Mary Batson (New Earth)

Real Name: Mary Willow Batson Nicknames: Mary Poppins (Fire's nickname for her) Former Aliases: No known former aliases Other Current Aliases: Mary Bromfield, Captain Marvel

Status
Occupation: Occupation unknown Legal Status: Legal status unknown Identity: Secret Marital Status: Marital status unknown Group Affiliation: Marvel Family, JLA, Super Buddies Base of Operations: Fawcett City; Queens, New York

Origin
Billy Batson found his lost twin sister. After uttering the word Shazam, Mary too became empowered.

Place of Birth: Place of birth unknown Known Relatives: Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) (twin brother), Nick and Nora Bromfield (adoptive parents) First Appearance: Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (Fawcett, 1942), The Power of Shazam! (DC)

History
Her alter ego is teenager Mary Batson (adopted name Mary Bromfield), twin sister of Captain Marvel's alter ego Billy Batson. Like her brother, Mary has been granted the power of the wizard Shazam, and has but to speak the wizard's name to be transformed into the super-powered Mary Marvel. A member of the Marvel Family team of superheroes, Mary originally became a Marvel version of herself at the same age when she transformed; the current version becomes an adult copy of her mother the same way her brother becomes a version of his father.

Mary Batson and her twin brother Billy were both nursed by a woman named Sarah Primm. When the Batson twins are orphaned after their parents die in a car accident, Primm substitutes Mary for the baby girl of another family she nursed for, who had suddenly died, and sends Billy to an orphanage.

Over a decade after his parents’ death, Billy is an on-air reporter for station WHIZ, hosting a quiz bowl with three young contestants. During a commercial break, Billy receives an urgent letter from Sarah Primm requesting his presence. He immediately goes to see the dying woman, who tells Billy about his twin sister, and gives him a locket broken in half. Mary, Primm tells Billy before dying, wears the other half of the locket.

After the quiz bowl broadcast is over, Billy recalled that one of the contestants, Mary Bromfield, wore a broken locket, and he and his best friend Freddy Freeman trail Mary’s limousine in their super-powered forms of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr.. Before making it home, Mary is kidnapped for ransom, prompting the two Marvels to intervene, save her, and knock out the kidnappers.

Captain Marvel then learns that Mary's locket matches his own, and that she is indeed Billy’s sister. The Marvels reveal their secret identities to Mary, who wonders if, since she is Billy’s twin, she could become a Marvel by saying the magic word "Shazam". Billy, however, is assured that “Old Shaz—er—you know who—wouldn’t give his powers to a girl!”

Just then, the kidnappers awaken and gag Billy and Freddy, preventing them from saying their magic words. “Oh no,” exclaims Mary, “Billy can’t say ‘Shazam!’” Just after inadvertedly saying the word, a magic lightning bolt strikes Mary Bromfield, and she is transformed into a super powered version of herself. She then defeats the thugs by herself and frees Freddy and her brother.

Mary's super-powered self, christened "Mary Marvel" by her brother, wears a red short-sleeved blouse and red skirt, lined with gold trim, and including a lightning bolt insignia and "a cape—just like Captain Marvel’s!” According to the wizard Shazam, Mary can transform into a Marvel because her “Shazam” powers are not derived from the male mythological figures who empower Billy, but from a set of female benefactors:

S for Selena for grace H for Hippolyta for strength A for Ariadne for skill Z for Zephyrus for fleetness (and flight) A for Aurora for beauty M for Minerva for wisdom

Current origin: The Power of Shazam!
Mary Batson was re-introduced in The Power of Shazam! graphic novel by Jerry Ordway, who also revised the origin of her super-powered alter-ego in issues 3, 4, and 16 of the Power of Shazam ongoing series that followed the graphic novel. Several of the details remain the same, while others are noticeably altered.

Mary and Billy’s parents are archaeologists, and Mary accompanies her parents on an expedition to Egypt while Billy remains at home. Mary’s parents are killed by their associate Theo Adam, who then kidnaps the young girl. Upon Theo Adam's return to the United States, Adam’s sister, a maid named Sarah Primm, learns what Theo has done, and takes Mary into her care. Primm has Mary illegally adopted by Primm’s childless employers, Nick and Nora Bromfield (based on Nick and Nora Charles). As Mary Bromfield, the young girl grows up living an idyllic life in a wealthy family, but continuously dreams of another family with a brother she has never seen.

Meanwhile, Billy, eventually finding himself on the streets, is given the power to become Captain Marvel. He learns that Mary is still alive, but after four years of searching, neither he nor his benefactor, the wizard Shazam, can find the girl. The only thing Billy has to remember Mary by is her favorite toy, a "Tawky Tawny" doll, which was shipped to America with the Batsons’ possessions after their murders.

As a young teenager, Mary enters a regional spelling bee held in Fawcett City and emceed by Billy. After saving Mary from kidnappers twice as Captain Marvel, Billy notices how much Mary Bromfield reminds him of Mary Batson, and has an undercover cop named “Muscles” McGinnis retrieve the girl’s forged adoption record. Learning that Mary is indeed his sister, Billy tries to figure out a way to let Mary know he is her brother. The old "Tawky Tawny" doll suddenly transforms into a full-sized tiger and comes to life a la Hobbes (animated by Lord Satanus, the son of Shazam), and instructs Billy to take the doll to Mary. As Captain Marvel, Billy flies out to the Bromfields’ hometown of Fairfield to deliver the doll and the adoption papers to Mary.

Arriving at the Bromfield estate, Billy delivers the package, but is immediately kidnapped by the thugs who helped Primm forge Mary’s adoption records. Mary takes the package and opens it, discovering the adoption records and the Tawky Tawny doll. Once again, the doll comes to life, and instructs the bewildered girl to say the magic word “Shazam” and save her brother. Mary complies, and is transformed by a bolt of magic lightning into a super-powered doppelganger of her deceased mother. She saves Billy, who transforms into Captain Marvel to help Mary out, but the two Marvels cannot save Sarah Primm, who is murdered by one of the thugs.

In the Power of Shazam! series, Mary's super-powered self is called "Captain Marvel" like her brother, as Jerry Ordway, who wrote the series, felt "Mary Marvel" was an illogical moniker. The female Captain Marvel has the same powers, from the same benefactors, as the male Captain Marvel. In fact, they both draw their power from one finite percentage of Shazam’s power: when they both use it, each of them is only half as strong, half as fast, and half as invulnerable. After the Captains share their power with crippled friend Freddy Freeman so that he can become Captain Marvel, Jr./CM3, the power is split three ways when all three Marvels are active.

Captain (Mary) Marvel’s costume was originally exactly the same as her original Mary Marvel Fawcett costume. Beginning with Power of Shazam! #28, she began wearing a white costume to distinguish herself from her brother.

Super Buddies and beyond
After the Power of Shazam! series ended in 1999, Mary’s super-powered alter ego was officially re-christened "Mary Marvel". Since then, she has guest starred in both Superman and Supergirl comics. In 2003, Mary became a member of an offshoot of the Justice League known as the Super Buddies in the Formerly Known as the Justice League miniseries, which juxtaposed her Golden Age-era personality with the modern-day world for comic effect.

While with the Super Buddies, her innocent ways often clashed with Fire, her new roommate. Warrior's opening of a bar next door and making lewd comments to the females of the team only furthered their discomfort.

Mary was later held by demons in hell--where Shazam's power does not work. As ransom, Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) and Booster Gold were forced to work for 'BeelzeBurger', a fast food joint that was literally from hell. They escaped only to find themselves in a world with twisted and evil versions of themselves. They were all saved by Doctor Fate (Hector Hall).

Most recently Mary and her other Super Buddies teammates were seen battling the OMACs. Mary and Billy also repaired the Rock of Eternity.

She will appear in Judd Winick and Howard Porter's Trials of Shazam! miniseries, beginning in July 2006. An eleven-page prequel to the limited series was printed in DC's Brave New World one-shot comic book, which was published on June 28, 2006, and features Mary losing her Shazam powers as an after-effect of the death of the wizard Shazam in Day of Vengeance #6.

Characteristics
Height: 5'6" Weight: 139 lbs (63.05 kg) Eyes:Blue Hair: Brown Unusual Features: No unusual features

Powers
Known Powers: Although these deities were originally stated to be goddesses, it should be noted that Zephyrus is a male god, and that the list does not account for all of the superhuman traits shared by Billy and Mary. Although she remains her current age when she transforms instead of becoming an adult like Billy, Mary shares Captain Marvel’s powers of invulnerability, stamina, and courage. When Mary says the magic word "Shazam" and is transformed into Captain Marvel. In her Captain Marvel form, Mary possesses:

S for the Grace of Selena: (Goddess of the Moon). Selena' grace, stands as a symbol for the majesty of Zeus' power, besides fueling the magic thunderbolt that transforms Captain Marvel, also enhances Marvel's other physical abilities, provides physical invulnerability and resistance against most magic spells and attacks, and allows for interdimensional travel. Marvel can use the lightning bolt as a weapon by dodging it and allowing it to strike an opponent or target. The magical lightning has many uses, including creating apparatus, restoring damage done to Marvel, or acting as fuel for magical spells. (Invulnerability, Magical Resistance, Physical Enhancement, Interdimensional Travel, Spell Source, Advanced Healing)

H for the Strength of Hippolyta: (Queen of the Amazons). Dubbed "The World's Mightiest Girl", Captain Marvel has incredible amounts of super strength, able to easily bend steel, punch through walls and lift massive objects. Marvel's strength is enough that she has fought against beings such as Superman or Wonder Woman & Super Girl to a standstill. (Superhuman Strength)

A for the Skill of Adriane: (Goddess of Skill). Like the wisdom, this aspect is primarily psychological, and gives Marvel superhuman amounts of inner strength from which to draw. (Superhuman Inner Strength)

Z for the Fleetness of Zephyrus: (God of the West Wind). By channeling Zephyrus's speed, Captain Marvel can fly and move at supersonic speeds and, in space, supersolar speeds. (Supersonic Speed & Flight)

A for the Beauty of Aurora: (Goddess of the Dawn). Using Aurora' unending beauty as a symbol for unending endurance, Captain Marvel can withstand and survive most types of extreme physical assaults. Additionally, she does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe when in Captain Marvel form. (Superhuman Endurance, Self-Sustenance)

M for the Wisdom of Minerva: (Goddess of Wisdom). As Captain Marvel, Mary has instant access to a vast amount of scholarly knowledge. The wisdom of Minerva also gives Marvel clairvoyance and provides her with counsel and advice in times of need. She has knowledge of all languages, ancient and modern, and could hypnotize people as well, through this power. (Superhuman Knowledge)

Known Abilities: No known abilities.

Strength Level: Strength level unknown

Miscellaneous
Equipment: No known equipment. Transportation: No known transportation. Weapons: No known weapons.

Recommended Readings

 * Formerly Known as the Justice League
 * I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League

Related Articles

 * Mary Marvel/Appearances