When Shazam first appeared, he drew his powers from various mythological figures, such as Solomon, Hercules, and Atlas, all of which made him one of DC’s most powerful characters; but if Shazam had the same gimmick in the Marvel Universe, he would be much more powerful; some of the Marvel equivalents of the deities Shazam draws on by and far eclipse their DC counterparts.
Shazam, or Captain Marvel as he was known at the time, first appeared in 1940’s Whiz Comics 2 and was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. As he was originally presented, Billy Batson was transformed into Captain Marvel when he said the magic word “Shazam.” The word “Shazam” was an acronym for the six different mythological beings he drew power from: from Solomon he gained wisdom and from Hercules he gained strength; he had the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. The ownership of Captain Marvel/Shazam passed over to DC Comics in the early 1980s, and over time they have tweaked the character’s origin, eventually replacing the six original deities with new, DC-specific versions. Yet, if Shazam had been a Marvel character, with the same power sources, he would have been a much different, and much more powerful, hero.
In the Marvel Universe, Solomon is not only the biblical wise man, he is also a Sorcerer Supreme, putting him on par with Doctor Strange. Hercules is one of Earth’s most powerful heroes, capable of going toe-to-toe with Thor; he was also an Avenger and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Zeus is also quite powerful in the Marvel Universe, similar in power to Odin (both are a part of a group called the Sky-Fathers) who himself could fight Galactus. Finally, a new version of Mercury has appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, much faster than previous incarnations.
While the other characters who give Shazam his powers, such as Atlas and Achilles, do not have notable Marvel versions, the rest are sufficient to give the hypothetical Marvel Shazam a huge advantage over his DC counterpart. If Shazam drew on Marvel’s Solomon, for instance, he would not only gain Solomon’s wisdom, but also his magical powers, which when coupled with his already existing ones, would make him a very powerful, magical foe. Likewise, if Shazam was able to draw on Marvel’s Zeus for power, he would be able to stand against god-like beings. That is not to say he could not now, but with Marvel’s Zeus in his corner, the odds tip more in Shazam’s favor.
Shazam is one of DC’s most powerful characters, in the same league as Superman and Wonder Woman, but if he was in the Marvel Universe, he would be much more powerful.
