Shazam! #8 is an issue of the series Shazam (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1973. It was published on September 11, 1973.
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "A Twice-Told Tale"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel Adventures #80.
Doctor Sivana creates time traveling pills so that he can visit the past and kill Billy Batson before he became Captain Marvel. Once in the past, Sivana loses his memories that exist in the future and he wonders what is he doing in an empty lot. He walks down the street and buys a newspaper from the newsboy, Billy Batson. After reading the headlines, he remembers that he is the "phantom scientist" mentioned in the main article. Since he is back in the past, he takes up the thread of his life, exactly as he lived it the first time. He heads to his apartment to plan his next caper. Meanwhile, Billy is approached by a mysterious figure who leads him to an underground cavern where he meets Shazam for the first time. The origin of Captain Marvel happens again and after his transformation, Billy/Captain Marvel, learns of Doctor Sivana's hideout and goes after him. During their (first) confrontation, Sivana remembers he has time traveling pills and swallows them in order to escape his "new" enemy. He pops back into present time, where (the present) Captain Marvel is waiting to apprehend his "old" nemesis.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "A Twice-Told Tale"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Doctor Sivana from 1948
- Doctor Sivana from 1940 (Behind the scenes)(see notes)
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City, 1948
- Sivana's present-day secret laboratory
- New York City, 1940
- Skytower Apartments (Sivana's old secret laboratory)
Items:
Concepts:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel Adventures #18.
Billy is hosting a quiz bowl at WHIZ Radio 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. When the Batson twins were orphaned after their parents died in a car accident, Primm had substituted Mary for the baby girl of a rich family she nursed for, who had suddenly died, and sent Billy to an orphanage. Primm gives a locket broken in half to Billy. Mary, Primm tells Billy before dying, wore the other half of the locket.
After the quiz is over, Billy recalls that one of the contestants, Mary Bromfield, wore a broken locket, so he and Freddy Freeman trail Mary's limousine in their super-powered forms of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr.. Mary is kidnapped for ransom by thugs, prompting the two Marvels to intervene, save her, and knock out the kidnappers.
Captain Marvel then learns that Mary's locket matched his own, and that she was indeed Billy's sister. The Marvels reveal their secret identities to Mary, who thinks if, since she is Billy's twin, she could become a Marvel by saying the magic word "Shazam."
The kidnappers wake up and gag Billy and Freddy, preventing them from saying their magic words. "Oh no," exclaims Mary, "Billy can't say 'Shazam!'" Shortly after saying the word, inadvertently, a magic beam hits Mary Bromfield, and she turns into a super powerful version of herself. She then defeats the bandits alone and frees Freddy and his brother.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel"
Featured Characters:
- Marvel Family
- Captain Marvel (Flashback and main story)
- Mary Marvel (Mary Batson Bromfield) (First appearance) (Joins team) (Flashback and main story)
- Captain Marvel, Jr.
Supporting Characters:
- Shazam (As a spirit)
- Sterling Morris
Antagonists:
- Kidnappers
Other Characters:
- Mister Scarlet (Cameo)
- Mrs. Bromfield (Mary's foster mother) (Mentioned only)
- Percy Pill (First appearance)
- Sarah Primm (Single appearance; dies) (Flashback and main story)
- Achilles (Mentioned only)
- Atlas (Mentioned only)
- Hercules (Mentioned only)
- Mercury (Mentioned only)
- Solomon (Mentioned only)
- Zeus (Mentioned only)
- Ariadne (Mentioned only)
- Aurora (Mentioned only)
- Hippolyta (Mentioned only)
- Minerva (Mentioned only)
- Selena (Mentioned only)
- Zephyrus (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for Marvel Family: "The Mighty Marvels Join Forces!"
Appearing in Marvel Family: "The Mighty Marvels Join Forces!"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for Captain Marvel, Jr.: "The Vest Pocket Levitator"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel, Jr. #14.
Appearing in Captain Marvel, Jr.: "The Vest Pocket Levitator"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for Mary Marvel: "Mary Marvel and the Dog-Nappers"
This story is reprinted from Mary Marvel #17.
Appearing in Mary Marvel: "Mary Marvel and the Dog-Nappers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Dog-Nappers
- Barky Bowzer
- Mike
- Rex (watchdog)
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Upcreek
- Brutus (dog)
- Bozo (dog)
Locations:
- The Offices of Shazam, Inc.
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "The Adventure in Time!"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel Adventures #71.
Billy finds out Captain Marvel's being honored at four different locations around the world at the same time. Even Captain Marvel can't be in four places at once, so he enlists the Lieutenant Marvels to stand in for him at three of the celebrations. Sivana hears about the different celebrations and decides to ruin them to spite his enemy, only to apparently find the World's Mightiest Mortal on hand at each one. The true Captain Marvel chases him back across the international date line, and technically catches Sivana the day before he got up to his mischief.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "The Adventure in Time!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Sivana's Instantaneous Ship
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "The Talking Tiger"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel Adventures #79.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "The Talking Tiger"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Mr. Tawky Tawny (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- A Hermit
- A Museum Director
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- WHIZ Radio
- City Zoo
- Jungle
- New York City
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "The Return of Mr. Tawny"
This story is reprinted from Captain Marvel Adventures #82.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "The Return of Mr. Tawny"
Featured Characters:
- Captain Kid
Supporting Characters:
- Pudgy
Antagonists:
- Joe Schmoe, storekeeper
Other Characters:
- two sign painters
- doctor
Locations:
- grocery store
- hospital
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Shazam series
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)
- Wow Comics (Volume 1)
- The 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)
- Shazam! (Volume 2)
- Shazam! (Volume 3)
- Shazam! (Volume 4)
- The New Champion of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Shazam! (Volume 5)