Warning: contains spoilers for Shazam #9!
Shazam’s secret identity was just exposed thanks to a Batman-level contingency plan. Like most heroes, Shazam (or the Captain as he now goes by) carefully guards his secret identity of Billy Batson, only allowing a select few to know it. However, in Shazam #9, Billy is tricked into exposing his identity with a trick by an underrated hero that would have made Batman proud.
Shazam #9 is written by Mark Waid and drawn by Emanuela Lupacchino. After Billy appears on Jack Ryder’s news show, the journalist (who is also the Creeper) gives Billy a ride home. While on the show, Ryder hinted he knew Billy’s identity. During the car ride, Ryder gives Billy a series of cards with random words on them. Ryder tells Billy they are vocal exercises and to read them aloud. Billy does as he is told, and after reciting the words “Kenosha” and “Zambia,” he transforms.
Ryder tricked Billy into saying Shazam out loud, and revealing his identity.
The Creeper Is the Last Hero Anyone Would Compare to Batman
Yet The Creeper’s Plan Is Airtight
Fortunately, Ryder’s intentions were benevolent, and he kept Billy’s secret identity just that: a secret. This little trick was more subtle than Ryder’s normal methods. As the Creeper, Ryder comes across as maniacal and not this calculating. The Creeper has a long history at DC Comics. Created by the legendary Steve Ditko in the late 1960s, the Creeper is not a favorite among DC’s other heroes, most notably for his unpredictable personality and use of brute force. The Creeper is also a resident of Gotham, and occasionally bumps into Batman.
And in this issue, the Creeper takes a page out of Batman’s contingency playbook. Batman is a non-powered individual who regularly interacts with people far beyond him, such as Superman or the Martian Manhunter. Batman understands this and has thus created a number of contingencies to deal with those far more powerful than him. Batman keeps these plans secret from everyone else, which has led to friction between him and other heroes. These contingency plans also have a habit of backfiring on Batman, leading to huge messes that he and others must then clean up.
Related
Batman’s Anti-Shazam Contingency Is His Most Humiliating Plan
Batman and Shazam don’t usually butt heads but in a past issue of Teen Titans, Batman humiliates this iconic character with a simple contingency plan.
The Creeper’s Plan to Expose Shazam Demonstrates His Creative Side
It Would Make the Dark Knight Proud
And now the Creeper, a hero that little give credit to, has created a plan to expose Shazam/The Captain’s identity that ranks right up there with Batman’s best. Batman’s plans reflect a thorough understanding of his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, just like the Creeper’s. The Creeper confides in Billy after the fact that he actually knew the truth of his secret identity and the word exercise was just a ruse to get him to say the magic word. The Creeper’s plan to expose Shazam’s identity was genius, and worthy of the Dark Knight himself.
Shazam #9 is on sale now from DC Comics!
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