. Captain Thunder. All monikers for the same person and to make things easier on readers, we’ll simply refer to this hero as SHAZAM!! (cue lightning strike). M. Deanpool suggested we do a DC hero to compliment the Marvel-based Black Bolt Hero Spotlight, but did you know that Shazam wasn’t originally a DC hero? He first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics publishing company back in the 1940s. 

Cover of Whiz Comics #2.

Bet you also didn’t know that Shazam (though back then he was Captain Marvel) was the most popular comic superhero from that decade? Yup, the Captain Marvel Adventures sold more copies than Superman and other competing comic series from the time period. Okay so popularity based on comic sales, but that’s still pretty good! He was even the first comic adapted into a film in 1941 that was titled Adventures of Captain Marvel. M. Deanpool is sure Captain Marvel was admired by teenagers everywhere during that time period. His alter ego, Billy Batson, was a homeless 12-year-old boy working as a radio news reporter. After following a strange wizard who has observed Billy’s hardship, the powerful wizard chooses young Batson to be a champion of good! When Billy Batson speaks the wizard’s name, SHAZAM!, he is granted incredible powers and becomes the world’s mightiest mortal! The powers don’t come until after a magical lightning bolt strikes him though. BUT he is transformed into a super-powered adult with a bright red costume with gold trim, white cape, and a yellow lightning bolt insignia on the chest. Oh and also the power of gods! This is like when the blue ranger from Power Rangers: Turbo goes from a kid no taller than 4 feet to an adult-sized ranger after he morphs. But with Shazam, we’re more accepting of the fact because magic is involved. Because every kid just wanted to become adult-sized and fight evil right?

So now let’s address the issue with the 3 different names, and how he became a DC hero. Around the early 1950s, Fawcett Comics stopped publishing all things Shazam-related (keep in mind he was still Captain Marvel at this time). Part of the reason was a copyright infringement suit from… DC COMICS! (cue plot twist music). DC comics claimed that Captain Marvel aka Shazam was a copy of Superman! Honestly, you can see a lot of resemblances in physical appearances: face, hair, costume with a cape, very similar powers (which is stretch because Superman can just do anything, Shazam is limited-ish to the powers granted by the gods), and you get the hint. But c’mon DC, just because Fawcett was having a bit more success, I doubt Shazam could’ve became the American icon that Superman was/is. But that’s besides the fact, in the 1970s, DC licensed Captain Marvel and all related characters and started publishing them. Actually, they just recently acquired the ALL rights to the characters in 1991.

See the resemblance?

Now, here’s another twist and where things get complicated. Marvel enters the picture in the 1960s by trademarking their own Captain Marvel comic books during the time period between Shazam’s Fawcett years and DC years. Marvel’s character is completely unrelated to Shazam though when you look at the Marvel and DC rosters in the last few years (or even the last 2 decades), both Marvel’s Captain Marvel and DC’s Shazam are both powerhouse characters for their respective publishers. 

Marvel's first version of
Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell).

Fun fact: It seems like Marvel distinguished their original Captain Marvel even more by calling him Captain Mar-Vell. In today’s modern comic universes, the distinctions are quite clear as Marvel’s Captain Marvel mantle is now belonging to longtime Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers. And as you might guess, DC chose to trademark and refer to the their hero as Shazam, instead of using the original name of Captain Marvel. So now Captain Marvel is a girl for marvel, and Shazam is still good ol’ Billy Batson. Now what about Captain Thunder you ask? In 1974, in issue Superman #276 (which M. Deanpool proudly owns), Superman found himself against Captain Thunder, a hero from another Earth and another time. This Captain Thunder was clearly a Captain Marvel (Shazam) look-alike and even his alter-ego Willie Fawcett, was a shout-out to the original pubishers,  Fawcett Comics. Despite already publishing Shazam! comics for about 2 years prior to this issue, DC still wanted to keep Shazam’s universe separate from the other publications. For those who watched the animated movie, Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox, we again see Shazam referred to as Captain Thunder. Another cool part from this movie was how the 6 children (collectively known as S.H.A.Z.A.M.) each possessed the power of Shazam. When they say Shazam together, they become Captain Thunder. So there you have it, three names, two publishers, all one superhero.

Never mind the "Postal Apocalypse," I think the distinctions
are quite apparent now between the Captain Marvel's.

Now here’s probably the coolest (in the nerdiest way possible) part about Shazam. What exactly are Shazam’s powers, and how are they powers of gods? Shazam isn’t just a fun magic word to say out loud like "abrakadabra", "alakazam" (shouts to Pokemon), or "bibbity boppity boo." It’s an acronym!

S- wisdom of Solomon

H- strength of Hercules

A- stamina of Atlas

Z- power of Zeus

A- courage of Achilles

M- speed of Mercury

Again this hero was often compared to Superman. Picture our Shazam moving/flying at superhuman speeds, possessing immense superhuman strength, an immeasurable amount of knowledge, and invulnerability. And let's add in resistance to magic (don’t think Superman has this one). 

Cover of Whiz Comics #22 showing
Captain Marvel alongside Billy Batson.

So what is Shazam’s kryptonite? Well, there are other members of the Marvel family (these characters were also from the Fawcett Comics age) that include Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. Though DC was quite inconsistent, it seemed that the Shazam power was a finite source and had to be split evenly amongst the active super-powered Marvels. Also, high-powered magic may weaken or slow Shazam down. A significantly high amount of electricity, like say a lightning bolt, can effectively turn Shazam back into Billy Batson. Or vice versa, if Billy is hit by lightning, the worse thing that happens is that he turns into a super-powered adult. Don’t tell that to Barry Allen (aka Flash), he only got super speed when he got struck by lightning. Those who have seen the aforementioned Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox saw Wonder Woman use her lasso of truth to force Captain Thunder to utter the phrase that would turn him back into the S.H.A.Z.A.M. kids. What happens after that, let’s not speak of. Another “weakness” that has appeared more recently in modern comics is the immature personality of Billy Batson that we often see with younger heroes or sidekicks a la Kid Flash or Beast Boy.

Fun fact: In Superman #276, when Shazam was Captain Thunder, Willie Fawcett had to say THUNDER to transform, but THUNDER still acted as an acronym. Tornado (power), Hare (speed), Uncas (bravery, Uncas was a native American chief actually, but who the eff knew that?!), Nature (wisdom), Diamond (toughness), Eagle (flight), and Ram (tenacity). Similarly, when Black Adam (nemesis of Shazam) says SHAZAM for his power, he calls upon the power of Egyptian gods. Shu (stamina), Heru (swiftness), Amon (strength, shouts to Legend of Korra), Zehuti (wisdom), Aton (power), and Mehen (courage). Now Mr. Deanpool wants an acronym for his name. Great.

Cover to Shazam! graphic novel

If a goofier, immature Superman interests you, Shazam is your type of superhero. Unfortunately, Shazam does not currently have his own ongoing series, but it may be safe to expect one in the near future. With DC’s New 52 featuring Shazam in short stories at the end of Justice League issues and also publishing the conclusion in one whole issue of Justice League #21, perhaps now is the right time for him to come out with his own series and capture new readers. These stories from the Justice League issues (#7-11, 0, 14-16, and 18-21) can be found in a graphic novel and feature an epic showdown between Shazam and Black Adam! This revamped Shazam story is written by the great Geoff Johns and we even see a new look consisting of a long cloak and hood (as opposed to just the cape). With these stories, Johns portrays Shazam rooted with more magic and fantasy than in typical Shazam mythos. There’s also revised origins to Billy Batson, but you can go read for yourself if you’re interested. Or if you’re interested in more Superman vs. Shazam, again there’s Superman #276 or try the graphic novel, Kingdom Come by Alex Ross, where Shazam plays a big part in the plot of the story. Don’t bother with Whiz Comics #2 unless you got $176,000 to throw around. And that’s just an estimate for one in fine condition. But Shazam, the first volume published from DC may not be as hard to obtain with a run of 35 issues (#Com-Economics).

M. Deanpool wants to show off his collection of comics with
Shazam on the covers, including Superman #276 in the lower right.

Well hope you were able to follow all the Shazam-Captain Marvel jumble. But now you’ll know better the next time you hear any conversations about any Captain Marvel or Shazam! The phrase Shazam has become a very popular “magic word” since the hero made his way into the comic book universe. Remember in the 2002 Spider-Man film when Peter Parker is on the rooftop trying a bunch of different methods and phrases to shoot his web? Yeah, “Shazam” was one of them. And apparently it’s now M. Deanpool’s favorite word, as he’s said it 100+ times since I’ve started this post. Thanks for reading!

"SHAZAM!!!"