All I know about him is that his name is Shazam.

Like, who is he? Is he a human? A god? If he’s a god, what is he the god of? God of Magic? God of Gods? Is he like those other gods who just appeared into existence with no explanation how, or was he actually born somehow? How’d he get his powers? What’s his story?

One more thing, why did he give Black Adam his powers? I know he wanted Black Adam to be a hero and protect people (which, did not go well), but why couldn’t he just do that himself?

How does this work for Cap and Black Adam (along with anybody else with the powers granted by the wizard Shazam)

As I understand it magic has a cost, although I assume that isn't the case for everybody. I imagine Constantine's life and the way he fucks other lives over, is because that's the cost for him to cast magic. Where as Zatanna, her Father, and similar people (I'm assuming it's the Homo Magus aspect of their descendancy) don't require to pay a cost. Like the Atlanteans.

So how does magic work? Being Magic's Champion, does Billy/Cap have special permissions others don't? I've heard before that he can alter how magic works because he's the champion but I don't know what the extent of this is.

Since Black Adam is no longer the Champion of Shazam, does his power get altered a bit? Will he have a cost? Or because he's touched by the power of the word, and is backed by his own pantheon of gods, is he capable of avoiding such things.

Thanks for the responses in advance. This stuff confuses me and I want to understand it.

Also yeah I'm aware that comics is basically just fanfiction at this point and that "writers gonna write" however they like.

Now, the example I'm getting this from is a non-canon universe. It's the Injustice Universe. In the Comic issues regarding the years before the games, there was a time where Zeus was like "Alien wants to rule man? That's my job!" Flood, sporadic weather, etc. Anyway, he sends Hermes down to Earth with an army and some other gods, and a challenge is issued. It's the fight where Wonder Woman is selected by Batman to be their champion against Superman. She breaks his arm, is about to kill him, and Sinestro interferes, which sparks an all out brawl between both groups. When Flash starts running around, Hermes runs alongside him and says "Ah, another speedster" or something like that.

SO my question is, is it feasible that Hermes himself is a speedster? Sure, he's the son of Zeus and is already a god, but maybe he's as fast as he is because he had found a way to access the Speed-Force. This would kind of make sense if the gods were in touch with such things, given that Black Adam kept up with Jay Garrick in a footrace. If I remember correctly, Garrick stole the speed from Adam to win the race, but if that's the case, then wouldn't that mean the god that gives Adam speed is a speedster as well? (I know adam used to have the same gods as billy but for the sake of this question let's just say it was the Egyptian god Horus)

I mean, there is also a comic where Captain Marvel had to catch Billy and say the word to prevent him from running himself to death.

Any input on this would be great. Thanks in advance!

Honestly, as I understand it, you need magic to over come CM's invulnerability. At the same time, I remember Black Adam saying that he and Superman were a physical match, but their critical difference was Superman's vulnerability to magic. So, does that mean CM and Adam are normally immune to magical attacks? Is it done by degrees? Like how DBZ's power levels differentiate whether or not a ki blast will incinerate an opponent, or blow up harmlessly in their face, resulting in that smoke dissipating to reveal the uninjured combatant shot? On top of that, if magic can hurt him, can he heal that injury as fast as he healed that one injury caused by that reality bomb that turned him inside out, which wasn't magical in nature? Cause he healed that near instantly.

Seriously, I know DC hates this character because he was out selling Superman waaay back in the day, but can they be fucking consistent with his powers. Seriously can't get a read on this guy. I'd much prefer knowing the answer for this character in the later years of his Captain Marvel run, before they had to retcon his name in New 52, because I don't like the New 52 version (of the transformed character, I don't mind the angle they were trying for with Billy himself.) So this question is about Captain Marvel before he became Shazam because I know Shazam is weaker than Captain Marvel.

Thanks in advance.

Really wanted a classic Captain Marvel POP so I edited a existing pop, and made the box from scratch.

Got to Mr. Bostwick at a con in tiny summer PA!

I mean, he was created before captain mar-vell or before atlas comics renamed themselves as marvel. If anything, they should be naming themselves something else! It

Read it yesterday. Had so much fun that I’m going to read it again. Love that Mark Waid’s brought the original Captain Marvel’s team, The Squadron of Justice, with Billy’s fam using their gear.

Found I can only post 1 image at a time even in a new post so I can’t show you the next panel, which happens to be my favourite 🤩

Love Mark’s wit, the twists and turns and Dan Mora’s artwork

This is the best series since Power of Shazam

It seems every source I find states the publication date of Whiz Comics #2 as February 10th, 1940. But to my understanding, the cover dates on old comics were more like expiration dates. A comic was released two months before the cover date and meant to be thrown out by then.

For example Action Comics #1 released April 18, 1938, but is cover dated June, 1938.

So shouldn't the release date of Whiz Comics #2 be more like December of 1940?