More obscure Shazam/Captain characters

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Hey!

I was wondering if anyone could give any background info on some of the more obscure Shazam
characters.

In particular, I’d like to know more about Uncle Dudley (he seems to be the preferred guardian for Billy, but I can’t find much about him) and Uncle Ebenezer (please tell me karma hit him as hard as he hit Billy!).

If there’s anyone else you think was good and doesn’t get enough attention, I’d like to hear about them, too.

[Jim Kelly]

Originally, Uncle Dudley was a con artist who hung around Mary Bromfield to begin with, as he said he was her uncle but he wasn't. He knew she was Mary Marvel and pretended to be a Marvel himself. When Mary and the others said the magic word, he would use the lightning storm as cover to change into a Marvel outfit. However, as he had no actual super-powers, he claimed that his Shazambago was acting up. When the Marvel Family got their own title, he joined the group. The others all seemed to know he wasn't the real thing, but they humoured him. And he had long given up on the big con--because he loved them. However, he wasn't the most trustworthy person.

[Güicho]

Also Uncle Ebenezer, his real uncle, who stole the orphaned Billy's inheritance and threw Billy out on the street.
Would later return, himself now destitute. He tries to out the (adopted)Uncle Dudley as a fraud.

[Güicho]

Fun observation: The 70's SHAZAM TV show, Billy was pared up with a new created for the show unnamed character "Mentor", with who he traveled around in a motor-home. Who was kind of like Uncle Dudley, but wasn't.
So while the TV show was airing, in the comics, they re-purposed Uncle Dudley, to be more like "Mentor", they even gave them a motor-home to travel around in, blurring the lines even more.







LOL EDIT: Jim Kelly, our minds totally went to the same place (and time) .

[Jim Kelly]

In the 1970s, with the Saturday morning TV show, SHAZAM!--there was a new character introduced, called Mr. Mentor. To make this fit (somewhat) in continuity with the comic book, SHAZAM!, E. Nelson Bridwell and Kurt Schaffenberger gave Uncle Dudley a new suit of clothes and a moustache and had him take on the role of mentor to Billy. It doesn't really make sense that Uncle Dudley could be as wise as Les Tremayne's Mr. Mentor--but it was a serviceable enough compromise.

[Güicho]

I'd love it if the hybrid ^ version of "Uncle/Mentor" showed up in the new continuity as an old friend of the Vazquez's:
Arriving at the Vazquez's foster home, with Freckles, and inviting Billy and the kids to go on a summer vacation adventure with them, in the motor-home (nothing creepy), and the kids inevitably adopt him as uncle.

[Güicho]

I was wondering if anyone could give any background info on some of the more obscure Shazam
characters.

As far as other heroes from the Fawcett universe....

Brought this up a few times in the CAPTAIN MARVEL / SHAZAM APPRECIATON thread- http://community.comicbookresources....47#post1637947
I'd love to see Billy Shazam/Captain Marvel put together Shazam's Squadron of Justice / Fawcett City Crusaders.
Using updates of this team.

LOL! THanks!




Definitely! Would love to see them all updated and revisited.
Rather than continue to be an afterthought joiner of the JL, answering to Superman and Batman,
I'd rather see SHAZAM start and lead his own team.



AKA The Fawcett City Crusaders

I'd actually prefer if he (put together) and joined this group of heroes, instead of being an afterthought joiner of the JL, where he answers to Superman, or worse Batman, pending their approval.
It's an attitude that has kept the character back, since DC acquired him.
Instead of further developing (and updating) his corner of the DCU, where he is the definitive champion.

Art ^ not mine, except for a few updates : Made the Bulleteers, more Rocketeer like. And added a female descendant for Mr. Scarlet, now Ms Scarlet.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

I like the idea of using both uncles as foils for each other, with Ebenezer being a respected member of society but secretly being a slime ball who’s responsible for Billy’s past trauma and insecurities, while Dudley is looked down on for being a goof and ex con artist (maybe even having spent a stint in prison), but genuinely caring about the kids and keeping an eye of for them, even if he can be a bit inept.

Which of course leads to a clash of wills, where we could find out Dudley’s not as inept as he might seem.

[Gamma Burst]

I love Bulettman/Bulletgirl and Spy Smasher! Great characters.

[Gamma Burst]

I love Bulettman/Bulletgirl and Spy Smasher! Great characters.

[Buried Alien]

Sadly, one obscure SHAZAM supporting character who is better off forgotten is Steamboat, a sidekick of Billy's/Captain Marvel's who appeared in the Golden Age WHIZ COMICS and, unfortunately, was every racist stereotype about African-Americans in the mid-20th Century embodied in one character.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jim Kelly]

The odd thing is Mighty Adam aka Teth Adam aka Black Adam only made one appearance in the original Fawcett publishing history of Captain Marvel. That was the first issue of THE MARVEL FAMILY. He's a great villain, but the Marvels had arch foes that made multiple appearances in the Fawcett comics--the Sivana family, Mr. Mind, Mr. Atom, IBAC, King Kull, Captain Nazi, the Crocodile-Men and several Japanese raciist stereotypes.

[Buried Alien]

The odd thing is Mighty Adam aka Teth Adam aka Black Adam only made one appearance in the original Fawcett publishing history of Captain Marvel. That was the first issue of THE MARVEL FAMILY. He's a great villain, but the Marvels had arch foes that made multiple appearances in the Fawcett comics--the Sivana family, Mr. Mind, Mr. Atom, IBAC, King Kull, Captain Nazi, the Crocodile-Men and several Japanese raciist stereotypes.

I'd like to see King Kull make a big comeback. He was one of the most prominent Pre-COIE SHAZAM villains, but has rarely been seen Post-COIE.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Güicho]

Edit: Replying to this in the Captain Marvel / Shazam Appreciation thread.
That's where the magic is.

http://community.comicbookresources....=1#post3822843

[Kaijudo]

Another obscure hero: Golden Arrow. Expert archer who rides a horse. Was originally thought to be an Old West character but shared an adventure with Captain Marvel and Spy Smasher without a time-travel element, so he must've been contemporary (for the 1940s) and just operating in more rural areas on the southwest.

goldenarrow.jpg