Black Adam

Black Adam (Teth-Adam) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' The Marvel Family comic book in December 1945. Since DC Comics licensed and acquired Fawcett's characters in the 1970s, Black Adam has endured as one of the most popular archenemies of the superhero Shazam and the Marvel Family alongside Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind.

Black Adam was originally depicted as a supervillain and the ancient magical champion predecessor of the champion Shazam, who fought his way to modern times to challenge the hero and his Marvel Family associates. Since the turn of the 21st century, however, Black Adam has been redefined by DC Comics writers Jerry Ordway, Geoff Johns, and David S. Goyer as an ancient Kahndaqi and corrupted antihero attempting to clear his name and reputation. He came from a fictional Middle Eastern country named Kahndaq, located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, and was portrayed as a hero who liberated his homeland from slavery. Featured roles in such comic book series as Justice Society of America, Villains United, Infinite Crisis, and 52 have elevated the character's prominence in the DC Universe, culminating with DC's 2021 line-wide Infinite Frontier relaunch, wherein he joins the Justice League. In 2009, Black Adam was ranked as IGN's 16th-greatest comic book villain of all time.

Black Adam has been substantially adapted into media outside comics, including animated series, films, and video games. He has been voiced by John DiMaggio, Gary Cole, Joey Naber, and Fred Tatasciore, among others. Dwayne Johnson voiced Adam in DC League of Super-Pets and later portrayed him in the live-action film Black Adam.

Publication history

Fawcett Comics

The canon version of Black Adam appeared only once during Fawcett's initial publication run of Captain Marvel comics. In The Marvel Family #1, Black Adam is introduced as an ancient Egyptian named Teth-Adam (i.e., "Mighty Human"), who serves the wizard Shazam. Deciding that he should transfer his powers and responsibilities to a younger successor, Shazam chooses Adam due to his presumed moral purity. This story is reprinted in DC's Shazam! #8 (1973), which is his first appearance in the Bronze Age.

When Teth-Adam says the magic word "Shazam", he is transformed into "Mighty Adam". Originally, the wizard Shazam grants Adam powers derived from ancient Greco-Roman deities; later in the series, it was changed to ancient Egyptian deities.

The overwhelming magical power of his new form corrupts Teth-Adam, and he deposes the pharaoh, seizes his throne, and vows to conquer and rule all of humanity. Angered by this betrayal, Shazam renames his errant champion "Black Adam". Unable to take back the power he has bestowed, the old wizard instead crafts a spell to banish Adam to the furthest star in the universe.

Black Adam spends the next 5,000 years flying back to Earth. By the time he makes it back, in 1945, Shazam has appointed three new champions to take his place: Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Mary Marvel. Adam's attempts to take over the world cause the Marvels to seek counsel with Shazam, who tells them about Black Adam. Adam succeeds in gagging Billy and Freddy while they are talking to Shazam. He then ties them up, planning to kill them later. Uncle Marvel releases them while Mary battles Black Adam, enabling them to transform.

Adam does battle with the trio, known as the Marvel Family, but since all are equally invulnerable, the fight goes on without resolution. The non-powered Marvel Family member Uncle Marvel gets an idea from Shazam and tricks Adam into saying "Shazam," reverting him to Teth-Adam. As he is no longer immortal, he dies and crumbles into a skeleton. Black Adam's costume is almost identical to Captain Marvel's—except that Black Adam's costume is black and golden yellow, instead of red and golden yellow.

DC Comics

Pre-Crisis

Though Adam is defeated in the same story which he debuted, the DC version of Adam is resurrected and revitalized nearly 30 years later in Philadelphia by Doctor Sivana's reincarnation machine in DC Comics' revival of the Marvel Family characters. He then destroys the machine so it cannot be used against him, much to Sivana's annoyance.

According to Shazam! #28 (Black Adam's first "Bronze Age" appearance, but second actual appearance, after The Marvel Family #1) Black Adam gets his powers from Shu (stamina), Heryshaf (strength), Amon (power), Zehuti (Thoth) (wisdom), Anpu (speed), and Menthu (courage). Black Adam accidentally time-travels back to 1776 while going to the Rock of Eternity to destroy Shazam at Sivana's request, as Sivana felt Adam's powers would be wiped out as well, but Captain Marvel accidentally throws him back in time. He and Captain Marvel battle, during which Black Adam realizes he will have to do something drastic and tricky to defeat Marvel. Adam gets his transformative lightning to strike Captain Marvel, transforming Captain Marvel back to Billy. He then seizes Billy and covers his mouth before he can finish saying his magic word, "SHAZAM!".

He then flies to a nearby ship where he obtains a length of rope which he uses to bind and gag Billy, after which he throws him into the sea. However, Billy swims to the surface, and is rescued by a colonist rebel, and freed. He realizes the rebel is Paul Revere before returning to his own time. Adam comes to Captain Marvel to exact revenge, when during a short battle, Adam is once again tricked by Captain Marvel into saying "Shazam". Adam then gets amnesia as a result of a powerful punch from Captain Marvel.

After that, Black Adam is also involved with Karmang in the All-New Collectors' Edition #C-58 (Black Adam's third appearance, but second new appearance in the Bronze Age) and tries to destroy both Superman and Captain Marvel.

After several more defeats at Captain Marvel's hands, Adam joins Mister Mind's final pre-Crisis version of the Monster Society of Evil which stages an assault on the Rock of Eternity. The evil god of magic Oggar summons an army from the sands and dust of Egypt for Adam to lead after muting Billy with his magic. They escape, despite being defeated.

When last seen during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Adam was fighting the heroes on the five remaining and partially merged Earths.

Fictional character biography

The Power of Shazam!: revised origin

Black Adam is reintroduced to the DC Universe in The Power of Shazam! graphic novel by Jerry Ordway in 1994 (an earlier Post-Crisis version of the character appeared in Shazam!: The New Beginning but this appearance is not considered canonical). In that story and the subsequent Power of Shazam! ongoing series, Adam is a deadly and evil adversary for Captain Marvel.

In this revised origin, Teth-Adam was born on September 11, 1279, BC as a son of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II. Teth-Adam impresses one of the high priests, the wizard Shazam, with his good deeds. The young man is chosen to become the hero "Mighty Adam" by speaking the name "Shazam", an acronym for the gods who give him power: the stamina of Shu, the swiftness of Heru (Horus), the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti (Thoth), the power of Aton, and the courage of Mehen. He does not draw powers from Shazam due to the demoness Blaze making a deal with the Egyptian god Set.

The Mighty Adam serves as Egypt's champion for many centuries until he falls under the influence of Blaze. The bewitched Adam storms the palace of the pharaoh, murdering him and his entire court, and declares himself ruler. The wizard learns of this and strips Adam of his powers, encasing them in a mystical scarab necklace. Adam's depowered body rapidly experiences the aging process that the magic had staved off, and the former hero withers away into a dried cadaver in seconds. Shazam buries both the body and the scarab in Ramesses' tomb, where he plans for it to remain for all eternity. In death, the former hero is referred to as "Khem-Adam" ("Black Adam"). Disillusioned by what he perceived as Adam's betrayal, Shazam waits several millennia before appointing a second champion to fight evil in his name.

During the late 20th century, an unscrupulous archaeological aide named Theo Adam is assigned to the Malcolm Expedition, financed by the Sivana Foundation to excavate the tomb of Ramesses II. Adam uncovers Khem-Adam's tomb in a secret passageway, and leads his superiors, C.C. Batson and his wife Marilyn, to the discovery. Upon first sight of Khem-Adam's scarab, Theo Adam becomes obsessed with the artifact and kills both Batsons to steal it. Escaping Egypt, Theo Adam soon made his way back to America.

The Batsons' son, Billy, has been left behind in the United States, and is drafted by Shazam to become the wizard's second champion, Captain Marvel. When Theo Adam first encounters Captain Marvel, he notes both Marvel's identical appearance to C.C. Batson and the lightning-bolt insignia on Marvel's chest that had also decorated Khem-Adam's tomb. Adam therefore has a revelation and realizes that he is a reincarnation of Khem-Adam. Grasping his stolen scarab, Adam speaks Shazam's name and is transformed into the super-powered Black Adam.