Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder Vol 1 1



A Face in the Crowd


 * "A few months ago, I'd have given anything to see two giant fire-breathing robots up close. Now, they seem to have lost their appeal."
 * --Captain Marvel

Summary
Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Month: November Year: 2005

Credits
Head Writer: Judd Winick Cover Artists: Joshua Middleton Pencilers: Joshua Middleton Inkers: Joshua Middleton Colourists: Joshua Middleton Editors: Tom Palmer Jr and Mike Carlin

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Bruce Gordon
 * Captain Marvel
 * David Tan
 * Doctor Sivana
 * Scott Cooper
 * Shazam
 * Superman
 * Temple of Bagdan cultists

Locations
 * Fawcett City
 * 10th Street
 * McKeon History Museum
 * Sivana Industries
 * Solar Center


 * Metropolis
 * Metropolis Museum of Natural History

Items
 * Rock of Eternity
 * Sabbaccian Channeling Idol

First Appearances: David Tan (Dr. Sivana's assistant); Scott Cooper (Bily Batson's best friend); The Temple of Bagdan (Cultist thieves) Final Appearances: No final appearances

Synopsis:

Many years ago: Captain Marvel swoops down out of the sky and rescues a small single-engine airplane before it crashes down onto 10th street in Fawcett City. Crowds of people gather around to witness the heroic spectacle.

Three months later: Three thousand miles away in the city of Metropolis, a group of thieves belonging to a cult known as the Temple of Bagdan, break into the Metropolis Museum of Natural History. They begin stealing a cache of priceless mystical relics. The hero known as Superman arrives and attempts to stop them. The leader of the Bagdanites withdraws a magic staff and uses it to summon a powerful demon. While Superman wrestles with the monster, the thieves make their getaway. Superman brings the creature down with a dose of heat vision, upon which it disappears in a cloud of blue smoke.

Back in Fawcett City, Captain Marvel discovers two sky-high robots rampaging through the new Solar Center construction site. Marvel picks up wreckage from some destroyed automobiles and proceeds to batter the robots down until there is nothing left but a pile of scrap. Afterwards, he meets with the Solar Center’s chief architect, Dr. Bruce Gordon. Gordon is grateful for Marvel’s assistance, and explains how the Solar Center will soon provide low-cost energy to half the homes in Fawcett City.

Not everyone is happy to learn of Marvel's efforts however. The owner of the Solar Center, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana – CEO of Sivana Industries, is quite uptight with the young hero’s actions. Sivana is the one responsible for sending the giant robots to destroy the center. He originally commissioned the construction of the Solar Center as a tax shelter, and currently possesses no desire to see it become operational.

Later, Captain Marvel learns about the mysterious thieves that have been robbing museums of ancient artifacts across the country. He stakes out the McKeon History Museum in the hopes of catching the thieves in the act. His hunch proves to be an accurate one, and he encounters the Bagdan cultists attempting to steal an artifact known as the Sabbaccian Channeling Idol. The thieves use their magic powers and violently expel Captain Marvel from the museum. As Marvel lands in the parking lot outside, Superman floats down out of the sky offering to lend a hand.

Trivia

 * This comic book features advertisements for the following products:
 * &mdash;Verizon Wireless cell phone service
 * &mdash;Naruto animated series on Toonami
 * &mdash;D.I.C.E. video game for Playstation 2
 * &mdash;Warner Brothers - Supernatural television series
 * &mdash;Shonen Jump's One Piece Grand Battle video game
 * &mdash;Warner Brothers - Corpse Bride motion picture
 * &mdash;Nintendo Duel Strike handheld game system
 * &mdash;NBC - Surface television series
 * &mdash;Warner Brothers - Smallville Season 4 DVD collection
 * &mdash;WWE - Day of Reckoning 2 video game for Nintendo Gamecube
 * &mdash;NBC Sports Dew Action Sports tour
 * &mdash;Jim Henson Productions - Mirrormask motion picture
 * &mdash;Marvel Nemesis - Rise of the Imperfects video game
 * &mdash;Samurai 7 DVD series collection
 * &mdash;Sid Meier's Pirates video game for Xbox
 * &mdash;Oxy facial cleanser

Recommended Readings

 * Action Comics
 * Superman (Volume 2)
 * Power of Shazam
 * Shazam: A New Beginning

Related Articles

 * Batman
 * Flash (Barry Allen)
 * Gotham City
 * Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
 * Sabbac
 * Wonder Woman