William Batson (Earth-S)




 * "Holey moley!"
 * --Captain Marvel

Real Name: William "Billy" Batson Nicknames: Earth's Mightiest Mortal; The Big Red Cheese Former Aliases: Captain Thunder Other Current Aliases: Shazam (see notes)

Status
Occupation: Former newspaper boy, later a correspondent for WHIZ Radio Legal Status: Billy Batson is a citizen of the United States of Earth-S with no criminal record, still a minor. In the identity of Captain Marvel, Billy does not maintain legal status of any kind. Identity: Secret Marital Status: Single Group Affiliation: Marvel Family Base of Operations: Fawcett City, Earth-S

Origin
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.

Place of Birth: Fawcett City, United States Place of Death: Captain Marvel did not die, but rather his existence was erased from the historical record. Known Relatives: Ebenezer Batson (uncle, deceased); Mary Bromfield Batson (sister); Dudley Batson (adoptive uncle) First Appearance: (Golden Age) Whiz Comics #2; (Silver Age) Shazam! #1 Final Appearance: (Golden Age) Captain Marvel Adventures #150; (Silver Age) Crisis on Infinite Earths #12

History
Career Highlights


 * Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel for the first time.


 * 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.


 * Captain Marvel fights Black Adam for the first time. Adam is destined to become one of his deadliest foes.


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


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * 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.

Characteristics
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 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.

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. However like the Earth-Two Superman Kal-L, Captain Marvel (Earth-S) has NOT been observed to fly in outer space unaided. 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.

Miscellaneous
Equipment: No known equipment. Transportation: Self-powered flight Weapons: No known weapons.

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.

Recommended Readings

 * Captain Marvel Adventures
 * Captain Marvel, Jr.
 * Hoppy the Marvel Bunny
 * Marvel Family
 * Master Comics
 * Shazam!
 * Power of Shazam
 * Shazam: The New Beginning
 * Superman/Shazam - First Thunder
 * Trials of Shazam
 * Whiz Comics

Related Articles

 * Captain Marvel appearances list
 * C.C. Beck cover art gallery
 * Whiz Comics cover art gallery