The Power of Shazam! Graphic Novel



So, can you get those lightning bolt tiles at Home Depot or do you have to custom order them?

Creative Team: Jerry Ordway-story& art, John Costanza-letters, Mike Carlan & Jonathan Peterson-editors

I waited a loooooonnnnnngggg time for something like this...a modern revamp of Captain Marvel that stayed true to the spirit of the original, but with a modern sensibility and some fantastic art, from someone who cares about the character.

Synopsis: Our story begins in Egypt, near the temple of Ramses II, at Abu Simbel. The Sivana Archeological expedition is searching the area for any more hidden treasures, before the Aswan Dam Project begins, and the entire temple is relocated, in a massive engineering feet, to flood the area to create Lake Nasser and the Aswan Dam. Leading the expedition if Charles Clarence (CC) Batson, along with wife Mary and Sivana's hired man, Theo Adam. Inside the temple, Theo has discovered a hidden passage, with stairs that lead downward. He is keen to explore it before the representative of the Antiquities Commission turns up, to claim any treasures for the Cairo Museum. Sivana wants a return on his investment. They find the entrance to a new chamber, with strange hieroglyphs and the image of a large lightning bolt....



The figures of Isis and Atum flank the lightning bolt and there is an image of a beetle, between two hands. The symbols do not match any known hieroglyphs and Theo believes they are meant to be taken literally and places his hands there, that there may be a pressure release to open the chamber. An electrical charge is released, knocking Theo aside and out cold. CC Batson examines things and says the images are phonetics, spelling out the word S-H-A-Z-A-M. As he reads it out loud, there is a clap of thunder and a flash of light. The chamber opens and they find treasures hidden inside, including a sarcophagus, with a scarab necklace draped on it. Theo grabs it to take back to Sivana and mary Batson tries to stop him. He clips her aside and CC, in anger at yet another incident with Theo attacks him. Theo stabs him in the arm, but Mary blinds Theo qwith her camera flash. CC seems to talk him down and makes the mistake of turning his back on the man and Theo stabs him in the back, while Mary escapes to get help. The chambers starts caving in and Theo barely gets out in time and runs into Said, the man from the Commission. He murders him and goes after Mary, tracing her to the hotel, in Cairo. She hides the portion of the necklace she has in her daughter's stuffed tiger, Mr Tawny, before Theo bursts in and stabs her. he then murders a nanny and takes Mary with him, but leaves behind the stuffed animal, with the treasure.

We cut to the present, to Fawcett City, a place where time seems to have stood still, as it is a living tribute to Art Deco, stuck in its days from World War 2, when it was a center of manufacturing for aircraft switches. Even the cars seem a bit old fashioned and out of date. At the corner of Parker and Binder, a boy hawks the local newspaper...



A passing limousine asks for a paper and the boy seems to recognize the little man with the bald head and eyeglasses, but the man tells his driver, "Smithers," to move on and stiffs the kid the price of the paper. Traffic starts up and the boy stumbles out of the way and falls against the pavement. A figure stands over him and asks why he isn't home, in bed. The kid asks if he is a cop and receives a negative reply. The figure calls him by his name, Billy, and asks him to follow. Billy asks how he knows his name and the figure says he can trust him and Billy does, amazingly and the figure leads him down a subway entrance to a strange looking train. they board and travel along the strange path. Billy remarks about the lack of other trains. The figure says he must go now, as he leaves Billy at a cavern and tells him to go inside. Billy finds a bizarre sight....



Billy finds a bearded old man, sitting on a stone throne, who knows his name. he asks if he is the "wizard of Oz," and the man replies, "I am Shazam!" and thunder sounds and lightning strikes. The blank wall behind the throne has changed and the wizard has Billy read the sources of his power: Solomon-wisdom, Hercules-strength, Atlas-stamina, Zeus-power, Achilles-courage, Mercury-speed. He says he has fought the battle between good and evil for over a thousand years, then presents Billy with visions of his own past. He sees his Uncle Ebenezer Batson, CC's half-brother, kick him out into the streets, as he steals his inheritance of stocks and bonds, leaving him only a stuffed tiger. Billy says he was supposed to care for him and his sister, when his parents died, though he doesn't even know what happened to his sister. He is homeless, living on the streets, barely surviving, selling newspapers to feed himself.

Shazam says he bestowed his power once before, but times are dire and he needs a new successor and tells Billy to say his name. Thunder crashes and lightning flashes and Billy is transformed.....



...into Captain Marvel. He doesn't take it well and lifts up the wizard by the throat and tosses him off the throne. his head is swimming and he sits down. Shazam tells him to listen to the voice of wisdom in his head. He says to follow it, as it will guard against the misuse of his power, that it and the Courage of Achilles will help him face and defeat his demons. Captain Marvel is still reeling and reacts in fear and anger. He smashes the throne and wishes he had gone to Egypt, with his family, but he was left behind, because of his grades. Shazam tries to calm him; but the grief and fear are too great. Then, the mysterius figure who brought him to the cavern reappears and is able to calm him. he says Billy's parents will always be with him and asks something of the wizard, but he tells him not yet; the time is not right. He tells captain Marvel to say his name again and he does, and the cavern collapses.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, in a large high rise building, Thaddeus Bodog Sivana meets with a representative of the Egyptian government. They are looking for Theo Adam in connection with the murder of the Batsons, stolen treasures and the set back of the Aswan Dam Project. Sivana claims ignorance and that his own project, a recreation of the Temple of Abu Simbel, for the Fawcett City Worlds Fair, is incomplete because of the loss of the Batsons. The official doesn't believe him and with him is Saied, with a scar from where Theo Adam's knife slashed him, leaving him mute, but not dead.....



The men depart and Sivana opens a hidden door to a stairwell and descends, where we find Theo Adam reclining. Sivana berates him, but Adam calls his bluff, as he has too much information on Sivana to be thrown to the wolves. They hear a radio broadcast start, about the Fawcett Fair, which is being dubbed Sivana's Folly and the Egyptians are to be the guests, discussing allegations related to Sivana's epedition. Theo says he might be able to silence the men and the broadcast and Sivana tells him to do it.

Billy Batson, sleeping in an alley, by the Station WHIZ building, is awakened by men, who climb up the fire escape, to the transmitting tower. They speak of taking out the tower and Billy follows, curious. he hears them speak of explosives and detonators, but makes a noise and is discovered. He slips off the fire escape and falls towards the ground but recalls his dream of the wizard and says the name. Thunder and lightning strike and the men get afraid of being by a giant lightning rod. They look over the side and see feet coming at them, as a pair of kicks send them across the roof. Captain Marvel stands before Theo Adam, but he sees someone else....



CC Batson, the man he murdered!

Captain Marvel is stunned for a moment, but recovers and goes after the men; but, Theo directs him towards their bomb and CM realizes he has to stop it, allowing the men to escape. He grabs the bomb and tosses it away and it lands on the empty fairgrounds and explodes. CM chases the hoods and they get into an elevator. He tears open the doors and flies down to the car and smashes through. The doors open and they run out, with CM following, as bullets bounce off him. They try to jump in a car and speed away, but he grabs it and throws it into a wall....



Theo Adam watches this from the shadows and puzzles about how this Captain Marvel resembles CC Batson and that the lightning bolt emblem on his chest matches that on the tomb entrance. He disappears as the police arrive, to work on the answer elsewhere. Captain Marvel also leaves and ponders his feats of strength and power and says the magician's name out loud, again, and is transformed back into Billy and plummets from the sky. Luckily, he lands on a dirigible, moored at an airfield (Sivana's airship) and grabs part of the rigging. he says the name again and is transformed back; but, the lightning ignites the hydrogen lifting gas and the airship erupts in a ball of flame. Captain Marvel hightails it out of there. He realizes he screwed up again and goes looking for the subway tunnel to lead to the cavern, but finds only an ordinary subway station. However, the wizard is there and appears to him and tells him that he must continue as Captain Marvel and that he has met the man who killed his parents. The vision ends and Billy finds himself facing Mr Dudley, the school custodian, who says he has been missing from school for 2 days. he takes him to school, to see the nurse. On the way, he mentions about the explosion at the fairgrounds.

Sivana gets word about the airship and storms down to the hidden apartment, when Theo Adam has hidden out. He finds him in a trophy room, filled with stolen artefacts. he tells Sivana what happened and about the temple, as he takes out the scarab necklace. He says something about the wizard and the "Power of Shazam" and lightning strikes, releasing....



Black Adam!

He is self aware now and realizes that the wizard kept him prisoner. He mentions Mary Batson having part of the amulet. He works out Billy's appearances and Captain Marvel and his proximity to WHIZ and the Fairgrounds and goes to search for him, as Sivana rants.

At school, Mr Dudley leaves Billy to go see the nurse, but he tries to bolt when Dudley is out of sight, but runs into his teacher, Miss Wormwood....



She wants to have a chat with Billy's Uncle Eben'. Billy realizes that if she becomes aware that he was thrown onto the streets and living rough, he will be taken to a foster home and doesn't want that; so, he claims he will tell his uncle.

Black Adam flies over the area and finds Billy's hiding place and his few personal effects, including Mr Tawny. A patrolling policeman finds him and, with the recent bombing attempt, decides to take him in. He gets tossed through the air and lands on the car of the departing Egyptians, who finished taping their interview. Black Adam realizes who they are and goes to kill Saied, when Captain Marvel turns up.



He demands to know what Black Adam knows about his father and they fight. Adam is more ruthless, but does admit what he did. Their fight carries them through a wall, straight into an homage....



...and out the other side, crashing into the Fairgrounds. The battle rages across the grounds, destroying everything in the melee, as they battle to the replica of the Temple of Abu Simbel. Adam admits to knowing Shazam and they go way back, to Ancient Egypt, that the wizard stopped him from seizing power there. The battle continues, as Adam wants to know the secret of the power. The Wisdom of Solomon comes through Billy's head and he replies that the power is within him and not an amulet. Adam tries to sucker him in, but Billy has survived too long and catches him and tears off the amulet....



...and Black Adam vanishes, leaving the very human Theo Adam. The roof is caving in and Captain Marvel threatens to let it crush Adam, but tells him he isn't like him and carries him outside. He holds him in the sky, for the wizard to behold and Shazam strikes him with lightning, bestowing upon Theo Adam the harm he did to others and he is left mute and scarred, like Saied. Captain Marvel turns him over to the police, with the scarab and learns he is wanted already, based on the Egyptian official's information.

Captain Marvel flies off and calls the wizard and appears before him. Shazam tries to talk into remaining his champion, but he doesn't feel ready. Then, he is interrupted by the strange figure....



...who is revealed to be the spirit of his father, CC Batson. He is able to go to his reward, beyond, now that his murderer has been caught. Shazam tells Captain Marvel that his sister Mary still lives and that his power could help Billy find her and he agrees to remain as Captain Marvel. He vows to find her and is sent back, saying goodbye to his father.

Later, at school, Miss Wormwood meets "Uncle Eben'" who says Billy has had a hard time adjusting, but assures her that Billy will be in school. It then gets awkward as Miss Wormwood shows an attraction to Eeben' Batson, who is really Captain Marvel, and Billy realizes his teacher "has the hots for him!" He departs and we see Sivana, in hiding and penniless, as the destruction of his high rise, the Fairgrounds and the revelations of his thefts have left him a wanted man, with no means. He stares up at the sky, as Captain Marvel flies away and crushes a newspaper, with headlines about his plight.

Thoughts: This is the single best modern Captain Marvel story. As much as I enjoyed E Nelson Bridwell and Don Newton's stories and as much as I had high hopes for Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway delivered something that they did not. This is a Captain Marvel for a new age, serious, but with humorous elements and nods to the past. Ordway got it; he understood what made Captain Marvel unique. He was a whimsical hero who fought for justice, but was never a dark figure. He had a sense of humor and fun, even when facing deadly villains. Ordway gives us enough of that to feel authentic, yet also delivers a captain Marvel that doesn't feel "childish." The 1970s stories too often felt childish, as writers struggled to capture captain Marvel. They though "juvenile" instead of "lighthearted but sincere." Bridwell did better; but wasn't as sophisticated a writer as Ordway. In some ways, he was too beholding to the past. Roy Thomas was another fan, but he got caught up in office politics and walked away, after Captain Marvel was maneuvered away from him. Ordway takes a little bit of the best of the past and the modern attempts and blends them into something that is more than the sum of its influences. He delivers the modern captain Marvel, but one steeped in the tradition of the past.

Ordway puts his influences on display, starting with his homages to the excellent Republic serial, one of the finest adventure serials ever produced. As with it, our story starts out in Egypt, as a Batson discovers a hidden tomb, where the Power of Shazam resided.



There are further homages, as Captain Marvel's initial battle with Theo Adam and his hoods brings to mind the fight scenes from the serial, with the men all wearing fedora's (to hide the faces of the stuntmen).

Ordway mixes in the original story from Whiz Comics #2, where we learn the origin of Captain Marvel and then see him thwart a madman, who threatens to destroy the city. Roy Thomas had already retconned this a bit and Ordway followed his lead of having it be Captain Marvel's first fight. However, unlike Roy, he kept evil Ebenezer Batson separate from Sivana. So, Sivana is a crook, with means, but not scientific aptitude (removing the "mad scientist" cliche and making him more a ruthless, power mad billionaire, as was the fashion of the time (Lex Luthor, Rupert Murdoch, Robert Maxwell, Donald Trump). Theo Adam is Black Adam, but he is not, as the scarab amulet causes his transformation into Black Adam, rather than having Adam trapped in some fashion, for a millennia. His spirit was trapped, rather than his body.

Ordway also gives it a healthy dose of humor, without overwhelming things. Mr Tawny is now a stuffed tiger and Uncle Dudley is now a kindly, if slightly naive school custodian. A boy and a stuffed tiger....where have I seen that before?

Duh!

Ordway gives us more Calvin & Hobbes by making Calvin's ever-harried teacher, Miss Wormwood (named for a demon in CS Lewis' The Screwtape Letters), into Billy's teacher. To add further laughs, when Billy plays his uncle, as Captain Marvel, he finds, to his horror, that his teacher finds his adult self attractive!

It's easy to forget just how big Calvin & Hobbes was, at this time, when it was still shy of a decade. The strip was massive, at this point, carried in most major newspapers and the book collections were perennial bestsellers. That alone made Bill Watterson a multi-millionaire and allowed him to retire on his own terms and stay out of the public eye. We recall that he fought to block any attempts to merchandise the strip and the only thing ever produced was one wall calendar, before the syndicate gave in. He sacrificed some rights, in exchange for complete say in the merchandising, because he was prepared to walk away from the strip. We benefitted from his strict stand on principle, because he decided when the strip was done and ended it when he felt he had nothing more to say, sparing us years of decline, like so many other popular strips; or, like Berke Breathed, repeated attempts to revive things, with the end result not comparing to the one before.

Ordway's decision to give this a timeless look works greatly in favor of the character, as he gives us art deco cityscapes that fit the character and his wilder, and more classically styled villains. It is similar to the approach used for Batman The Animated Series, as modern technology mixed with classic 1940s buildings, fashions and vehicles. It is a sort timeless land, perfect for his adventures. Unfortunately, that became a bit of a problem, when Captain marvel mixed with others, depending on who was involved. With someone like James Robinson and Starman, it meant a shared love of Deco and the classic skylines. With others, it reeked of old fashioned and they couldn't wait to discard it, revealing that Captain Marvel doesn't quite fit into a modern, bleak world.

There are visual homages to the original stories, to the serial and even to The Rocketeer, as Ordway plays a little in joke. He had started the project around the time when the movie finally hit theaters, but it was a long process, as he painted the art, rather than traditional comic book style. The book was gorgeous and a big hit. It also served to give Fawcett City an identity, much as Robinson and Tony Harris did with Opal City, giving it a rich visual history, but keeping it distinct from Gotham or Metropolis. The destruction of the airship (drawn more like a blimp than a dirigible, despite the dialogue) matches the Rocketeer movie as well as the destruction of the Hindenburg. The Fawcett Worlds Fair brings to mind the 1939 New York Worlds Fair and Ordway even references elements of it, while giving a rationale for the archeological expedition (to gain reference for the centerpiece of the Fair). Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm would similarly make homage to the New York World's Fair, as it was the symbol of the future, as seen in the 30s, before the reality of World War 2 taught us that the future wasn't necessarily going to be better. It was a vision of Utopia that couldn't really exist. That also suggests the struggle to realize a version of Captain Marvel that both embraces a darker world than that of the 1940s comics, but doesn't lose sight of that optimism and whimsy, as the character was created to entertain children. In past attempts at revival, that meant treating the material with contempt, as it was lowly material for children, ignoring that some of the best literature in the world was created for children. Children are smart consumers and know a good story when they hear it and when adults are being patronizing. At the same time, this is something that a child, of an older age, could read, and neither be insulted nor feel like they have outgrown such stories.

The colors are this are fantastic, dark and moody when appropriate, bright and cheerful when needed. Ordway controls every aspect perfectly.

Ordway continues the concept that captain Marvel is still Billy Batson, in adult form. As with Roy Thomas' version, Captain Marvel is inhabited by Billy's mind. In the original, they were separate figures. Captain Marvel may represent the adult Billy would become; but, hs mind was his own and he referred to Billy as another person. here, as in The New Beginning, Billy's young mind inhabits the adult body and must learn lessons to succeed. Ordway makes better use of the Wisdom of Solomon than others, as he has it be a guide to the young mind, helping him see his own fears as they cloud his judgement and find a path through. He also makes use of the Courage of Achilles, pointing to it, and the Wisdom of Solomon as to being the safeguards against corruption, as claimed Black Adam. it gives a rationale for drawing upon different beings for the power, suggesting that Shazam realized where he had failed Teth-Adam and seeking patrons that would give Billy the tools to maintain his virtues. True courage is making the hard decisions because they are the right ones, not the easy ones. Billy finds the courage not to take a life in revenge and, instead, find justice. The wisdom guides him through that crucible and he emerges a hero, because he stood for justice and protecting others from the corrupt, like Sivana and Black Adam.

The graphic novel was a big hit and DC quickly commissioned a new series for Captain Marvel, after squashing one for Roy Thomas. Ordway got to shepherd the whole run; but, his artistic involvement would be reserved for the covers. That is where we venture next, as DC launches The Power of Shazam regular series and explores what happened to Mary Batson, what is next for Sivana, and how will Billy find a home. We will also see some other Fawcett Comics characters and not just those with lightning bolt emblems.

Power of Shazam #2



I hope the Wisdom of Solomon overrides hormones, while Captain Marvel rescues Beautia Sivana.

Creative Team: Jerry Ordway-writer, Peter Krause-layouts, Mike Manley-finishes, John Costanza-letters, Glenn Whitmore-colors, Mike Carlin-editor

Synopsis: Billy is tormented by visions of those he couldn't save, including his parents and sister Mary. He sees Blaze, the demon, who has Mary on a chain and collar, holding the Mr Tawny doll. He awakens to find Beautia Sivana and Sinclair Batson standing over him. He is powerless, after Shazam took away his powers and they appear to be trapped by the fire that rages.



Billy recalls visiting Uncle Ebenezer and being forced to remain in the cellar, to play, so that they would not break anything. There used to be a dumbwaiter from the cellar (a wine cellar) to the floor they are on. Billy recalls the location and notices a bulge in the plaster, where it was. He grabs an expensive statue and smashes through the plaster, to find the old dumbwaiter shaft. The pulleys are still there, as is the car. They pull it up and lower everyone down, one by one.

Meanwhile, Shazam has taken Billy's criticism to heart, that he had not looked for Mary and he tries again and is unable to find a sign of her. Even if she were dead, he should be able to see her soul. He looks in on Billy and sees him leading the escape from the fire....



Billy is seen on tv, leading the guests out of the cellar, though Sinclair immediately jumps in front of the camera and takes credit. Sterling Morris sees this and makes a call to put Billy back on WHIZ Radio. Billy leaves Sinclair to boast and starts for home, when he sees the Arson Fiend attacking Ebenezer. He climbs the trestle, outside the window, to get a closer look, but it breaks underneath, alerting the Fiend. Billy wonders what he can do, when a voice in his head says to say the name of the wizard...



He leaps to attack the Fiend and they tussle, but his fire does hurt Captain Marvel. He pushes the fiend away from him; but, he lands close to Beautia and uses her as a hostage. Captain Marvel uses the Wisdom of Solomon and the digging power of ....I don't know..........Atlas (none of the Elders are a good choice, except maybe Mercury, since he could do it quickly) and burrows underground, then creates a hole beneath the fiend and drops him into it, rescuing Beautia. The Fiend makes his way back and lets loose with some serious BTUs. Captain marvel grabs a firehouse and douses him with a stream of water, then hands it off to a fireman to keep pouring it on, and gains a nickname....



The solid stream of water dowses the flame and CM hits him with a literal flying tackle and drives him through the pool house, into the pool, which puts him out completely, though the heat of the Fiend's body starts the pool boiling. He hauls the fiend out and gets a reward, from Beautia...



Sinclair calls for help to attend to his father, but he is dying and he confesses to hiring the Fiend to set the blaze here, to gain further media sympathy for Sinclair. Sinclair calls up Captain Marvel, who reluctantly goes up to help the man who kicked him out on the street, after robbing him of his inheritance. The man is fine, but Sinclair's jacket is smoldering and ignites and Captain Marvel takes some delight in hitting Sinclair with a blast from a firehose.

A firefighter tells Captain Marvel that the Arson Fiend got away. Captain Marvel looks for George Tweedle, the small man he says was controlling the Fiend, but he slipped away.

Sinclair tries to take center stage, with a reporter and present Captain Marvel as a hero, but CM points them to real heroes....



Thoughts: Exciting ending to our first storyline, though Ordway has made a big mistake here. At the end, Captain Marvel knows that George Tweedle, a small man, is the alter ego of the Arson Fiend, who is average size. At no point in the first two issues do we see Tweedle and we only see the Arson Fiend, here. The character dates back to Fawcett, debuting in captain Marvel Adventures #2; but, this is his first appearance here. We get no explanation how Captain Marvel and Billy know this, not even Shazam providing him the info. Looks like Ordway forgot to have him inserted into the story, before the end. or Krause forgot to draw him, or both.

This highlights the heroic nature of Billy, demonstrating why he was chosen to become Captain Marvel. Even without his powers, he uses his brains and memories to save everyone and Shazam rewards him, by restoring his powers. The trade off, however, is that Shazam comes across as a total Richard, by taking away the powers, in the first place. I guess Ordway wants to show the wizard as being fallible; but, he had only just recently given Billy the power; shouldn't he be aware of his growth, as a hero? The Greek gods who provide some of the powers were a capricious lot; but, this is a bit extreme.

Beautia's vanity is a bit shallow, for a character trait and is obviously inspired by her name; but, the original character was a more rounded figure than that and is seems to be a backward step in character evolution. I haven't read these since they first came out; so, I hope that she grows into a more grounded character, like her predecessor.

The art continues to be great. Ordway's covers are breathtaking and, while you wish he was drawing the interiors, Krause and Manley to a really good job and give a nice light touch to the visuals that sells the comedic moments well, yet also plays up the dramatic. They were not superstars; but, they were dynamic and versatile storytellers and did well with the art deco architecture and design elemnts, which gives this a classic, yet modern feel. The decision to make Fawcett City a sort limbo city allows a certain timelessness, which was also at the heart of Batman, The Animated Series. Art Deco design mixed with modern technology, to make it seem old and new, thus preventing it from being dated. The same holds here and it helps give the city an identity, in the DCU. James Robinson and Tony Harris would do the same for Starman's Opal City, which is why they meshed so well, when they did their 4-part crossover.

I'm enjoying revisiting these issues, though you can see that they have to work out some bugs in the series. It is nice to see them bring in classic elements, with a new twist, even if some seem thrown out there, without much context. We have more debuts to come and some nods to old stories.

Power of Shazam #4



Ordway referencing Wow Comics #38....



Creative Team: Jerry Ordway-writer, Peter Krause-pencils, Mike Manley-inks, John Costanza-letters, Glenn Whitmore-colors, Mike Carlin-editor

Synopsis: Captain Marvel is attacking Muscles McGinnis' club, though we all know McGinnis is an undercover cop. they work the fight, to make it look good and further establish McGinnis' bona fides.



Looks like Captain Marvel has someone who'd like to "clean his cape," for him!

The info that CM took from the safe was actually details about Mary Bromfield's adoption, which McGinnis was passing along to TBRC. It has a picture of Mary, as Billy remembers her and pretty much confirms his suspicion that she is his sister. He wonders why she didn't recognize Billy?

Elsewhere, mary has a session with a therapist and talks about a dream she has. She is fighting with her faceless brother, of a stuffed tiger. Her mother also has no face; but her father looks like Captain Marvel. Dr Chiang says the doll was quite popular 10 years before and the captain Marvel thing is quite common for adopted kids to fantasize that their birth parent is a hero.

Sara Primm eavesdrop, until she gets a phone call, from someone looking into the kid's records.

Back at Billy's place, he is digging through his stuff, trying to find the Mr Tawny doll, when the real thing appears....



Mr Dudley comes along and hears Billy talking to someone and finds the door ajar. He finds Billy standing over the Mr Tawny doll and Billy claims to be practicing ventriloquism. Mr Dudley brought groceries and is going to cook chili for them and tells Billy his secret is safe with him. Billy thanks him for not mentioning to anyone that he is Captain marvel and dudley has no idea what he is talking about; he meant that Billy was living alone, without an adult. he believes Billy and asks how he does it and Billy says it's magic. Dudley offers to let Billy stay with him, but he declines. he takes the Mr Tawny doll and changes, flying off with it to find Mary.

He arrives in Fairfield and asks at a gas station how to find the Bromfield house. He gets directions, then turns up as Billy. he says he has a gift for Mary and Sarah asks him to come in. He is then concked on the head by a goon. Miss Primm is upset that he hit him so hard, but tells him to put him in the library. Mary turns up and sees the gift box and runs of with it. Billy is tied up and gagged (of course) in the library. The hoods are blackmailing Miss Primm, but they have decided kidnapping Mary will bring more money.

Mary opens the box in her room and finds the Mr Tawny doll and her adoption record. mr Tawny comes to life and tells Mary that Billy was trying to make her remember and tells her to say the word, "Shazam!"



The lightning sets the drapes on fire and Mary puts them out, while Mr Tawny is back as a doll. The hoods come after her and she crawls outside. The crook shoots at her but she floats away. he runs back to tell his accomplice that they have trouble and captain Marvel is a She. Mary turns up behind him, sees Miss Primm on the floor, after being battered and starts kicking butt. Miss Primm recovers enough to release Billy and removes his gag. The hoods try to escape and Billy says the magic word and captain Marvel stops them. Mary goes to help and one of the hoods shoots at her, but hits Miss primm. CM decks him and Mary attends to her nanny....



Miss Primm is the sister of Theo Adam and she placed Mary with the Bromfields, out of guilt for her brother's murder of Mary's true parents. The police arrive and Captain Marvel says Mary is safe, elsewhere and they will get her back, as she is a witness. He then tells Mary that they will return, to sort out the police, then go see the wizard.

Thoughts: Ordway completes what is, essentially, a retelling of Mary Marvel's origin, from Captain Marvel Adventures #18. In that version, Billy meets Mary at the radio contest, but receives a mysterious letter, from a dying woman, with a secret about him. The dying woman is Sarah Primm, who was the nurse attending to the children, when their mother died. She also attended a rich woman, whose child dies. She substituted baby Mary for her child, then placed Billy in an orphanage, even though Whiz Comics #2 showed that Billy had been kicked out of his home, by his miserly uncle. Mary is kidnapped and saved by captain marvel, but the hoods grab Billy and Freddy Freeman, after Captain Marvel has changed back (showing his secret to Mary) and Mary tries out the word, is transformed, and saves the boys. They then go to see Shazam and he illustrates her pantheon of patrons. She then flies off to take over Wow Comics, as the lead feature, with issue #9. Sorry Mr Scarlet!

Ordway tweaks things a bit, by making Miss Primm the sister of Theo Adam, the host body for Black Adam.

The Mr Tawny doll gimmick was swiped, obviously, from Calvin & Hobbes (just like Miss Wormwood, for the school), which was at the height of its popularity, when this debuted, before Bill Watterson put it to bed. It's a pretty good idea, apart from the swipe, and allows a talking tiger within the world, without having him walk around. Like Calvin, Billy and Mary see him as a living tiger and everyone else sees him as a doll. Unlike Calvin, they eventually explain it.

So, now we have the Post-Crisis debut of Mary Marvel; but, before Freddy Freeman becomes Captain Marvel Jr, as at Fawcett. There will be more elements tweaked, as things progress, including the nature of the Marvel's powers.

I tend to agree and wanted to see them give her a bit of an update.  My thought was more like a female version of the styling of Captain Marvel's uniform, trading skirt for pants and giving her more fashionable boots.  Give her the same kind of flap tunic, but cut a bit more stylishly .  I didn't mind the color change, but making her costume gold/yellow, with red highlights made more sense than the white one.

Power of Shazam #5



Remember when the term "riot girl" was all the rage in the 90s? Sheesh!

Creative Team: Jerry Ordway-writer, Peter Krause-pencils, Mike Manley-inks, John Costanza-letters, Glenn Whitmore-colors, Mike Carlin-editor

Synopsis: Mary Marvel has found out that Theo Adam is the man who murdered her parents and his jail sentence isn't enough,, for her....



Mary is obviously under some kind of influence and she comes out of it and flies away from the cell. She flashes back to previous events. She had gone into the city, to a pawn shop, to find Miss Primm's crucifix. the street was blocked by wrecked vehicles and she got out to walk to the store, but then ducked into an alley to transform, to sort out the mess. She comes across a riot, in progress, involving people from all walks of life. People are looting stores and Mary comes across a costumed woman, who is stealing a bottle of compressed gas, of some kind. The woman introduces herself as Madame Libertine, then puts an art deco whammy on Mary....



She then was overcome with a thirst for vengeance, for the murder of her parents. She now returns to the scene of the looting and finds Madame Libertine gone. She goes to the pawn shop and retrieves the crucifix and flies out to the cemetery, where Miss Primm is being laid to rest. The funeral is interrupted by a reporter, who is out for a sleazy story, about Miss Primm's relation to Theo Adam, her brother. Mary's adoptive parents tell the guy off. Miss Primm's coffin descends into the grave and we then see her soul/spirit/astral self meet Blaze, in her realm, where she has been condemned. Miss primm accepts this as punishment for her sins. Blaze is looking to use Miss Primm to draw Black Adam into her influence.



We then see Madame Libertine arrive at her grandfather's place, to deliver the gas cylinder and find out he is a goose-stepping, sieg-heiling, son-of-a-blitzkrieg Nazi, who has come kind of chamber, in which is housed someone called Albrecht and I don't think he means Durer...



(Don't mention the war!)



Katrina, aka Madame Libertine is less than impressed and blows off gramps with "What-Ever!" She flies off.

At the Bromfields, Mary talks to Mr Tawny. She tells him that Suzie Derkins is a doody-head and better stay away from Calvin.

Madame Libertine is flying around and sees an older black man, warming himself by a trash can fire, in a poor neighborhood. Apparently, the apple did fall far from the Fascist and she has been messing with people in this neighborhood, especially what she calls "inferior specimens." She uses her powers to persuade the man to step in front of a bus; but, Mary Marvel turns up to stop her. She decks the Uber-Fraulein, but is too late to save the man. She goes back to mete out justice on ML's backside, but she is hiding from her. Mary finds herself envelope by a mist and then at the Rock of Eternity, where she meets the wizard, Shazam.

See, Mr Johns, the wizard, not the hero.

Shaz tells the pair that her meeting Theo Adam was not good. he also says that she and Billy must remain apart, which doesn't sit well, with either. He further tells them that they share his power, so when they both manifest their Marvel selves, they are half as strong as when only one is using the power.



We also learn that the name Captain Marvel was plucked from Billy's subconscious, by the wizard, and he says Mary can choose her own name. She tries out Lt Marvel.

Meanwhile, grandpa releases Albrecht from his chamber.....



Someone tell Freddy Freeman that he is on in 5.......

Thoughts: Once again, this feels a bit disjointed and the continuity from the previous issue is a little shaky. I get the impression that Ordway assumes everyone is familiar with the original Captain Marvel and Marvel Family adventures and will just fill in the blanks. In my case that is fine; but, what about those who hadn't read the reprints during the original DC run of Shazam!? Not everyone had a copy of Shazam! from the 40s to the 70s; otherwise, copies of them would be a hell of a lot cheaper, in used bookstores!

We also have to have read one of the Superman titles to know where Captain Marvel was, during all of this.

One of the more puzzling elements is why the name Madame Libertine, especially if Katrina is of German stock? Maybe she is from Alsace-Lorraine. The name means someone who behaves without moral principles, though it more often has sexual connotations. Why not something more Germanic?

All things considered, I think I prefer Roy Thomas' idea of a revived Captain Nazi.

On a visual front; asymmetric costumes may have been all the rage (along with the trend in leather jackets); but, ML's costume looks pretty ridiculous. Really, we have never really had effective new villains added to the Marvel Family and the classic Fawcett enemies always prove better. The Superman series struggled with this, too.

All in all, a so-so issue.

Power of Shazam! #6



Captain Marvel kicking some Nazi Heinkel!

Creative Team: Jerry Ordway-writer, Peter Krause-pencils, Mike Manley-inks, John Costanza-letters, Glen Whitmore-colors, Mike Carlin-editor

Synopsis: Billy Batson summons Captain Marvel , to relieve his constipation...



Well, that's what it LOOKS like.........

Actually, Captain Marvel was switching to Billy, so he could cover a high school baseball game, for Station WHIZ. One of the teams is the Binder Marvels (uh-hunh), with star player Freddy Freeman. Billy meets Freddy's grandfather, his only family. Gramps talks up Freddy's accomplishments and we turn our attention elsewhere, as Captain Nazi is telling brudder Wolf dat he doesn't take orders from him or his fashion-challenged granddaughter.

Freddy wins the game for the Binder Marvels and gramps takes the team to celebrate, with root beer floats (not frosty chocolate milkshakes?) and invites Billy along. They chow down food at a diner and gramps invites Billy to join them for some fishing, but he has to get to the bank, before it closes.

Meanwhile, Muscles McGinnis (the undercover cop) meets with the mysterious woman who aided Ibac. She wants him to kill Sinclair Batson, who is pitching a casino to the Fawcett City Council. The site is the former fairgrounds, which Sivana was trying to turn into his little Worlds Fair. The land has reverted to the tribal owners and they are willing to part with some of the revenue, for the city, provided they approve the plan, which doesn't make sense because tribal land would fall under tribal jurisdiction and not the Fawcett City government; but.....comics!

Billy changes into Captain marvel, with a beard (makes him look rugged) to deposit his paycheck, as Ebn Batson. Well, guess who won the pony? Yup, Hauptman Saurkraut smashes his way into the bank..



...and tosses "Eben Batso" around. He smashes the rest of the place and proceeds to rob the bank. As he goes in to the vault, to rip open savings deposit boxes, "Eben shoves him in and closes the vault door, locking him in. He helps clean up, but splits when Sinclair turns up, who hears that his elderly father supposedly stopped a bank robbery.

Raptain Ratzi breaks out of the vault, but Captain Marvel turns up to clean his uhr! They fight, out over the bay, which brings them to where Freddy freeman and his grandfather are fishing. Faster than you can say plot convenience, Captain Schnook lands in their boat and knocks gramps into the water. Fritz hurls gramps through the air, then sends Freddy flying....



Captain Marvel catches Freddy, but his leg is broken and his spine is injured. Gramps is in bad shape and unconscious. CM takes them to the hospital, then Billy Batson awaits the enws, as Mary turns up and hears that gramps has slipped into a coma.

Thoughts: An exciting updating to the origin of Captain Marvel Jr, complete with Unfrozen Cave Nazi to again kill grampa and cripple Freddy. To make it especially tragic, grampa is Freddy's only family and Freddy is the star athlete and the one that girls swoon for. Naturally, that all ends when he is crippled.

Muscles sees Blaze and notices her demonic reflection in a mirror. Might have trouble bringing her to prosecution.

At no point in the story does Freddy break out into song, thereby failing to exploit the connection between Captain Marvel Jr and Elvis.

I think even Stevie Wonder can see where this story is headed.