The real story of the cartoon behind the transformation of Shazam Kids

Last film of DC Films, Shazam!, does not just present Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego to a wide audience. It also makes room for members of the Captain Marvel family, a set of characters with a long long the history of comics – until 1941.

For more on all the paths Shazam! pay tribute to the past and present of the Shazam family, keep going, but beware …

[[[[Ed. Note: This message will contain spoilers for Shazam!.]

Steve Wilkie / Warner Bros. Entertainment

The Marvel family

Shazam had his first real sidekick in 1941, with the creation of Captain Marvel, Jr. At that time, Shazam had two very different aspects: he called Captain Marvel. On the other hand, Captain Marvel and Billy Batson were two different people who swapped their seats, not Billy and Billy in an adult body.

Captain Marvel, Jr. was a teenager named Freddy Freeman – just like the movie's Freddy Freeman Shazam! – who was badly injured by the evil enemy of Captain Marvel, Captain Nazi. The assistant who gave his powers to Billy explained that if he really wanted to save Freddy, he could share some of Captain Marvel's powers with him. From that point on, every time Freddy said "Captain Marvel," he became Captain Marvel, Jr. – but as Freddy, he never fully recovered from his injury and always walked with a crutch.

BC Beck / DC Comics

A year later, Otto Binder, long-time writer of Captain Marvel, and artists Marc Swayze and Mac Raboy introduced Billy's sister, Mary Bromfield, who looked a lot like Judy Garland. By saying "Shazam" she could become the mighty Mary Marvel.

And although Billy and Freddy made fun of the idea that the wise wizard Shazam would give his powers to a girl – as you can imagine that young boys in the school yard could make fun of girls who read the comics of Captain Marvel – the wizard corrected them. Mary had all the powers they had, conferred on her by a different set of six female goddesses and mythological figures, so shut up, boys, and let her play.

After the roles of "Captain Marvel, but younger" and "Captain Marvel, but a girl" had been filled, the Marvel family got some strange – but beloved additions.

Uncle Dudley, aka Uncle Marvel, was the uncle of Billy and Mary, drawn and written primarily as W.C. Field Character. Uncle Dudley had no power, he just shouted "Shazam" like everyone else and removed his clothes to reveal Captain Marvel's costume he was wearing underneath. The Marvel family let him stay because she loved him and she did not want to hurt him.

Finally, there was Tawky Tawny, an anthropomorphic gentleman tiger who wore costumes and wanted to learn to be part of human society – that's why you see so many references to tigers in Shazam!.

Shazam's modern family is quite different, but it still pays tribute to the character's story.

Geoff Johns, Gary Frank / DC Comics

The Shazam family

The version of the Marvel / Shazam family that we see in Shazam! comes directly from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Shazam! backup stories in 2011 Justice League BD, recently collected under Shazam !: Origins. Their account of Billy Batson's original story was built on much of Captain Marvel's story – but also on a version of an alternate universe of the Shazam family of the group written by Johns. Breaking point the event, which closed DC Comics' book on continuity after the crisis and paved the way for the new issue 52.

In the new stories from Shazam to DC Comics, Billy does not venture alone: ​​he shares his power with his five foster siblings, as in Shazam! the film. Mary and Freddy are based on the classic characters of Mary Bromfield and Freddy Freeman, while Pedro, Eugene and Darla are more recent creations.

It's a Shazam family, but do not just ask them to tell you what they call superheroes, because if they say Shazam out loud, they'll be kids again. I am not joking. This is a real problem for the group, which Johns and Dale Eaglesham are exploring in their Shazam! current series.

But whether the Captain Marvel family is six adoptive siblings or a big brother, a little brother, a sister and a talking tiger, one thing remains true: Shazam's true power has always been to let Billy Batson share his gifts with the cares about.