Captain Marvel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Captain Marvel / Shazam |
|
|---|---|
Art by Alex Ross
|
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940) |
| Created by |
|
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | William Joseph "Billy" Batson |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Justice League Justice Society of America Marvel / Shazam Family Teen Titans |
| Partnerships | Mary Marvel Captain Marvel Jr. Mister Tawky Tawny Shazam (wizard) |
| Notable aliases | Captain Thunder The Big Red Cheese World's Mightiest Mortal King Shazam Lightning Guy |
| Abilities | Wisdom of Solomon
Strength of Hercules
Stamina of Atlas
Power of Zeus
Courage of Achilles
Speed of Mercury
|
| Captain Marvel Adventures | |
 |
Cover of Captain Marvel Adventures #31 (January 1944). Art by C. C. Beck |
| Series publication information | |
| Publisher | Fawcett Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero/Humor |
| Publication date | 1941 – 1953 |
| Number of issues | 150 |
| Main character(s) | Captain Marvel/Billy Batson Tawky Tawny |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Otto Binder, William Woolfolk, Ed Herron, Joe Simon |
| Artist(s) | C. C. Beck, Pete Costanza, Jack Kirby |
| Editor(s) | Ed Herron, Wendell Crowley |
Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam, is a popular superhero from American comic books. He was first published by Fawcett Comics and is now published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker.
Captain Marvel first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 in February 1940. He is secretly Billy Batson, a young boy. When Billy says the magic word "Shazam!", he transforms into a powerful adult superhero. This magic word comes from six "immortal elders": Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury.
As Captain Marvel, Billy gains amazing powers like superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to fly. He fights many villains, including his main enemies Black Adam, Doctor Sivana, and Mister Mind. Billy often shares his powers with his foster siblings, like his sister Mary Batson and his best friend Freddy Freeman. They also become superheroes and fight crime together as the Marvel Family, or the Shazam Family.
In the 1940s, Captain Marvel was super popular, even selling more comics than Superman. He was also the first comic book superhero to be made into a movie, with the 1941 film serial Adventures of Captain Marvel.
Fawcett stopped publishing Captain Marvel comics in 1953. This was partly due to a legal disagreement with DC Comics, who said Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman. In 1972, DC Comics got the rights to the character. Since then, DC has tried to make Captain Marvel popular again.
Because of other characters named "Captain Marvel" owned by Marvel Comics, DC started calling their hero "Shazam!" This led many people to think "Shazam!" was his actual name. In 2011, DC officially renamed the character "Shazam" in their comics.
The Shazam! character has been adapted for TV and movies many times. There was a live-action TV series in the 1970s and an animated series in the 1980s. More recently, the 2019 movie Shazam! and its 2023 sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods brought the hero to the big screen.
Contents
Powers and Abilities
When Billy Batson says "Shazam!", he changes into a strong, adult superhero. He gains many amazing powers that make him one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe. Billy can even share some of his powers with others.
The letters in the name SHAZAM each stand for a special superpower. These powers come from different gods and mythical figures.
The Powers of Shazam
| S | Wisdom of Solomon | Billy gets a huge amount of knowledge instantly. He becomes very smart and wise, understanding almost all languages and sciences. He has a perfect memory, remembering everything clearly. This power helps him solve hard problems and make good decisions. It can also give him a sense of what's happening, like a form of knowing things before they happen. |
| H | Strength of Hercules | This power gives him superhuman strength, making him one of DC Comics' strongest characters. He can easily bend steel, punch through buildings, and lift very heavy objects. His strength is often compared to Superman's. In older comics, his strength was limitless, allowing him to move stars and planets. |
| A | Stamina of Atlas | He gains almost endless energy and never gets tired. He can withstand most physical attacks without much harm. If he does get hurt, he heals in seconds. He doesn't need to eat, drink, or even breathe, and can survive in space. This power also makes him age very slowly in his superhero form. |
| Z | Power of Zeus | This power creates the magic lightning bolt that transforms Billy. He can use this lightning as a weapon, shooting energy bolts or creating electric shields. It also gives him magical abilities, allowing him to cast spells and conjure objects. This power lets him travel to the Rock of Eternity, a magical place. |
| A | Courage of Achilles | This gives him incredible bravery and makes him very tough. He is resistant to physical harm like heat or disease, and also to magic spells and mind control. In some stories, it also makes him a better fighter. |
| M | Speed of Mercury | Captain Marvel can move at superhuman speeds, similar to the Flash. He can fly incredibly fast, even faster than light in space. In older comics, he could only leap great distances, but later he gained full flight. |
Weaknesses
Captain Marvel is very powerful, but he isn't completely unbeatable. Strong magic can sometimes weaken him or make him change back into Billy Batson. In some older stories, very high amounts of electricity could also turn him back.
Even with the courage of Achilles, the older Captain Marvel was sometimes shy around women. Also, because he's really a kid, his childlike innocence can sometimes be a weakness.
In classic stories, just saying "Shazam!" would transform him, even by accident. But since 2011, Billy has more control. He only transforms if he wants to, even if he says the magic word.
Supporting Characters
Captain Marvel often works with a team of superheroes called the Marvel Family, or Shazam Family. These heroes also get their powers from the wizard Shazam. The main members are Captain Marvel's sister, Mary Marvel, and his best friend, Captain Marvel Jr..
Other allies include "Uncle" Dudley (Uncle Marvel) and a talking tiger named Mr. Tawky Tawny. Tawky Tawny is an animal who acts like a human and works as a museum curator.
In newer comics, the Shazam Family includes Billy's five foster siblings: Mary Bromfield, Freddy Freeman, Pedro Peña, Eugene Choi, and Darla Dudley. They all share his powers.
In Other Media
Movies
Captain Marvel was the first superhero to appear in a movie! The 1941 film serial Adventures of Captain Marvel showed him flying using special effects that were very advanced for the time.
Later, in 2019, a big movie called Shazam! was released by Warner Bros. It starred Zachary Levi as Shazam and Asher Angel as Billy Batson. The movie showed Billy as a foster teen who gets his powers and learns to be a hero with the help of his foster brother Freddy. At the end of the movie, Billy shares his powers with his foster siblings, and they all become the Shazam Family.
A sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, was released in 2023, bringing back the same cast. Shazam also appears in many animated movies, like Justice League: War and Lego DC: Shazam!: Magic and Monsters.
Television Shows
Captain Marvel first came to TV in 1974 with the live-action show Shazam! Billy Batson and an older man called Mentor traveled across the U.S., helping people. Billy got his powers and advice directly from the six "immortal elders" (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury).
Later, an animated Shazam! cartoon aired from 1981 to 1982. In this show, the whole Marvel Family joined Captain Marvel on his adventures, fighting villains like Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind.
Shazam also appears in many modern animated shows. He was in Justice League Unlimited, where he even fought Superman! He also appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Young Justice. More recently, he has been a guest character in Teen Titans Go! and Justice League Action.
Video Games
Captain Marvel has been a playable character in many video games. He appeared in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.
As Shazam, he is a fighter in Injustice: Gods Among Us. In this game's story, he joins Superman's team but is later killed by Superman. He also appears in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and Lego DC Super Villains.
Cultural Impact
.jpg)
Captain Marvel's stories have added a lot to comic book culture. One of the most famous things is his rivalry with Superman. In many comic stories, they are shown as equally strong. Even though Captain Marvel doesn't have powers like Superman's heat vision, his magic-based powers are a weakness for Superman.
Their rivalry was even made fun of in a comic story called "Superduperman" in Mad in 1953. In that story, Captain Marbles (a funny version of Captain Marvel) was greedy and a criminal, which was the opposite of Captain Marvel's good nature.
Over the years, Superman and Captain Marvel have met and fought many times in comics and cartoons. Sometimes they are enemies, and other times they become friends and allies. For example, in the Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder comic series, they become close friends, and Superman even offers to be Billy's mentor.
|
See also
In Spanish: Capitán Marvel para niños
