As the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Shazam has always been one of the heaviest hitters on the Justice League. But unlike peers like Superman or even Martian Manhunter, Billy Batson hasn’t really had a consistently direct weakness — like Kryptonite or fire. But just because it’s not as noticeable doesn’t mean it’s not still present, and Shazam’s greatest weakness is more of a threat to his teammates than it is to Billy himself.
Justice League Beyond 2.0 #13 by Christos Gage, Iban Coello, Ulises Arreola, and Saida Temofonte pits the futuristic heroes of the DC Animated Universe against their alien A.I. enemy, Brainiac. Using Nth Metal nanobots, the enemy takes over Shazam, here called Captain Marvel, using him as a living weapon against the heroes of the Justice League.
Normally, such machines would have no effects on the World’s Mightiest Mortal; unfortunately, Nth Metal’s innate magic-negation makes the Captain especially vulnerable. And it’s not the first time that his weakness has been proven to be more dangerous for others than it is for him.
Shazam’s Future Powers Finally Make Him the Justice League’s Most Powerful Hero
Shazam is often called the World’s Mightiest Mortal, but one version of Billy Batson is far mightier than anyone realizes — and a Justice League MVP.
Shazam’s Mind Is His Greatest Weakness
Against a being whose raw power rivals that of fellow Justice League heroes like Wonder Woman or Superman, there is very little that could genuinely harm Shazam. With his own magical abilities, there is very little that the Captain cannot overcome through raw power or even sheer force of will. Unfortunately, despite the vaunted Wisdom of Solomon, one repeated obstacle with which Billy Batson has struggled has been mind-control. And every time it happens, this weakness of the mind essentially turns Shazam into a living weapon who can go toe-to-toe with Superman with practically nobody to put him down easily.
The most famous instance of the Captain’s psychic weakness comes from Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, in which Lex Luthor spends years using Mr. Mind drones to turn a young Billy Batson into a human puppet — with that same effect transitioning into his Captain Marvel form. Under Luthor’s command, Billy very nearly kills Superman, just as the DCAU’s Brainiac manages to pull off a similar feat with his world’s variant of Shazam. On top of this, the Captain spends some time under the control of the gods in the Shazam! series by Waid and Dan Mora, making it clear that this is the one true weakness that Billy Batson has to overcome.
Shazam’s Greatest Weakness Means Doom for the Justice League
Considering Shazam’s kind demeanor, it makes a lot of sense that his weakness harms others more than it harms him. After all, as the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Shazam is arguably more physically invulnerable than Superman, so there isn’t much that can slow him down from a physical standpoint. This leaves Billy’s mind as his weak point — even with Solomon’s Wisdom, as it doesn’t translate to his human form. Since this same Wisdom is fueled by magic, it can clearly also be negated by the power of Nth Metal, leaving Shazam more vulnerable than ever before. Mind control is definitely Billy Batson’s one major weakness, and if a villain manages to gain control of Shazam, he’ll once more become the deadliest member of the Justice League.
Justice League Beyond 2.0 #13 is available now from DC Comics.
