Shazam! #28 is an issue of the series Shazam! (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1977.
Synopsis for "The Return of Black Adam"
Sivana again uses his Reincarnation Machine, this time to bring back Teth Adam. Adam says the magic word and becomes Black Adam. Instead of agreeing to be Sivana's underling, Adam smashes the Reincarnation Machine so he can't be de-incarnated, and decides to take over the universe himself.
Black Adam confronts Cap in Boston. Their battle nearly destroys the USS Constitution and the statue of Paul Revere before Cap loses track of Black Adam.
Billy Batson seeks the advice of Shazam, who recaps Black Adam's origins and his first meeting with Captain Marvel.
Meanwhile, Sivana convinces Adam to get revenge on the old wizard – hoping that if Black Adam destroys Shazam, he will also destroy himself AND the Big Red Cheese!
Captain Marvel spots Black Adam and gives chase into eternity. Cap pitches Adam in the wrong direction and they end up in America's past during the Boston Tea Party (1773). The battle resumes and Black Adam collides with Captain Marvel, shouts "Shazam" and moves away at super-speed. The lightning bolt hits Cap instead and turns him back into Billy Batson.
Black Adam ties up Batson and tosses him into Boston Harbor. Billy swims to the surface and is rescued by Paul Revere disguised as a Native (on their way to dump crates of tea).
Black Adam, realizing Sivana's trickery, abandons his plan to seek revenge against Shazam and returns to 1976 to confront Uncle Dudley/Mentor, to get revenge for tricking him before. Dudley feigns ignorance on ever seeing the villain before, which makes Adam so angry he rants about being tricked into saying "Shazam," which changes him back to normal and leaves him vulnerable again. Captain Marvel uses an amnesia punch to make Teth forget about his dual identity!
Billy receives a note from Sivana – his next target is Niagara Falls! The final panel says he will be helped by Ibac and Aunt Minerva!
Appearing in "The Return of Black Adam"
Featured Characters:
- Captain Marvel (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Uncle Dudley (Flashback and main story)
- Shazam (Flashback and main story)
- Mary Marvel (Flashback only)
- Captain Marvel, Jr. (Flashback only)
- Paul Revere (In 1773)
Antagonists:
- Black Adam (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
- Doctor Sivana
Other Characters:
- Unknown Pharaoh (Flashback only)
- Soldiers of the Pharaoh (Flashback only)
- Native Americans (In 1773)
- Gods of Egypt (Black Adam's Patrons)
- Achilles (Mentioned only)
- Hercules (Mentioned only)
- Solomon (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Earth-S
- Rock of Eternity (Flashback and main story)
- Boston, Massachusetts, in current times and 1773
- Egypt (Flashback only)
Items:
- Paul Revere statue
- Eterni-Phone
- Reincarnation Machine
Vehicles:
Notes
- This is Black Adam's second appearance in comics and his first appearance since Golden Age/Fawcett Publications. His first was Marvel Family Vol 1 1 (Dec. 1945)
Trivia
- Dudley wears a mustache in order to look like Mentor, character of the Shazam! TV Series; other elements were also incorporated due to the influence of the TV series, such as the van, the Eterni-phone and the fact that he and Billy are traveling.
- It is not the first time that Capt. Marvel visits Boston; he has been before in the city on Captain Marvel Adventures #40.
- Keeping in mind that Shazam refers to Black Adam being summoned by him over 5000 years ago, probably the murdered Pharaoh may be from the First Dynasty of Egypt.
- For the first time, Shazam explains how Black Adam had similar powers with Captain Marvel once Solomon, Hercules and Achilles were not yet born 5000 years ago. Actually Black Adam derived his powers from Egyptian Gods: Shu (stamina); Hershef (strength), Amon (power); Zehuti (wisdom); Anpu (speed) and Menthu (courage).
- Historically, this is the second time which a Shazam-powered person dodge from his own lightning bolt to hit an opponent; Firstly, Captain Marvel used this strategy to stop a maddened Superman in Justice League of America Vol 1 137.
See Also
Links and References
