Existing comment:
CC Beck, 1910-1989, and Bill Parker, d 1963
Captain Marvel #15, 1942
Captain Marvel #27, 1943
Fawcett Comics introduced this first incarnation of Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics in 1940. The wildly popular superhero outsold Superman during his heyday. His alter ego, Billy Batson, was transformed by uttering the word SHAZAM! This was an acronym that tied the superhero to Biblical story and Greek mythology, as each letter stood for a past hero (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury) who embodied his powers (wisdom, strength, stamina, power, courage, and speed). |