William Batson (Earth-5)

{{DC Database:Character Template
 * Title                  = Captain Marvel
 * Image                  = None.jpg
 * RealName               = William Joseph "Billy" Batson
 * CurrentAlias           = Marvel, Lord Marvel
 * Distinguish1           = Captain Marvel (disambiguation)
 * Distinguish2           = William Batson
 * Distinguish3           = Marvel Comics
 * Aliases                = Captain Marvel, The Big Red Cheese, the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Whitebread
 * Identity               = Secret
 * Alignment              = Good
 * Affiliation            = Marvel Family; possibly the Squadron of Justice
 * Relatives              = C.C. and Marilyn Batson (parents, deceased); Mary Batson (Mary Marvel, sister); Ebenezer Batson (uncle)
 * Universe               = Earth-5
 * BaseOfOperations       = unknown, possibly the Fawcett City of Earth-5


 * Gender                 = Male
 * Height                 = (as Billy) 5'6" (167.5 cm), (as Captain Marvel) 6'3" (191.5 cm)
 * Weight                 = (as Billy) 125 lbs. (56.7 kg), (as Captain Marvel) 250 lbs (113.4 kg)
 * Eyes                   = Blue
 * Hair                   = Brown
 * UnusualFeatures        = When in Captain Marvel form Billy changes from a teenager to an adult. Currently as his rise in power he has a more enigmatic, wise and powerful look to him.


 * Citizenship            = American
 * MaritalStatus          = Single
 * Occupation             = Newsboy, Radio personality & Adventurer
 * Education              = Middle School Student


 * Origin                 = Orphan Billy Batson met the wizard Shazam and was granted the powers of Captain Marvel.
 * PlaceOfBirth           = Unknown
 * Creators               = Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Greg Rucka]](based on the work of C. C. Beck & Bill Parker)
 * First                  = 52 Week Fifty-Two (2007)


 * HistoryText            = {{quote|I've seen off bigger, uglier bullies than you, Ultraman.|Captain Marvel}}



Captain Marvel's history is unrevealed, but it is safe to assume it shares many similariies with his counterparts on New Earth and Earth-S. He and his Marvel Family fought Mister Atom around the time of the Infinite Crisis.

During Final Crisis, he was approached by Monitor Zillo Valla, who presumably asked for his help in exchange for a favour at a later date, as she did for Superman. As her craft, the "Ultima Thule", was chased by the destroyer "Echo of Midnight", he was only able to survive with the speed of Mercury.

On Earth-51, he broke up an argument between Superman and Ultraman and helped investigate the Library of Limbo. He saw the origin of the Monitors, but the shock returned him to his mortal form, unable to remember the magic word to change him back. Protected by Superman, Billy was taken back to the Ultima Thule, where he was present for Ultraman's betrayal.

Known Powers:
 * Powers                 =

Power of Shazam: In order to change form, Billy must be able to call upon the name of Shazam, thereby invoking spells involving the energies of those extra-dimensional beings once known as gods on earth. This spell adds almost a hundred pound of impervious godly muscle and tissue to his frame as well as aging him into adulthood. The abilities of Shazam wont come to him by simply letting a word fall out his mouth. He can call for them and they will come with a thought. They will come with the word. They will surely come when he demands them to. The precision of this spell is somewhat askew. He can share his power with Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr., but while in this state, each person is only in possession of a fragment of the full power of Captain Marvel as opposed to one person commanding all of it. By calling upon Shazam again, each member of the Marvels can once again return to their normal form and size; thereby allowing one of their number, such as Billy or Mary, to have the full power of the spell. There is one susceptibility to the spell that it can be shared with other personages who are of noble intent and purity, such as Superman, who once switched identities and powers with Captain Marvel, after being in close proximity with Billy Batson during one transformation. It is known that certain gods of sufficient power, such as Thor, can manipulate Shazam's spell and render Captain Marvel back to the human form of Billy Batson once more. When Billy Batson says the magic word "Shazam!", he is transformed into Captain Marvel. In his Captain Marvel form, Billy possesses the following attributes:


 * S for the Wisdom of Solomon: As Captain Marvel, Billy has instant access to a vast amount of scholarly knowledge. The wisdom of Solomon also gives Marvel clairvoyance and provides him with counsel and advice in times of need. He has knowledge of all languages, ancient and modern, and could hypnotize people through this power.


 * Superhuman Knowledge: Captain Marvel has exceptional photographic recall and mental acuity allowing him to read and decipher hieroglyphics, recall everything he has ever learn, solve long mathematical equations instantaneously and make intuitive guesses based on limited data to the point his guesses are almost always correct.
 * Clairvoyance: an uncanny awareness of his circumstances that allows him to turn disadvantages into advantages, an understanding of divine interactions with the mortal world.
 * Omni-lingual
 * Hypnosis: can occasionally hypnotize people as well, through this power.


 * H for the Strength of Hercules: Dubbed "The World's Mightiest Mortal," Captain Marvel has incredible amounts of super strength, Captain Marvel is strong enough to lift at least 100,000 tons, he is able to effortlessly bend steel, punch through walls, and lift massive objects. Marvel's strength is enough that he has fought beings such as Superman or Wonder Woman to a standstill. Captain Marvel (alongside his counterpart, Black Adam) is considered as one of the strongest physical powerhouses on Earth, matched only by the Man of Steel himself.


 * Superhuman Strength: Olympian flesh and bone is about three times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the Olympians' superhuman strength and weight.


 * A for the Stamina of Atlas: Using Atlas' endurance, Captain Marvel can withstand and survive most types of extreme physical assaults. Additionally, he does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe when in Captain Marvel form.


 * Superhuman Stamina: His Olympian metabolism provides him with far greater than human endurance in all physical activities.
 * Self-Sustenance: Additionally, he does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe and can survive unaided in space when in Captain Marvel form.


 * Z for the Power of Zeus: 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 inter-dimensional 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.


 * Magical Resistance
 * Physical Enhancement
 * Inter-dimensional Travel: This can only be used to travel to the Rock of Eternity
 * Spell Source
 * Advanced Healing


 * A for the Courage of Achilles: Like the wisdom, this aspect is primarily psychological, and gives Marvel superhuman amounts of inner strength from which to draw.


 * Invulnerability: If he were somehow wounded, his godly energies would enable him to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of his bodily molecules to cause him a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of significant power, such as Zeus, Poseidon and Apollo or for a number of Olympian gods of equal power working together to revive him.
 * Superhuman Inner Strength: He is always supported by an innate and harmonious presence of good will and strength of perseverance that he never backs down from a challenge.


 * M for the Speed of Mercury: By channeling Mercury's speed, Captain Marvel,while not as fast as the flash, can fly and move at speeds exceeding Mach 10 (2 miles a second) while in earth's atmosphere and at near-light speeds while in space. Hermes Trismegistus (Greek for "thrice-great Hermes"), an occultist aspect of Hermes/Mercury, also gives him the ability to wield magic and cast spells, though Billy has never used this as Captain Marvel, apparently because he doesn't know how.


 * Superhuman Speed: He can move at incredible speeds, possibly equal to Superman. He can move fast enough to not register in the normal peripheral range of humans and seemingly vanish and disappear at will. At this speed, his mind processes information on par to a computer or at least on a subliminal level that he is aware of his surroundings.
 * Flight: Captain Marvel can also mystically fly through the atmosphere through sure act of will, enabling him to soar through the atmosphere at sub-orbital levels and travel across the planet. He is immune from the effects of extreme height, such as dizziness and lightheadedness. With effort, he can travel from the earth to the moon, but he requires extra-precautionary paraphernalia for interstellar travel. Thanks to the power of Mercury Marvel can fly at close to light speed through space.
 * Sorcery: unused by him but allowing for the ability to wield magics and cast spells.

Multilingual: Thanks to the Wisdom of Solomon, he has the ability to understand, comprehend, and speak any language on earth, maybe even other planets.
 * Abilities              =

Genius-Level Intellect: He also is considered a genius among geniuses.

Smooth Talker: Another facet of his intelligence is ability to talk his way out of situations, as a man with an unprecedented amount of wisdom, he prefers to talk, rather than fight. With the strength of Atlas, Captain Marvel is on a par with the Superman of New Earth; he is among the strongest beings of his Earth.
 * Strength               =

High Order Magic: Only the strongest of magics can affect him in any particular way, such as those wielded by beings like the Spectre.
 * Weaknesses             =


 * Equipment              =
 * Transportation         = Flight
 * Weapons                =

Hailed as "The World's Mightiest Mortal" in his adventures (and nicknamed "The Big Red Cheese" by archvillain Doctor Sivana, an epithet adopted by fans as a nickname for their hero), Captain Marvel was (based on sales) the most popular superhero of the 1940s. The Captain Marvel Adventures series sold more copies than Superman's Action Comics and other competing superhero books [1][2]. Captain Marvel was also the first superhero to be adapted into film in 1941 (The Adventures of Captain Marvel). Fawcett ceased publishing Captain Marvel and Marvel Family comics in 1953. This was due to both a general decline in the popularity of superheroes and a copyright infringement suit from DC Comics alleging similarities between Captain Marvel and Superman. DC licensed the Marvel Family characters in 1972 and acquired all rights in 1980. Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family have been integrated into the DC Universe, and DC has attempted a few revivals. Captain Marvel has not regained widespread appeal with new generations, although a 1970s Shazam! live action television series featuring the character was very popular.
 * Notes                  =

Due to the fact that Marvel Comics trademarked their Captain Marvel comic book during the interim between the original Captain Marvel's Fawcett years and DC years, DC Comics is unable to promote and market their Captain Marvel/Marvel Family properties under that name. They decided to use the word "Shazam" (based upon the aforementioned magic word as well as the name of the wizard) as the title of their comic book and thus the name under which they would market and promote the character. As a result, Captain Marvel himself is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Shazam."


 * Trivia                 =
 * DC                     =
 * Wikipedia              = Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
 * Links                  =
 * Captain Marvel Culture: The history and cultural significance of the many Captain Marvels
 * Captain Marvel at the Guide to the Mythological Universe
 * {{DCAU|Captain Marvel}}

{{nav| previous = Black Adam| title   = Champion of Shazam| note    = | next    = &mdash;| }}

Recommended Readings

 * 52
 * Final Crisis: Superman Beyond

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