0-9
101 Dalmatians
A
The Addams Family
Aladdin
Archie & Jughead
Augie Doggie
Archangel
Arthur & Buster
Akira
Alice in Wonderland
Alfred E. Neuman
Alley Oop
American Splendor
Anastasia
Andy Capp
Angelica Pickles
Aquaman
Arlo and Janis
Asterix
The Atom
The Authority
The Avengers
B
Babs and Buster Bunny
Bambi
The Banana Splits
Batman
Barney
Barnaby
Barney Baxter
Beany and Cecil
The Beast
Beetle Bailey
The Berenstain Bears
Betty Boop
Beauty and the Beast
Battle Angel Alita
Battle Royale
Blade of the Immortal
Blade, Vampire Hunter
Blondie
Bloom County
Bringing Up Father
Bugs Bunny
Bushroot
A Bug's Life
Buz Sawyer
C
Calvin & Hobbes
Captain America
Captain Marvel
Casper, the Friendly Ghost
Caillou
Charlie Brown
Chip n Dale
Cinderella
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Colossus
Conan vs bear
Conan
The Crimson Avenger
The Crow
Cyberchase
Cyclops
D
Daredevil
Daffy Duck
The Defenders
Dennis the Menace (US)
Dennis the Menace & Gnasher (UK)
Dick Tracy
Dilbert
Donald & Daisy Duck
Doonesbury
Dracula
Dragon Ball
Dragon Tales
Dynamo
Dumbo
E
E-Man
Egghead
Elongated Man
Ernie
F
The Fantastic Four
The Far Side
Fantasia
Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids
Felix the Cat
The Flash
Flash Gordon
The Flintstones
The Fly
For Better or for Worse
The Fox
The Fox & the Crow
FoxTrot
Frankenstein
Fritz the Cat
Fruits Basket
Full Metal Alchemist
Futurama
G
Garfield
Gasoline Alley
George of the Jungle
Extraordinary League of Gentlemen
George Shrinks
GI Joe
Goofy & Pluto
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost Rider
Green Arrow
Green Lantern
Gremlins
The Grinch who stole Christmas
Gunsmith Cats
H
Hawkman
Hellboy
Hellblazer
Hellsing
He-Man & the Masters of the Universe
Hellcat
Henry
Herbie
Herb and Jamaal
Hercules
Huey, Dewey & Louie
The Incredible Hulk
The Impossibles
The Human Torch
I
Ice Age
Iceman
Invisible Woman
The Incredibles
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Willoughby
Iron Man
J
Jakers
Jay Jay the Jet Plane
Jean Grey - Pheonix
The Jetsons
Jiminy Cricket
Jonny Quest
Josie & the Pussycats
Jonah Hex
Judge Dredd
Judge Parker
Justice League of America
JSA - Justice Society of America
K
Knights of the Galaxy
Krazy Kat
L
Lady and the Tramp
Lady Luck
Li'l Bad Wolf
Land of the Dead
The Legion of Super Heroes
The Little People
Lion King
Lone Wolf and Cub
Looney Tunes
M
Mad magazine
Mandrake the Magician
Marin Manhunter
Maya & Miguel
The Mask
Men in Black (MIB)
The Mighty Crusaders
The Mighty Heroes
The Mighty Thor
Mickey & Minnie Mouse
Miss America
Modesty Blaise
Monsters Inc
Mother Goose & Grimm
Mr Fantastic
The Mystery Men
N
Nancy Drew
Finding Nemo
New Kids On The Block
Naruto
Nausicaa
Nightcrawler
O
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Outland
|
Shazam
Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. He is an ancient wizard (Whiz Comics #2 gives his age as 3,000 years) who gives young Billy Batson the power to transform into the super hero Captain Marvel. Because DC Comics has billed Captain Marvel's adventures under the name Shazam! since 1973, the superhero is often mistakenly referred to by his mentor's name.
Shazam informs Billy that he has been using his powers for many centuries to fight the forces of evil, but that he is now old and not long for this world. He therefore passes along part of his power to Billy, who shouts his name--"SHAZAM!"--to transform into Captain Marvel. Although Shazam is killed--as prophesied--by a giant granite block falling upon him, Billy/Marvel can summon the ghost of Shazam for guidance by lighting a special wall sconce in Shazam's lair, the Rock of Eternity. More superheroes soon joined Marvel in carrying on the legacy of Shazam, including Marvel Family members Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel, Jr., and the Lieutenant Marvels.
When Billy first meets him, Shazam tells Billy that his name is an acronym for the six gods and mythological figures who empower him with certain attributes: The wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. The 1990s comic series The Power of Shazam!, written by Jerry Ordway, further explored Shazam's origins, giving him a backstory in which he was a young sheepherder who becomes Vlarem, one of the world's first super heroes in ancient Canaan over 5,000 years ago.
At one point, Vlarem is seduced by a demoness disguised as a beautiful woman, and the two of them conceive two half-demon offspring, Blaze and Satanus, much to the displeasure of the gods. Vlarem later creates the Rock of Eternity from two large rock formations--one from Heaven and one from Hell--to hold the "Three Faces of Evil", a dragon-like demon, captive.
Many centuries later, Vlarem, now going by the name of Shazam, feels the need to pass along his powers to a successor, and gives the pharaoh's son Teth-Adam the power to become the super-powered Mighty-Adam by speaking the word "SHAZAM!" As her mother did, Shazam's daughter Blaze takes on the form of a beautiful woman and seduces Adam, convincing him to kill the pharaoh and take over the kingdom. An angry Shazam draws Mighty-Adam's powers out of him and into a large jeweled scarab, thereby killing Adam. A wicked re-incarnation of Teth-Adam named Theo Adam would steal the scarab many centuries later, and use the power of Shazam to become Black Adam.
Eons later, the wizard resurfaces as an aide on the 1940 Malcom Expedition, one of many archaeological expeditions into the tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt. The sarcophagi of Ibis the Invincible and his mate Princess Taia are uncovered and brought to the United States; Shazam keeps an eye on the sarcophagi and, once they are on display at the Fawcett City Museum, uses ancient spells to resurrect Ibis, who joins Bulletman, Spy Smasher, Minute-Man and others to fight evil during the World War II era. In 1955, a thug knocks Shazam across the head with a crowbar and causes him to lose his memory.
A clueless Shazam wanders around Fawcett for the next 40 years until C.C. Batson, a young man Shazam had met on the Malcolm Expedition, recognizes the old man, brings him to the museum to restore his memory. Shazam feels that he has truly found his successor in the upstanding Batson, but he and his wife Marilyn are murdered by a possessed Theo Adam. He therefore decides to enlist C.C. Batson's young son, Billy, as the successor to his power.
All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.
|
|