Warning: Spoilers for Shazam! #12 ahead!
Summary
Shazam— or “The Captain,” as he has recently been re-nicknamed — may be known to fans as a goofier, less mature version of Superman, but people tend to overlook one critical element of the character provided by Billy Batson. While Billy is often overshadowed by his sister and often struggles to do the right thing, a revelation about the very source of his powers reminds readers why he was chosen to be Champion in the first place.
Shazam!#12 by Josie Campbell, Mike Norton, and Emanuela Lupacchino explains the strange blackouts Billy has been having throughout the course of the series. As it turns out, his superhero alter-ego has been taking control to try and shield Billy from the fact that his neglectful birth mother had another child, a fact that has clear (and negative) emotional ramification for the young Billy.
As the Captain explains, Billy’s intense emotions cause the magic housed inside the Rock of Eternity (the source of all magic) to destructively flare outward, endangering reality. This is becauseBilly has a unique bond with the Rock of Eternity- a fact that validates him being chosen by the Wizardto host the powers of Shazam.
Shazam Lore Gets a Heartbreaking Twist, as a Long-Lost Shazamily Member Returns
Just as the Shazam Family is on the cusp of a fantastic development, a figure from Billy Batson’s life returns and threatens 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 dismiss Billy Batson as simply “the kid who turns into Shazam/the Captain,” but that’s largely due tomodern-day reinterpretations of his original character. DC’s New 52reboot of the character inJustice League#0 portrays Billy as a somewhat selfish kid who happens to be the Wizard’s only option by the time he arrives at the Rock of Eternity.The 2019 filmShazam!hewed fairly closely to this interpretation, and its popularity cemented this origin story of Billy’s powers in the general zeitgeist.
Inthe original Shazam debut— 1940’sWhiz Comics#2 — Billy isn’t just a lucky kid who happens to stumble onto the Rock of Eternity by chance. Instead, the Wizard has been watching him and deliberately chooses him as his successor; when Billy is first being led to the Rock of Eternity, he is explicitly told that “everything has been arranged.” While the element of the Wizard searching for someone “pure of heart” would be added later, the original comic reminds readers thatBilly was always meant to wield 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 version of the contemporary Shazam character debuted, is by Bill Parker, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Bob Kingett, and Gregor Duncan.
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 story with his new one. Now it makes sense that Billy would have been chosen, whether he was pure of heart or not; the implication is thathis connection to the Rock of Eternity placed him in the Wizard’s path to receive Shazam’s powers. While this latestShazam!title does stress that Billy’s good heart was what earned him the Wizard’s blessing, his connection to the Rock of Eternity means that Billy isn’t some kid who just got lucky: he was always going to be worthyShazam’spowers.
SHAZAM! #12 (2024)
Shazam
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.
