William Batson (Earth-S)

From DC Database

This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.

See also Captain Marvel, William Batson for a complete list of references to distinguish between these closely named or closely related articles.

Real Name

Current Alias

Aliases

Earth's Mightiest Mortal; The Big Red Cheese

Identity

Alignment

Affiliation

Universe

Base Of Operations

Fawcett City, Earth-S

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Unusual Features

Captain Marvel and Billy Batson are actually two seperate beings who are connected through the magic incantation of the wizard Shazam. Batson normally can not remain transformed as Captain Marvel without problems emerging from such prolonged transferrence though was able to remain transformed for over 20 years while he and the bulk of the Marvel Family was in suspended animation. While Captain Marvel is a muscular, adult male, Batson is still a teenager with all the emotional turmoil and physical limitations of a normal human teenager. Captain Marvel also had a tendency to squint his eyes, making his pupils barely (if at all) visible.

Status

Occupation

Former newspaper boy, later a correspondent for WHIZ Radio

Origin

Creators

C.C. Beck, Bill Parker

Original Publisher

Fawcett Publications

First appearance

Whiz Comics #2
(February, 1940)

History

Billy Batson was born in Fawcett City in 1930. When he was approximately ten-years-old, his parents were killed, and Billy went to live with his uncle, Ebenezer Batson. Uncle Ebe wanted nothing to do with the boy, and eventually kicked him out of the house, forcing him to fend for himself on the city streets. By 1940, Billy had managed to secure himself a part-time job as a newspaper boy.

One evening as Billy was hawking newspapers, a strange shadowy man in a long coat approached him. He beckoned Billy to follow him, and led him underground into a dilapidated subway station. A driverless subway car unlike any Billy had ever seen before, roared to the platform and the two got on board. The car sped off deeper underground, bringing them to a vast cavern known as the Rock of Eternity. Billy disembarked and both the subway train and the cloaked stranger disappeared. Before him Billy saw two rows of statues lining each side of the cavern. Each statue was forged in the likeness of a horrific monster, representing the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man.

At the anterior of the cavern, he found an old man with a flowing white beard sitting on a stone throne. Above him was a large boulder suspended from the ceiling of the cavern by a tiny, fraying thread. The old man introduced himself as a wizard named Shazam, and told Billy that he had been chosen to be his champion against injustice. The wizard lit a brazier to the left of the throne, illuminating the names of six mythological elders inscribed on the wall behind it; Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. He explained that each of these elders would bestow an aspect of their power unto Billy, and all the boy had to do to acquire such power was to speak the wizard's name.

Billy spoke the name "Shazam", and a bolt of mystic lightning struck down from nowhere transforming the ten-year-old boy into a powerful, muscle-bound man. Shazam christened his new champion as Captain Marvel and saluted him.

Moments after the startling transformation, the thread securing the boulder above Shazam's head snapped, and the rock came down, crushing the wizard. Shazam's spirit rose from the debris and told Billy that his ghost would always be present inside the Rock of Eternity, should the neophyte hero ever need his guidance.

Honoring his commitment to the wizard, Billy Batson became Fawcett City's chosen hero – Captain Marvel.

Career Highlights

Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel for the first time. ^[1]

Captain Marvel discovers that an evil scientist named Doctor Sivana seeks to hold the city hostage by blocking all outgoing radio signals unless he receives 50,000 dollars. Marvel destroys Sivana's patented Radio Silencer. ^[2]

Captain Marvel fights Black Adam for the first time. Adam is destined to become one of his deadliest foes. ^[3]

Billy Batson meets the three other Billy Batsons who all become the Lieutenant Marvels (Lt. "Fat" Marvel, Lt. "Tall" Marvel and Lt. "Hillbilly" Marvel) ^[4]

In 1953, Captain Marvel and the rest of the Marvel Family falls prey to Doctor Sivana's Suspendium. They are placed within suspended animation for over twenty years.^[5]

In 1973, Captain Marvel and the rest of the Marvel Family awaken from the Suspendium and continue to fight the evil forces of Doctor Sivana in Fawcett City.^[6]

Shazam's Squadron of Justice forms and teams up with the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America to combat the forces of King Kull. ^[7]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Known Powers: By speaking the name of the wizard, Shazam, an enchanted lightning bolt comes down from out of the sky, striking Billy Batson, and transforming him into the adult Captain Marvel. When he wishes to return to his mortal form, he repeats the name "Shazam", and the same lightning bolt strikes Captain Marvel transforming him back into Billy Batson.

Captain Marvel derives his various powers from seven elder beings, all of whom form part of an acronym in the name Shazam. From the Hebrew king, Solomon, he derives great wisdom. From the Greek hero Hercules, he derives tremendous strength. He gains stamina from Atlas - a contemporary of Hercules. He gains power from the Olympian God Zeus, courage from the Hellenistic warrior Achilles and swiftness from the Greek God Mercury. The names of each of these legendary figures can be found on a wall inside the Rock of Eternity appearing as thus:

Solomon

Hercules

Atlas

Zeus

Achilles

Mercury

Known Abilities: Captain Marvel (Earth-S) has many superhuman abilities most notable is his ability to fly. Like the Silver Age Superman, Captain Marvel (Earth-S) is able to fly through space, faster than the speed of light and travel through time.
Billy Batson is a competent journalist and newscaster.

Strength Level: While Captain Marvel (Earth-S) is supposedly at the strength levels of Hercules and Zeus, in actuality his strength levels are far greater than that as he was able to fight the Earth-One Superman to virtual stand-stills on more than a single occasion whose strength levels are literally almost infinite.
Billy Batson possesses the strength level of a boy his age, size and weight who engages in moderate regular exercise.

Abilities

None known.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.

Notes

Height: (as Billy Batson) 5'4"; (as Captain Marvel) 6'3"
Weight: (as Billy Batson) 110 lbs (49.895 kg); (as Captain Marvel) 215 lbs (97.522 kg)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
I.Q.: (as Captain Marvel) 210

Captain Marvel was created by writer Bill Parker and artist C.C. Beck for Fawcett Publications.

Captain Marvel is often erroneously referred to by the name, Shazam. Shazam is in fact his mentor, the wizard responsible for granting him his powers.

Unlike his later successive incarnations including Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) and Captain Marvel (Fred Freeman), Captain Marvel of Earth-S powers were NOT shared when Mary and Freddy transform into their Marvel Family counterparts. Unlike the current Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel of Earth-S powers levels are maintained at peak level and not halfed or quartered when the other members of the Marvel Family access the powers of Shazam at the same time.

Unlike his later successive incarnations including Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) and Captain Marvel (Fred Freeman), Captain Marvel of Earth-S was shown to normally be a totally seperate person from Billy Batson which would on some occasions lead to problems that Marvel would have to puzzle out why Batson transformed in instances of no immediate danger, such as in one instance during a Christmas shopping event so that Batson would not be robbed.

In the successive incarnations, the Marvel empowered form is an outgrow of the true person i.e, Marvel and Billy are the same person and Marvel still possessed Billy uncomfort in some situations such as when Batson in his Marvel form had to pretend to be his dead father in order to keep Batson in school.

Trivia

C.C. Beck modeled Captain Marvel's physical appearance after the American actor, Fred MacMurray.

In 1966, Myron Fass established M.F. Comics and populated his titles with his own version of Captain Marvel. Fass' Marvel had nothing to do with any other version of the character, but routinely fought villains with names culled from more popular titles, including Doctor Fate and Doctor Doom. This version of Captain Marvel wore a red unitard and a black domino mask and had the ability to instantaneously bisect portions of his body by shouting, "Split!" The body parts could then act independently of one another until called upon to re-attach themselves to a resurrected Marvel body. During this publishing era, the name Captain Marvel was still within the public domain as Fawcett Publications had ceased production of their comic book line in 1953.

Links and References

at Wikipedia.org

External Links

References

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #4 (Captain Marvel biography page)
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #20 (Shazam biography page)
Captain Marvel at the Guide to the Mythological Universe

Footnotes

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]