All you need to know about Shazam - the superhero child character

On the screen comes the next film kinovselennoy DC. And despite the fact that the disposal of producers, there are many well-known characters like Green Lantern, Flash and others, the studio decided to first bring the story is about Shazam - the most positive and lightweight character.

Now he is not as well known, such as Batman or Superman. But in fact, Shazam is a very long history associated with the beginning of the "Golden Age" of comics and conflicts between the major studios. And yet it is very different from all the other superheroes.

How did comics about Shazam

In the late thirties of the studio National Allied Publications (later renamed the National Comics, and even later - DC Comics) Came up with its main superhero. He soon became one of the most recognizable symbols of the United States - Superman.

And then a small company Fawcett Comics decided to create a response to the popular character. Initially, the idea to take six superheroes, each of which is the power given to some ancient god.

But then we decided to change the concept and the power of the six gods merged into one character. His human alter ego made a boy of twelve, which was to add humor and children's opportunities to young readers to identify with the hero. In this case, the fundamental principle of the magical stories linked with the mythology rather than science fiction, as is the case with Superman.

Initially, the new character would be called Captain Thunder. But this option has proved to be busy, and then there was Captain Marvel. Now this name is associated with a completely different character, to be exact - with the heroine of the eponymous painting Marvel.

But in fact, the first Captain Marvel - Shazam is present. About how the name was transferred to another universe - a little further.

What does the word "Shazam" and how it relates to the ability of the hero

According to the plot of the original comics young homeless orphan newsboy Billy Batson enters the cave wizard Shazam. The resistance of the hard work and gives the boy power of the gods. Billy shouts the word "Shazam!" And turns into an adult superhero named Captain Marvel. In this guise, he begins to fight against evil and injustice in the world.

The magic word is not just the name of the wizard. It is also the abbreviation of the gods, give Billy his powers:

• S - Solomon (Solomon). It gives wisdom - huge centuries-old knowledge and perfect memory.
• H - Hercules (Hercules / Hercules). It gives strength - the ability to raise enormous gravity and destroy the most durable materials.
• A - Atlas (Atlas). It gives endurance - the ability to stay long without air, heal wounds and resist magic.
• Z - Zeus (Zeus). Gives strength god of thunder - the ability to shoot lightning.
• A - Achilles (Achilles). It gives courage - the courage and desire to fight evil.
• M - Mercury (Mercury). It gives speed - the ability to quickly run and fly.

All this makes the Captain Marvel one of the strongest characters close to Superman - later they faced each other, and the victory provided alternately on the side of one of them.

How to become Captain Marvel Shazam

All the matter in legal conflicts with National Comics. In the early forties Captain Marvel already overtaken sales of Superman comics. And even became the protagonist of the first in the history of TV series superhero - it consisted of 12 episodes and was called "The Adventures of Captain Marvel." There's character became an adult and a common story has changed a lot, but still it has contributed to the popularity and further recruitment.

And then the company National Comics sued by competitors, claiming that the image of Captain Marvel copied from Superman. Indeed, it is easy to notice the similarity: the characters like costumes and a close set of superpowers.

The courts dragged on for years. At the same time against the background of decline of public interest in comics as the story and pictures of many issues getting worse. In 1952, the Court nevertheless acknowledged that some of the stories of Captain Marvel copied from Superman. But by the time the case at the Fawcett Comics were very bad, and the studio voluntarily ceased print comics about the hero and sold it to Charlton Comics.

In the sixties this and took advantage of Marvel Comics. The company learned that the name of the hero is not licensed, quickly acquired the rights to the name and launched a series of "Captain Marvel." On the basis of these comics and filmed a recent film of the same name.

DC Comics decided to revive the character only in the seventies, bought by the time Charlton Comics, and then found that she could not produce comics under the old name - it took Marvel.

Then the comic was renamed "Shazam!", Although the name of the hero remained unchanged. But gradually more and more fans have got used to name and character of Shazam. Officially, its current name of the hero gained in 2011, when the DC completely restarted all its series of comic books created the universe The New 52. Since then, "Shazam" is not only the name of a comic book, but also the name of the hero.

Make friends with anyone with whom to fight Shazam

aides

Shortly after the appearance of Captain Marvel, like many other superheroes, obzavolsya numerous assistants. They form a "Marvel Family", and later - "Seven Shazam". The first allies in the fight against evil became a lieutenant Marvel - three more boys, named Billy Batson.

Then came the twin sister of Captain - Mary Bromfield. It turned into Mary Marvel. True, at first heroine remained in the body of a teenager. Later she came up with adult alter ego. It is interesting that with Mary Marvel comic story began female spin-offs superhero. Later there will be Supergirl - Superman's cousin, Betvumen and many others.

Then came Freddie Freeman, Captain Marvel - junior. In one of the early comic books central character saved the dying child from the hands of the fascist Captain Nazi. To prevent the weakened boy die, the hero has shared with them on their own. But Freddie also remained a teenager during development obtained superpowers.

All these characters are about the same strength as that of the main character, they vary depending on the version of the comic book.

enemies

Among the main enemies of the character should be singled out two - they most often appear in the comic books, and they are also important for the future of the film. First - Dr. Thaddeus Sivan. This is one of the oldest enemies of Captain Marvel.

Sivan - typical crazy scientist: he wants to enslave the world, he wants to become a magician. The doctor also has helpers - his four children: Magnifikus, Bute, Georgia and Thaddeus Jr.

The second enemy is a classic - Black Adam. It is a kind of mirror image of the hero. He was the precursor of Captain Marvel, and have approximately the same strength.

But limitless ability of its sensuality, and a wizard banished Adam Black Earth (in different versions or in the depths of the universe, or in another dimension). But after the return of anti-hero is given the aim to defeat Captain Marvel and seize dominion over the world.

These enemies are regularly combined with each other, and in some cases it helps Sivan Black Adam back to Earth.

How to change the image of Shazam

After the purchase of the company DC Comics stories about the classic hero tried to revive. Since he now exist in the same universe with Superman, they have tried to share stories - Shazam has become longer fight the wizards, spirits and other Magical Creatures. Yet these stories were not very popular.

Important changes have taken place in 1987. In a series of Shazam!: The New Beginning for the first time showed that the image of the superhero Billy Batson maintains its children's mind and character. Later it became the main feature of the character: in spite of the body of an adult male, he remains a simple and emotionally naive child.

Yet at the beginning of the XXI century Shazam was not very popular. He occasionally appeared in "Justice League" and other common stories. A parallel to the authors attempted to restart their own comics about him.

For example, in 2008 there was a series The Trials of Shazam!. In it the role of the wizard Shazam Captain Marvel began to play, and was replaced by Captain Marvel - Jr. (Freddy Freeman). Fight he had with Mary Batson, who gave his strength Black Adam.

In addition, the DC Universe regularly restart to update the history of the characters and get rid of the accumulated during the years of inconsistencies in the biographies. To do this, the authors organize global events that are destroying alternate versions of characters or roll back action back in time.

So, in 2011 there was a comic Flashpoint, where flash went back in time and saved his mother. This act created an alternate universe, where the fate of all the characters evolved differently: Aquaman lived all his life under the water and started the war with the people, Batman Thomas Wayne became after his son was killed in the alley.

Flashpoint In the world of the hero by the name of Captain Thunder immediately turned six children - to do this they must speak in unison, "Shazam!". In this case, each of them is granted the power of one of the gods. Thunder comes to grips with the Wonder Woman: here it is also opposed to the people. But then again becomes a superhero in children and Amazons killing one of them.

After Flashpoint DC Universe again refreshed in The New 52 Series, and that's when the hero was named Shazam, and along with a new story. And in this version of Billy became more arrogant and abrupt teenager.

It takes a new family, where he meets with Mary Batson and Freddie Freeman. And then Billy gets power Shazam and he has to fight with the classic enemies - Dr. Thaddeus Siwan, obsessive desire to possess magical powers, and Black Adam.

What will be shown in the movie "Shazam!"

The new motion picture tells the classic story: a hard teenager Billy Batson (Escher Angel) falls into the foster family, which already lives Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer). Soon Billy receives from the wizard Shazam power of the ancient gods, and can now transform into a superhero (Zachary Levi). True, internally he remains all the same baby and does not understand how to use their abilities.

But soon, the hero has to face the sinister Dr. Thaddeus Siwan (Mark Strong), who himself wants to get Shazam force.

The film is largely based on the first comic book The New World 52. The characters are the characters and even some scenes clearly taken from the original. However, in kinovselennoy Siwan partly transferred power from Adam Black of comics. And of Black Adam plansExclusive: 'Black Adam' Producer Hiram Garcia Gives Update on Dwayne Johnson's DC Film Dwayne Johnson to play in one of the upcoming films.

"Shazam!" - one of the most cheerful and optimistic film in kinovselennoy. It is interesting that it took director David F. Sandberg, best known for horror "and the lights go out ..." and "Annabelle: the birth of evil." A similar story was a "Akvamenom" - he took the famous author of "paternoster"And" Astral "by James Wan.

Yet rather ironically, that "Shazam!" Comes out in theaters a month after the movie "Captain Marvel", which owes its name.