You know what I am open to that. In stead of 8 years old.Why not 14 or 16.? That might make things a little bit different. And give Captain Marvel a little twist.
@ericoxner326 or they van finally age him up. Like wtf dude should be 5 to 8 years younger than dick at most and yet he's only ever got to like 12. Wth
I love how all rage at Billy disappears once he learns hes a child and that line “who did this to you” has so much to unpack, as if even superman knows that being a hero is a curse that if you have superpowers and a good heart being a hero isnt a choice anymore its something you are forced to do because he understands not being able to just stand by and do nothing
Yeah superman of all people knows that curse and grapples with it everyday, and now he see's this child being crushed under the same thing, talking about how "its too dangerous to be billy anymore"
“Evil always does what it wants without ever stopping. But why is it that virtue always needs to prove itself over and over again?” - A quote that comes to mind when I think of all that Superheroes like Superman and Batman have to deal with
@@soapstarNo, it wasn’t that he was ‘shady af’, it was a realization that something was wrong in the situation. If he really thought Shazam was a pedo, he would have had far more of an angry and revolted face.
Think about every other situation you'd ask that question to a child and realize what it means for Shazam. He abused Billy. Mentally, emotionally, and physically abused him. A kid was touched inappropriately, beaten, bloodied, stabbed, burnt, anything? "Are you okay?... who did this to you?" We as a society recognize the inherent need to protect the young and indefensible. And Superman sees a magic wizard abusing his power to send billy through literal hell over "he is the best choice it has to be him!!!"
Supermans dad made sure that he had as normal of a childhood as possible, trying to mentally prepare him for the future, knowing that if there’s someone with godlike power, you’d want them to be kinda down to earth and normal.
I think his dad CHOSE to die in a tornado to teach Clark about loss and how you can’t save everyone and how to cope with it. Idk I haven’t read a single comic,
Superman had a dad to teach him. Billy didn't but still retained his pure heart growing up the brutal city with no parents living in a group home compared to Superman who grew up in the country on a farm. In my honest opinion Billy was the best of the two. Superman is overacted and is easily manulipulated.
@arjunwali9885 I mean, from some of the asinine and nonsensical things I've heard Superman is capable of from pointless powerscaling debates, that seems rather tame
You can tell superman is beyond pissed here, the thing I like the most about that is that it looks like he’s mad at billy, but he’s not, he doesn’t blame Billy, but he blames the wizard, and ngl, rightfully so
@@Alphaeon1196yeah comic Superman is honestly an underrated and amazing character with an actual personality than literally every movie ever has completely failed to protray
The fact that his immediate reaction was "who did this to you". Not accusing Billy of trying too much, not belittling him for being a kid, not even trying to coddle him. Just right to recognizing an abused and traumatized child, a single line acknowledging Billy did nothing wrong, and straight to go kick his abuser's ass. That's Superman right there.
@@sanstheskeleton3766True, and they should be treated differently. Main continuity Superman =/= Injustice Superman. It even shows their difference in values at the end of Injustice 1.
That's Clark Kent, the good farmboy from Kansas, angry at some kind of Wizard who, in his eyes, cheated a poor orphan of the only occasion he had to live his childhood and try to be happy to make a child soldier out of him
@@DrTofu83 Batman after hearing this gets nervous and starts to work out a speech in case it would need to come up: Okay I know this doesn't look good, I was 21 angry at the world new at the job and didn't know what else to do with Dick, or when Dick left and I found Jason. Tim forced himself to join in 3 separate timelines doing even more crazier things to get my attention than the last. And you can't blame me for Damian if he's not Robin he would be leading the League of Shadows.
@@dcworld4349the fact that batmen from other dimensions have called him a psycho for having robins instead of taking them to an orphanage will never not be funny.
@@personman8734 I guess because of his Trauma, he believes these kids already have their childhood taken away from them. If he couldn't recover from losing his parents and return to a normal live, maybe he thinks no one else can?
@@marzipancutter8144 If you read Frank Millers All-star Batman detailing what his Batman was like before the Dark Knight Returns. That certainly seems to be his attitude, he kidnaps Dick minutes after his parents gets killed, drugs him so he can only talk but not escape during the car chase from the cops. Says he is drafting him into a war, insults him and then leaves him in the Batcave alone. Doesn't even give him new clothes to keep him warm and forces him to live of rats. Alfred took pity on Dick and gave him some big belly burger, fries and something to drink. Bruce flies of the handle, grabs Alfred and pushes him up against the wall when he finds out what Alfred has done. Bruce tries to rationalize that he has to be tough with Dick because he needs him to become a great soldier. Alfred says he refuses to stand by and reduce the boy into living of rats. To which Bruce replies that he did after his parents died he lived in the cave for a while and did what he is now putting Dick through. But Alfred points out that he chose to do so himself just like he chose to become Batman. And Bruce in this universe is so psychotic that he believes that this life has chosen him as well. Not thinking about the fact that from Dick's POV he has just seen his parents die and been kidnapped by a madman. Bruce could have gone up from the cave anytime he wanted and eaten real food and lie in a real bad when he was sick. There was no so choice for Dick. And the Bruce from the Titans TV show isn't that far off from being equally extreme. He forced Dick to survive a cold night outside in the woods on a giant property Bruce owns. It was a survival skills exercise so Dick had to hunt that day for his own food. Bruce also released a dangerous wolf on the property that night. And the only defense Dick had was a army combat knife. But these are versions of Bruce that tries to be the most edgelords. Or in the case of Titans its clear the writers thought if a guy would train and have a young kid fight criminals he can't be mentally stable. Who spends his time trying to find a replacement for Jason just a couple of days after he was killed. Pleading with Dick asking him to become Robin again when he finds out about it. They wanted to show just how messed up the idea of there being a Robin is. Even though they counter their own message by having Dick be able to live up to it, saying he realized that night he shouldn't have been scared of the wolf. The wolf should have been scared of him. And that without Bruce's harsh methods he wouldn't be the capable man he is today. For me the best versions of Bruce in cases like Young Justice. Where he admits the reason he allowed for Dick to become Robin at 9 and help him take down the men who killed his parents. Was because Bruce didn't want Dick to turn out like Bruce having this hole that could never be filled. The implication is that Bruce would have happily let Dick be a normal kid who went to school and did something with his life afterwards. But Dick himself was the one who wanted to continue being Robin, he was good at it and Bruce would rather that he did it with him where he could keep and eye on him instead of doing it behind his back and sneaking out. Jason is Bruce's biggest mistake, he thought he was so different, he was angry at the world even before his father was killed by Two face. They were poor and struggled to make ends meet, taken away by the state from his mother. Was a part of his first robbery when he was 8. Bruce saw that he had potential and that if he continued on this path he would eventually become a criminal he would have to take down one day. He thought he could steer him away from a life of crime and still let him get out his agression the right way and learn to become less angry. But a man with anger issues who is simply good at hiding it. Is not exactly the best man for the job to teach him how to let go of his anger and his past. Tim he couldn't stop, he tried several times and in various ways to stop Tim because Bruce was determined to not have another Robin. But eventually in the new 52 he goes too far puts his family in dangerous situation where the mob in Gotham wants to kill his family because Tim stole Penguins money and gave it away. So he eventually relented under the condition that Tim had continue his studies and never fail an order. Bruce refused to go through what he did with Jason so he saw it as a way to make amends. With Damian he had no choice. They boy started his training from the moment he could speak. At 10 Damian was more trained than Bruce was at 18. With an IQ of 135. The only choice he had was to teach the boy to not kill again and stop the idea that he was going to take over the league of shadows one day.
@@SleekHeroo Batman is the exact reason this doesn't make sense. The Robins are all children, and they have less resources to survive the lifestyle, yet Superman let's it fly.
@@GeezLightning there is one scene in one of the justice league cartoons where WW asks thE question: Why did you introduce robin to crime fighting at age 8 to make another batman? and batman answeres: So that they wont. Not these exact words but the meaning is there. Robins needed that or at least dick grayson to be better and to not become dark and vengeful as batman. Yes this is not quite logical but there is something to it. Billy didnt need this Grayson did
@abelboronkai448 Batman: Robin needed to find the man who killed his parents and bring him to justice. Wonder Woman: Why, so he could end up like you? Batman: So that he wouldn't.
Superman is as vulnerable to magic just like the rest of the DC universe. He's defeated powerful magic users before. Confronting one about turning a boy into hero isn't going to kill him. At all.
Superman is like the chill dad who is easygoing, but when he gets mad you feel the whole house vibrating and shut the hell up. Edit: My dad is a kind and loving father and husband. I love my father and he loves me and my siblings equally. I'm NOT being ABUSED. Don't worry about things you can't know or control. Read if you are interested in boring stuff...🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱 On another note, is it really bad if someone yells at you? I mean it's not a pleasant experience, but it's an effective strategy to discipline your kids. Personally, I wouldn't have my dad (my family in general) or my life any other way. So yeah... Damn, to many animals in this comment section. They are all 🐐🐐for some reasons.🗿
This is a bit of a difficult situation. In the original continuity, Billy was an orphan living in a bad part of town. Worrying about HW and dates was the least of his worries. His life was tough already having no one to care for him. So when the wizard offers him the power because he has such a good heart it's an improvement to his life. Now in newer timelines his life doesn't suck as much so the choice is questionable. 😂
Just love that Supes never for a second takes his anger out at Billy. The anger over seeing Shazam tearing apart the police station just melts away, leaving MORE rage in the wake of seeing Billy’s true identity - kid made into a child soldier. Gosh, it just tears at the heart more and makes me love both characters even more!
He also doesn't do anything to shazam either, which is good. Even shazam seems a bit upset. Everyone knows its a problem, but Shazam couldn't find a better champion.
@@personalspace6270 Injustice was written by the Mortal Kombat guys, that Superman is not close to an actual Superman. Yes the comics later tried to rewrite that scene a bit and downplay it but it was set up by the MK guys.
@@TheLastSane1 True. The Comics Came after. The Actual Characters in the Game had no real consideration for the Comic Counter Parts personalities or what they would do or act. The Comics TRIED to put it into a more believable series of events. And for the Crap Show Story they had to work with did ok. But even THAT took heavy liberties with the Characters.
@@theradionicrevival8068 Or just older Naruto where he was for a while basically his world's superman and looked out for children he could still save and guide to better paths. I dont think Luffy or Goku have the same type of parental energy even now.
You cut it short. The Wizard isn't exactly the bad guy in answering Superman's question. He laments that a child is the only one worthy, and imparts wisdom that Superman should be a mentor to Billy. The story is so good from start to finish. It isn't just a kid superhero desperate for guidance and the adult that marches through to demand answers. It's complicated as life often is and it makes it a story about how so much is left on younger generations shoulders to be the heroes and that we now can be the heroes to guide and help them fix things that we can't within our limits of the now.
I know right? It's says A LOT that it was deemed that only a CHILD WAS WORTHY! Don't clap back at the wizard for giving the power to Billy, maybe there should have been better men who wouldn't use that power corruptly. . . There is always time to be a mentor, especially for Supes. . .
@@davidburnett5049not really. And it might mean that only children are worthy of suddenly getting this power, not that this child specifically is the only one
Beat me to it. Seriously, much as it sucks for a kid to be a superhero, such power needs innocence and purity to control it safely. Which yes, sucks for everyone.
Hes pure of heart because he’s a child! I’m sure that there’s more people who he could have cause that are at least teens yk. But then again it’s just a comic
@@cheeseboy1505This is a bit of a difficult situation. In the original continuity, Billy was an orphan living in a bad part of town. Worrying about HW and dates was the least of his worries. His life was tough already having no one to care for him. So when the wizard offers him the power because he has such a good heart it's an improvement to his life. Now in newer timelines his life doesn't suck as much so the choice is questionable. 😂
The writers don't use the built-in plot armour that comes with Capt Marvel./"the wizards champion". The wisdom of Solomon is Billy's plot armor but almost never used.
For a guy that gets shot at and has buildings dropped on him without losing his sense of mortality, to getting so angry he will confront anyone or thing on their behalf. I mean that is a noticeable change at least.
"Uh, gee, Clark, maybe you should back off a bit, after all you're vulnerable to magic ..." "I DON'T CARE! *NO ONE SHOULD PUT SUCH A BURDEN ON A CHILD!"*
@@generalalduin9548 I think it depends on the Bruce. Some iterations seem to care more about kids than others. And I think it depends on the iteration of Shazam. If it's where his parents were killed and he inherited the power that his father was supposed to inherit to take vengeance, Bruce might be ok with it.
Boy this shit is so sad man, imagine having all the power of a god and responsibility of a teenager and seeing your friend die from a guy who can basically now target your loved ones. Billy deserves better 😢
The thing is without that burden they would probably fall to even more dangerous things. The entire situation prior was a coincidence; what about darkseid,orm hell the anti monitor ? Bad things happen but that doesn't mean Billy doesn't deserve the power to change that fate. Shit hypocrisy on supes side his fate was changed as a child.
@@Voldrim359 Yea that's understandable, so why not give Billy the power to change the world ? So he's no longer powerless So no other kid like him has to experience that pain. Even though Supes had love as a child He learned he was Alien to Everything as he grew, but does that mean he shouldn't have the ability to make this world his home?
You know, to side track, i always thought Billy was too old in the Shazam movie. If Billy was 8 or something I always think it hits harder when things like this happen to him cause Shazam is a champion with an innocent heart.
@@d.a.baracusif you really think zachary levi acted like an 8 year old in that movie then you need to meet more 8 year olds 😂 an 8 year old doesn’t even know the difference between right and left
Which makes characters like him hard to do in a live-action adaptation. Actors grow up in real time LOL. Just look at the Stranger Things kids. The final season is going to look weird now haha
The fact he wasn't even mad at Billy for this, he knew someone was being irresponsible and reckless. At least with the Robins they all (except Tim ig) come from broken childhoods to begin with so Batman takes them in when they have nowhere else to go.
With the Robins. Each one Has already had their chance at a Normal Child hood Taken. Dick when his parents Died and he wanted down the same Path as Bruce. Jason when he was on the streets Struggling to survive. Tim when he DECIDED to become robin like it or not. And Damian. Who was raised as a weapon. Supes hates it. But he knows Being Robin. And having the truth of it all laid bare. And then also Being prepared for the absolute worse of it. Its better than the alternative.
I know a lot of the Justice League take issue with Batman over that, and I will admit, I think he taught his kids some very unhealthy coping skills. But he's always done the best for them that he could, and that he knew how to do. And let's be honest; he's probably prevented at least half of them from going Rogue by taking them in.
Don't try justifying Bruce's sickness indoctrinating children into his war on crime. He could've easily used his resources to ensure they had stable lives and childhoods. He didn't.
This is *the* comic I turn to when people tell me Superman is boring or can’t be written well. Not only does he confront the wizard Shazam, he refuses to take his lame excuse and then goes to Billy as Clark and reveals himself to him, it’s genuinely one of my favorite pieces of Superman writing ever and everyone should read those like three pages on their own. They’re so perfect
Paragons don't have to be boring if the're written to be deeper then a puddle. Its not enough to have a strong moral compass, they have to be able to justify that morality in a way that they can explain to others. To be able to fall back on it when a dark world would try and make them do something different.
@@tranz2deep I think that means the fact that Batman has brought in different Robins to help him fight crime, not if Batman had been the one to discover Shazam is Billy.
@@Brasc The Bat does his level best to teach the kids how to deal with it and how to survive it, whereas the wizard's done neither. Given some of the crap that has befallen the Robins anyway? Please re-read my reply.
Batman wouldn’t sweat shit! He made sure all the Robins were capable of the mantel of Robin and that they learnt from Batman’s trials as a Vigilante hero.
Ngl. "Who did this to you" was the strongest line for me in this, along with Superman's words about what Billy "should" be doing. The sheer rage behind those words alone made it seem like they were being spoken aloud to me.
@@zerobolt9506actually funny enough batman himself even talks about how he's always afraid of going too far. He knows he has a lot of darkness inside himself and is in constant fear of dipping too low into it. Several times he disagrees with Superman on how somethings should work, but he lets Superman do it anyways because he *wants* to be proven wrong and Superman is the best guy to do that.
I like that Supes doesn't immediately take him under his wing but is instead concerned on who the hell placed this much responsibility on his shoulders 😁😁
If I recall correctly, Shazam points out that while Billy was fated to become Captain Marvel, he was supposed to do so as an adult, with his father C.C. Batson raising him (C.C. was kind of an Indiana Jones type of adventurer). It was Sivanna murdering C.C. and his wife that derailed that. Shazam brings Billy to him early to save his life, because otherwise he was fated to die as a homeless runaway. So Sivanna kind of made the bed he ends up laying in when Billy has him by the throat.
I think the best example of how scary pissed off superman is that Batman legitimately got scared when he found out Damien kidnapped his son (leading Superman to the bat cave.)
@@Machiroable Not really. Superman is used to fight higher magical beings, such as Mxy. It's the same reason even Darkseid, who's WAY above the Wizard or any Magical being, has surrendered when Superman goes full rage. The issue with Superman, is that his biggest flaw is that he can't use all his real power at will. He has tried many times to break this mental barrier with no avail. Even this lady, the Mistress gladiator of Apokolips, can't remember her name, who's considered one of the most badass in the universe, mocked him telling him people were losing lives because of him not being able to reach his full potential because of his own fears. And unlike the popular belief, Superman is not weak to magic. He's vulnerable, only because part of his impressive invulnerability comes from an electromagnetic field, and electromagnetic fields can't stop magic, as even Brainiac found out the hard way. But even so, Superman would just smash any magician unless he's nerfed by the writers, as it tends to happen. Flash, Green Latern and Superman, are among the most powerful characters of DC, and they tend to be nerfed with silly excuses.
I'd agree with Supes if it wasn't for the fact that it's shown time and time again that Billy is the only one who truly uses the power for good. It's BECAUSE he's just a kid that he deserves the power of Shazam, there is no grey area to him, just what's right and what's wrong and all he want's to do is protect people the best he can. If anything Shazam is the only other hero like Superman in terms of morals, only difference is him being a literal child.
This is something that alot of people overlook. Sure Billy has his moments but 99.9% of the time he does what is good. It is messed up that the Wizard gave the power to a kid. But he gave them to not just any kid, he gave them to one of the purest beings in DC.
This is actually why Superman goes to Billy at the end of the book and reveals his secret. Because the Wizard tells Superman that "He *is* just a boy. A boy who needs guidance." Superman starts off mega pissed at Shazam but having a discussion helps him see that he's in a unique position to help a child become a Hero. Fuck this is one of my favorite Superman comics
No see that's the thing, the wizard waited for years before finding his champion. Billy was the first human he had seen who was worthy of taking up the mantle, he's the only one who could save the world, anyone else would have failed. That's the entire point of his character, he is the best humanity has to offer by far
@@ozziemsmith think of it another way. there was only ever one henry ford, nikola tesla, hedy lamarr, albert einstein etc. They were all destined for greatness in ways nobody thought imaginable. its not so crazy that this wizard saw the boys potential as the perfect heir for the power of shazam. everyone else would have gotten it wrong.
@@ozziemsmith ya that was the point of his character, being a young child and the only hope for humanity, it's a big job to have on his shoulders but like I said if anyone else was picked instead, they would have failed
This was SO powerful for me. It shows that While Supes has an INCREDIBLY high standard of how people with power need to act. He understands how HARD it is to limit your self when you have near Unlimited power. But it is also what Spawned the Rage in him. To take the Responsibility that Clark him self accepted. And so fully understands and force it on a Child who already has such a hard life. Clark knows where the fault lies. And honestly The Wizard should be thankful that Clark has such high standards. Because magic or not. An enraged superman IS NOT what you want to fight.
No. Because we don't even acknowledge USA does the same, Israel's arming is nothing but spillover to keep weapon manufacturing cheap like Monsanto corn. All these farm boy veterans who love comics AND THE "service" that they allude to, get subsidy through child violence. But not at their doorstep because in US scale that would mean 600 000 dead in these past 4 months "for the national right to protect itself". Hamas has made no attacks surpassing average US gun violence.
The robins have Batman with them at all times with Alfred included, mentoring them, guiding them and helping them bring justice to society, even when they fail Batman is always there to watch over them, and perhaps someday they might become Gotham's greatest protectors than Batman could ever be. Unlike them, this kid hero "Shazam" is almost by his lonesome.
No the wizard knows the harsh truth so he gave Billy the power to change the world. You cannot live in a perfect fantasy world where everything is okay all the time . Negativity festers as a balance in the world to get rid of it makes you just as foolish and vulnerable as a pessimist. Billy coulda been a regular boy watching the world crumble during darkseid invasion, or a causality in black Adams reemergence instead he has the ability to show kids like him hope. Shazam chose wisely and the character was written wisely long ago.
This is the real Superman! He might’ve been angry at Billy at first but the second he saw how devastated he was he immediately switched over to trying to comfort him. That’s what, in my humble opinion, makes Superman a true superhero. Not the super strength, not the ability to fly or any of that. But the fact that he is a genuinely good and caring person.
And for that we can credit the most important people in DC. Jonathan and Martha Kent, the humans who opened their hearts and home to an orphan, refugee alien child.
Supes pre-various reboots was the moral equivalent of Steve Rogers, whose greatest ability was his ability to leverage the might of others by inspiring them. That’s why I hate all of the gritty hero deconstruction, evil turn apocalyptan stories and versions. They just tear dow; they don’t inspire.
@@MrBiggles53 Agreed. Like sure, I like the Infamous storyline as much as anyone *but* it’s supposed to be the shocking exception, not the rule. After all, what makes it so shocking is that it shows the paragon of justice (Superman) being absolutely bent and broken until he becomes a symbol of oppression and tyranny. Not hope and justice. If every Supes story is about him being an evil tyrant or a complete nihilist that thinks that human lives don’t matter then, well, it doesn’t become shocking anymore now does it?
When he said Superman was angry when he found out Billy was a child, I was shocked and figured he was mad at Billy. But he was actually mad at the wizard for putting such tremendous responsibility onto a child, and that to me is way more in character for Supes.
one of the things i like about DC's takes on captain marvel over the years vs fawcett's take is that DC remembers that billy is a kid for the most part while with the fawcett comics you almost forget that with how mature he acts in those. the other is that he interacts with junior & mary alot more.
@@RevSinkiller i'm reminded of the old argument of "wisdom vs intelligence" or "wisdom =/= intelligence" and the current stuff establishes that the S is the later.
Batman already learned his lesson after Jason. He is forced to pick up Tim because he kept doing dangerous stunts like stealing from the Penguin. Batman is just stuck with Damien and blood-thirsty Damien would have run off if he didn't get to be Robin
That is sometimes a point of contention. When brought up, Batman usually argues that his goal was to prevent the Robins from becoming like him or his villains. All of the Robins are inherently quite talented and formidable in their own right and would turn out to be either a great threat or a great asset if left to their own devices. Of course, you can say that's a load of bullshit, I think Wonderwoman does at one point.
Dick only got a few people looked at him, mostly Gordan. But he was a little ball of sunshine and everyone loved him. Jason wasn't near a clean, people did worry as he wasn't near as "sunny". Much of that was due to the pain Bruce had put Dick though however. Tim was a relief to everyone because, after Jason's death, Bruce was going far to hard and Tim mellowed him out. By the time Damion rolled around, who was going to say anything? If ANYONE needed the structure of being Robin it was the hellspawn.
Just look at the Wizard's eyes as he explains his reasoning. He knows it isn't right and that Billy is still just a child, but the world needs a Shazam, and Billy was the only option at that point in time. That's why he told Superman that Billy needs someone to give him that comfort and advice.
Superman is so good for this, finally a writer who understands superman. You truly are mature when superman is your favourite character because you understand his point of view and what he stands for
Along side that a writer who also gets captain marvel/shazam, I have seen too many writers make him obnoxious/an idiot because “well he’s a kids in an adults body clearly he’s a moron” and forget the first letter in his name is for the wisdom of Solomon
@@steampunk1902even if he overshadows Supes, it doesn't take away the special character type Supes is at least for me, it also helps show how special both are instead of one or the other, I think we need more stories with them like this, maybe even one where Supes decides to just adopt Billy.
That conversation between supes and the wizard about “the weight of the world should be held by men not boys” it’s one of my favorite exchanges in comics and is underrated.
There is a piece of my soul that gets touched when I read the words "Who did this to you." I don't even need to see the look on Supes face. As a father I feel that deep, primal urge to protect the young. To visit the one who would hurt a child with the righteous hand of wrath.
I may think Superman is a bit boring sometimes but honestly it's stuff like this that keeps me invested in him. He's just such a genuine and good person. Lmao thanks to fanboy down below I retract my statement. he's always boring. Good job.
@@julez4002 actually he didn't, superman did, he was literally invincible, that was his whole thing, but he was an "invincible" man who could still struggle was his whole deal
I reason it is Billy it because of his inherited goodness. Despite all his strife he remains a caring person. Remember this is his original origin and I believe leaving this out causes Captain Marvel to lose something important.
I mean... as messed up as this might sound, Billy wasn't broken enough to be made into a Robin. His life sucked, for sure, but he wasn't driven to revenge over it. His whole thing was, despite everything, he had a pure heart. Robins tend to have already become rather tainted by the world. Their options are usually become a Robin or become a villain. Ofc, there are exceptions, but none of them were as pure as Billy.
I love that Superman making the argument gives his grievance that more weight, because he is mister responsible, and the fact that was not swinging at the wizard is impressive
For all of superman's strength, he still buckles under the weight of the world. His spirit constantly buttered by the thoughts of lives he couldn't save or lives lost due to his mistakes. He's not the man of Steel because of his Strength, but due to his unyielding spirit... To see a young boy have to endure the pain...
Chris Hansen: "Let's see if I got this right. You are dating Billy, even though he's a 10-year-old kid 50% of the time, right, Courtney?" Stargirl: "Yep!" Chris Hansen: "And you, Billy, despite being a 30-year-old man during the other 50% of the time, are dating Courtney, who's 16, right? Shazam: "Yes, sir." Chris Hansen: "WHO THE F*CK SHOULD I ARREST HERE?"
@@sylph4252he just gets the body of a fully grown man. He gets the wisdom of Solomon but as the comic continually shows us, wisdom does not equate maturity nor lived experience. Billy batson is a kid
Anyone would react the same way as Billy or Superman no matter the age tho. The wizard saw something in Billy he didn’t see in anyone else for a millennia.
Prime Bruce never ‘chose’ an apprentice. He took Dick Grayson in as his legitimate adopted son. Dick found the batcave and eventually convinced Bruce to let him become Robin.
@@aidanford4285 Yeah, that's still Bruce choosing his apprentice. Bruce could've easily kept Dick (along with all of his other subsequent sidekicks) at home away from his life as Batman but chose to let them fight crime alongside him.
@@matthewdeltoro8962 Nah, Tim didn't blackmail Batman. Tim was able to figure out that Bruce Wayne was Batman along with who the Robins were but he didn't blackmail Batman so he could become Robin. At first, Tim didn't even want to be Robin as he instead tried to convince Dick Grayson to return to being Batman's Robin because Tim believes that Batman will always need a Robin. It was only after he failed to convince Dick did Tim become Robin but Batman willingly chose Tim to for the role as Robin, he wasn't forced into it.
The Wizard never guides Billy to not be careless and most likely knows that he's incapable of doing so. But it doesn't mean he has to let Billy do what he wants while waiting for the right person to appear. After all, he knows what happened to the last child who he choose as a Champion. Plus, the Wizard would be aware of Superman and what he can do. So he would at least try to contact him in some way, telling the hero that he requires his helps to guide the future Champion who will have his power.
Clark's outrage is understandable, but heroes are raised to be heroes, Billy had to go through this to get an additional 10-20 years experience and training over heroes who only started as adults.
The wizard: hey Superman. Superman: what were you thinking. The wizard: it was either that or Armageddon. Superman: he’s just a kid. The wizard: ok ok, so where were you? Superman has left the chat.
"Fending of the world ending threat(s) with my team that you weren't around to help with, while you were grooming a kid to fend of threats that weren't even on our door step yet, that we already have Dr Fate and Zatanna on the call for, for when it comes. Does that about summarize it wizard!?" -Superman.
Imo no one is in the wrong here except for the villains, if you think about it Billy’s mom abandoned him when he was a toddler, on top of that the wizard was out of option and the wizard had no other choice and he was running out of option, therefore I don’t blame any of them except for the villains and Billy’s mom
Superman? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 No, definitely not him. However, I agree with the original comment. His mom abandoned him, and villains did him dirty. They're the ones at fault. In fact, how come Superman didn't hear👂🏽the gunshots and stopped the bullets? Supes ain't looking so super.
@@RevSinkiller Probably because it didn't happen in a vacuum. You're reasoning isn't looking so Super, friend. 😂 Supes certainly heard it but where otherwise preoccupied elsewhere with either natural disasters, alien invasion in a nearby star system, a multitude of supervillans or interdimensional monsters Infact there's a Superman comic literally about this, where an old woman starts believing supes is an literal guardian angel after he saves her and thinks she's bullet proof because he's unfailingly saved her multiple times as she's willingly put herself in danger and the last time she goes up to face a mob boss directly and his thugs, preaching she's under the protection of the lord and they should stop their wrongdoings, convinced supes will be there. She gets shot because supes didn't appear this time and Supes could hear them and the gun shot despite being in a different part of the country and held in the grip of a monster he was fighting at the time. It hurt him he could hear her but not be there despite it. ... And unless you forgot or never learned it before, Supes founded the JLA with Batman for the very reason he Couldn't be everywhere at once despite being Superman.
@guytheincognito4186 exactly my point. Supes is already super. Why would he need the power of Shazam? One super-powered superman in one place, or two equally powered supermen in two different locations doing twice as much? The question really answers itself. 🤔 As James Brown would say, "I'm super-bad." 🦹🏽♂️
@@RevSinkiller Supes wouldn't be held up as much or as easily as he normally is and has been, had he had that power at his disposal. Plus, the Wizard could easily just have given it to Nightwing for an example, if just another super was that neccesary. He would be more than capable handling thar power until Billy was ready to take over. 💁♂️
This is by far one of my favorite comics. It's based in this reality where no other superheroes have made an appearance yet, so you get to see that while Billy is excited to be hanging out with Superman in the beginning, Superman shows that he's letting his guard down to Captain Marvel because he finally has a friend like him. Their relationship starts off similar to an old school book from 60s, into modern character development.
Yeah, I always have a fondness for this & stuff like dc new frontier (where they tell the story of the rise of the era of superheroes). and I especially love how superman & cpt. marvel interact, finally meeting someone with their level of power and general good nature sweet kid demeanor. I always hate stories trying to pit the two together, these are the two biggest boy scouts in dc who love being boy scouts so seeing them let their guard down and just talk about the fun they had is so nice
See back in the day it was different. But for superman asking the wizard that it's wrong is not gonna change anything... Why? Well....yeah, it's time for superman to have a talk with Batman...
if i remember correctly jason was the only one he actually recruited. and look what happened there. tim & steph volunteered as a teenagers while it's kinda implied that dick would've still gone after his parents killer with or without bruce and damian is a glorified child soldier because of his mom's side of the family.
"Anyone can cook" - Chef Gusteau "Anyone can be a hero" -A somebody No adult gets to decide when a kid grows up, even in the real world. A worthy person is a worthy PERSON, no age specified.
I love Superman for this because he doesn’t care if he has to put his body on the line if it’s for the right reasons and especially children he will never hesitate to put himself in harms way which is 1 of the reasons why I love him because it don’t matter if he’s against all odds he’s Superman he has no limits and he’s just so kind and such a Boy Scout
Honestly, there are two points to this Superman point where obviously anyone with half of a brain cell realize Superman just trying to look out for the child and make sure that they grow up without turmoil like all I don’t know losing your best friend to gunfire you know something something that happens to most people of😓 but on the other hand, the wizard is part of a fantasy story, and he saw that Billy was the only one worthy of the power, because he tried giving that power to someone else that he believed was worthy and then we have Tith Adam, so honestly, there are two points to this, but I actually have a bit leaning towards Superman even though I know perfect the story needs Billy to be Shazam
Never really had a valid reason too, most of the kids basically forced Bruce’s hand, and in most situations he is a good guardian, alongside Alfred, but even if Bruce continued to deny them they would’ve turned out just like him or end up dead trying to get back at those who hurt them, logically you could also bring up therapy but it’s comics and beating up genuinely terrible people is considered therapeutic in the comic book world
Oh so it's okay now but the wizard choosing the literal best candidate for the power it's wrong and bad you know what that is it's hypocrisy @@kvngjaygamez2570
as a neurodivergent person shazam is relatable in a very constructive way, it is someone who was left on their own with great responsibility but no understanding of his power, like someone who has a difficult time developing socially or personally. Billy as a character is often looked as the holder of a mantle (and injustice cuz yes im edging harder) which is shazam rather than shazam that is in the possession of billy. Imagine if Naruto straight up had access to every single hokage and even fuckin goku, so yeah goated superman writing tho.
@@just2botheruspider-man and superman have an pretty good understanding of their power and their responsibility, their struggle is just *handling* it. Also neither of them or any other superhero would be the child in a room having to pretend they know how to act socially around adults
@@just2botheru Spiderman is more correlated to the control and understanding of his power. He is aware that with great power comes great responsibility. Billy never had an Uncle Ben to tell him that, he had nobody. I mean u can make an argument for superman but he is the neurotypical version of Shazam. He had loving and caring parents, a home, a future that he knew he had control over. There is one thing knowing the power you have and what it can do and then using that power appropriately, There is another thing not knowing anything and hoping that you'll make the right decision while not knowing what right or wrong is. Which is why you'll see Billy looking for the approval of others around him more than his own approval.
To fair to the Wizard, giving that kind of power to an ADULT in the DC universe would be a very bad idea. I think only a child could grow to weild that power correctly.
@@arlokloiber2715you think a kid wouldn't abuse the fuck out a power that turns them into a god and changes their face so they could avoid consequences?
@@calvintyler9281 just because kids cant feel as much empathy as an adult could, doesn't mean the are psychos He was chose not for being a kid, but THE Kid, the booger didn't turn evil when he could've, he rocks
Loved the JLU episode about Shazam's brief era in the League and his tense relationship with Superman. The entire plot of that episode was basically this: Billy Batson: "How many times do i have to tell you?! I have no political affiliations!" Superman: "Sure? Then explain me THIS" *Shows him a MAGA shirt* Billy Batson: "1. That shirt is 5 sizes too big for me. 2. The label clearly says "Property of Wally West." 3. THE F*CK IS MAGA?!"
No he is not. Most most super heroes were children at some point. Many started their journey and training at a young age superman included. Also Billy was picked because of his purity and innocent state of mind. Black Adam is the prime example of that power being given to an adult. Billy has especially before DC and in the truer displays within DC shows greater maturity than the adults. Even in this story he does not kill the villian in a blind rage, though he wanted to. We know superman has a whole universe dedicated to him in the same position, also let's not forget green lanterns, flash, batman, and wonderwoman.
The story is called Superman/Shazam: First Thunder. You can catch some similarities in the animated film Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam
This was the way for the writers to let us know that they might change the host of Shazam Or actually make Billy older
You know what I am open to that.
In stead of 8 years old.Why not 14 or 16.?
That might make things a little bit different.
And give Captain Marvel a little twist.
Thanks you
@ericoxner326 or they van finally age him up. Like wtf dude should be 5 to 8 years younger than dick at most and yet he's only ever got to like 12. Wth
Yes father.
I love how all rage at Billy disappears once he learns hes a child and that line “who did this to you” has so much to unpack, as if even superman knows that being a hero is a curse that if you have superpowers and a good heart being a hero isnt a choice anymore its something you are forced to do because he understands not being able to just stand by and do nothing
Yeah superman of all people knows that curse and grapples with it everyday, and now he see's this child being crushed under the same thing, talking about how "its too dangerous to be billy anymore"
I think great detail is a bit of horror you can sense when he asks your best friend? Like he was worried his super hero friend was shady af
“Evil always does what it wants without ever stopping. But why is it that virtue always needs to prove itself over and over again?”
- A quote that comes to mind when I think of all that Superheroes like Superman and Batman have to deal with
@@soapstarNo, it wasn’t that he was ‘shady af’, it was a realization that something was wrong in the situation.
If he really thought Shazam was a pedo, he would have had far more of an angry and revolted face.
Think about every other situation you'd ask that question to a child and realize what it means for Shazam. He abused Billy. Mentally, emotionally, and physically abused him.
A kid was touched inappropriately, beaten, bloodied, stabbed, burnt, anything? "Are you okay?... who did this to you?" We as a society recognize the inherent need to protect the young and indefensible. And Superman sees a magic wizard abusing his power to send billy through literal hell over "he is the best choice it has to be him!!!"
Now that I think about it Shazam represents the kids who had to grow up at an early age due to lack of parents/guardians and other adult figures
Yeah
Well shit.... now I gotta look more into Shazam...
That’s why Shazam is one of my favorite heroes, he’s relatable to me :)
I mean yeah he is an orphan NOW GRANTED his foster family and sibling are a lottery win for him.
Damn this is so true. I never thought of billy like that before.
Supermans dad made sure that he had as normal of a childhood as possible, trying to mentally prepare him for the future, knowing that if there’s someone with godlike power, you’d want them to be kinda down to earth and normal.
Man I respect Jonathan Kent. He had no experience with parenting, yet he raised this kid into the symbol of hope.
He also let his dad die to a tornado😂
I think his dad CHOSE to die in a tornado to teach Clark about loss and how you can’t save everyone and how to cope with it. Idk I haven’t read a single comic,
@@TheRoadToArea51 What? There are a billion better ways to teach him that without killing himself
Superman had a dad to teach him. Billy didn't but still retained his pure heart growing up the brutal city with no parents living in a group home compared to Superman who grew up in the country on a farm. In my honest opinion Billy was the best of the two. Superman is overacted and is easily manulipulated.
Love how there’s no explanation for how Supes got to the Rock of Eternity, he’s just so angry he spawned in front of the wizard 😂
*Superman has joined the server*
@@abyssalgaming9315lol
@@abyssalgaming9315 Wizard Shazam: why did we give Billy invite perms?
@arjunwali9885 I mean, from some of the asinine and nonsensical things I've heard Superman is capable of from pointless powerscaling debates, that seems rather tame
I always assumed Billy took him there, but Zatanna or Constantine could probably have done it too.
"Who did this to you?" Damn, just look at Superman's face there. I need to read this comic.
Yeah.
That really hit me hard. Klark is really a nice guy
You can tell superman is beyond pissed here, the thing I like the most about that is that it looks like he’s mad at billy, but he’s not, he doesn’t blame Billy, but he blames the wizard, and ngl, rightfully so
I read it and yes this happens
@@Alphaeon1196yeah comic Superman is honestly an underrated and amazing character with an actual personality than literally every movie ever has completely failed to protray
@@Alternative_Albawho the hell is “Klark”!?!?
Damn that shot of Billy’s friend bleeding out was dark as hell
Sum of the best comics
Blud got 200 pumped
@@Fugitive685bruh
@@miklyways he needs a rez
I see what you did there
The fact that his immediate reaction was "who did this to you". Not accusing Billy of trying too much, not belittling him for being a kid, not even trying to coddle him. Just right to recognizing an abused and traumatized child, a single line acknowledging Billy did nothing wrong, and straight to go kick his abuser's ass. That's Superman right there.
And this is the same person who murders him.....
@sanstheskeleton3766 not necessarily different universe. Different earth DC canonized multiple universes, so most of their comics are canon to DC
@@cardheon6091 true but it bad in 1 timeline he instantly protects him from a wizard, but in another he instantly lasers his brain
@@sanstheskeleton3766True, and they should be treated differently.
Main continuity Superman =/= Injustice Superman. It even shows their difference in values at the end of Injustice 1.
@@sanstheskeleton3766Injustice sucks, it doesn’t count as real Superman
He's not angry at Billy. He's angry FOR Billy. That's the Superman we all love.
That's Clark Kent, the good farmboy from Kansas, angry at some kind of Wizard who, in his eyes, cheated a poor orphan of the only occasion he had to live his childhood and try to be happy to make a child soldier out of him
@@DrTofu83 Batman after hearing this gets nervous and starts to work out a speech in case it would need to come up: Okay I know this doesn't look good, I was 21 angry at the world new at the job and didn't know what else to do with Dick, or when Dick left and I found Jason. Tim forced himself to join in 3 separate timelines doing even more crazier things to get my attention than the last. And you can't blame me for Damian if he's not Robin he would be leading the League of Shadows.
@@dcworld4349the fact that batmen from other dimensions have called him a psycho for having robins instead of taking them to an orphanage will never not be funny.
@@personman8734 I guess because of his Trauma, he believes these kids already have their childhood taken away from them. If he couldn't recover from losing his parents and return to a normal live, maybe he thinks no one else can?
@@marzipancutter8144 If you read Frank Millers All-star Batman detailing what his Batman was like before the Dark Knight Returns. That certainly seems to be his attitude, he kidnaps Dick minutes after his parents gets killed, drugs him so he can only talk but not escape during the car chase from the cops. Says he is drafting him into a war, insults him and then leaves him in the Batcave alone. Doesn't even give him new clothes to keep him warm and forces him to live of rats. Alfred took pity on Dick and gave him some big belly burger, fries and something to drink.
Bruce flies of the handle, grabs Alfred and pushes him up against the wall when he finds out what Alfred has done. Bruce tries to rationalize that he has to be tough with Dick because he needs him to become a great soldier. Alfred says he refuses to stand by and reduce the boy into living of rats. To which Bruce replies that he did after his parents died he lived in the cave for a while and did what he is now putting Dick through. But Alfred points out that he chose to do so himself just like he chose to become Batman. And Bruce in this universe is so psychotic that he believes that this life has chosen him as well. Not thinking about the fact that from Dick's POV he has just seen his parents die and been kidnapped by a madman. Bruce could have gone up from the cave anytime he wanted and eaten real food and lie in a real bad when he was sick. There was no so choice for Dick.
And the Bruce from the Titans TV show isn't that far off from being equally extreme. He forced Dick to survive a cold night outside in the woods on a giant property Bruce owns. It was a survival skills exercise so Dick had to hunt that day for his own food. Bruce also released a dangerous wolf on the property that night. And the only defense Dick had was a army combat knife.
But these are versions of Bruce that tries to be the most edgelords. Or in the case of Titans its clear the writers thought if a guy would train and have a young kid fight criminals he can't be mentally stable. Who spends his time trying to find a replacement for Jason just a couple of days after he was killed. Pleading with Dick asking him to become Robin again when he finds out about it. They wanted to show just how messed up the idea of there being a Robin is. Even though they counter their own message by having Dick be able to live up to it, saying he realized that night he shouldn't have been scared of the wolf. The wolf should have been scared of him. And that without Bruce's harsh methods he wouldn't be the capable man he is today.
For me the best versions of Bruce in cases like Young Justice. Where he admits the reason he allowed for Dick to become Robin at 9 and help him take down the men who killed his parents. Was because Bruce didn't want Dick to turn out like Bruce having this hole that could never be filled. The implication is that Bruce would have happily let Dick be a normal kid who went to school and did something with his life afterwards. But Dick himself was the one who wanted to continue being Robin, he was good at it and Bruce would rather that he did it with him where he could keep and eye on him instead of doing it behind his back and sneaking out.
Jason is Bruce's biggest mistake, he thought he was so different, he was angry at the world even before his father was killed by Two face. They were poor and struggled to make ends meet, taken away by the state from his mother. Was a part of his first robbery when he was 8. Bruce saw that he had potential and that if he continued on this path he would eventually become a criminal he would have to take down one day. He thought he could steer him away from a life of crime and still let him get out his agression the right way and learn to become less angry. But a man with anger issues who is simply good at hiding it. Is not exactly the best man for the job to teach him how to let go of his anger and his past.
Tim he couldn't stop, he tried several times and in various ways to stop Tim because Bruce was determined to not have another Robin. But eventually in the new 52 he goes too far puts his family in dangerous situation where the mob in Gotham wants to kill his family because Tim stole Penguins money and gave it away. So he eventually relented under the condition that Tim had continue his studies and never fail an order. Bruce refused to go through what he did with Jason so he saw it as a way to make amends.
With Damian he had no choice. They boy started his training from the moment he could speak. At 10 Damian was more trained than Bruce was at 18. With an IQ of 135. The only choice he had was to teach the boy to not kill again and stop the idea that he was going to take over the league of shadows one day.
i love when writers understand why superman is such an incredible character
Empathy is good writing empathy is good writing
@@tobymoore2185same energy as, if you can't imagine your version of batman consoling a crying child then u didn't make batman you made a psycho
@@SleekHeroo Batman is the exact reason this doesn't make sense. The Robins are all children, and they have less resources to survive the lifestyle, yet Superman let's it fly.
@@GeezLightning there is one scene in one of the justice league cartoons where WW asks thE question: Why did you introduce robin to crime fighting at age 8 to make another batman? and batman answeres: So that they wont. Not these exact words but the meaning is there. Robins needed that or at least dick grayson to be better and to not become dark and vengeful as batman. Yes this is not quite logical but there is something to it. Billy didnt need this Grayson did
@abelboronkai448
Batman: Robin needed to find the man who killed his parents and bring him to justice.
Wonder Woman: Why, so he could end up like you?
Batman: So that he wouldn't.
Love that Supes confronts the Wizard despite his "weakness" to magic. Superman does not hesitate when a child is in danger.
Superman isn't weak to magic, magic in the dc universe scales above superpowers , superman has an extremely high resistance to magic
@@ericwalsh2954saying Superman has a weakness to magic is like saying Mike Tyson has a weakness to fire.
Superman is as vulnerable to magic just like the rest of the DC universe. He's defeated powerful magic users before. Confronting one about turning a boy into hero isn't going to kill him. At all.
Lucky for him the wizard didn't turn him into a frog or something like that😂
He is weak to magic it's not kryptonite though@@ericwalsh2954
Superman is like the chill dad who is easygoing, but when he gets mad you feel the whole house vibrating and shut the hell up.
Edit: My dad is a kind and loving father and husband. I love my father and he loves me and my siblings equally. I'm NOT being ABUSED. Don't worry about things you can't know or control.
Read if you are interested in boring stuff...🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱
On another note, is it really bad if someone yells at you? I mean it's not a pleasant experience, but it's an effective strategy to discipline your kids. Personally, I wouldn't have my dad (my family in general) or my life any other way. So yeah...
Damn, to many animals in this comment section.
They are all 🐐🐐for some reasons.🗿
I'm sorry if that was from personal experience
And then there's the brooding uncle who barely shows up, and when he does it's so cool to see him. And he also gives you cash.
This is a bit of a difficult situation. In the original continuity, Billy was an orphan living in a bad part of town. Worrying about HW and dates was the least of his worries. His life was tough already having no one to care for him. So when the wizard offers him the power because he has such a good heart it's an improvement to his life. Now in newer timelines his life doesn't suck as much so the choice is questionable. 😂
Cuz people mess with you. Clark being everyone's dad figure is wholesome.
@@dissonanceparadiddlebro what 💀
Just love that Supes never for a second takes his anger out at Billy. The anger over seeing Shazam tearing apart the police station just melts away, leaving MORE rage in the wake of seeing Billy’s true identity - kid made into a child soldier. Gosh, it just tears at the heart more and makes me love both characters even more!
One Superman did though. 😅
@@personalspace6270 We don't talk about Injustice
He also doesn't do anything to shazam either, which is good.
Even shazam seems a bit upset.
Everyone knows its a problem, but Shazam couldn't find a better champion.
@@personalspace6270 Injustice was written by the Mortal Kombat guys, that Superman is not close to an actual Superman. Yes the comics later tried to rewrite that scene a bit and downplay it but it was set up by the MK guys.
@@TheLastSane1 True. The Comics Came after. The Actual Characters in the Game had no real consideration for the Comic Counter Parts personalities or what they would do or act. The Comics TRIED to put it into a more believable series of events. And for the Crap Show Story they had to work with did ok. But even THAT took heavy liberties with the Characters.
No cap , this almost brought me to tears when he asked "Who did this to you"
No cap frfr on god
I'm not wearing a cap either and also liked that part
Of course there’s no cap, this is DC
If billy is gon or naruto
Superman is characters like Luffy or goku
@@theradionicrevival8068 Or just older Naruto where he was for a while basically his world's superman and looked out for children he could still save and guide to better paths.
I dont think Luffy or Goku have the same type of parental energy even now.
You cut it short. The Wizard isn't exactly the bad guy in answering Superman's question. He laments that a child is the only one worthy, and imparts wisdom that Superman should be a mentor to Billy. The story is so good from start to finish. It isn't just a kid superhero desperate for guidance and the adult that marches through to demand answers. It's complicated as life often is and it makes it a story about how so much is left on younger generations shoulders to be the heroes and that we now can be the heroes to guide and help them fix things that we can't within our limits of the now.
Thank you
I know right?
It's says A LOT that it was deemed that only a CHILD WAS WORTHY!
Don't clap back at the wizard for giving the power to Billy, maybe there should have been better men who wouldn't use that power corruptly. . .
There is always time to be a mentor, especially for Supes. . .
@@myronaustin Naw, I don't buy it. It's too much of a plot device. If there is no one else worthy in all of humanity then it's just bad writing.
@@davidburnett5049not really. And it might mean that only children are worthy of suddenly getting this power, not that this child specifically is the only one
Beat me to it. Seriously, much as it sucks for a kid to be a superhero, such power needs innocence and purity to control it safely. Which yes, sucks for everyone.
Billy was chosen because he was pure of heart despite the life he lives. He probably has more honor than most.
Hes pure of heart because he’s a child! I’m sure that there’s more people who he could have cause that are at least teens yk. But then again it’s just a comic
@cheeseboy1505 that's literally the point of why Billy was chosen, there were not.
@@cheeseboy1505This is a bit of a difficult situation. In the original continuity, Billy was an orphan living in a bad part of town. Worrying about HW and dates was the least of his worries. His life was tough already having no one to care for him. So when the wizard offers him the power because he has such a good heart it's an improvement to his life. Now in newer timelines his life doesn't suck as much so the choice is questionable. 😂
Young justice scene where he comments on doctor fate keeping zatara hostage when no one else did
The writers don't use the built-in plot armour that comes with Capt Marvel./"the wizards champion". The wisdom of Solomon is Billy's plot armor but almost never used.
"extremely frustrated" is a funny way of saying "reasonably furious"
That's what I was thinking.
Understatement of the comic era.
For a guy that gets shot at and has buildings dropped on him without losing his sense of mortality, to getting so angry he will confront anyone or thing on their behalf.
I mean that is a noticeable change at least.
"Resonably furious" is an emotion I feel every time I see a carpeted bathroom
"Uh, gee, Clark, maybe you should back off a bit, after all you're vulnerable to magic ..." "I DON'T CARE! *NO ONE SHOULD PUT SUCH A BURDEN ON A CHILD!"*
Superman: "I know who did this."
Batman: "I'll drive."
Also Batman: "let's go, Robin..."
I do feel like Bruce would be pissed to see a child forced to grow up just like he did
@@generalalduin9548 I think it depends on the Bruce. Some iterations seem to care more about kids than others. And I think it depends on the iteration of Shazam. If it's where his parents were killed and he inherited the power that his father was supposed to inherit to take vengeance, Bruce might be ok with it.
@@generalalduin9548 🤣 oh shit, lol too much the fuking irony wtf
Like Batman hasn't had every son out there fighting crime... wasn't Damian only like 12-14?...
Boy this shit is so sad man, imagine having all the power of a god and responsibility of a teenager and seeing your friend die from a guy who can basically now target your loved ones. Billy deserves better 😢
You just described the life of every inner city child.
Billy isn’t even a teenager either that makes it even sadder, him and his orphan family are like 9-12
The thing is without that burden they would probably fall to even more dangerous things.
The entire situation prior was a coincidence; what about darkseid,orm hell the anti monitor ?
Bad things happen but that doesn't mean Billy doesn't deserve the power to change that fate.
Shit hypocrisy on supes side his fate was changed as a child.
@@Synical02 but sups had a childhood, he had parents, he had a mentor. He didn't saw his closest friend to die at the age of Billy.
@@Voldrim359 Yea that's understandable, so why not give Billy the power to change the world ?
So he's no longer powerless
So no other kid like him has to experience that pain.
Even though Supes had love as a child
He learned he was Alien to Everything as he grew, but does that mean he shouldn't have the ability to make this world his home?
You know, to side track, i always thought Billy was too old in the Shazam movie. If Billy was 8 or something I always think it hits harder when things like this happen to him cause Shazam is a champion with an innocent heart.
But Billy was alone at 8 and then got into foster care system, Billy knows the struggles of the world.
Billy acted like a 14, 15 year old kid, while Shazam acted like an 8 year old...
@@julez4002billy was alone at 8… in the movie. they coulda made him younger and get put into the family at 8 instead of 15
@@d.a.baracusif you really think zachary levi acted like an 8 year old in that movie then you need to meet more 8 year olds 😂 an 8 year old doesn’t even know the difference between right and left
Which makes characters like him hard to do in a live-action adaptation.
Actors grow up in real time LOL.
Just look at the Stranger Things kids. The final season is going to look weird now haha
The fact he wasn't even mad at Billy for this, he knew someone was being irresponsible and reckless.
At least with the Robins they all (except Tim ig) come from broken childhoods to begin with so Batman takes them in when they have nowhere else to go.
With the Robins. Each one Has already had their chance at a Normal Child hood Taken. Dick when his parents Died and he wanted down the same Path as Bruce. Jason when he was on the streets Struggling to survive. Tim when he DECIDED to become robin like it or not.
And Damian. Who was raised as a weapon. Supes hates it. But he knows Being Robin. And having the truth of it all laid bare. And then also Being prepared for the absolute worse of it. Its better than the alternative.
I know a lot of the Justice League take issue with Batman over that, and I will admit, I think he taught his kids some very unhealthy coping skills. But he's always done the best for them that he could, and that he knew how to do. And let's be honest; he's probably prevented at least half of them from going Rogue by taking them in.
@@alexisgrunden1556 He tries. That's more than can be said for many parents.
@@jtnachos16 Amen to that~
Don't try justifying Bruce's sickness indoctrinating children into his war on crime. He could've easily used his resources to ensure they had stable lives and childhoods. He didn't.
This is *the* comic I turn to when people tell me Superman is boring or can’t be written well. Not only does he confront the wizard Shazam, he refuses to take his lame excuse and then goes to Billy as Clark and reveals himself to him, it’s genuinely one of my favorite pieces of Superman writing ever and everyone should read those like three pages on their own. They’re so perfect
Paragons don't have to be boring if the're written to be deeper then a puddle. Its not enough to have a strong moral compass, they have to be able to justify that morality in a way that they can explain to others. To be able to fall back on it when a dark world would try and make them do something different.
@@seasnaill2589thank you.
Billy as a mere child is a stronger, and more relatable character than Superman.
@@Adventist1997 because too many writers don't realize it's Clark's humanity in spite of his godlike power that makes him compelling
@@M_Alexander
And that's why he's a bad character 9 out of 10 times.
You just know Batman is sweating at that moment.
Sweating? If the Bat had been the one to learn it, the no-killing rule would go straight out the window.
@@tranz2deep I think that means the fact that Batman has brought in different Robins to help him fight crime, not if Batman had been the one to discover Shazam is Billy.
@@Brasc The Bat does his level best to teach the kids how to deal with it and how to survive it, whereas the wizard's done neither. Given some of the crap that has befallen the Robins anyway? Please re-read my reply.
Batman wouldn’t sweat shit! He made sure all the Robins were capable of the mantel of Robin and that they learnt from Batman’s trials as a Vigilante hero.
DAWG THATS WHAT IM SAYING😂😂😂
The fact that Superman sees Billy as a victim of someone putting unreasonable expectations onto a child is amazing and very in character for him.
Ngl. "Who did this to you" was the strongest line for me in this, along with Superman's words about what Billy "should" be doing. The sheer rage behind those words alone made it seem like they were being spoken aloud to me.
The Wizard chose Billy Batson because he's the closest thing to a Pure Heart through Time and Space over any other character to exist.
Wow it's almost like he's an innocent child
Why did the Wizard skip Spiderman?
@@tristanrouse6150 Same reason he skipped Goku
Bats isn't pure of heart???
@@zerobolt9506actually funny enough batman himself even talks about how he's always afraid of going too far. He knows he has a lot of darkness inside himself and is in constant fear of dipping too low into it. Several times he disagrees with Superman on how somethings should work, but he lets Superman do it anyways because he *wants* to be proven wrong and Superman is the best guy to do that.
I like that Supes doesn't immediately take him under his wing but is instead concerned on who the hell placed this much responsibility on his shoulders 😁😁
If I recall correctly, Shazam points out that while Billy was fated to become Captain Marvel, he was supposed to do so as an adult, with his father C.C. Batson raising him (C.C. was kind of an Indiana Jones type of adventurer). It was Sivanna murdering C.C. and his wife that derailed that. Shazam brings Billy to him early to save his life, because otherwise he was fated to die as a homeless runaway. So Sivanna kind of made the bed he ends up laying in when Billy has him by the throat.
Damn! This is the first I've heard of this -- and if it's canon, it does in fact cast a whole new light on Billy and his Other Guy.
Superman angry is a force to be reckoned with, even for a wizard in their place of power. As Specter noted in Kingdom Come. Love it.
I think the best example of how scary pissed off superman is that Batman legitimately got scared when he found out Damien kidnapped his son (leading Superman to the bat cave.)
Tbf, The Wizard would stomp Sups if it came to a fight tho.
Damian did WHAT?!
@@Machiroable Not really. Superman is used to fight higher magical beings, such as Mxy.
It's the same reason even Darkseid, who's WAY above the Wizard or any Magical being, has surrendered when Superman goes full rage.
The issue with Superman, is that his biggest flaw is that he can't use all his real power at will. He has tried many times to break this mental barrier with no avail. Even this lady, the Mistress gladiator of Apokolips, can't remember her name, who's considered one of the most badass in the universe, mocked him telling him people were losing lives because of him not being able to reach his full potential because of his own fears.
And unlike the popular belief, Superman is not weak to magic. He's vulnerable, only because part of his impressive invulnerability comes from an electromagnetic field, and electromagnetic fields can't stop magic, as even Brainiac found out the hard way.
But even so, Superman would just smash any magician unless he's nerfed by the writers, as it tends to happen.
Flash, Green Latern and Superman, are among the most powerful characters of DC, and they tend to be nerfed with silly excuses.
@@robertoj.9509 Mary Sues aren't fun.
Superman instantly went into dad mode, man. We deserve a comic where he adopts Billy damn it.
DC will never make it, which is why WE, THE FANS, should.
Batman and Superman battle over who gets to adopt Billy.
Yes i want this
@@marxvargas7697it’s over for dc once most of their characters become open domain 😂
@@deepmind4320 FUCK YES, so when will that happen? The Public Domain thing?
Shazam is one of my favorite DC superheroes. he’s so powerful and a lot of his designs look super cool.
I'd agree with Supes if it wasn't for the fact that it's shown time and time again that Billy is the only one who truly uses the power for good. It's BECAUSE he's just a kid that he deserves the power of Shazam, there is no grey area to him, just what's right and what's wrong and all he want's to do is protect people the best he can. If anything Shazam is the only other hero like Superman in terms of morals, only difference is him being a literal child.
This is something that alot of people overlook. Sure Billy has his moments but 99.9% of the time he does what is good. It is messed up that the Wizard gave the power to a kid. But he gave them to not just any kid, he gave them to one of the purest beings in DC.
This is actually why Superman goes to Billy at the end of the book and reveals his secret.
Because the Wizard tells Superman that "He *is* just a boy. A boy who needs guidance."
Superman starts off mega pissed at Shazam but having a discussion helps him see that he's in a unique position to help a child become a Hero.
Fuck this is one of my favorite Superman comics
@@Taldoz It was sort of a creepier moment, undressing in front of a child.
No see that's the thing, the wizard waited for years before finding his champion. Billy was the first human he had seen who was worthy of taking up the mantle, he's the only one who could save the world, anyone else would have failed. That's the entire point of his character, he is the best humanity has to offer by far
which is fine but even so billy batson is a child. and if you put a kid in the line of danger even for something right, you're still in the wrong
That Explanation doesn't make sense. In all the world. They couldn't find no one worthy than a little boy? Really? Comics I guess
@@ozziemsmith think of it another way. there was only ever one henry ford, nikola tesla, hedy lamarr, albert einstein etc. They were all destined for greatness in ways nobody thought imaginable. its not so crazy that this wizard saw the boys potential as the perfect heir for the power of shazam. everyone else would have gotten it wrong.
@@ozziemsmith ya that was the point of his character, being a young child and the only hope for humanity, it's a big job to have on his shoulders but like I said if anyone else was picked instead, they would have failed
@@krazykorean2525 sure but if he wasn't picked then the world would have died anyway so which is really worse
"Who did this to you" that is a beautiful piece of writing.
This was SO powerful for me. It shows that While Supes has an INCREDIBLY high standard of how people with power need to act. He understands how HARD it is to limit your self when you have near Unlimited power.
But it is also what Spawned the Rage in him. To take the Responsibility that Clark him self accepted. And so fully understands and force it on a Child who already has such a hard life. Clark knows where the fault lies. And honestly The Wizard should be thankful that Clark has such high standards. Because magic or not. An enraged superman IS NOT what you want to fight.
"Do better wizard! Now excuse me I have to go talk to this Bruce Wayne guy."😂
The batman adoption addiction strikes again! Lolol
Batman will be like I am not invincible but I am an army. Joking aside Superman cam kill anyone from orbit with his lasers EYES.
@@aaron2557 okay but can we acknowledge the all night daycare he's running recruits child soldiers like an African warlord.
No. Because we don't even acknowledge USA does the same, Israel's arming is nothing but spillover to keep weapon manufacturing cheap like Monsanto corn. All these farm boy veterans who love comics AND THE "service" that they allude to, get subsidy through child violence. But not at their doorstep because in US scale that would mean 600 000 dead in these past 4 months "for the national right to protect itself". Hamas has made no attacks surpassing average US gun violence.
The robins have Batman with them at all times with Alfred included, mentoring them, guiding them and helping them bring justice to society, even when they fail Batman is always there to watch over them, and perhaps someday they might become Gotham's greatest protectors than Batman could ever be.
Unlike them, this kid hero "Shazam" is almost by his lonesome.
Supermans anger is right, but the wizard is old and knows the harsh truth; the world has never cared about sparring a child violence or injustice.
No the wizard knows the harsh truth so he gave Billy the power to change the world.
You cannot live in a perfect fantasy world where everything is okay all the time .
Negativity festers as a balance in the world to get rid of it makes you just as foolish and vulnerable as a pessimist.
Billy coulda been a regular boy watching the world crumble during darkseid invasion, or a causality in black Adams reemergence instead he has the ability to show kids like him hope.
Shazam chose wisely and the character was written wisely long ago.
@narcoticlilac6588 lol soooo you're basically agreeing with me but decided to say "no" 😅
@@yseson_ idk why I said no lol so yea
@@Synical02 😅
This is the real Superman! He might’ve been angry at Billy at first but the second he saw how devastated he was he immediately switched over to trying to comfort him.
That’s what, in my humble opinion, makes Superman a true superhero. Not the super strength, not the ability to fly or any of that. But the fact that he is a genuinely good and caring person.
And for that we can credit the most important people in DC. Jonathan and Martha Kent, the humans who opened their hearts and home to an orphan, refugee alien child.
Supes pre-various reboots was the moral equivalent of Steve Rogers, whose greatest ability was his ability to leverage the might of others by inspiring them. That’s why I hate all of the gritty hero deconstruction, evil turn apocalyptan stories and versions. They just tear dow; they don’t inspire.
@@MrBiggles53 Agreed. Like sure, I like the Infamous storyline as much as anyone *but* it’s supposed to be the shocking exception, not the rule. After all, what makes it so shocking is that it shows the paragon of justice (Superman) being absolutely bent and broken until he becomes a symbol of oppression and tyranny. Not hope and justice.
If every Supes story is about him being an evil tyrant or a complete nihilist that thinks that human lives don’t matter then, well, it doesn’t become shocking anymore now does it?
Agreed being good and caring is something most emo kids these days don't like
When he said Superman was angry when he found out Billy was a child, I was shocked and figured he was mad at Billy. But he was actually mad at the wizard for putting such tremendous responsibility onto a child, and that to me is way more in character for Supes.
I like the fact that he isn't even mad at Billy, but instead incredibly concerned.
Well he should he's just a child this is not Injustice Superman
So what if he's "just a child"? He's worthy. @@Yokyle4356
one of the things i like about DC's takes on captain marvel over the years vs fawcett's take is that DC remembers that billy is a kid for the most part while with the fawcett comics you almost forget that with how mature he acts in those.
the other is that he interacts with junior & mary alot more.
I like the old take on Shazam. The first letter in his name is S, which means the wisdom of Solomon. Lately, I haven't been seeing any wisdom.
@@RevSinkiller i'm reminded of the old argument of "wisdom vs intelligence" or "wisdom =/= intelligence" and the current stuff establishes that the S is the later.
Kids who have to grow up early are more mature. I should know. I had life and death on my shoulders when I was 6.
He holds his tongue for batman tho 😂
Batman already learned his lesson after Jason. He is forced to pick up Tim because he kept doing dangerous stunts like stealing from the Penguin. Batman is just stuck with Damien and blood-thirsty Damien would have run off if he didn't get to be Robin
That is sometimes a point of contention.
When brought up, Batman usually argues that his goal was to prevent the Robins from becoming like him or his villains. All of the Robins are inherently quite talented and formidable in their own right and would turn out to be either a great threat or a great asset if left to their own devices.
Of course, you can say that's a load of bullshit, I think Wonderwoman does at one point.
The difference is batman at least tries to help them
Dick only got a few people looked at him, mostly Gordan. But he was a little ball of sunshine and everyone loved him.
Jason wasn't near a clean, people did worry as he wasn't near as "sunny". Much of that was due to the pain Bruce had put Dick though however.
Tim was a relief to everyone because, after Jason's death, Bruce was going far to hard and Tim mellowed him out.
By the time Damion rolled around, who was going to say anything? If ANYONE needed the structure of being Robin it was the hellspawn.
-Bruce we need to talk about Robin... wait... is that kryptonite brace knuckles... forget about I need to leave
Superman instantly changing pace and going full dad protective mode is so amazing to see. Gotta love Supes
Just look at the Wizard's eyes as he explains his reasoning. He knows it isn't right and that Billy is still just a child, but the world needs a Shazam, and Billy was the only option at that point in time.
That's why he told Superman that Billy needs someone to give him that comfort and advice.
Then that worthinessneeds to be rethinked. A child is NOT a viable option
@paulrasmussen8953 most adults aren't qualified. He tried an adult previously and got Black Adam.
@@sidjones16 yup, he tried to give the apotheosis to someone not as worthy, and it backfired
Superman is so good for this, finally a writer who understands superman. You truly are mature when superman is your favourite character because you understand his point of view and what he stands for
Along side that a writer who also gets captain marvel/shazam, I have seen too many writers make him obnoxious/an idiot because “well he’s a kids in an adults body clearly he’s a moron” and forget the first letter in his name is for the wisdom of Solomon
@@christopherauzenne5023 dc doesnt want him to overshadow supes and hoesntly i always feel that kinda sad
@@steampunk1902even if he overshadows Supes, it doesn't take away the special character type Supes is at least for me, it also helps show how special both are instead of one or the other, I think we need more stories with them like this, maybe even one where Supes decides to just adopt Billy.
@@tabaributler2225 i know honestly the best example of both being on the same league i think its kingdome come
@@steampunk1902 interesting I gotta read that sometime cause I've heard many great things about it. Also, can I ask you a question?
That conversation between supes and the wizard about “the weight of the world should be held by men not boys” it’s one of my favorite exchanges in comics and is underrated.
the "who did this to you" was cold AF
Superman *is* right. And the Wizard *knows* he's right. It's why he tells Superman to help and guide Billy. To be there for him.
There is a piece of my soul that gets touched when I read the words "Who did this to you." I don't even need to see the look on Supes face. As a father I feel that deep, primal urge to protect the young. To visit the one who would hurt a child with the righteous hand of wrath.
His dad energy makes me love big blue even more.
I may think Superman is a bit boring sometimes but honestly it's stuff like this that keeps me invested in him. He's just such a genuine and good person.
Lmao thanks to fanboy down below I retract my statement. he's always boring. Good job.
Thinking Superman is boring shows you don't know the character
@@557deadpool wow cool
Guess I'll just retract what I said. Good job.
Lmao somebody overlooked the entire point of your comment
damn sure hope they have a strong father son relationship and never once supes blows a hole through Billy's skull with his heat vision
If this develepment also happened in the injustice universe, that would make what comes later SO much darker.
Well that was terrible writing. Captain Marvel practically invented invulnerability in comicdom and Superman had to catch up to him.
@@julez4002 actually he didn't, superman did, he was literally invincible, that was his whole thing, but he was an "invincible" man who could still struggle was his whole deal
I love that whenever shazam and superman are mentioned together, someone has to talk about injustice.
I reason it is Billy it because of his inherited goodness. Despite all his strife he remains a caring person. Remember this is his original origin and I believe leaving this out causes Captain Marvel to lose something important.
Batman: clark, hey, its NOT that big of deal. *current robin awkwardly standing there*
Lmao
I mean... as messed up as this might sound, Billy wasn't broken enough to be made into a Robin. His life sucked, for sure, but he wasn't driven to revenge over it. His whole thing was, despite everything, he had a pure heart. Robins tend to have already become rather tainted by the world. Their options are usually become a Robin or become a villain. Ofc, there are exceptions, but none of them were as pure as Billy.
Well Robin has Batman to keep an eye on him. Billy doesn’t have anyone to help him to help guide him and was given a massive burden to carry.
Robin and Shazam stands on two different hills
@@thebluedragon07Oh yeah, I never thought about that, good point.
I love that Superman making the argument gives his grievance that more weight, because he is mister responsible, and the fact that was not swinging at the wizard is impressive
This story is my first thought whenever people get pissy about Clark having emotions, it shows just how good of a guy he is
For all of superman's strength, he still buckles under the weight of the world. His spirit constantly buttered by the thoughts of lives he couldn't save or lives lost due to his mistakes. He's not the man of Steel because of his Strength, but due to his unyielding spirit...
To see a young boy have to endure the pain...
Chris Hansen: "Let's see if I got this right. You are dating Billy, even though he's a 10-year-old kid 50% of the time, right, Courtney?"
Stargirl: "Yep!"
Chris Hansen: "And you, Billy, despite being a 30-year-old man during the other 50% of the time, are dating Courtney, who's 16, right?
Shazam: "Yes, sir."
Chris Hansen: "WHO THE F*CK SHOULD I ARREST HERE?"
Even if you average his age out to 20, it's not ok
@@sylph4252only because despite rounding to 20, he is still just a 10 year old child.
In the comic where they dated Billy was a teen.
@@sylph4252he just gets the body of a fully grown man. He gets the wisdom of Solomon but as the comic continually shows us, wisdom does not equate maturity nor lived experience. Billy batson is a kid
@@Essex121514 i more so ment that even 20 and 16 doesn't mix
When I read “Maybe it’s too dangerous to be Billy Batson anymore.” That just hits so hard and I bet it hit just as hard for Superman as well
Anyone would react the same way as Billy or Superman no matter the age tho. The wizard saw something in Billy he didn’t see in anyone else for a millennia.
Lol Shazam choosing Billy is Like prime Bruce Wayne picking an apprentice 😂
Prime Bruce never ‘chose’ an apprentice. He took Dick Grayson in as his legitimate adopted son. Dick found the batcave and eventually convinced Bruce to let him become Robin.
@@aidanford4285 so. Bruce still had a choice & if he's training him to fight crime ... he's an apprentice 🤷🏾♂️
@@aidanford4285 Yeah, that's still Bruce choosing his apprentice. Bruce could've easily kept Dick (along with all of his other subsequent sidekicks) at home away from his life as Batman but chose to let them fight crime alongside him.
@@wayothefro3249didn’t Tim blackmail him and was an adult when he became robin
@@matthewdeltoro8962 Nah, Tim didn't blackmail Batman. Tim was able to figure out that Bruce Wayne was Batman along with who the Robins were but he didn't blackmail Batman so he could become Robin. At first, Tim didn't even want to be Robin as he instead tried to convince Dick Grayson to return to being Batman's Robin because Tim believes that Batman will always need a Robin. It was only after he failed to convince Dick did Tim become Robin but Batman willingly chose Tim to for the role as Robin, he wasn't forced into it.
"who did this to you" actually teared up fucckk
This hits harder coming from superman. He got to have a normal childhood. And he knows being a super hero can be devastating even for an adult 😢
I think Shazam understood that someone like Billy was kind of the only person he could choose
To be fair, his lastname contains the word batson. He was destined to be a child superhero with an older male person making the kid do it
Superman needs to confront that rich boy in a bat suit about putting children in danger 😂
Nah at this rate we need a new hero to enter the comic scene
CPSman, a man with all the power of child protective services
@@beywheelzhater8930not as scary as irsman who can make you pay your taxes
@@jh23rangers71the joker trembles in fear
@@chocom0nst3r33
@toangreenlow2229 If that is the case, then why hasn't there been a live action Robin in which Robin isn't a teenager or older?
The wisdom of Solomon did jack there. 😂
The Wizard never guides Billy to not be careless and most likely knows that he's incapable of doing so. But it doesn't mean he has to let Billy do what he wants while waiting for the right person to appear. After all, he knows what happened to the last child who he choose as a Champion.
Plus, the Wizard would be aware of Superman and what he can do. So he would at least try to contact him in some way, telling the hero that he requires his helps to guide the future Champion who will have his power.
He gave him the wisdom of Solomon but for some reason it's never used.
Clark's outrage is understandable, but heroes are raised to be heroes, Billy had to go through this to get an additional 10-20 years experience and training over heroes who only started as adults.
The wizard: hey Superman.
Superman: what were you thinking.
The wizard: it was either that or Armageddon.
Superman: he’s just a kid.
The wizard: ok ok, so where were you?
Superman has left the chat.
"Fending of the world ending threat(s) with my team that you weren't around to help with, while you were grooming a kid to fend of threats that weren't even on our door step yet, that we already have Dr Fate and Zatanna on the call for, for when it comes.
Does that about summarize it wizard!?"
-Superman.
Superman..........
You are not the father!!!
right here existing before you even chose the kid
Superman: saving the known universe in a weekly basis
This is the superman I wish we'd see on screen the hero with a heart of gold and morals in the right place
Imo no one is in the wrong here except for the villains, if you think about it Billy’s mom abandoned him when he was a toddler, on top of that the wizard was out of option and the wizard had no other choice and he was running out of option, therefore I don’t blame any of them except for the villains and Billy’s mom
Superman was an option but he chose a child.
Superman? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
No, definitely not him.
However, I agree with the original comment. His mom abandoned him, and villains did him dirty. They're the ones at fault. In fact, how come Superman didn't hear👂🏽the gunshots and stopped the bullets? Supes ain't looking so super.
@@RevSinkiller
Probably because it didn't happen in a vacuum. You're reasoning isn't looking so Super, friend. 😂
Supes certainly heard it but where otherwise preoccupied elsewhere with either natural disasters, alien invasion in a nearby star system, a multitude of supervillans or interdimensional monsters
Infact there's a Superman comic literally about this, where an old woman starts believing supes is an literal guardian angel after he saves her and thinks she's bullet proof because he's unfailingly saved her multiple times as she's willingly put herself in danger and the last time she goes up to face a mob boss directly and his thugs, preaching she's under the protection of the lord and they should stop their wrongdoings, convinced supes will be there.
She gets shot because supes didn't appear this time and Supes could hear them and the gun shot despite being in a different part of the country and held in the grip of a monster he was fighting at the time. It hurt him he could hear her but not be there despite it.
...
And unless you forgot or never learned it before, Supes founded the JLA with Batman for the very reason he Couldn't be everywhere at once despite being Superman.
@guytheincognito4186 exactly my point. Supes is already super. Why would he need the power of Shazam? One super-powered superman in one place, or two equally powered supermen in two different locations doing twice as much? The question really answers itself. 🤔 As James Brown would say, "I'm super-bad." 🦹🏽♂️
@@RevSinkiller
Supes wouldn't be held up as much or as easily as he normally is and has been, had he had that power at his disposal.
Plus, the Wizard could easily just have given it to Nightwing for an example, if just another super was that neccesary.
He would be more than capable handling thar power until Billy was ready to take over. 💁♂️
This is by far one of my favorite comics. It's based in this reality where no other superheroes have made an appearance yet, so you get to see that while Billy is excited to be hanging out with Superman in the beginning, Superman shows that he's letting his guard down to Captain Marvel because he finally has a friend like him. Their relationship starts off similar to an old school book from 60s, into modern character development.
Yeah, I always have a fondness for this & stuff like dc new frontier (where they tell the story of the rise of the era of superheroes). and I especially love how superman & cpt. marvel interact, finally meeting someone with their level of power and general good nature sweet kid demeanor. I always hate stories trying to pit the two together, these are the two biggest boy scouts in dc who love being boy scouts so seeing them let their guard down and just talk about the fun they had is so nice
I agree Superman is right but if he really cared about kids living their lives peacefully and happily he NEEDS to talk at Batman!
He trusts batman
Hey don't come around here talking about logic and accountability
See back in the day it was different. But for superman asking the wizard that it's wrong is not gonna change anything...
Why? Well....yeah, it's time for superman to have a talk with Batman...
if i remember correctly jason was the only one he actually recruited. and look what happened there.
tim & steph volunteered as a teenagers while it's kinda implied that dick would've still gone after his parents killer with or without bruce and damian is a glorified child soldier because of his mom's side of the family.
Wasn't it revealed that all of their lives would have been worse off if they hadn't met batman
I love the ending of the book. Supes just shows up says something like "Hi my name is Clark."
Except, kids instead of doing their homework are dreaming of being Superman.
cuz kids are kids
we all dreamed of being something big
or imagined being powerful or something more :P
Batman: "Uh...you know what? Alfred just texted me, I gotta get back. Later!"
*Clark’s son and superboy* you really want to go there?
Superman is such a kind-hearted dude
"Anyone can cook" - Chef Gusteau
"Anyone can be a hero" -A somebody
No adult gets to decide when a kid grows up, even in the real world. A worthy person is a worthy PERSON, no age specified.
Man I love when the writers actually like superman
I love Superman for this because he doesn’t care if he has to put his body on the line if it’s for the right reasons and especially children he will never hesitate to put himself in harms way which is 1 of the reasons why I love him because it don’t matter if he’s against all odds he’s Superman he has no limits and he’s just so kind and such a Boy Scout
Honestly, there are two points to this Superman point where obviously anyone with half of a brain cell realize Superman just trying to look out for the child and make sure that they grow up without turmoil like all I don’t know losing your best friend to gunfire you know something something that happens to most people of😓 but on the other hand, the wizard is part of a fantasy story, and he saw that Billy was the only one worthy of the power, because he tried giving that power to someone else that he believed was worthy and then we have Tith Adam, so honestly, there are two points to this, but I actually have a bit leaning towards Superman even though I know perfect the story needs Billy to be Shazam
That's why Billy was a teenager in the older comics from the 1970s and the 70s TV show.
“Who are you?”
“A friend.”
Honest thought "Did he ever go off on Batman like that?"
No, because Superman doesn't generate money.
Even if he does, what makes you think Bruce would listen? 😭
Writers never do it
Never really had a valid reason too, most of the kids basically forced Bruce’s hand, and in most situations he is a good guardian, alongside Alfred, but even if Bruce continued to deny them they would’ve turned out just like him or end up dead trying to get back at those who hurt them, logically you could also bring up therapy but it’s comics and beating up genuinely terrible people is considered therapeutic in the comic book world
Oh so it's okay now but the wizard choosing the literal best candidate for the power it's wrong and bad you know what that is it's hypocrisy @@kvngjaygamez2570
I like how superman treated billy like an abused child.
Easily one of if not the best iteration of superman. This book encapsulated everything we know and love about him all in one place.
as a neurodivergent person shazam is relatable in a very constructive way, it is someone who was left on their own with great responsibility but no understanding of his power, like someone who has a difficult time developing socially or personally. Billy as a character is often looked as the holder of a mantle (and injustice cuz yes im edging harder) which is shazam rather than shazam that is in the possession of billy. Imagine if Naruto straight up had access to every single hokage and even fuckin goku, so yeah goated superman writing tho.
I really, really hope that by 'eding' you meant 'being edgy'
You literally described a good chunk of superheroes. Spiderman and even Superman will fit into that description if you swap their names for Billy's.
@@just2botheruspider-man and superman have an pretty good understanding of their power and their responsibility, their struggle is just *handling* it. Also neither of them or any other superhero would be the child in a room having to pretend they know how to act socially around adults
@@just2botheru Spiderman is more correlated to the control and understanding of his power. He is aware that with great power comes great responsibility. Billy never had an Uncle Ben to tell him that, he had nobody. I mean u can make an argument for superman but he is the neurotypical version of Shazam. He had loving and caring parents, a home, a future that he knew he had control over. There is one thing knowing the power you have and what it can do and then using that power appropriately, There is another thing not knowing anything and hoping that you'll make the right decision while not knowing what right or wrong is. Which is why you'll see Billy looking for the approval of others around him more than his own approval.
Clark being a father figure to every kid character is wholesome.
Yup, totally on Sups' side here. Even in a TTGO episode the wizard gets asked why an orphan an he just says "Bc... reasons..."
To fair to the Wizard, giving that kind of power to an ADULT in the DC universe would be a very bad idea. I think only a child could grow to weild that power correctly.
You think a child wouldn't try doing something crazy and stupid with it😂😂😂😂
@@Retro-Design-4033better that then doing something cruel and calculated, sometimes naivete is the blessing a cruel world needs
@@Retro-Design-4033 well they haven't there's literally comic runs making your point useless
@@arlokloiber2715you think a kid wouldn't abuse the fuck out a power that turns them into a god and changes their face so they could avoid consequences?
@@calvintyler9281 just because kids cant feel as much empathy as an adult could, doesn't mean the are psychos
He was chose not for being a kid, but THE Kid, the booger didn't turn evil when he could've, he rocks
"Who did this to you"
And that's Superman ♥
That is why i love Superman. Cause yes he is going after Shazam to check in, then redirect the anger.
"Who did this to you?!"
"Batman."
"Oh...carry on."
He gave the mantle to someone that would have a life time to master and come to terms with his power and his time was running out
Loved the JLU episode about Shazam's brief era in the League and his tense relationship with Superman. The entire plot of that episode was basically this:
Billy Batson: "How many times do i have to tell you?! I have no political affiliations!"
Superman: "Sure? Then explain me THIS" *Shows him a MAGA shirt*
Billy Batson: "1. That shirt is 5 sizes too big for me. 2. The label clearly says "Property of Wally West." 3. THE F*CK IS MAGA?!"
You clearly didn't understand that episode at all.
@@harlannguyen4048
Dude, I am just joking.
@@TetsuShima Sorry. Given the current state of society, you never know when someone makes unironicly stupid takes.
WTF is MAGA? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm still trying to figure that out myself, Billy. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
tf is maga
"Your best friend?" Clark straight up was about to go Chris Hansen mode
"I actually think superman is kinda in the right here" DUH
No he is not. Most most super heroes were children at some point. Many started their journey and training at a young age superman included. Also Billy was picked because of his purity and innocent state of mind. Black Adam is the prime example of that power being given to an adult. Billy has especially before DC and in the truer displays within DC shows greater maturity than the adults. Even in this story he does not kill the villian in a blind rage, though he wanted to. We know superman has a whole universe dedicated to him in the same position, also let's not forget green lanterns, flash, batman, and wonderwoman.
Superman really grilled Saruman here 💀