Yes! You are pure of heart! Speak my name!
- — Shazam
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "...In the Beginning..."
Featured Characters:
- Captain Marvel (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
- Shazam (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback only) (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Achilles (Mentioned only)
- Atlas (Mentioned only)
- Mr. Binder
- Hercules (Mentioned only)
- Mercury (Mentioned only)
- Dr. Sivana (Mentioned only)
- Solomon (Mentioned only)
- Superman (Cover only)
- Zeus (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "...In the Beginning..."
After leaving suspended animation for 20 years, Billy Batson recalls his origin: the aging wizard Shazam draws him to the Rock of Eternity to grant the boy near limitless power and be a champion of the oppressed, transforming into Captain Marvel simply by uttering "Shazam!" The wizard immediately dies but promises that he can still help guide the hero as a ghost if he returns to this secret chamber and petitions him. He resolves to find Doctor Sivana.
Appearing in Marvel Family: "The World's Wickedest Plan"
Featured Characters:
- The Marvel Family (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Captain Marvel (Flashback and main story)
- Captain Marvel, Jr. (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Mary Marvel (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Beautia Sivana (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Cissie Sommerly (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Joan Jameson (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Ma Potter (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Pa Potter (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Professor Edgewood "Edgewise" Smith (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Sterling Morris (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Tawky Tawny (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Uncle Dudley (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
- The Sivana Family (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Doctor Thaddeus Sivana (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Georgia Sivana (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
- Thaddeus Sivana Jr. (First appearance in a comic published by DC) (Flashback and main story)
Locations:
Items:
- Suspendium (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Suspendium Sphere (Single appearance)
Synopsis for Marvel Family: "The World's Wickedest Plan"
Captain Marvel stops some thieves fleeing the police and surmises that they may be working for Dr. Sivana. The adoring public asks where he has been for the past 20 years but he says that he doesn't have time to tell them and must investigate this crime. He reflects on the last case the Marvel Family had: Doctor Sivana used Suspendium to trap the Marvel Family and their friends in a force field bubble which kept them in a state of suspended animation for over twenty years. Unfortunately for Sivana, he unwittingly trapped himself and his own family within the same stasis bubble.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "Capt. Marvel and the Endless String!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Dr. Grenn (A famous scientist) (Single appearance)
- The King of Zoozland and his subjects (Single appearance)
- An unnamed old man (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-S
- Zoozland (kingdom in another dimension) (Single appearance)
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "Capt. Marvel and the Endless String!"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel Adventures #55.
Notes
- This book was first published on December 14, 1972.
- "...In the Beginning..." and "The World's Wickedest Plan" were reprinted in Shazam!: From the 40's to the 70's, Showcase Presents: Shazam! Vol. 1, Shazam!: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years and Shazam!: The World's Mightiest Mortal Vol. 1.
- This issue introduces the substance Suspendium and explains the disappearance of the Marvel Family from the Golden Age to the Bronze Age.
- In the DC-published issues, this place was called "Fawcett City," even though in the Fawcett-published issues it had been called "New York City".
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Shazam! Vol 1 1 on the forums
- Cover gallery for the Shazam! series
- Images from Shazam! Vol 1 1
Recommended Reading
- Marvel Family Recommended Reading
- Whiz Comics (Volume 1)
- Captain Marvel Adventures (Volume 1)
- Captain Marvel, Jr. (Volume 1)
- Mary Marvel (Volume 1)
- Master Comics (Volume 1)
- Marvel Family (Volume 1)
- Hoppy the Marvel Bunny (Volume 1)
- Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Shazam!: The New Beginning (Volume 1)
- The Power of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder (Volume 1)
- Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil (Volume 1)
- The Trials of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! (Volume 1)
