Shazam (fictional character)

Shazam is a fictional character featured in comic books produced by DC Comics. He was originally designed as a competitor to Superman by Fawcett Publications in 1940. However, after Fawcett Publications folded from copyright infringement lawsuits, Shazam entered the public domain. The character was purchased by DC Comics in the 1970s and has been published by the company since.

Shazam is the alter ego of Billy Batson, an American child. Batson was blessed with superpowers by an ancient wizard. When he shouts the word “Shazam,” Batson is transformed into a powerful grown-up superhero. He is able to call upon the powers of ancient gods and heroes, granting him enhanced strength, speed, control over lightning, and many other powers.

Fawcett Publications and DC Comics have published many variations of Shazam’s story. In some, several of Batson’s friends are granted powers. In others, Shazam is a separate entity that possesses Batson. However, in most versions, Batson remains the same person after activating his powers. Batson’s most common enemy is an Ancient Egyptian figure named Black Adam. Like Batson, Adam draws his power from a group of gods. However, while Batson’s powers come from a wide range of deities, Adam’s come from Ancient Egyptian gods.

Background

DC Comics was founded in 1934 by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. Wheeler-Nicholson was a retired US Army officer who decided that he wanted to reproduce the type of comic strips that he enjoyed in the military. He launched National Allied Publications, which published its first collection of comics in 1935. In 1937, National Allied Publications debuted a new publication, the first issue of Detective Comics. In order to get himself out of debt, Wheeler-Nicholson cofounded Detective Comics Inc. with Harry Donefeld. Wheeler-Nicholson then sold his share of Detective Comics to Donefeld.

Detective Comics quickly became one of National’s most popular publications. Issue 27 officially introduced Batman, one of the most popular comic book characters of all time. In 1977, National officially rebranded itself as DC Comics, building on the popularity of Detective Comics.

DC Comics is the creator of numerous popular superhero characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. Many of these characters have been reinvented several times over the decades since their initial incarnations. DC’s stable of superheroes often reflects the political mindset of their era. For example, some comics published during the Cold War feature American super heroes fighting against communists.

Many of DC Comics’ properties have been adapted into other media formats. Its characters have been featured in numerous films, some of which have grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. Others have been featured in popular television series.

DC Comics has changed ownership on several occasions. It was originally a subsidiary of National Comics, which was purchased by Kinney National Company in 1969. After a 1972 lawsuit, Kinney was forced to divide its assets into new companies. Its entertainment assets, including DC Comics, were moved to Warner Communications Inc. In 1990, Warner Communications Merged with Time, Inc., creating Time Warner. Time Warner was purchased by telecommunications giant AT&T in 2016.

Overview

Shazam originated as a fictional character in comic books. He was originally created by writers and artists Bill Parker and C. C. Beck in 1940. At the time, the pair worked at Fawcett Publications, a small comic book publisher. Shazam was originally known as Captain Marvel and designed to be Fawcett Publications’ answer to Superman, the star of an incredibly popular comic series that was published by National Comics.

National Comics sued Fawcett Publications for copyright infringement, claiming that Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman. Though Fawcett survived the first copyright infringement lawsuit, they could not survive the second. After the company closed, the character of Captain Marvel became public domain.

DC Comics bought the rights to the character in 1972 and decided to revive it with a new line of comic books. However, rival comic book publisher Marvel had already begun publishing a line of comics following their own superhero named Captain Marvel. For this reason, DC Comics changed the name of their character to Shazam.

Shazam’s alter ego is a young boy named Billy Batson. Batson is an ordinary child who was gifted a strange set of powers by Vlarem, an elderly wizard. Vlarem was dying of old age and believed that the world would continue to need magical defenders. For this reason, he chose to transfer his abilities to Batson.

Batson activates his powers by shouting the word “Shazam!” This incantation invokes the gifts of six gods and heroes: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. Each offers Batson a unique gift. Solomon grants Batson superhuman intelligence. Hercules grants him superhuman strength. Atlas grants him superhuman durability. Zeus gives Batson control of lightning. Achilles grants him limitless willpower. Finally, Mercury grants Batson superhuman speed.

These gifts are only available to Batson while his powers are activated. During this period, Batson’s body transforms into that of a muscular adult man. Once he no longer needs his powers, he transforms back into a young boy. Batson’s story has been retold many times. In some variation, two of Batson's friends also receive the same set of powers. Sometimes when Batson transforms, he is overwhelmed by the personality of Shazam, becoming a different person. In others, Batson remains the same person within an adult body. The story was adapted for the live action film Shazam!, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, in 2019. A sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, was released in early 2023.

Shazam’s usual nemesis is a supervillain called Black Adam. Adam is an ancient Egyptian with a set of powers similar to Shazam’s. However, Adam’s powers are drawn from Ancient Egyptian gods. Adam ruthlessly pursues his version of justice, which is usually extremely harsh.

Bibliography

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“DC Comics History,” DC Comics, 2020, www.dccomics.com/tags/dc-comics-history. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.

Dickens, Donna. “A Brief History of Shazam, One of the Strangest Characters in the DC Universe.” SlashFilm, 2018, www.slashfilm.com/history-of-shazam/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.

Patrick, Michael. “'Shazam 2' Is All about Shazamily Values! 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Plot Details and More.” Parade, 17 Mar. 2023, parade.com/movies/shazam-2-shazam-fury-of-the-gods. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.

Sandwell, Ian. “Here’s Why There Are Actually Two Captain Marvels on Screen This Year.” Digital Spy, 3 Jun. 2019, www.digitalspy.com/movies/a26700963/captain-marvel-shazam-explained-history-comics/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.

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