Everything You Need to Know About Shazam — The Superhero with a Childlike Spirit
Explore the meaning behind Shazam's name, the evolution of his character, and how Marvel once influenced the renaming of his comics.
Discover the significance of the hero's name, the transformation of his character, and how Marvel once compelled a change in the comic's title.
A new film from the DC Universe is hitting the screens. Despite having many famous heroes like Green Lantern and The Flash, the studio chose to bring Shazam — the most cheerful and lighthearted character — to life first.
While not as widely known as Batman or Superman, Shazam boasts a rich history dating back to the dawn of the "Golden Age" of comics and intense studio rivalries. Moreover, he stands apart from other superheroes in unique ways.
The Origin of Shazam Comics
In the late 1930s, National Allied Publications (later renamed National Comics and eventually DC Comics) created their flagship superhero, who quickly became an iconic American symbol — Superman.
In response, the smaller company Fawcett Comics sought to develop their own answer to this popular character. Initially, they envisioned six superheroes, each endowed with powers from ancient gods.
Later, the concept shifted to combine the powers of all six gods into a single character. His human alter ego was a twelve-year-old boy, designed to add childlike humor and allow young readers to identify with the hero. The magical foundation connected the stories more to mythology than to science fiction, unlike Superman.
The new character was originally to be named Captain Thunder, but that name was already taken. Instead, he was called Captain Marvel. Today, this name is associated with a different hero — specifically, the heroine from Marvel’s film of the same name.
However, the original Captain Marvel is actually the current Shazam. The story of how this name transitioned to another universe follows.
What Does “Shazam” Mean and How It Relates to the Hero’s Powers
In the original comics, young orphan Billy Batson, a homeless newspaper delivery boy, encounters the wizard Shazam in a cave. For his resilience and hard work, the wizard grants Billy the powers of gods. When Billy shouts "Shazam!" he transforms into an adult superhero named Captain Marvel. In this form, he fights evil and injustice in the world.
The magical word is not just the wizard’s name but an acronym representing the gods who bestow their powers on Billy:
- S – Solomon: Grants wisdom — immense ancient knowledge and perfect memory.
- H – Hercules: Grants strength — ability to lift massive weights and break the toughest materials.
- A – Atlas: Grants endurance — capacity to survive without air, heal wounds, and resist magic.
- Z – Zeus: Grants the power of the thunder god — ability to summon lightning.
- A – Achilles: Grants courage — bravery and determination to fight evil.
- M – Mercury: Grants speed — ability to run and fly at incredible speeds.
These combined powers make Captain Marvel one of the most powerful heroes, comparable to Superman. They have even faced off, with victories alternating between the two.
How Captain Marvel Became Shazam
The change stems from legal battles with National Comics. In the early 1940s, Captain Marvel’s comic sales surpassed Superman’s. He even starred in the first-ever superhero television series — a 12-episode show titled "The Adventures of Captain Marvel." The character matured and the storyline evolved, boosting his popularity.
National Comics sued Fawcett Comics, claiming Captain Marvel was a copy of Superman. The similarities were evident: similar costumes and overlapping powers.
The legal dispute lasted years. Meanwhile, declining interest in comics led to a drop in story and artwork quality. In 1952, the court ruled some Captain Marvel stories infringed on Superman. By then, Fawcett Comics was struggling and voluntarily ceased publishing Captain Marvel comics, selling the rights to Charlton Comics.
In the 1960s, Marvel Comics seized the opportunity, acquiring the rights to the Captain Marvel name and launching their own "Captain Marvel" series, which inspired the recent film.
DC Comics revived the character in the 1970s after acquiring Charlton Comics but found they could not use the original name, as Marvel owned it.
Thus, the comics were retitled "Shazam!" though the hero’s name remained Captain Marvel. Gradually, fans began calling the character Shazam, and officially, in 2011, DC relaunched its comics universe "The New 52," making Shazam both the comic title and the hero’s name.
Shazam’s Allies and Enemies
Allies
Shortly after his debut, Captain Marvel, like many superheroes, gained numerous allies forming the "Marvel Family," later known as the "Shazam Family." The first allies were the Marvel Lieutenants — three boys all named Billy Batson.
Later came his twin sister, Mary Bromfield, who transformed into Mary Marvel. Initially, she remained a teenager in her superhero form, but later was given an adult alter ego. The Mary Marvel comics marked the beginning of female superhero spin-offs, eventually leading to characters like Supergirl and Batwoman.
Freddy Freeman, known as Captain Marvel Jr., was another ally. In early comics, the main hero saved Freddy from the villainous Captain Nazi. To save the weakened boy, Captain Marvel shared his powers with him, though Freddy remained a teenager while empowered.
These characters possess powers similar to the main hero, with variations depending on comic versions.
Enemies
Two primary villains stand out in Shazam’s stories and the upcoming film. The first is Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, one of Captain Marvel’s oldest foes.
Sivana is a classic mad scientist, alternating between world domination schemes and aspirations to become a wizard. He is aided by his four children: Magnificus, Beautia, Georgia, and Thaddeus Jr.
The second iconic enemy is Black Adam, a dark mirror to the hero. He was Captain Marvel’s predecessor and possessed similar powers.
However, his limitless abilities corrupted him, leading the wizard to banish Black Adam from Earth — either to the depths of space or another dimension, depending on the version. Upon his return, Black Adam seeks to defeat Captain Marvel and conquer the world.
These villains frequently team up, with Sivana sometimes aiding Black Adam’s return to Earth.
How Shazam’s Character Has Evolved
After DC Comics acquired the character, they attempted to revive his stories. Sharing a universe with Superman, Shazam’s tales shifted focus toward battles with wizards, spirits, and magical beings. However, these stories struggled to gain popularity.
Significant changes came in 1987 with the series Shazam!: The New Beginning, which revealed that Billy Batson retains his childlike mind and personality even in superhero form. This became Shazam’s defining trait: although he has an adult body, emotionally he remains a simple, naive child.
Despite this, Shazam was not very popular in the early 2000s. He appeared occasionally in the Justice League and other crossover stories, while creators tried to relaunch his solo comics.
For example, the 2008 series The Trials of Shazam! had Captain Marvel become the wizard Shazam, passing his powers to Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy Freeman), who had to confront Mary Batson after Black Adam transferred powers to her.
DC frequently resets its universe to refresh character histories and eliminate inconsistencies accumulated over time. These events often erase alternate hero versions or rewind timelines.
For instance, the 2011 Flashpoint comic shows The Flash traveling back in time to save his mother, creating an alternate universe where heroes’ fates differ greatly: Aquaman lives underwater and wages war on humans, and Thomas Wayne becomes Batman after his son’s death.
In this universe, six children simultaneously become Captain Thunder by shouting "Shazam!" each wielding the power of a god. They battle Wonder Woman, who is hostile toward humans. However, after reverting to children, one of them is killed by the Amazons.
Following Flashpoint, DC rebooted its universe with The New 52, establishing Shazam’s current name and backstory. In this version, Billy is a more arrogant and sharp-tongued teenager, welcomed into a new family where he meets Mary Batson and Freddy Freeman. He gains Shazam’s powers and faces classic enemies like Dr. Thaddeus Sivana and Black Adam.
What to Expect in the "Shazam!" Movie
The new film retells the classic origin: troubled teen Billy Batson (Asher Angel) joins a foster family where Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) already lives. Billy soon receives powers from the wizard Shazam, granting him the ability to transform into a superhero (Zachary Levi). Internally, however, he remains a child, unsure how to control his new abilities.
Billy must soon confront the sinister Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), who also seeks Shazam’s powers.
The film draws heavily from the early comics of the New 52 universe. Characters’ personalities and certain scenes are clearly inspired by the original stories. However, in the movie universe, Sivana partly embodies Black Adam’s powers, who is set to be portrayed by Dwayne Johnson in an upcoming film.
"Shazam!" is one of the most fun and optimistic movies in the DC Universe. Interestingly, it is directed by David F. Sandberg, known for horror films like "Lights Out" and "Annabelle: Creation." Similarly, "Aquaman" was directed by James Wan, famous for "The Conjuring" and "Insidious."
It’s somewhat ironic that "Shazam!" premieres just a month after Marvel’s "Captain Marvel," a film that owes its name to this very character.
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