The Wizard

Current Events

• In the wake of the New God of Evil’s untimely demise, The Wizard Shazam underwent a pilgrimage within the The Source itself. Were all gods go when they die to recruit a new set of Gods to aid Billy; his mortal champion on earth after the connection with the old pantheon was severed by Darkseids death.

Origin

When Shazam was a young boy, some 9000 years ago, he was chosen by six long-since forgotten Gods to become their hero. By speaking the word “Vlarem”, the child becomes the Champion. Years later he would become the one responsible for granting a similar power to Teth-Adam and Billy Batson.

Character Creation

Shazam was created by Bill Parker.

Character Evolution

When Shazam was first created he served as only a mentor to Billy Batson, but over time the character became more than that. As the history of Shazam was explored through decades of writing all the way from Fawcett Publications to the pages of DC Comics, Shazam began to take on his own story. Shazam had once been much like Billy Batson, and was considered worthy to be Earth’s Champion. Eventually he grew weaker, and had to choose a successor. Throughout the years he acted as Billy Batson’s mentor, up until the Day of Vengeance when he was killed by Eclipso. Eventually he was brought back to life by Black Adam and Isis, but he had returned wrathful and stripped the Marvel Family and Black Marvel family of their powers, before disappearing from the world.

Major Story Arcs

At one point, Shazam is seduced by a demoness disguised as a beautiful woman, and the two of them conceive two half-demon offspring, Blaze and Satanus, much to the displeasure of the gods. Vlarem later creates the Rock of Eternity from two large rock formations– one from Heaven and one from Hell— to hold the “Three Faces Of Evil“, a dragon-like demon, captive.

Creating Black Adam

Shazam spent the next 3000 years battling evil but he grew weary and needed to choose a successor. Because the gods that he had relied on for his power had been long forgotten, Shazam petitioned and chose gods who would grant their powers to Shazam’s successor. Shazam choose a worthy man named Teth-Adam

. Adam merely had to speak Shazam’s name and he was granted the power of six Egyptian gods. But Teth `s power soon corrupted him, and he became less benevolent. Shazam renamed him, Black Adam but unable to strip him of his powers, Shazam banished Adam to the farthest star for his crimes.

Captain Marvel

Shazam once again waited to find a new successor. Unwilling to make the same mistake twice, Shazam decided to bestow his powers on a boy, much like what had happened to him. Ages past until Shazam discovered a boy worthy enough to be granted those mighty powers! Shazam choose young Billy Batson to receive the powers of the six mightiest gods and mortals. When Billy Batson says the name “Shazam”, he is transformed into an adult version of himself the worlds mightiest mortal, Captain Marvel.

Although Shazam is killed– as prophesized– by a giant granite block falling upon him, Billy/Marvel can summon the ghost of Shazam for guidance by a lightning bolt, a special wall scone in Shazam’s lair, the Rock of Eternity. More superheroes soon joined Marvel in carrying on the legacy of Shazam, including the Marvel Family members Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and the Lieutenant Marvels.

Billy had many adventures as Captain Marvel but was eventually trapped by the evil Dr. Sivana in a sphere of Suspendium. This Suspendium trapped Captain Marvel, his friends, and the evil Sivanas in suspended animation for twenty years!

Shazam waited patiently for the Suspendium to wear off, so that Captain Marvel could regain his title as the champion of the world. It was revealed at this time that Shazam and the Marvels lived in a parallel universe to Superman, Batman and the other Earth-One heroes. Captain Marvel’s original earth was referred to as Earth-S.

Post-Crisis

A cataclysmic multi-universal crisis occurred which merged the Earths of Superman with Captain Marvel’s and other heroes. It was during this time that Shazam and the Marvel’s history was in flux. For a short time, while the newly formed universe was trying to realign itself, Billy Batson had a different set of parents, Shazam himself has a bit less caring “Uncle” and Dudley became Billy’s real uncle!

This flux soon corrected itself and Shazam and his origin became similar to his pre-crisis one. Shazam took up residence on the Rock of Eternity (a temporal spot in space/time) where he records the adventures of the Marvel family.

Shazam has regained corporal form and for a brief time lived with Billy Batson so he could regain understanding of humanity. Sometime later Shazam joined Godhood and joined Zeus, Ganthet, Highfather and the Phantom Stranger, to form the Quintessence— a group of all powerful beings who kept tabs on the order of the universe.

It seems that Shazam has gone back to the Rock of Eternity and still watches over his charges.

Day of Vengance

Shazam called upon the Spectre to free Superman from being controlled by the demon Eclipso. This action broke a covenant between Eclipso and the Spectre, and set Eclipso permanently at odds against the wizard. Possessing the body of the Atom‘s ex-wife Jean Loring, Eclipso corrupted the confused Spectre into joining forces with her, and began a war against all magic-powered beings in the DC Universe.

Because of his previous action, Shazam was one of the duo’s primary targets. In the Day of Vengeance miniseries, Shazam enlisted Captain Marvel to keep the Spectre at bay, while the wizard gathered all of his power to battle him. With the assistance of the newly-formed Shadowpact, a band of magic-based heroes, Marvel fought the Spectre nearly to a standstill, but the Spectre escaped and made his way to the Rock of Eternity to confront Shazam directly. The Spectre overpowered the wizard, absorbed his magicks, and killed him; and the Rock of Eternity disintegrated above Gotham City into “a billion pieces” and exploded, freeing the Seven Deadly Sins and sending a de-powered Billy Batson falling into the city.

Billy found he was still able to transform into the Captain before he struck the ground by saying the wizard’s name as usual.

Captain Marvel has been revealed to be currently headquartered at the Rock of Eternity, acting in Shazam’s stead.

JSA: Black Adam & Isis

At the end of Black Adam & Isis storyline of the JSA, Black Adam used his power to return Shazam from the after life. Furious with the unfolding of events, the wizard depowered Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Black Adam and Isis, Turned Adam and Isis to stone, and disappeared along with the rock of Eternity without a trace. Shazam is once again the keeper of the rock of Eternity, though he appears to be far more bitter and wrathful than before.

New 52

The Sinners Triad

Some 9000 years prior to becoming the mystic Mamaragan was a simple citizen of ancient Kahndaq who would vacate to the realm of magic every now and then to further his study in magic; soon he made his transmigration permanent when the evil Ibac and his mongol horde had invaded his homeland, lest he be enslaved just as all the rest of his homeland. Over the years he would continue his imbibing of the supernatural until the once mortal wizard ascended to be the aboriginal god of lightning and weather and earn his place among a council of godly mystics.

A host of whom he was amongst would condemn three infamous sinners; a young girl, for opening the dreaded relic of legend containing the evils of man. The Judas of Christs inner circle for his treachery and greed against the former and lastly the featureless man rendered without an identity for defying the council, all of whom were condemned by said keepers of magic to horrid fates and made immortal to suffer them for eternity.

Choosing his Champion

4000 years after the sentencing Mamaragan now going under The Wizard and his transcendent mystic council had summoned a young boy and his dying uncle to the Rock of Eternity for appointing them as heralds of the magical world. To fight injustice and save the helpless as well as quash the invading forces of Ibac the First in kahndaq. When they returned them to the mortal plane however Aman’ Shazams initially appointed champion was killed by his relative in order to usurp sole ownership of the guardian of magic mantel, though it it assumed The Wizard didn’t find out about this until much much later.

when he and the council had discovered this infidelity however grievous tensions exploded into all out conflict between Black Adam and the wizardly gods on the council. Eventually The Council managed to seal the evil lord away for eternity since they were unable to overcome him due to his divine empowerment through his selected patron gods. This weakened council eventually died out over the coarse of time due to their struggle and all that remained of it was the lonely Wizard.

Modern Era

Searching For a Successor

5000 years later the wizard now going by Shazam was busy searching for a successor to inherit the mantel of Magics Champion and failing miserably trying to find a 100% pure human being over the countless ages. Going through tens of thousands of applicants only for none of them to meet his standards when he sensed the apparent release of the usurper of his heraldship through magic they share, knowing full well what this means for the world at large now the Adam was free, the old god redoubled his efforts to find his Paige eventually stopping with the wayward urchin troublemaker Billy Batson.

Testing him to see his worth initially displeased that his magics had brought him another child, a rotten one no less whom he found to be yet another unworthy candidate to inherit his power. Going through the motions he took a look back into the boys past only to find a checklist of reasons why he shouldn’t empower the youngling.

Billy however only retorted that what he’s searching for, a truly pure person in the world of man; doesn’t truly exist. The wizard adamantly deny’s this harsh truth only to relent when his acquaintance asked him how long he had been searching for such a being; to which he sullenly replies a very long time. Billy goes onto say that a pure good person hasn’t a real chance to exist in the world because the world and the people living in it are selfish and manipulative by nature, that no matter how good you try to be they’ll always find some way to drag you down with them.

Then Shazam has an epiphany from Batson’s words, in that he had tried previously to be good realizing that instead of trying to find pure good people he himself should have tried to find people with potential for good in them. Having taken another look into his character background he found some redeeming qualities to the boys rough character and then relented his position to him.

Before finally passing away, Shazam gave his young hero final words of warning of the threat presented by Black Adam and Seven Deadly Sins. If the former managed to find these lethal entities of mans worst qualities it would spell impending doom for the entire world, he also mentioned that it was Billy’s responsibility as the hero SHAZAM to protect this world from threats of the supernatural variety hence his title as the worlds mightiest mortal and champion of magic, on that not the aged aboriginal passed away before he mystically ported his new champion back to Fawcet City. Eventually Black Adam found the Rock of Eternity only to find what remains of the recently deceased wizard and that he could no longer enter the domain of arcane power.

Making Amends

With the last of his magical powers at his disposal before he completely dissipated, the wizard Shazam made his way towards Pandora who was in an alleyway trying to open a golden skull. Shazam appeared before a frustrated Pandora who thought he was preventing her from opening her belonging only to be told he was sorry for the harsh penalty the council passed on her, stating that while the others deserved their judgement’s her only crime was curiosity.

After being asked how to open the box and reseal the evils she unleashed a weakened old wizard tells her she can’t entrap what was once unleashed, but left the cryptic clue on how to open it again. He told her before faded completely that only the strongest or darkest of hearts can open her box and transform something before vanishing in a crash of lightning, leaving Pandora screaming about who can do so.

Darkseid War

Having spent time within the source like all fallen gods who’ve passed, The Wizard was disheveled when he realized the powers bestowed upon billy were lost when the death of the Dark God resounded throughout all of creation. Severing his champions connection to the host of deities his powers initially originated from, in a desperate bid to aid his champion Mamaragan set out to find new gods to act as Batson’s new power source.

As billy made his way through the select of new gods which empower him, god’s both of various religions pertaining to his home universe and old pantheon coupled with some Old Gods of the third world. He eventually finds him In pitched battle with the final god he petitioned who turned out to be Yuga Khan.

Bested by the old god of evil shazam lost his mystic staff with which he and billy channel the select magical powers of said patron deities, but as Zonus makes his way towards the Source Wall in order to breach it billy intercepts him using the true purpose of the ancient ones relic. To act as a lightning rod to channel their godly powers, as Shazam battled his malefic adversary the wizard SHAZAM kept ordering his champion to stop posturing and deal with the threat repeatedly.

After calling down the magic lightning and incapacitating Khan, SHAZAM chastises billy firther only for him to retort that

Powers and Abilities

Keeper of the Rock of Eternity

Pre-New 52

When Shazam was young he had a similar power to that of Black Adam and Captain Marvel, except the name he shouted was “Vlarem”. Each letter of the name represented the name of a God and the six Gods were:

• Voldar (Strength)
• Lumian (Wisdom)
• Arel (Speed)
• Ribalavei (Power)
• Elbiam (Courage)
• Marzosh (Stamina)

However over time the gods represented in the name Vlarem were forgotten, and Shazam became weaker. He needed a successor, so he petitioned newer gods to have their names grant power to his successor. These gods were: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. These gods alone developed a magic code word formed from the first initial of their respective names which was SHAZAM.

Shazam is a powerful magician, able to match gods and lords of magic alike. Since becoming the keeper of the Rock of Eternity, Shazam has acquired vast magical abilities, being one of the most powerful magical beings in DCU.

New 52

During his time as a resident of Kahndaq Mamaragan was a budding practitioner of magic who frequented the Rock of Eternity and the world of magic it stood over, being a skilled mystic in his own right and growing only stronger still with his ascension to godhood as a thunder god and member of the council of eternity.

His godly powers as the God of Thunder pertain to manipulating the same magical lightning that empowers his various champions.

• Electricity Manipulation:
  • Lightning Bolt Projection:
• Thunder Manipulation:
  • Thunderous Voice:

Through his magics coupled with an agreements he made, the wizard initially empowered both Billy and Adam with the powers of six gods through speaking their initials as a synonymous word who were:

• Solomon (Wisdom)
• Hercules (Strength)
• Atlas (Stamina)
• Zeus (Power)
• Achilles (Courage)
• Mercury (Speed)

All of these powers gave both champions all the attributes and abilities of a demigod, coupled with a few powers allotted to them which were all their own. By his own merit he now has even greater magical properties than ever before being one of the higher ranked council members coupled with his vast collection of mystical arcana the rock has collected within its confines over the coarse of millennia.

As with the death of Darkseid during the euphoniously named war involving him. Shazam now going by his true name Mamaragan had blazed a trail across the source to seek new divine might to empower his stubborn protege. These powers in conjunction with his name include:

• S‘ivaa (Strength)
• H‘ronmeer (Flame)
• Anapel (Compassion)
• Zonus (Source Manipulation)
• Atë (Boldness)
• Mamaragan (Lightning)