Shazam #33 (DC-TV Comic)
E, Nelson Bridwell (w) Tenny Henson (a)
The "original Captain Marvel as DC often referred their character in this TV tie in published in the late seventies. Oddly this comic which once outsold Superman back in the forties had it's original publishers (Fawcett) in court for plagiarism back then. Shazam disappeared returning to DC far too late to use the original name as Marvel had successfully launched their own Captain Marvel in the late sixties.
Twelve year old Billy Batson became Captain Marvel simply by saying the magic word Shazam and the powers of the gods turned him into the world's mightiest mortal.
Shazam became both a cartoon and TV series. I don't believe they ever run in the UK perhaps someone can let me know if they did. I have included a brief video clip of the show which frankly looks corny.
Shazam has been re-invented for the modern DC Universe as being made up of seven kids including Billy. Nah not for me. Personally I prefer the old Billy Batson/Captain Marvel combo with of course his sidekicks Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Junior. There's also a tiger in the mythology but I'm really not going there...
There's some great villains including Mr Mind (a super intelligent alien caterpillar) and of course Mr Atom the robot experiment gone wrong both of whom starred in this issue in which Captain Marvel gets a car. I wonder if there was a toy back then? The days of toy tie ins were about to begin in the comics world.
Still our hero has to race Mr Atom or he'll unleash enough radiation to kill everyone in the city. Will he find a solution in time? Of course he will. This is the fantasy world of superheroes and this stuff is the realm of children's fantasy. Love it myself, but then I refuse to grow up.
First and last issues of this comics 35 issue run.
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