Shazam! The evil Dr. Sivana explained: Who is the character of Mark Strong?

By Jesse Schedeen

Shazam is DC's next great hero to join DC Extended Universe, but his first DCEU stint does not confuse him against Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam, contrary to what many fans have been waiting for. Instead, he runs into another of his long-time enemies, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (played by Mark Strong).

Sivana may be part of Shazam comics, but do not worry if you do not know. mad scientist crazy. We divide everything you need to know about Dr. Sivana and his rivalry with the world's most powerful mortal.

Dr. Sivana Explained: Basics

If Shazam looks like Superman, Dr. Sivana is his Lex Luthor. This mad scientist is the oldest and most persistent enemy of Billy Batson. And when Shazam is a magical hero with six powerful gods, Sivana has the power of science. Sivana is a super-genius who believes that the world does not appreciate what he has to offer (that's why he found a new home on the planet Venus). As a result, he will continue to invent new apocalyptic weapons to maintain world ransom until the day he finally defeats the family of Captain Marvel, an idiot.

The Powers and Abilities of Dr. Sivana

Traditionally, Sivana does not have inherent super powers. However, he is an extremely intelligent scientist and gifted inventor, abilities that allow him to create weapons and devices that most men could not even imagine, which allowed him to become a backbone alongside Shazam and his companions. hero.

Sivana is also a talented man. strategist and tactician, making him a valuable ally of his wicked companions and allowing him to serve in many incarnations of the Secret Society of Supervillains.

With the new launch of DC in 52, Sivana has a superhuman minor capacity today. . After being burned and half blinded by a magical flash, Sivana can now see the magic energy at the naked eye. And the filmed version of the character seeks to further improve his abilities.

Dr. Sivana: Its Origin and Context

Dr. Sivana is a character as old as Captain Marvel / Shazam himself, having also made his debut in the 1940s Whiz BD # 2. He also the peculiarity of appearing in more stories than any other villain of Shazam.

Sivana Establishment Very early in its history, Captain Marvel established that Sivana was distinguished from the unidimensional villains of the time, revealing the secret identity of his enemy and attempting to keep the ransom of the world ransomed. Formerly a promising inventor whose work has been rejected by the world, obliging him to withdraw from the harsh climate of Venus and to avenge his people, he even created his own family in Venus, his Venusian children joining his vendetta the Captain Marvel family.

Like Shazam, Sivana goes limbo because of disputes between the publisher Fawcett Comics and DC Comics. Eventually, both characters were relaunched and integrated into the DC universe. At this point, the personality and history of Sivana have been reworked to adapt to the new setting. The 1987 miniseries of Shazam! The New Beginning revealed that Sivana is also Billy Batson's half-uncle, while The Power of Shazam! found that Sivana, like Lex Luthor, was once a successful business mogul, whose hatred of his sworn enemy made him lose everything.

Sivana began to play a more active role in the DCU, even outside the context of the adventures of Shazam, a leading actor in the 52 weekly series in 2006, where Sivana and his mad science colleagues resided in Oolong. Sivana also briefly played the hero during the final crisis of 2008, where he helped Luthor turn the tide against Darkseid and the reincarnated New Gods.

Lately, Sivana has undergone another overhaul of the original for the relaunch of the DC 52. A backup story is in progress in the pages of the monthly Ju The comic book stice league in 2012 established that Sivana was desperately seeking a magic cure to save the sick members of his family. After failing to form a lasting alliance with Black Adam, Sivana is now linked to Mr. Mind, a telepathic caterpillar who is another long-time enemy of Shazam. But with the transition from New 52 to DC Rebirth, it's hard to know when or if this open story will be continued.

The New 52 Version of Sivana

Dr. Sivana: Beyond the Comics

Despite the immediate popularity of the Captain Marvel franchise, it will be a long time before Sivana goes to the media. Obvious similarities between Sivana and the wicked scientist in "The Magnetic Telescope," a short animation film of Superman, published in 1942. However, Sivana will only officially appear on television in 1979, where he will appear in both episodes of the actual Legends of the Superheroes action (played by Howard Morris).

Sivana and Black Adam in Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Sivana then played a recurring role in the animated series of 1981, The Super Kid Hour Power with Shazam! (expressed by Alan Oppenheimer). He has since played a minor role in animated projects such as Batman: The Brave and The Bold and Justice League: Gods and Monsters.

However, for the most part, Sivana has not been able to accompany his deadly enemy with his various multimedia content. adventures. For example, while the Captain Marvel franchise experienced a resurgence in the mid-1970s through the CBS live series, this show has downplayed the character's rogue gallery in favor of more entrenched threats. However, Sivana is finally debuting on the big screen in Shazam! movie where he is played by Mark Strong!

Jesse is a writer with gentle manners for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket in as a result of @jschedeen on Twitter or Kicksplode on MyIGN.