Superman Analogues: Captain Marvel/Shazam

Описание: Case Aiken's a big fan of Superman (if you couldn't tell)! He's got a lot to say about the characters who are based on him! This week, we're talking about Captain Marvel, wielder of the Power of Shazam!

Find the original thread here: https://twitter.com/CaseAiken/status/...

Original text:
For some reason, I'd like to talk about Superman analogues. I'll start with Shazam/Captain Marvel. Easily my favorite character in comics.
The idea of a youth empowered with the abilities of gods was really appealing to me when I first discovered the character. Combined with the fact that he was a little obscure and had a fractured publishing run, it set my deep dive nerd researching bug ablaze.
For those not familiar, the main version of the character is a 12-16 year old boy who says a magic word and turns into an adult super hero. Pretty basic stuff, though he is sort of the archetypal example of that.
As for the publishing history part, Captain Marvel was originally a character published by Fawcett Comics in the 40s, but the company folded in part due to lawsuits from DC dealing with similarities to Superman.
The name was scooped up by Marvel Comics in the 60s, but then DC bought the character and started publishing their own stories with him. As a result, he continued to be called "Captain Marvel" in the books, but those books had to be called "SHAZAM" (his magic word).
In the last 15ish years, DC did a few efforts to rebrand him as Shazam. I personally am not a fan but I get it. The modern stories themselves have been...fine...mixed, really. However, he's been a strong supporting character in the greater DCU since the 70s so he's been around.
However, for every reboot, for every gritty homage like Alan Moore's "Miracleman/Marvelman" or "Prime", and for every heartfelt love letter like
@ErikJLarsen's "Mightyman", there's always been a purity of concept and a charm to the character that makes me smile to think about.
I'm excited for the movie, in part so more people can be aware of the property, but because it looks fun. Even if it's a particular interpretation that isn't my favorite, there's no denying that the material feels fresh and cheeky in the current era of superhero movies.
There's a lot of legacy to the character. Elvis supposedly fashioned his costumes after Captain Marvel's boy sidekick. Jack Kirby worked on the book in the 40s and many of his later creations shared a similar form changing effect (Thor stands out, but even Etrigan fits the bill)
The word "Shazam" itself has its own pop culture legacy. Near as I can tell (would love to see more info) it began with the "Big Red Cheese"
But yeah...for some reason, I just wanted to talk about a Superman analogue. I'll have another tomorrow. There have been a lot.

Image 1 from Infinite Crisis #5 by Geoff Johns · Phil Jimenez · George Pérez · Ivan Reis · Jerry Ordway
Image 2 from New Super-man Vol. 1 by Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic
Image 3 from Superman Vs. Shazam (1978), Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano.
Image 4 from Final Crisis #7 by Grant Morrison · J.G. Jones · Carlos Pacheco
Image 5 by Neal Adams
Image 6 from The Power of Shazam #1 by Jerry Ordway
Image 7 from WHIZ Comics #22, Pencils by C. C. Beck, Inks by Pete Costanza
Image 8, stock photo of comics
Image 9 from Convergence: Shazam #1, Art by Evan "Doc" Shaner, Written by Jeff Parker
Image 10 from WHIZ Comics #2 (for real, there isn't a real #1!), by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck
Image 11 from MAD #4 (Superduperman), by Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood
Image 12 from Marvel Super Heroes #12, original cover by Gene Colan.
Image 13 from With One Magic Word... Shazam! #1, by C.C. Beck
Image 14 from The Trials of Shazam Vol. 1, by Judd Winnick and Howard Porter
Image 15 from New-52 Shazam Vol 1., by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
Image 16 from Legends #5, plotted by John Ostrander and scripted by Lein Wein, with pencils by John Byrne and inks by Karl Kesel
Image 17 from Miracleman #3, Cover by Howard Chaykin.
Image 18 from Prime Annual #1, cover by Boris Vallejo
Image 19, Mighty Man by Erik Larsen
Image 20, Shazam Film Poster
Image 21, Elvis Presley contrasted with Captain Marvel Jr. by Mac Raboy
Image 22 from Captain Marvel Adventures #1, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
Image 23 from Journey Into Mystery #83, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Image 24 from The Demon #1, by Jack Kirby
Image 25, Peter Griffin by Seth MacFarlane
Image 26, Captain Marvel by Alex Ross
Image 27, Supermen by Eldacur

Music by Bret Eagleston - www.breteagleston.bandcamp.com

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