word of advice : spoiler for Shazam ! # 12 beforehand !

Summary

Shazam — or " The Captain , " as he has recently been re - dub — may be known to fans as a whacky , less ripe translation of Superman , but people run to look out over one critical element of the character provide by Billy Batson . While Billy is often overshadowed by his baby and often fight to do the right affair , a Revelation of Saint John the Divine about the very germ of his powers prompt readers why he was chosen to be virtuoso in the first place .

Shazam!#12 by Josie Campbell , Mike Norton , and Emanuela Lupacchino excuse the unusual blackouts Billy has been having throughout the course of study of the series . As it work out , his superhero alter - ego has been taking ascendancy to try and shield Billy from the fact that his neglectful nativity mother had another child , a fact that has clear ( and minus ) emotional ramification for the young Billy .

As the Captain explain , Billy ’s intense emotions make the magic housed inside the Rock of Eternity ( the root of all conjuration ) to destructively irrupt outward , endangering realness . This is becauseBilly has a unique bond with the Rock of Eternity- a fact that validates him being select by the Wizardto host the powers of Shazam .

Shazam and Marilyn Batson DC Featured

Just as the Shazam Family is on the cusp of a wonderful maturation , a figure from Billy Batson ’s liveliness returns and endanger to upend everything .

Billy Batson Was Always the Right Choice for Shazam’s Powers

How Do Other Shazam Interpretations Depict Billy?

It ’s easy enough to send away Billy Batson as only " the minor who turns into Shazam / the Captain , " but that ’s for the most part due tomodern - day reinterpretation of his original character . DC ’s New 52reboot of the character inJustice League#0 portrays Billy as a somewhat selfish kid who happen to be the Wizard ’s only choice by the time he arrives at the Rock of Eternity . The 2019 filmShazam!hewed pretty closely to this interpretation , and its popularity cement this origin story of Billy ’s powers in the cosmopolitan zeitgeist .

Inthe original Shazam entry — 1940’sWhiz Comics#2 — Billy is n’t just a lucky youngster who happens to falter onto the Rock of Eternity by chance . Instead , the Wizard has been look on him and intentionally chooses him as his successor ; when Billy is first being precede to the Rock of Eternity , he is explicitly told that " everything has been fix up . " While the element of the Wizard searching for someone " pure of heart " would be added later , the original comic prompt lector thatBilly was always meant to manage Shazam ’s power — from the very beginning and very deliberately .

The New 52’sJustice League#0 is by Geoff Johns , Gary Frank , Brad Anderson , and Nick J. Napolitano . Whiz Comics#2 , where the original variant of the contemporary Shazam character debuted , is by Bill Parker , Pete Costanza , C.C. Beck , Bob Kingett , and Gregor Duncan .

invisible man

Shazam Lore Change Neatly Marries Old and New Narratives

Billy Batson Is Permanently Connected to the Rock of Eternity

The reveal that Billy has a special connection to the Rock of Eternity neatly combines his old origin tale with his young one . Now it makes sense that Billy would have been pick out , whether he was pure of affectionateness or not ; the implication is thathis connexion to the Rock of Eternity set him in the Wizard ’s path to receive Shazam ’s powers . While this latestShazam!title does stress that Billy ’s good heart was what gain him the Wizard ’s blessing , his connection to the Rock of Eternity mean that Billy is n’t some kid who just got golden : he was always going to be worthyShazam’spowers .

Shazam!#12is available now from DC Comics .

SHAZAM ! # 12 ( 2024 )

Imagery of Jason the Red Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

in the first place jazz as Captain Marvel , the magical champion Shazam is a DC Comics superhero who gains his power from various mythological figure : Solomon ’s soundness , Hercules ' intensity , Atlas ' stamina , Zeus ' mightiness , Achilles ' courage , and Mercury ’s stop number . When kid Billy Batson utter the phrase " Shazam , " he metamorphose into an grownup superhero with these combined ability . Shazam fights villains alongside the Marvel Family , embodying the ideals of heroism , justice , and magic in the DC Universe .

Comic book panels: the Captain explains how the Rock of Eternity recognizes Billy Batson, who stands with his biological mother.

Originally known as Captain Marvel, the magical champion Shazam is a DC Comics superhero who gains his powers from various mythological figures: Solomon’s wisdom, Hercules' strength, Atlas' stamina, Zeus' power, Achilles' courage, and Mercury’s speed. When child Billy Batson utters the phrase “Shazam,” he transforms into an adult superhero with these combined abilities. Shazam fights villains alongside the Marvel Family, embodying the ideals of heroism, justice, and magic in the DC Universe.

Comic book panels: Billy Batson’s biological mother talks to Billy as Mary and Freddy look shocked.

Shazam