Shazam: 7 Things You Need To Know
Give him a chance, because that's what he's giving the DCEU.
After the surprisingly good San Diego Comic Con trailer from a couple days ago, Shazam has finally hit the big leagues, and while the character may have an upcoming movie, there is a lot people don't know about the hero and his world.
As you can see in the trailer, Shazam is a young boy called Billy Batson granted the powers of the wizard Shazam whenever he utters his name. This allows Billy to take on an adult form and take the fight to crime (or school bullies).
Yet, recently Shazam has been lacking from DC's comic book universe, only really occasionally appearing as a minor, supporting character. The series is again scheduled to return later this year under the creative talent of major DC player Geoff Johns, and though Shazam may not have been in the comic limelight as of late, the character certainly has a long history, with a publishing lifespan only seven months younger than that of Batman, of all characters.
With such a long history, and an absence from DC Rebirth, it is easy to understand why there isn't an awful amount of knowledge about the character among mainstream audiences. For now, though, here's all that you need to know.
7. He's Not A DC Creation
Despite now being owned by the comics giant, DC were not the original creators of Shazam, with the character having initially fallen under the ownership of Fawcett Publications in their series Whiz Comics.
Shazam's creation stemmed from the successes of superhero comics like Batman and Superman, the sales of which inspired Fawcett to create a comic-specific division and, in 1939, debut the character in Whiz Comics #2. This series proved to be insanely popular, outselling every other book of the era but, as often, this success came with its share of troubles, and in 1941 DC sued the publishers, claiming the character was a knockoff of Superman.
After seven years, the case finally went to court and was actually initially won by Fawcett, but after an appeal by DC and a few retrials, the two companies settled the matter outside of court, with DC gaining $400,000 in damages and Fawcett eventually shutting down its comic division due to its declining sales.
In 1974, DC revived the character under the series title of Shazam! - continuing to use him to this day.