Time to blather about one of my other favourite Super hero...
THE BIG RED CHEESE
Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam, is a fictional superhero originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, he first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940) with a premise that taps adolescent fantasy. Shazam is the alter ego of Billy Batson who works as a radio news reporter and was chosen to be a champion of good by an ancient wizard (also named Shazam). Whenever Billy speaks the word "Shazam!", he is struck by a magic lightning bolt that transforms him into an adult superhero empowered with the abilities of six archetypal, historical figures.
Hailed as "The World's Mightiest Mortal" in his adventures, Captain Marvel/Shazam was nicknamed "The Big Red Cheese" by arch-villain Doctor Sivana, an epithet later adopted by Captain Marvel's fans. Based on sales, Captain Marvel was the most popular superhero of the 1940s, as his Captain Marvel Adventures comic book series sold more copies than Superman and other competing books of the time.....Captain Marvel was also the first comic book superhero to be adapted to film, in a 1941 Republic Pictures serial titled Adventures of Captain Marvel.
Fawcett ceased publishing Captain Marvel-related comics in 1953, partly because of a copyright infringement suit from DC Comics alleging that Captain Marvel was a copy of Superman. In 1972, DC licensed the Marvel Family characters and returned them to publication, acquiring all rights to the characters by 1991. DC has since integrated Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family into their DC Universe, and have attempted to revive the property several times with mixed success.
Because Marvel Comics trademarked their Captain Marvel comic book during the interim between the original Captain Marvel's Fawcett years and DC years, DC has used the trademark Shazam! to promote the property since 1972, instead of the name "Captain Marvel". Consequently, Captain Marvel himself has often been referred to as "Shazam", leading to DC to rename the character as such during their New 52 relaunch in 2012
Captain Marvel was ranked as the 55th greatest comic book character of all time by Wizard magazine IGN also ranked Captain Marvel as the 50th greatest comic book hero of all time, stating that Captain Marvel will always be an enduring reminder of a simpler time. UGO Networks also placed him as one of the top heroes of entertainment, quoting, "At his best, Shazam has always been Superman with a sense of crazy, goofy fun".
When Billy Batson says the magic word "Shazam!" and transforms into Shazam/Captain Marvel, he is granted the following powers:
S - for the Wisdom of Solomon : instant access to a vast amount of scholarly knowledge, including most known languages and sciences. He has exceptional photographic recall and mental acuity allowing him to read and decipher hieroglyphs, recall everything he has ever learned and solve long mathematical equations. He also has a great understanding of divine phenomena in the mortal world. The wisdom of Solomon also provides him with counsel and advice in times of need. In early Captain Marvel stories, Solomon's power also gave Marvel the ability to hypnotize people.
H - for the Strength of Hercules Hercules' power grants Shazam/Captain Marvel immense superhuman strength, making him one of DC Comics' strongest characters; he is able to easily bend steel, punch through walls, and lift massive objects, (including whole continents like South America). In the comics, this strength has evolved in parallel to that of Superman.
A - for the Stamina of Atlas ...Using Atlas' stamina, Shazam/Captain Marvel can withstand and survive most types of extreme physical assaults, and heal from them. Additionally, he does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe and can survive unaided in space when in Captain Marvel form. In some pre-Crisis stories, it was implied that the stamina of Atlas makes Captain Marvel invulnerable.
Z - for the Power of Zeus....Zeus' power, besides fueling the magic thunderbolt that transforms Shazam/Captain Marvel, also enhances Marvel's other physical and mental abilities, and grants him resistance against all magic spells and attacks. The hero can use the lightning bolt as a weapon by dodging it and allowing it to strike an opponent or target. The magic lightning has several uses, such as creating apparatus, restoring damage done to the hero, and acting as fuel for magic spells. If Billy is poisoned, for example, transforming will enable him to survive its effects
A - for the Courage of Achilles This aspect gives Shazam/Captain Marvel the courage of Achilles, giving him bravery and in one story it is claimed to give him fighting skills.[45] In the Trials of Shazam! mini-series, this was changed to Achilles' near invulnerability. It also aids the hero's mental fortitude against most mental attacks.
M - for the Speed of Mercury...By channeling Mercury's speed, Shazam/Captain Marvel can move at superhuman speeds and fly, although in older comics he could only leap great distances. This also gives Marvel the ability to fly to the Rock of Eternity by flying faster than the speed of light.
Repeating the word "Shazam!" transforms Shazam/Captain Marvel back into Billy
In Whiz Comics #11, Billy is shown to be able to summon up a ghostly version of Captain Marvel by whispering the word, and in other stories the spirit of Captain Marvel was shown talking to Billy.
Captain Marvel shares his powers with Marvel Family members Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. In pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths stories, this had no detrimental effect on the heroes' abilities, while in DC's Power of Shazam series and irregularly afterward, the Shazam power was shown to be a finite source which would be divided in half or into thirds depending upon how many Marvels were in active super-powered form at one time.
As he was transformed by magic lightning, Shazam/Captain Marvel was shown in several stories to be susceptible to both high-powered magic, which can weaken or de-power him, and to significantly high voltages of electricity which can revert him back to Billy Batson form. Likewise, lightning could transform Billy to Captain Marvel. The modern version of Captain Marvel is also vulnerable in the fact that he possesses the immature personality of a teenager. In one story it is shown that if the Elders strike their name from the list Captain Marvel loses his powers. If Shazam is incapitated he could not send down the lightning, though later it was shown Zeus could send it down also.
It was claimed in some stories that he was invulnerable to every force in the universe, including shrinking rays.....The white-clad "Marvel" version of the character from The Trials of Shazam! also commands the various magical abilities once owned by the wizard Shazam. However, Marvel is required to remain on the Rock of Eternity and can only be away from the Rock for twenty-four hours at a time
Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 twelve-chapter film serial directed by John English and William Witney for Republic Pictures, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications such as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. It starred Tom Tyler in the title role of Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan, Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson.....During an archaeological expedition to Siam, the power of the Golden Scorpion allows Billy Batson meets the ancient wizard Shazam, who grants him the power to become Captain Marvel and protect those who may be in danger from the Scorpion's curse.
The lenses from the Golden Scorpion are divided among five scientists of the Malcolm Archaeological Expedition. A black-hooded villain known as the Scorpion attempts to acquire all of the lenses and the Scorpion device. Several expedition members are killed in the Scorpion's quest despite Captain Marvel's continual efforts to thwart him. Deducing that the Scorpion always seems to know what goes on at all the meetings with the scientists, Billy later confides his suspicions to his friends, Betty Wallace and Whitey Murphy, that the Scorpion might be one of the archaeological team......
The Scorpion later discovers the connection between Billy and Captain Marvel. After capturing him, the Scorpion interrogates Billy for the secret. Billy transforms into Captain Marvel and reveals the Scorpion to be one of the last surviving scientists, who is then killed by an angry Siamese native. Captain Marvel tosses the scorpion statue into a volcano's molten lava to prevent it from ever being used for evil. Once it is destroyed, Captain Marvel is instantly transformed back into Billy Batson as there is no longer any need for a protector for the scorpion.
70S TV SHOW
The show ran from 1974 to 1977 on CBS; from 1975 to 1977 it was known as The Shazam!/Isis Hour, and included The Secrets of Isis, about an Ancient Egyptian superheroine resurrected in the body of a schoolteacher, as the second half of the hour..... Shazam! was brought back for reruns in 1980. Actor Michael Gray stars as young Billy Batson and Les Tremayne as his guardian "Mentor", while Captain Marvel was played first by Jackson Bostwick, and later by John Davey. Actress Joanna Cameron appeared as Isis, and her alter-ego Andrea Thomas, on three episodes of Shazam!, and Davey likewise appeared as Captain Marvel in three episodes of Isis.
The television version of Shazam! departs notably from the comic book and radio versions of the character. The eponymous wizard Shazam does not appear in the series; teenage Billy instead speaks directly to the elders that empowered him (who appeared as animated characters: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury) via a communication device aboard "The W.H.I.Z. Van." Instead of being based in any one particular city,
Billy (Michael Gray) and his traveling companion Mentor (Les Tremayne) traveled through 1970s California in an RV, interacting with people in various towns they stop in each week. Whenever a potentially dangerous situation arose, Billy would become Captain Marvel and save the day. In an era before cell phones, Mentor would make phone calls from the RV on a type of mobile phone, asking a "mobile operator" to dial the number.
There were no such super-villains as Dr. Sivana, Captain Marvel's and Billy's greatest enemy in the source material, and violence was downplayed. Billy, as both himself and as Captain Marvel, would help people out of difficult situations of their own making. As in many Filmation shows and cartoons, moral messages were contained within each episode, crystallized at the end of each episode by Billy learning a new moral lesson from either Mentor or his empowering elders.
As in other media, when he spoke the magic word "Shazam!", Billy is struck by a magic lightning bolt and is transformed via animation and special effects into the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel.
Originally empowered by the powers of the former Captain Marvel, Billy Batson, who has been advanced to controller of the Rock of Eternity, Frederick Christopher "Freddy" Freeman has advanced to Magical Champion of Earth with the full powers and ability as the new Captain Marvel.
Mary Marvel is superheroine in the DC Comics Universe and a member of the Marvel Family, a group of heroes associated with Captain Marvel. She is the alter ego of Mary Batson, twin sister of Billy Batson, Captain Marvel's alter-ego. Like her brother, Mary is granted the power of the wizard Shazam and has to speak the wizard's name to transform into Mary Marvel.....Mary joined her brother and his friend Captain Marvel, Jr in fighting the forces of evil.
Brooklyn, New York City has its own Billy Batson, and he travels to the W.H.I.Z. radio station with two other Billy Batsons, one from the Western United States and one from the Southern United States, to visit the "real" Billy. To prevent confusion, the western Billy suggests he be called "Tall" Billy, the southern Billy is renamed "Hill" Billy and Brooklyn's Billy is given the title "Fat" Billy. At the "real" Billy's suggestion, all four Billys form the Billy Batson Club.
The story of Black Adam begins in thirteenth century Egypt. Teth-Adam, a nobel and brave prince of the land of Kahndaq, was recruited by the wizard Shazam to be his champion of good. Endowned with the powers of six Egyptian gods, Teth-Adam became Egypt's greatest protector. But nothing lasts forever; when his wife and children were murdered by his enemies, Teth-Adam was seduced and corrupted by Shazam's daughter, Blaze, and became the very thing he fought. Seeing his failure, Shazam renamed Teth-Adam "Khem-Adam" (Arabic for Black Adam), and banished his soul to the Amulet of Greed. Eons later, Teth-Adam's descendant, Theo Adam, found his ancestor's tomb and took the amulet, killing his partners, C.C. and Marilyn Batson, in the process. Returning to America, Adam encountered Captain Marvel (in reality Billy Batson, the son of his victims), and learned of his past life, which granted him access to Teth-Adam's powers. After his first defeat at the hands of Captain Marvel, Black Adam has repeatedly fought the Shazam family, and even tried the path of the hero again, but went back to villainy. He is currently trapped in a stone form.
Blaze is a female demon and the daughter of the wizard Shazam. She is the ruler of another dimension known as Hades. Blaze made her first appearance in disguise as a woman named Angelica Blaze. She who owned a Metropolis nightclub. Her main goal is the acquisition of souls for her dimension.
Chain Lightning is a metahuman who has the power to absorb and dispel electricity in the form of lightning bolts. As such, she can cause the Marvels to revert to their non-powered forms if she attacks them with enough of a charge. When re-introduced in the Power of Shazam! series in the 1990s, Chain Lightning was depicted as a teenage girl with multiple personality disorder , whose four personalities (her "actual" persona of Amy, the embittered Amber, her inner child, and her id) fuel her powers. Chain's Amy personality has an unrequited crush on Captain Marvel Jr., after he saved her (and "the others") from committing suicide.
Mister Mind is a strange insect-like creature that's an enemy to the DC version of Captain Marvel, Booster Gold and a few other DC superheroes.
History....Mister Mind claims to be the world’s wickedest worm. He claims that he and his species came from Venus and that his species ruled all of the Earth in between the extinction of the dinosaurs and the very first first Ice Age. He wants to take control all over the world. But so far his plans have been failures.
Mister Atom was created by Dr. Charles Langley in a story in Captain Marvel Adventures #78. His body was constructed first, and then Langley charged the robot with radioactive energy. The spark that gave the robot life also ended the life of his creator. Super-charged with a nuclear reactor and armed with a deadly mind, Mister Atom went on a wave of destruction before being stopped (barely) by Captain Marvel. Mister Atom was imprisoned in an underground, lead-lined cell, as no other prison could contain his power. Later he was freed by aliens called the Comet Men who hoped to employ his power in the conquest of Earth, but they fell to fighting among themselves and were all apparently destroyed in a giant explosion. However, the blast had actually thrown Mister Atom forward in time, to a world where almost everything was run by atomic power. Captain Marvel travelled to this future and battled Atom again, who once again was apparently destroyed
Mister Who's real name is unknown. He was born as nothing but a “hopeless cripple.” He was always tormented by his peers while he was growing up. Whn he became scientist, he developed something called Solution Z, which was based on the world’s most adaptive creatures. Doctor Who decided used it on himself so he can become “strong and tall”. Filled with resentment over the way in which he had been treated all his life, Who decided not to share his discovery, but decided to use his new abilities to steal art treasures and surround himself with beauty, and became an enemy of Doctor Fate.
The super-strong Captain Nazi was genetically altered by his scientist father, and developed into the "perfect specimen" in order to fight for Adolf Hitler and the Axis Powers during World War II. Nazi first appeared in Master Comics #21 (December 1941), in opposition to both Captain Marvel and Bulletman.
Ibac's alter-ego is Stanley "Stinky" Printwhistle, a crook who attempted to blow up a bridge, but was caught in the explosion. He is saved by Lucifer, who offers Printwhistle the chance to become a champion of evil in exchange for his mortal soul. Printwhistle accepts, and is told to speak the magic word "IBAC". By doing so, the frail, grey-haired criminal transforms into Ibac, a brutal muscleman with a buzz cut. Saying "IBAC" again transforms Ibac back into Printwhistle. Because he hasn't been able to defeat Captain Marvel, Printwhistle has not been obliged to give his soul to the devil, and has reformed, but being weak-willed, he has often been forced by other criminals into becoming the evil Ibac again.
Doctor Sivana is a DC villain who appeared as an enemy of Captain Marvel before becoming a larger part of the extended DC universe - an evil knowledgeable/mad scientist archetype Doctor Sivana is a original inventor and master manipulator and strategist......
In his lengthy career as a supervillain Doctor Sivana has been a part of the Injustice League, The Society, Fearsome Five, Monster Society Of Evil, Sivana Family and Science Squad - known for his many crazed ideas and experiments Doctor Sivana's main goal is to do away with Captain Marvel and those that follow him.
The original Sabbac was the alter ego of Timothy Karnes (alternatively spelt as Barnes), and an enemy of Captain Marvel, Jr.. Sabbac appeared in two issues of the Golden Age Captain Marvel Jr. comic book (issues 4 and 6, both from 1943), and in two issues each of World's Finest Comics and Adventure Comics during the early 1980s.
Sabbac is depicted as a "dark opposite" to the Marvels, similar to Captain Marvel's foe Ibac. The dark forces of Hell gave the human Karnes the power to become a being with powers to rival Captain Marvel. To access this power, all Karnes has to do is say the magic word "Sabbac", and magic black lightning strikes up from the underword and transforms him into a muscle-bound demon with super-strength, super-speed, flight, fire breath, and the ability to emit fire blasts from the palms of his hands. Like Captain Marvel's magic word "Shazam", the word Sabbac is an acronym for the six beings who empower Sabbac: the demons Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Crateis.
This version of Sabbac, possessing amplified demonic powers and a hairy beast-like appearance with horns instead of the more humanoid original form, is the alter ego of Ishamel Gregor, a Russian immigrant who had become a New York mob boss. Gregor lusted after the power of Sabbac and had his men find Timothy Karnes, who had been incarcerated and had his voice box removed to prevent him from speaking. Gregor initiates a demonic ritual which he states will allow Karnes to access his power without needing to speak. The ritual involves the murder of an entire New York bus full of passengers. At the end, Gregor kills Karnes and gains the Sabbac power for himself.
THE OLD BLIGHTY VERSION OF SHAZAM...
So...there you go...hope it was vaguely entertaining
No comments:
Post a Comment