The Marvel Family, also known as the Shazam Family (or "Shazamily"), are a group of superheroes who originally appeared in books published by

Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel, the alter ego of ...

and were later acquired by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. Created in 1942 by writer

Otto Binder Otto Oscar Binder (; August 26, 1911 – October 13, 1974) was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books. He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for '' Captain Ma ...

and artist

Marc Swayze Marcus Desha Swayze, known as Marc Swayze (July 17, 1913 – October 14, 2012), was an American comic book artist from 1941 to 1953 for Fawcett Comics of New York City. He is best known for his work on Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family durin ...

, the team was created as an extension of Fawcett's Captain Marvel franchise, and included Marvel's sister

Mary Marvel Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in '' Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18 ( cover-dated Dec. 1942). ...

, their friend

Captain Marvel Jr. Captain Marvel Jr. (Frederick "Freddy" Freeman) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel/Shazam Family team of superheroes associated with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was created by Ed H ...

, and, at various times, a number of other characters as well. Because

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

trademarked their own Captain Marvel comic book during the interim between the demise of the Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel comics in 1953 and DC's revival in 1972, DC Comics is today unable to promote and market Captain Marvel under that name. Since 1972, DC has instead used the trademark ''Shazam!'' for their comic book titles with the Marvel Family characters, and the name under which they market and promote the characters. When referring to the Marvel Family on comic book covers or various merchandise, they are by this legal necessity called the "Shazam Family". In 2012, DC officially changed Captain Marvel's name to ''Shazam'', making ''Shazam Family'' the name of the superhero's associates. In current continuity, the Shazam Family comprises the superpowered alter egos of Billy Batson (teenaged alter-ego of Shazam/Captain Marvel) and his foster siblings: Mary Bromfield (formerly Mary Marvel), Freddy Freeman (formerly Captain Marvel Jr.), Darla Dudley, Pedro Peña, and Eugene Choi. The Shazam Family made their cinematic debut in the

DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...

film ''Shazam!'', released in 2019 by

New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...

and

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, and they are set to return for a sequel film, ''

Shazam! Fury of the Gods ''Shazam! Fury of the Gods'' is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Studios, and the Safran Company, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is intended to ...

'', in 2023.

Publication history

The Marvel Family was established in 1942 after the introductions of Captain Marvel's partners, the

Lieutenant Marvels The Lieutenant Marvels are fictional characters, a team of superheroes in the Fawcett Comics and DC Comics universes. They first appeared in ''Whiz Comics'' #21 in 1941. The physical appearance of the three characters was based on three real-life ...

(''Whiz Comics'' #21, September 1941),

(''

Whiz Comics ''Whiz Comics'' was an anthology comic book series published by former American comic book publishing company, Fawcett Publications between February 1940 until June 1953. It is widely known for being the comic run in which hugely popular superhero ...

'' #25, December 1941) and

(''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18, December 1942). With Junior and Mary's additions to his adventures, Captain Marvel became the first superhero to have a team of sidekicks who share his powers, abilities, and appearance; a concept later adapted for heroes such as Superman and

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...

, among others. The members of the Marvel Family appeared both separately and together in many of Fawcett's comic book series, including ''Whiz Comics'', ''Wow Comics'', ''Master Comics'', ''Captain Marvel Adventures'', ''Captain Marvel Jr.'', ''Mary Marvel'', and ''The Marvel Family''. By the late 1940s, Marvel Family comics were among the most popular in the industry, and the Marvel Family had expanded to include both non-superpowered characters (

Uncle Marvel Uncle Marvel (Dudley H. Dudley) is a fictional comic book character, originally created for Fawcett Comics, and today owned by DC Comics, who appears in stories about the Marvel Family team of superheroes. Publication history Created by Otto Bin ...

and Freckles Marvel) and even

talking animal A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...

s (

Hoppy the Marvel Bunny Hoppy the Marvel Bunny is a fictional comic book superhero and anthropomorphic animal originally published by Fawcett Comics as a spin-off of Captain Marvel. He was created by Chad Grothkopf (1914–2005), and debuted in ''Fawcett's Funny Animals' ...

). By 1953, all of these books had ceased publication, due to Superman publisher

' lawsuit against Fawcett. In 1972, DC licensed the rights to the Marvel Family characters, and began publishing them in a comic series titled '' Shazam!''. Fawcett sold DC the rights to the characters in 1980, by which time ''Shazam!'' had been cancelled, and the Marvels had been relegated the back-up feature of ''

World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...

'', and, later, '' Adventure Comics''. DC

retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subs ...

ned Captain Marvel in 1986 with their ''

Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...

'' miniseries, establishing him as a solo hero without a team. Writer/artist

Jerry Ordway Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books. He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' ...

resurrected the Marvel Family in 1995 with his ''

Power of Shazam! ''The Power of Shazam!'' is a 1994 hardcover graphic novel, written and painted by Jerry Ordway for DC Comics. The 96-page story, depicting the revamped origins of former Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel, was fo ...

'' series, establishing the team as being made up solely of Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. Following several attempts at relaunching the ''Shazam!'' franchise during the mid-2000s, the Marvel Family was temporarily dissolved by writers

Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serv ...

and Jerry Ordway in ''

Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...

'' (vol. 3) #25, with only Captain Marvel Jr., now known as ''Shazam'', retaining his powers, but from another source. In the interim, Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel continued to appear in ''

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! ''Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!'' was an all-ages comic book series published by DC Comics as a part of its Johnny DC imprint. The series debuted in September 2008, and was originally written and drawn by Mike Kunkel.Johnny DC line which ran from 2008 to 2010. Captain Marvel Jr. joined the pair towards the end of the run of ''Magic of Shazam!'', following a brief period serving as the sidekick of the Marvels' enemy under the name

Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...

Jr. The Shazam Family was reintroduced during DC Comics' continuity-altering '' Flashpoint'' miniseries in 2011, as six kids who all spoke "Shazam!" in unison to become one superhero, Captain Thunder. In the later company-wide "

New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series ...

" reboot that followed ''Flashpoint'', the Captain Marvel character was renamed "Shazam" and starred in a backup segment of the ''Justice League'' series (second volume) from 2012 to 2013. These backups, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank, introduced Billy Batson/Shazam and his new Shazam Family, consisting of Billy and his five foster siblings, with whom he shares his powers. In 2022, DC published a facsimile edition of ''Marvel Family Comics'' No. 1 as a tie-in with the release of the film ''

''.

Marvel/Shazam Family members

Primary members

Billy Batson (Captain Marvel/Shazam)

The "World's Mightiest Mortal", Captain Marvel is the superpowered alter-ego of Billy Batson, an orphaned boy who speaks the name of the wizard Shazam to become an adult superhero. Billy has the powers of Solomon (wisdom),

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

(strength),

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geograp ...

(stamina),

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...

(power),

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...

(courage), and Mercury (speed); and served as the wizard Shazam's champion and herald. In the Golden Age and Bronze Age comics, Billy chose to share his powers with his sister Mary and his friend Freddy Freeman, creating the Marvel Family. Outside of the Marvel Family, Captain Marvel served briefly as a member of both the

Justice League International Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...

and the

. After the 2011

reboot of the ''Shazam!'' characters by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank, Billy Batson is a troubled foster child who has inherited the name, powers, and seat on the council of magic of the wizard Shazam. Becoming a hero inspired the initially brash and standoffish Billy to evolve into a noble hero and leader who embraces his new foster family. As ''Shazam'', Billy has powers and a red-uniformed appearance similar to the traditional version of Captain Marvel with the added ability to wield magic via the "living lightning" that powers him.

Mary Bromfield (Mary Marvel/Lady Shazam)

In traditional ''Shazam!'' stories, Mary is Billy's once-lost twin sister Mary Batson. She is technically the oldest in the pair (adopted as Mary Bromfield), who found she could say the magic word "Shazam!" and become a Marvel as well. The Golden Age Mary Marvel remained a teenager in superhero form, while the modern version is transformed into an adult like her brother. The Golden Age Mary Marvel had a different set of patrons from Captain Marvel who contributed to her powers. They were

Selene In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter of ...

(grace), Hippolyte (strength),

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for havi ...

(skill),

Zephyrus In ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi (Greek: , 'Winds') were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various seasons an ...

(swiftness),

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

(beauty) and

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Rom ...

(wisdom). During the 2007 and 2008 limited series ''

Countdown to Final Crisis ''Countdown'', also known as ''Countdown to Final Crisis'' for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of '' 52 ...

'' and '' Final Crisis'', Mary Marvel lost her powers and gained the powers of Marvel Family foe

. She temporarily became a villain working for Darkseid and possessed by the

New God The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...

Desaad. In current DC Comics continuity from 2012 on, Mary Bromfield is Billy Batson's foster sister, having run away from an abusive home at a young age and being placed in the Vázquez home. The oldest of the Shazam kids, Mary acts as the "den mother" and conscience of the group. She shares Billy's secret, and by saying "Shazam!" she can gain a superpowered form similar to the traditional Mary Marvel in a red uniform.''Shazam!'' (vol. 3) #1 (February 2019). Burbank, CA: DC Comics

Freddy Freeman (Captain Marvel Jr./Shazam Jr.)

In both the Golden Age and 1990s versions of the Marvel Family, Billy's friend and classmate, Freddy Freeman, was attacked and left disabled by the supervillain

Captain Nazi Captain Nazi (Baron Albrecht Krieger) is a Fawcett Comics and DC Comics supervillain, a rival of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr.. Captain Nazi made his first live-action appearance in a 2016 second season episode of The CW TV series ''DC ...

, and was given the power to become a Marvel to save his life. Whenever he spoke Captain Marvel's name, Freddy becomes a teenage version of Captain Marvel. This created the odd problem that he could not identify himself without changing back to his regular form. During the mid-1990s, the Freddy character went by the alias ''CM3'' (short for "Captain Marvel Three", "CM1" being Billy and "CM2" being Mary) so that he could identify himself without transforming. He was a member of the

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

during the late 1990s and later, the Outsiders in the early 2000s. The 2006–2008 '' Trials of Shazam!'' mini-series featured Freddy gaining the powers of Captain Marvel as ''Shazam'', while Billy took over for the dead wizard Shazam as ''Marvel''. In current DC Comics continuity from 2012 on, Freddy Freeman (now a blond teenager instead of the traditional black-haired youth, though still physically disabled) is Billy Batson's foster brother, a smart-mouthed pickpocket and trickster whose parents are in prison. He shares Billy's secret and by saying "Shazam!" can gain a form similar to an adult version of the traditional Captain Marvel, Jr., in a blue uniform.

Eugene Choi

Eugene Choi is Billy Batson's foster brother, an intelligent, bookish teenager about his age of Asian descent with a love of technology and video games. Eugene's bookishness is offset by a competitive and impulsive nature that causes trouble for him and the others at times. Introduced in the '' Flashpoint'' miniseries, Eugene can share Billy's power by saying "Shazam!" and become an adult Shazam-powered version of himself in a silver/gray uniform. In addition to the standard Shazam power-set, Eugene has the additional power of technopathy, which allows him to talk to and control machines and technology.

Pedro Peña

Pedro Peña is Billy Batson's foster brother, an overweight teenager of Mexican descent who is around Billy's age. Introduced in the '' Flashpoint'' miniseries, Pedro can share Billy's power by saying "Shazam!" and becoming an adult Shazam-powered version of himself in a green uniform. Pedro's adult form, resembling a tall, bearded

powerlifter Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effor ...

, is a stark contrast to his personal insecurity and shyness. While the comics have yet to make any such distinction, the 2019 live-action feature film '' Shazam!'' implies that Pedro is gay or asexual. In superhuman form, Pedro has extra amounts of super-strength compared to the rest of the Shazam Family.

Darla Dudley

Darla Dudley is Billy Batson's foster sister, an exuberant

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

preteen who was abandoned by her parents and adopted by Billy's foster parents, the Vásquezes. Despite her hardships growing up, Darla is very openly affectionate and loving towards her foster family and virtually anyone she meets. Introduced in the '' Flashpoint'' miniseries (as a teenager the same age as the other kids), Darla can share Billy's power by saying "Shazam!" She wears a purple uniform, and her speed abilities are amplified, making her faster than the others. She is also unable to keep secrets, which proved rather difficult to overcome.

Past members

The Lieutenant Marvels

The Lieutenant Marvels are three other boys named "Billy Batson" (nicknamed "Tall Billy", "Fat Billy" and "Hill Billy" — the last because he was from the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

— to differentiate themselves from "Real Billy", Captain Marvel) who learned that, because they also were named Billy Batson, they could draw on the power of Shazam. They vowed only to use their power if asked by Captain Marvel, and only if all three were to say the magic word, "SHAZAM!" in unison. They did not appear in Marvel Family stories between ''

Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...

'' in 1985 and '' Flashpoint'' in 2011, except for a scene in ''The Trials of Shazam!'' #2 (2006) where they briefly appeared, only to lose their powers. Following DC's 2011

reboot, the Lieutenant Marvels appear as non-superpowered allies of the Marvel Family in the 2015 one-shot comic '' The Multiversity: Thunderworld'', where they, Mister Tawny, and Uncle Marvel help defeat the Monster Society of Evil while Captain Marvel is fighting Doctor Sivana for control of the Rock of Eternity.

C.C. Batson & Marilyn Batson

Clarence Charles "C.C." Batson (named after Captain Marvel co-creator Charles Clarence "C.C." Beck) is the biological father of Billy Batson. Billy's biological parents had been alluded to in a handful of ''Shazam!'' stories published prior to 1990 under different names. The 1994 graphic novel ''The Power of Shazam!'' by

introduces C.C. and his wife, Billy's mother Marilyn, and how their deaths in that

Post-Crisis "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Ma ...

continuity at the hands of Theo Adam (alter-ego of Black Adam) led to Billy gaining his powers. Much emphasis is made of Captain Marvel/Shazam's almost-identical appearance to the deceased C.C. Batson. In a story arc from the subsequent ''The Power of Shazam!'' ongoing series (issues 24-27, 1997), Dr. Sivana sneaks into the timestream outside of the Rock of Eternity and alters the timeline so that Theo Adam never kills the Batsons.''The Power of Shazam!'' #24-27 (March 1997-June 1997). New York, NY: DC Comics Instead, Marilyn and C.C. themselves become the heirs to Shazam's power as the Captains Marvel, while Billy and Mary remain typical, upper-middle-class teenagers. C.C. himself is employed by the Wizard Shazam and

Waverider A waverider is a hypersonic aircraft design that improves its supersonic lift-to-drag ratio by using the shock waves being generated by its own flight as a lifting surface, a phenomenon known as compression lift. The waverider remains a we ...

to correct the timestream by stopping Sivana from making his changes. In current ''

DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC ...

'' continuity, C.C. Batson is still alive, resembling an older Captain Marvel/Shazam with greying hair. As a younger man, C.C. had abandoned Marilyn and Billy when Billy was a toddler and become a grifter. After spending a decade in prison, C.C. returns to Philadelphia to find Billy at the Vazquezes' foster home. When he is attacked by Black Adam and the Seven Deadly Sins, Billy shares his Shazam powers with his father, making him the prophesied seventh and final member of the Shazam Family.''Shazam!'' (vol. 3) #9 (December 2019). Burbank, CA: DC Comics In superhero form, C.C. Batson wears a yellow/gold costume with red trim (an inverse of the colors of Billy's costume). However, it is revealed that C.C. Batson had been possessed by

Mister Mind Mister Mind is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics, he made a cameo appearance in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #22 (March 1943) before making his full f ...

since his prison release, who intended to uses the Shazam powers in a plot to unite the Seven Magiclands under his rule.''Shazam!'' (vol. 3) #11 (February 2020). Burbank, CA: DC Comics. Using a spell, Shazam shrinks himself down small enough to enter his father's ear canal and battle the worm directly. Following Mind's defeat, C.C. loses his powers and is freed from Mind's control, but reveals that he has no intentions of actually reuniting with his son.

Other members

These members of the Marvel Family appear in stories set in the future. *Hoppy the Marvel Bunny is a spin-off character generally confined to his own series, the pink talking rabbit version of Captain Marvel periodically assisted the human Marvels in their adventures. * Thunder: The star of ''The Power of Shazam!'' Annual 1996, Thunder is the super-powered alter-ego of a young girl from the planet Binderaan, circa 9,000 A.D., named CeCe Beck (or Beck for short). An aged Captain Marvel serves as the girl's mentor the same way Shazam served as his mentor. Whenever Beck speaks the magic words "Captain Marvel", she is transformed into Thunder, an adult super-heroine. After being lost in the timestream, Thunder briefly teamed up with the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. The names "CeCe Beck" and "Binderaan" are tributes to Marvel Family creators C.C. Beck and Otto Binder. * Tanist: A teenaged male Marvel who appeared in ''The Power of Shazam!'' #1,000,000 (November 1998, part of the

DC One Million ''DC One Million'' is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled, weekly miniseries and through special issues of almost all of the "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998. It featured a vision of the DC Univer ...

event). After his mother is killed, Tanist, a disabled resident of Mercury in the 853rd century, meets the aged Captain Marvel in the Rock of Eternity. Marvel grants the boy superpowers to save his life as he had done for Freddy Freeman/Captain Marvel Jr.

Black Marvel Family members

The Black Marvel Family, a variant of the Marvel Family concept with Captain Marvel's archvillain

as the central focus, was introduced in the pages of the weekly DC comic book '' 52''.

Black Adam

An older Egyptian renegade protégé of the wizard Shazam, who was the first to be granted superpowers by the wizard. Adam eventually grew to abuse his power, and became a tyrant. Shazam returned to punish Adam with either exile into deep space (in the original Fawcett Comics) or death (in the modern DC Comics). He returns to Earth (or life) after Shazam appoints Captain Marvel his new successor, and was soon established as Captain Marvel's most powerful foe in physical abilities. In later DC continuity, Black Adam joined the

, claiming to have reformed, later turning on the Justice Society by using some of its younger associates to help him overthrow the government of his home country, the mythical

Kahndaq This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Roy Harper (comics), Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located ...

. Adam was one of the main characters in DC's ''52'' weekly maxi-series, which followed his attempts to establish himself as a hero, which led him to create a "Marvel Family" of his own, which included his superpowered wife Isis and his own "Captain Marvel Jr.", Osiris. In the current "New 52" continuity, Black Adam was a former Kahndaqi slave in ancient times who was granted the power of Shazam along with his young nephew, whom he kills for not sharing his taste for vengeance against their enemies. Adam kills the members of Earth's Council of Wizards save for the wizard Shazam, who imprisoned him and hid the magic until Adam was freed by Doctor Sivana in modern times.

Isis

The superheroine Isis was originally created for live-action television to star in

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...

's ''

The Secrets of Isis ''The Secrets of Isis'', originally broadcast as ''Isis'', is an American live-action superhero television series produced by Filmation from 1975 to 1976 for CBS's Saturday morning lineup. The series was renamed ''The Secrets of Isis'' in syndic ...

'' TV show, a sister series for Filmation's adaptation of '' !''. Isis teamed up with Captain Marvel on occasion in both television and comics, and briefly starred in a licensed DC comic book in the late 1970s. In 2006, DC Comics created a new, unrelated Isis and introduced her into the DC Universe. This Isis is the alter-ego of Adrianna Tomaz, originally a slave from Egypt offered to Black Adam by the terrorist group

Intergang Intergang is a fictional organized crime syndicate appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Armed with technology supplied by the villainous New Gods of the planet Apokolips, they consistently appear as enemies of various DC super ...

as a token to curry his favor. Although Adam dealt harshly with the slavers and kills one of them, Adrianna becomes Adam's love interest and made him a more merciful figure, and was granted a special amulet that allowed her to become the avatar of the Egyptian goddess. Adam married Isis, but her death at the hands of the Four Horsemen of

Apokolips Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...

drove him to a fit of mass murder. At the end of the ''Black Adam: The Dark Age'' mini-series in 2007, Isis was resurrected by

Felix Faust Felix Faust is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Justice League of America #10'' (1962), created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. He is depicted as an mystic sorcerer obse ...

. However, the ordeal of her death, and many months spent as a brainwashed slave, routinely

abused Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

by Faust, left her much colder and ruthless than before, making her even less merciful than her husband. In current "New 52" continuity, Adrianna Tomaz is a peaceful freedom fighter who helps her brother Amon resurrect Black Adam after his defeat at the hands of the superhero Shazam.''Justice League of America #23.4: Black Adam'' (2013)

Osiris

The teenaged Osiris is Amon Tomaz, Adrianna's long-lost brother who was kidnapped, enslaved, and crippled by

. Adam shared his powers with Amon, allowing him to transform into the superpowered Osiris by saying the name "Black Adam". Osiris was murdered by his trusted companion, Sobek the talking crocodile, revealed to be Famine, one of the Four Horsemen. During the 2009-2010 crossover event ''

Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...

'', Osiris was resurrected alongside other heroes, and was later resurrected as a White Lantern, for the purpose of releasing Isis, for which he joins the new

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...

. In current "New 52" continuity, Amon Tomaz is a rebellious freedom fighter who helps resurrect Black Adam after his defeat at the hands of the superhero Shazam.

Sobek

Sobek is an intelligent humanoid crocodile, created and abandoned by the Sivana Family, who befriends the Black Marvel family during the ''52'' maxi-series after escaping from his cage at the Sivana compound. Despite his monstrous appearance, the character is portrayed as timid, meek, and good-natured, making him the Black Marvel Family's analogue to

Tawky Tawny Tawky Tawny is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic tiger who appears as a supporting character of Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family in superhero/ talking animal comic book stories published by Fawcett Comics and later DC Comics. Publica ...

. Sobek reveals a more horrifying side in '' 52'' Week 43, when he convinced a distraught Osiris to change into his mortal form, then suddenly killed and devoured him. Sobek was revealed in Week 44 to be the Fourth Horseman, Famine. He appeared to have been killed by Black Adam both in self-defense and revenge, but reappears in the ''52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen'' mini-series reincarnated as a humanoid hyena with cybernetic parts.

Marvel Family allies

Introduced during the Golden Age (1939-1953)

* The Wizard Shazam - Although he is killed as prophesied after giving Billy the power to become Captain Marvel, Shazam's spirit remains as the vigilant caretaker of the Rock of Eternity. His power level varies in different stories from high-level magician to godlike. In the 1990s-2000s continuity, Shazam does not die after granting Billy his powers, and was a much more active character than he was during the Golden Age Marvel Family adventures. In current continuity, Shazam - known to most as only "The Wizard," whose true name is Mamaragan - was one of the first humans on Earth to wield magic in ancient times, and becomes the head chair of the Council of Eternity. After the betrayal of Black Adam, Shazam's compatriots on the Council are murdered, and as the remaining member, he imprisons Adam and hides magic from the world. When Adam is freed by Doctor Sivana in modern times, Shazam drafts Billy Batson as his successor. * Mr. Sterling Morris - The President of Amalgamated Broadcasting, owners of Station WHIZ, the radio (and later TV) station for which Billy Batson works. He debuts in the very first Captain Marvel story in ''Whiz Comics'' #2. * Beautia and Magnificus Sivana - Dr. Sivana's beautiful adult daughter Beautia shared her father's passion for world domination until meeting, and falling for, Captain Marvel. She has an unrequited crush on the shy Captain, not realizing that he is actually only a young boy. Beautia first appeared in ''Whiz Comics'' #3b in 1940. Most Golden Age Marvel Family stories feature Beautia as Dr. Sivana's unwitting assistant, who betrays her father to assist the heroes. Her older brother Magnificus is also generally depicted as a Marvel Family ally, although in his only Golden Age appearance (''Whiz Comics'' #15, 1941), Magnificus was super-strong and fought Captain Marvel hand-to-hand at his father's request. * "Muscles" McGinnis - The antagonist of a story included in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #3 (1941), the toughest gangster of the city possessing enormous strength. "Muscles" McGinnis promises to go straight after being defeated by Captain Marvel when he tries to take over Station WHIZ, as he feels the side opposing crime is much stronger. The character was reintroduced as a recurring character in the ''Power of Shazam!'' series of the 1990s, in which "Muscles" had indeed reformed to become an

undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an ind ...

cop and a frequent ally of Captain Marvel. * Steamboat - In the 1940s Fawcett stories, Steamboat is Billy Batson's African-American valet. Depicted as cowardly and subservient, Steamboat accompanied Billy and Captain Marvel on many of their adventures following his first appearance in ''America's Greatest Comics'' #3 in 1941. Drawn in a racially stereotyped manner and speaking with a stereotypical Negro dialect, Steamboat was retired from the Captain Marvel stories after the Youth Builders, a diverse group of New York City and Philadelphia area students, protested the use of the character in 1945. * Cissie Sommerly - Billy Batson's girlfriend and Sterling Morris' niece. She first appears in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #12 (1942). Billy immediately fell in love with her at first sight, soon growing close to each other; she had a very positive and cheerful personality, and sang certain words when talking to Billy in her first appearances in the original comics. Her last name was originally spelled Summerly before they changed it replacing the U with an O, and she also had a brother named Pete. She didn't have a full status role in Billy's life, only recurring; but whenever she and Billy got together, they always cared about each other deeply' and whenever they encountered danger, Billy would secretly transform into Captain Marvel and save her. After she and all the other Fawcett characters were acquired by DC, She spent some more time with Billy going to the local burger store and such for the first couple of years before she was forgotten about, and years before the crisis on infinite earths storyline. She hasn't reappeared since unfortunately. * Uncle Marvel (Uncle Dudley) - During the Golden Age, an old man named Dudley claimed that he was not only a relative of the Marvels but also a Marvel himself, although neither was true. Regardless, the Marvels took a liking to him and decided to humor his pretense, and "Uncle" Dudley became Uncle Marvel, the Marvel Family's manager. He would make his "transformation" along with one or more of the others, but not by magic; rather, by quickly removing his break-away garments (under the cover of lightning that the real Marvel(s) called down) to reveal his homemade Marvel costume underneath. He explained his lack of superpowers by claiming he suffered from " shazambago". Dudley first appeared in ''Wow Comics'' #18 in 1943. In the 1990s ''The Power of Shazam!'' comics, Dudley H. Dudley is simply a

janitor A janitor (American English, Scottish English), also known as a custodian, porter, cleanser, cleaner or caretaker, is a person who cleans and maintains buildings. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A simil ...

at Billy's school who finds himself involved in the Marvel Family's adventures, although in one story (''The Power of Shazam!'' #11, 1996) he was temporarily given superpowers by Shazam's ally

Ibis the Invincible Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular com ...

to help round up the escaped Seven Deadly Enemies of Man] * Freckles Marvel (Mary Dudley) - Uncle Dudley's adopted niece, who was an irregular companion of Mary Marvel's in her Golden Age solo adventures. First appearing in ''Wow Comics'' #35 (1945), Freckles Marvel had no superpowers of her own, but wore her own Mary Marvel costume to help her super-powered friend fight crime. *

- A humanoid sapient

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the '' Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...

who wishes to live among the humans in civilization instead of in the wild or the

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

. As such, he is typically dressed in a tweed business suit and usually carries himself in a formal, dignified manner. Tawny first appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #79 (1947), and became Captain Marvel's sidekick and best friend. Other variants of Tawny at DC have included a version magically animated from a stuffed tiger doll (''

The Power of Shazam! ''The Power of Shazam!'' is a 1994 hardcover graphic novel, written and painted by Jerry Ordway for DC Comics. The 96-page story, depicting the revamped origins of former Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, was followed by an ongoing seri ...

'', 1995–99), a benevolent shapeshifter who prefers to become a tiger when appropriate ('' Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil'', 2007), and a tiger at the local zoo who is briefly given enhanced strength and size by Shazam (''Shazam!'' backup feature in ''Justice League'', 2013). The Tawky Tawny of the current-continuity ''Shazam!'' comics series hails from the Wildlands, one of the Seven Magiclands connected to the Rock of Eternity, where he strives to live among the other humanoid animals of that realm despite the discrimination and segregation pitted against tigers.

Introduced in the Bronze Age (1970-1985)

Kid Eternity Kid Eternity is a fictional character, a comic book superhero that premiered in ''Hit Comics'' #25 written by Otto Binder, drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, and published by American company Quality Comics in December 1942. All of Quality's intellectual p ...

- A Golden Age hero co-created by frequent Captain Marvel writer

for

Quality Comics Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company which operated from 1937 to 1956 and was a creative, influential force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Notable, long-running titles published by Qualit ...

, first appearing in ''Hit Comics'' #25 in 1945. Kid Eternity is the alter-ego of Christopher "Kit" Freeman, a boy who is killed with his grandfather by Nazis, and, upon learning he was not meant to die, is granted the power to summon any historical or mythological figure by speaking the magic word "Eternity!" In the 1970s, Kid Eternity, acquired from Quality by DC, was integrated into the ''Shazam!'' franchise set on

Earth-S The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct used in DC Comics publications. The Multiverse has undergone numerous changes and has included various universes, listed below between the original Multiverse and its successors. The original ...

, with his first appearance in a new DC story being ''Shazam!'' #28 (February 1977). Kid Eternity often joined forces with the Marvels in early-1980s ''Shazam!'' adventures from ''

'' and '' Adventure Comics''. In ''

'' #279-280 (May–June 1982), Kid Eternity and Captain Marvel, Jr. learn they are long-lost brothers (a retcon made given the characters' identical surnames and similar origin stories).

Introduced after ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' (1986-2011)

* Miss Wormwood - In the 1990s ''The Power of Shazam!'' comics, Billy's

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

(and later principal), presented as the typical "mean teacher" stereotype. She is named after Calvin's teacher in

Bill Watterson William Boyd Watterson II (born July 5, 1958) is a retired American cartoonist and the author of the comic strip ''Calvin and Hobbes'', which was Print syndication, syndicated from 1985 to 1995. Watterson stopped drawing ''Calvin and Hobbes'' at ...

's comic strip ''

Calvin and Hobbes ''Calvin and Hobbes'' is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic", ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has enjoyed b ...

''. * Nick and Nora Bromfield - In the 1990s ''The Power of Shazam!'' comics, Mary Batson's adoptive parents, who adopted her through illegal means after their maid, Sarah Primm brought the child to them (Primm saved Mary from her kidnapper/Primm's brother Theo Adam). Nora Bromfield was a cousin of Billy and Mary's mother, but chose not to tell Mary about her real family. The Bromfields would eventually gain the rights to legally adopt both Mary and Billy, giving the children a traditional family structure again. The couple was named after

Nick and Nora Charles Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel ''The Thin Man''. The characters were later adapted for film in a series of films between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 1957 ...

of the '' Thin Man'' film series.

Introduced after ''Flashpoint'' (2011-present)

* Victor and Rosa Vasquez - The foster parents of the six kids in the Shazam Family; a working-class couple who had grown up as foster children themselves. The Vasquezes debuted in Geoff Johns & Gary Frank's 2012-13 reboot of ''Shazam!''

Marvel Family enemies

Key villains

Besides the Black Marvel Family, the following are among the most prominent members of the Marvel Family's

rogues gallery A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes. History In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established a ...

, in order of first appearance in the comics:

Doctor Sivana

Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana, Sr. - "The World's Wickedest Scientist" - debuted in ''Whiz Comics'' #2 alongside Billy Batson and Captain Marvel, quickly becoming his main archenemy and most frequently recurring villain. A

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or " insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly a ...

who fights the Marvel Family using his genius intellect and inventions, the Golden Age Sivana had been a humanitarian scientist who bitterly fled 20th-century Europe after his inventions were ridiculed by the scientific society. Living on Venus with his four children, he became a mad scientist, bent on taking over the universe. Other versions of Sivana in later DC Comics have positioned him as Billy Batson's wicked step-uncle ('' Shazam!: The New Beginning''), a wealthy, wicked businessman driven to ruin by his entanglements with Black Adam (''

''), and the wicked Attorney General of the United States ('' Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil''). The current-continuity Doctor Sivana, following the 2011 reboot, is a rich scientist determined to prove the existence of magic, which leads him to free both Black Adam and Mister Mind. Sivana acquires the ability to both see magic and project magic lightning from his right eye. During the early and mid-1940s, Dr. Sivana was often assisted, under duress, by his good-natured adult daughter Beautia (and, briefly, Sivana's oldest child, his son Magnificus). From the mid-1940s onward, his youngest children - teenaged twins Thaddeus, Jr. aka Sivana, Jr, and Georgia Sivana, both dead ringers for their father - became his henchmen as the Sivana Family. Georgia Sivana became a prominent villain for Mary Marvel, as did Sivana, Jr. for Captain Marvel, Jr.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Originally known as the "Seven Deadly Enemies of Man" and first appearing in the ''Whiz Comics'' #2 origin story in 1940, the sins are seven powerful demons held prisoner by the Wizard Shazam in his lair. The demons, whose forms vary by era and artist, sometimes escape and cause havoc through murder and using their powers to influence sin in humans. Based upon the

seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

as enumerated in the Christian faith, the original "Seven Deadly Enemies of Man" were slightly censored for suitable reading for children: Pride, Envy, Greed, Hatred, Selfishness, Laziness, and Injustice. Each demon could influence their namesake sin in human victims. Beginning with DC's ''JSA'' series in the mid-2000s, the proper Christian names/versions of the sins were used: Pride, Envy, Greed, Hatred, Sloth, Gluttony, and Lust.

Captain Nazi

Introduced in a three-part crossover between ''Master Comics'' and ''Whiz Comics'' in 1941 during World War II, Captain Nazi - real name Albrecht Krieger - is a genetically-altered Nazi who is Adolf Hitler's champion. Wearing a green costume with a swastika insignia, Captain Nazi has super-strength, near-invulnerability, and can use a special chemical gas to fly. Created to wreak havoc on America, Captain Nazi murders an elderly man and cripples a teenage boy during his fight with Captain Marvel in ''Whiz Comics'' #25 (December 1941). The boy, Freddy Freeman, is granted powers by Captain Marvel to save his life, becoming Captain Marvel, Jr. and declaring Captain Nazi his mortal enemy.

Ibac

A frail thug named "Stinky" Printwhistle who was empowered by

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...

himself after Lucifer saved Printwhistle from a fall caused by Captain Marvel. Printwistle is imbued with the powers of four of the most evil men to walk the face of the earth ( Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun and Caligula). When he says the name "IBAC", he is engulfed in green fire and brimstone and becomes a large, muscular brute with super-strength.''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #8 (August 1942). New York: Fawcett Publications. Saying his name again transforms him back into Printwhistle (therefore, like Captain Marvel, Jr., Ibac also cannot say his own name). Ibac first appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #8 in 1942 and became a recurring Marvel Family villain through the characters' run in Fawcett and DC Comics. The 2011 rebooted version of Ibac is the descendant of a long line of evil despots, the first of whom - Ibac the Terrible - was known in ancient times as "the man who invented evil."

Sabbac

Similar to Ibac, Timothy Karnes is granted the powers of six demons when he says the magic word "Sabbac". As opposed to fire, Sabbac transforms via black lightning cast up (rather than down) from Hades. First appearing in ''Captain Marvel Jr.'' #4 (February 1943), Sabbac's pantheon grant him powers similar to the Marvel Family, with the added power of pyrokenesis. A second Sabbac, Ishamel Gregor, was introduced in the mid-2000s in the ''Outsiders'' comic book. While Karnes' Sabbac became a more muscular version of himself in a green cloak with demon fangs, Gregor's Sabbac is a large, muscular, horned demon with red skin and hair. In the 2011 ''Shazam!'' reboot, the Seven Deadly Sins have the power to possess a wicked human and transform him into a fifty-foot tall demon resembling the Ishamel Gregor version of Sabbac.

Mister Mind and the Monster Society of Evil

First appearing in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #22 (1943) as a disembodied voice, and later in issue #26 in his actual form, Mister Mind - "The World's Wickedest Worm" - is an evil alien caterpillar with genius intellect. Given his small stature, he wears a

talkbox A talk box (also spelled talkbox and talk-box) is an effects unit that allows musicians to modify the sound of a musical instrument by shaping the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto the sou ...

to communicate and is often depicted wearing eyeglasses as well. He runs the supervillain team called the Monster Society of Evil, whose membership includes most of the Marvel Family's key and recurring villains, including characters such as Doctor Sivana, King Kull, the Crocodile-Men, Captain Nazi, Mister Atom, Ibac, Jeepers, and Oggar. Mister Mind's own powers have included mind control (typically by crawling into a host's ear), telepathy, mental projection, and, once evolved into a "Hyperfly", the ability to eat time itself. The 2011 reboot of Mister (Maxivermis) Mind presents him as a native of one of the Seven Magiclands (The Monsterlands according to Mind, The Wildlands according to rumor) who gained high-level magic powers by reading every book in the Rock of Eternity's library. His Monster Society includes creatures from across the Magiclands who had been banished to the Monsterlands' Dungeon of Eternity by the Council of Wizards. Its members include Doctor Sivana, Black Adam, the Crocodile-Men, King Kull, the

Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...

, the Red Queen, Jeepers, Evil Eye, and Mister Atom, as well as new villains Mister Merry-Go-Round and Scapegoat.

Crocodile-Men

The Crocodile-Men (also called "Punkusians") are a race of humanoid crocodiles from the planetoid Punkus who were members of the Monster Society of Evil in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' during the mid-1940s. There were many unnamed Crocodile-Men who just acted as henchmen for Mister Mind. One of them was one of Mister Mind's Monster Professors while the others were Monster Students. * ''Herkimer'' - A Crocodile-Man in a business suit who is Mister Mind's second-in-command. Between the end of the Fawcett Marvel Family run in 1953 and the start of the DC ''Shazam!'' run in 1972, Herkimer reforms and gets a job as part of a carnival. In the third volume's special interlude issue that takes place before the first issue, Herkimer attacks a museum stating that the reign of the Crocodile-Men is nigh. He was mentioned to have fought Shazam before. When Freddy asks why Herkimer is in a business suit, Billy states that he didn't say. Herkimer is defeated by Shazam. Billy later mentioned his fight with him to Batman following Shazam's disastrous fight with

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...

where Batman mentions that he has fought Killer Croc many times. Batman does answer "No" when asked by Billy if he wears a business suit. ** Herkimer appeared in '' The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!'' episode "The Circus Plot", voiced by

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

. * ''Jorrk'' - The greatest scientist of the Crocodile-Men and one of Mister Mind's three lieutenants. * ''Sylvester'' - A Crocodile-Man and one of Mister Mind's preferred gunners. The third volume of the ''Shazam!'' comic book series, launched in 2018, introduced an unnamed three-headed Crocodile-Man in striped prison attire from the Wildlands who is a member of the Monster Society of Evil.

Oggar

A wizard who is the "World's Mightiest Immortal." Oggar was originally part of the Shazam pantheon before the Wizard, then known as "Shazamo"", dismissed him.''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #2 (June 1941). New York: Fawcett Publications. Seeking revenge, Oggar uses his extensive magic powers to battle Shazam and his champions, though his powers cannot directly harm women and girls, allowing Mary to battle him directly. First appearing in a multi-issue arc starting with ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #61 in 1946, Oggar recurred regularly in ''Shazam!'' stories during the 1970s and 1980s.

King Kull

The king of the Beast Men (also called the Submen),

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While the ...

-like humanoids who ruled the earth in ancient times and enslaved the ''

Homo sapiens Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

'' populace. Kull fakes his death and goes into

suspended animation Suspended animation is the temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. It may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogen ...

, awakening in the modern-day and attempt to take over or destroy the world again. He possesses super-strength, near-invulnerability, and expert weaponry and military skills. Kull first appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #125 in 1951.

Blaze and Satanus

Originally introduced in the early 1990s as Superman villains, Blaze and Satanus are powerful twin demons who are among the rules of Hades. They are also the estranged children of the Wizard Shazam, from his younger days as the ancient Canaanite superhero Vlarem The Champion. While Satanus has a soft-spot for his father and assists him from time-to-time (including giving life to Tawky Tawny), Blaze hates the Wizard and stages attacks on both him and the Marvel Family, believing the power of Shazam to be her birthright.

Other notable recurring villains

Villains introduced during the Golden Age (1939-1953)

* The Arson Fiend - First appearing in Captain Marvel Adventures #2 in 1941 as a one-shot villain, the Arson Fiend - a tall,

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...

-like being with the power of

pyrokinesis Pyrokinesis is the purported psychic ability allowing a person to create and control fire with the mind. As with other parapsychological phenomena, there is no conclusive evidence in support of the actual existence of pyrokinesis. Many alleged c ...

- was revived in the 1990s ''The Power of Shazam!'' series. He is the alter-ego of George Tweedle, a small, husky insurance salesman who transforms into the Arson Fiend using a magic salve in order to cause havoc (and boost his business). * Mister Banjo - Kurt Filpots worked as an agent for the

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Dressed as a stout man in a baggy green suit and straw hat who carried around an old banjo with him, Filpots delivered secrets to the Japanese in the form of musical notes. Someone in a military meeting would whistle musical notes which were a code, Banjo would play the music next to a house with an agent inside who would radio them to the Japanese. Although evil, Mr. Banjo would go up against Captain Marvel with nothing more than a banjo. He first appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #8, in the same issue as - though in a different story than - Ibac. * Aunt Minerva - A criminal mastermind who looks like a sweet old lady, but has deadly accuracy with a gun and a desire to find a new husband after her first five died. She first appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #59 in 1946 - in which she attempted to force Captain Marvel to marry her. Minerva recurred as a Marvel Family villain thereafter through to the 1990s. ** Aunt Minerva made an appearance in the 1979 Hanna-Barbera TV special ''

Legends of the Superheroes ''Legends of the Superheroes'' is an umbrella title for two 60-minute live-action television specials produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on NBC on January 18 and 25, 1979. The series was loosely based on Hanna-Barbera's ''Super Frie ...

'', portrayed by

Ruth Buzzi Ruth Ann Buzzi ( ; born July 24, 1936) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She has appeared on stage, in films, and on television. She is best known for her performances on the comedy-variety show ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from 1968 ...

. * The Three Faces of Evil - A three-headed monster - Terror, Sin, and Wickedness - imprisoned beneath or within the Rock of Eternity with the ability to hypnotize victims, even the Marvels, into doing evil. First introduced in ''The Marvel Family'' in 1947 as a humanoid three-headed monster, the later DC Comics version of the character resembles a giant hydra. *

Mister Atom Mister Atom is a fictional comic book supervillain, a radioactive robot who is regularly seen as an enemy of Captain Marvel. The character first appeared in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #78 in November 1947. Along with other members of Captain Ma ...

- First debuting in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #78 in 1947, Mister Atom is a giant robot created by Dr. Charles Langley. Mister Atom's

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...

malfunctions and he becomes a threat to humanity and to the Marvel Family.

Villains introduced in the Bronze Age (1970-1985)

* Chain Lightning - A young woman with the power of electrokinesis, which allows her to depower the Marvels by blasting them with lightning. First appearing in ''World's Finest Comics'' in 1981, Jerry Ordway reintroduced Chain Lightning in ''The Power of Shazam'' 15 years later as young woman with electric metahuman powers suffering from

multiple personality disorder Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states. The di ...

. While her main persona Amy is good-natured, her other persona Amber fuels her worst impulses and sometimes takes over her body and her powers. The other two personas are Inner Child and Id.

Other versions

In the final issue of '' 52'', a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-5". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-S, including the Marvel Family characters. The names of the characters are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear, but characters visually similar to the Marvel Family appear. There is also an alternative version of Green Lantern Hal Jordan that also exists on Earth-5 alongside the Marvel Family. Based on comments by DC writer

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-S.

In other media

Television

* The Marvel Family stars in the ''Shazam!'' segments of the 1981 Saturday morning cartoon series '' The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!'' * The Marvel Family (Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr.) appear in the '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' episode "The Malicious Mr. Mind!". Batman and the Marvel Family face off against the

Monster Society of Evil The Monster Society of Evil is a supervillain team created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. It is led by Mister Mind against their mutual enemy Captain Marvel. The team is significant as one of the first supervillain teams in comi ...

, which is first led by

Doctor Sivana Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, the character is a recurring enemy of the superhero Captain Marvel/Shazam, both of whom first appe ...

and then by

Film

* In '' Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths'', a 2010 animated film produced by

Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...

, the Earth-3 supervillain

Superwoman Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. Detective Comics, Inc. trademarked ...

is the head of three "Made-Men" named Super Family styled after her own costume, low levels criminals (Each head of the Crime Syndicate has teams of several cronies). She shared her powers with these 3 men, who resemble Captain Marvel, Uncle Dudley Marvel, and

They are called Captain Super, Uncle Super, and Captain Super, Jr. * The ''Flashpoint'' universe version of the Shazam Family (Billy, Mary, Freddy, Pedro, Eugene, and Darla) appear in '' Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox'', the 2013 animated film adaptation of the ''Flashpoint'' comic-book miniseries by Warner Bros. Animation. * In '' Justice League: War'', Freddy and Darla have cameo when they caught Billy sneaking back home after Billy snuck out to a Football, despite warnings that people were disappearing. They witness Billy transform and took off. * Billy Batson / Shazam! and both the kid and adult identities of the Shazam Family (Mary, Freddy, Pedro, Eugene, and Darla) featured in the

feature film '' Shazam!'' (2019), produced by

and

Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...

. The film featured

Zachary Levi Zachary Levi Pugh ( ; born September 29, 1980) is an American actor. He received critical acclaim for starring as Chuck Bartowski in the series '' Chuck'', and as the title character in '' Shazam!'' and its 2023 sequel, as a part of the DC Ex ...

in the title role, Asher Angel as Billy Batson,

Grace Fulton Grace Caroline Currey (née Fulton) is an American actress and dancer. Life and career Currey is the daughter of Damian Fulton, an artist, and his wife Alisa. Starting as a child actress, her first role was playing the 4-year-old version of H ...

and

Michelle Borth Michelle Borth is an American actress who has portrayed characters on '' The Forgotten'' and the HBO series '' Tell Me You Love Me''. Borth played Catherine Rollins on the CBS crime-drama '' Hawaii Five-0''. Early life and education Borth was ...

as Mary,

Jack Dylan Grazer Jack Dylan Grazer (born September 3, 2003) is an American actor. He began his acting career by playing guest roles in film and on television and had his breakthrough playing the role of Eddie Kaspbrak in the 2017 and 2019 film adaptations of ...

and Adam Brody as Freddy, Ian Chen and Ross Butler as Eugene, Jovan Armand and D. J. Cotrona as Pedro, and Faithe Herman and Meagan Good as Darla. Mary, Freddy, Eugene, Pedro and Darla are the first to see Billy in their foster family. Freddy and Darla are the first to discover that Billy Batson is Shazam and the others will find out later. Pedro was the one who discovered that Billy's biological mother, Marilyn, is two stops from the subway. While trying to escape from

, Billy was about to surrender to Sivana in giving him the powers, he remembers the Wizard's words, Billy takes the staff from Sivana and uses it to share his powers, transforming his brothers and sisters into adult superheroes like him, before breaking the staff. After the Shazam Family battles the

Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

, Shazam removes the Eye of Sin from Sivana, leaving him unable to recapture the Seven Sins. Billy and his family are hailed as heroes and return the Eye and Seven Sins to their prisons. Billy and his siblings realize that the now-vacant

Rock of Eternity The Rock of Eternity is a fictional location appearing in American comic books featuring Captain Marvel / Shazam and/or his associated characters, first in publications by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. In many versions of the Capta ...

may be their new lair and base of operations. * The Shazam Family will appear in ''

''.

Video games

* The Marvel Family are included in one of the DLC bundles for ''

Lego DC Super-Villains ''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the '' Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Univers ...

''. Based on the ''Shazam!'' film, the "Shazam! Movie Level Pack 1 & 2" is broken into 'Sivana Escape' which focuses on Shazam's confrontation with Sivana in the department store, and 'Sivana Showdown' which focuses on the Family's final fight with Doctor Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins at the Christmas fair. Purchasing these DLCs unlocks all of the film's versions of the Marvel Family, as well as their superhero counterparts, but only if the levels are finished. Each member has different powers both in their human and Shazam form, such as Darla being a Speedster type character, Pedro has super strength, and Eugene can summon a drone in his regular form.

References

External links

Captain Marvel Culture: A history of the many Captains Marvel

The Marvel Family Web
{{GoldenAge Comics characters introduced in 1942 DC Comics superhero teams Golden Age comics titles Golden Age superheroes Characters created by C. C. Beck Characters created by Otto Binder Atlas (mythology)