The Wizard Shazam, also known as Shazam () or The Wizard, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Fawcett Comics and DC Comics, first appearing in Whiz Comics #2 (February, 1940) created by C.C. Beck and Bill Parker. A major supporting character in Shazam!-related comic book titles, he often serves as a wise old man archetype who empowers champions to fight evil.
The original version of the character was Jebediah, a young boy of Egyptian and Canaanite origin who served as the Champion, gaining his power through Canaanite gods. In his later years, he forgoes their powers and learned magic before seeking a successor to empower. A revised version of the character is introduced after The New 52. At first introduced as a Kahndaq native who ascended to godhood, this origin was retconned and he is revealed to be Mamaragan, a figure based upon the deity in Kunwinjku culture.Justice League-Darkseid War-Shazam #01 (2015) This version served as a adjudicator on Earth's supernatural matters as leader of a cabal of six other wizards, making up the Council of Eternity until a betrayal forces him to seek a successor to both his power and that of the fallen Council. Although the characters' motivations and background histories differ, they are intended to be the same character.
The character is an ancient sorcerer who battled the forces of evil for centuries until the betrayal of Black Adam, one of his earliest champions and proposed successors. Shazam was forced to magically imprison Adam and seek another champion to take his place. This would eventually come in the form of Billy Batson, who becomes the hero known as Captain Marvel (later also known as Shazam) and subsequently the rest of the Marvel Family (currently known as the Shazam Family). He often serves as a mentor to the group and is a notable member of the Quintessence, a powerful group of beings who watch over events unfolding in the universe.
The Shazam character has been featured in various media. The original Golden Age incarnation appeared in the live action serial, Adventures of Captain Marvel, portrayed by Nigel De Brulier. He also appeared in animated features such as Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam, voiced by James Garner. Djimon Hounsou portrayed the character in DC Extended Universe films Shazam! (2019), Black Adam (2022), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), in which the character's appearance and portrayal is inspired by his The New 52 incarnation.
Publication history Created in the 1940s 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 Captain Marvel. Despite the new comic's popularity and theatrical success, Captain Marvel was similar enough to Superman that a court ruled against Fawcett in 1952. Two decades after gaining the rights to Captain Marvel, DC Comics began publishing new stories under the title Shazam!. This became a problem for DC's lawyers, as the company had abandoned any rights to the Captain Marvel name, and it was now owned by rival Marvel Comics.
While not part of the first wave of DC's The New 52 2011 line wide relaunch, it was announced at New York Comic Con on October 15, 2011, that Billy Batson would be featured in a backup story, "The Curse of Shazam!" beginning in Justice League (vol. 2) #7 in March 2012. It was confirmed by Geoff Johns, DC Comics' chief creative officer and the author of the story, that Billy Batson's alter ego would be called "Shazam" rather than "Captain Marvel" from now on. In DC's, 2012 Free Comic Book Day offering called The New 52 FCBD Special #1, it was revealed that seven wizards representing seven different mythologies occupied the Rock of Eternity at the dawn of time in The New 52. They harnessed the power of magic to cast out a "Trinity of Sin", which acted as a precursor to the 2013 Trinity War crossover event. A younger version of the Wizard is part of this group of wizards.
Both the wizard and his champion shared the name "Shazam" in the comic book stories published from then until June 2013.Justice League (vol. 2) #20 (June 2013) The Wizard later revealed that "Shazam" is an adopted name, and that his original name is Mamaragan.
Characterization
Fictional character biography
Golden Age (1942–2011) The Wizard Shazam had several revisions to his background; In his Fawcett Comics' background, the Wizard Shazam was an Egyptian wizard whom has fought evil for centuries and his magic name was originally "Shazamo", an acronym for the gods who supported him (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury, and Oggar). After Oggar turned to evil, he was cast out of the Wizard's elders, dropping the "O" and making the wizard's name "Shazam".
Since his character's merger into DC Comics, he has several revisions; he is instead was a young orphaned boy named Jebediah born over 9,000 years ago in Canaan who was empowered by the gods to fight the forces of evil, taking the name "Champion". As Champion, Jebediah faced many evil foes and the most dangerous was the Three Faces of Evil, a three-headed demonic dragon (named Terror, Sin, and Wickedness) who comes to be sealed away (or defeated via a time travel account with aid from the future Captain Marvel) by Jebediah. He also fathered Blaze and Satanus through a hellhound demoness who assumed a human form to seduce the young Jebediah, a mother of the Three Faces of Evil, and would raise the twins away from their father.
Centuries later during the 19th Dynasty of Egypt (1295 - 1186BC), now known as "Shazam", he seeks a young successor and meets various beings his journeys, with Solomon being the most favored one due to his kindness and relative progressive attitude. After encountering Teth-Adam as a famous wizard in Egypt, he makes him his champion with intent to draw power from the Greek/Roman immortals and Solomon (having gathered essence of their power in preparation) but instead was empowered by Egyptian sources due to Blaze's inteference and when his champion proves corrupted centuries later by killing the reigning Pharaoh, he is forced to deal with his (either by him banishing him to the furthest star and is condemned as "Khem-Adam" (Black Adam) or is imprisoned his power and soul into a magical scarab). During the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, he would make Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut one of his champions known as "Isis" based upon the aformentioned Egyptian deity, whose powers are granted through an amulet. Upon her death, the amulet was returned to him and he hoped to one day find a worthy successor. Eventually in the early 20th century, he ressurects Ibis the Invincible and his wife to aid the effort in World War II alongside other heroes, battled his own daughter once more who posed as Fawcett City's most prominent mob boss after he becomes attached to the city, and suffered amnesia upon being struck in the head until his memories was restored by C.C Batson, whom he once met before. Finding him kind and compassionate, he originally sought to empower him as his champion but he is killed before he could do so, murdered by Theo Adam (a descendant of Black Adam possessed by his ancestor). He decides to enlist C.C. Batson's young son, Billy, as the successor to his power.
Years into aiding Billy Batson and the Marvel Family, Shazam summons the Spectre to free Superman from Eclipso's control. This unwittingly breaks a covenant between the spirits and sets him at odds with Eclipso, who later possesses Jean Loring and corrupts the Spectre. While Shazam matches the Spectre for a time drawing power from his artifacts in the Rock of Eternity, the Spectre drains his power in a counterattack and kills him, destroying the Rock of Eternity and freeing the Seven Deadly Sins.JSA #78 (December 2005)Day of Vengeance #6 (November 2005)
When the Rock of Eternity is rebuilt, Billy Batson is chosen as the next successor of the wizard's role in caretaking the Rock of Eternity. The Wizard would later reappear as a statue in the Rock of Finality. With the aid of C. C Batson's spirit, Jay Garrick, and a reluctant Black Adam enacted a plot to "cleanse" the Earth, the Wizard is revived but de-powers Adam and Isis while disowning Billy and Mary Batson in apparent disappointment, disappearing after making it clear he will also confront Freddy Freeman (whose power as "Captain Marvel" is derived from alternative sources).Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #25 (May 2009)
Modern (2012–present)
Following the New 52, the character's background features heavy revisions; originally, his background was that of a Kahndaqi wizard who ascended into godhood but this background was a falsified one. His true origin entails him as Mamaragan, a Kunwinjku deity whose songlines guided him to a seat on the Circle of Eternity, where he adopted the title of "Wizard" and the magical name "Shazam" respectively. During his time in the Circle of Eternity, Mamaragan led the council in punishing the Phantom Stranger (an adaptation of Judas Iscariot) for his betrayal of Jesus Christ on behalf of God, Pandora, and the Question (a adaptation of Narcissus). Mamaragan also fathered demonic twins (Blaze and Satanus) and once aided fellow Lords of Chaos and Order in deposing Xanadoth in a time frame long before empowering his own champions.
At around 26th century BC in ancient Egypt (about during the Fourth Dynasty), Mamaragan empowered a young Egyptian boy, Aman, as his champion, who would then share his power with fellow slave and uncle, Teth-Adam (Mighty Adam). Mighty Adam later secretly killed his nephew to consolidate his power into his own, becoming his primary champion. Adjacent to this timeframe, Mamaragan and the Circle also oversaw the Seven Magiclands and had enlisted the aid of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury to battle Mister Mind and his Monster Society of Evil, culminating in Solomon's apparent death and the entrances to the realms being sealed off. Centuries later, he betrays Mamaragan and the Council, sedating his former mentor with arcane potion to keep his power and prestige while hiding him away. In 24th century BC, he is helped by slaver Ibac, whom alongside the Circle of Crows (a dark analogue of the Circle of Eternity), sought to depose Black Adam using the Wizard. He confronts Teth Adam, confirming having always been suspicious of Aman's true fate and condemns him as Khem-Adam (Black Adam) before defeating him by either sealing him away or banishing him to the furthest star. Within his account of being sealed away, in the 10th century, Mamaragan briefly recalls his decisions upon Hippolyta and Viking Prince's request to have Adam aid in stopping the Frost King before he is sealed away once more. In the alternate account of being sent from the furthest star, the Wizard's actions on Adam unwittingly created a new incarnation of deities based around ancient Mespotamian deities.