Shazam! is a call to action for Billy Batson to let loose..
Captain Marvel!!!
Shazam! is a call to action for Billy Batson to let loose..
Captain Marvel!!!
Apparently Billy, Mary and Freddy were not enough for C. C. Beck, and Otto Binder, who added the Lieutenantst; Tall Billy, Fat Billy and Hill Billy who along with Mary and Freddy, he shared the power with since the 40s
Johns just added some color updated them to Eugene, Darla and Pedro.
What has always made Billy unique was his ability to share the power with them all, with a family.
Sorry you don't like it, it's a terrific part of the franchise. I love the new Lieutenants!
Last edited by Güicho; 03-27-2019 at 05:05 AM.
I can see why he called them Rangers. They're colour coded like the Power Rangers. We need official names, dammit!
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I still say they don't count though. That's like saying Bizzaro and the superman robots should be major parts of the franchise because of course they existed... The lieutenants existed, but were VERY VERY rare... The DC database lists them as EIGHT appearances. So somebody decided that it was cool to have more lieutenants... then immediately backtracked and said Nope... that didn't work. We'll save them for wacky once a decade stories...
Based on that... we've already seen more of THIS family then we ever saw of Fat tall and hill Billy's. So I just can't get behind their minor existence being a precedent for crowding the book like this.
King Shazam is probably a nod to Kingdom Come, right? Where Freddy was King Marvel?
As far as the names made a few suggestions way back when - https://community.cbr.com/showthread...=1#post3869352
https://community.cbr.com/showthread...=1#post3567255
If Freddy is King (besides the Kingdom Come Elvis nod) they could all go by Chess designations: King, Queen, Bishop Knight, Rook.
Although they are not using Marvel, there is no reason they can't still use Captain, and by extension expand on this with the others whimsically all taking Military rank designations, Billy obviously still be Captain, the others different ranks; Lieutenant, Major, General, Admiral, etc... I can see kids having fun with this.
Combine the Rank with their respective power attributes: Power, Courage, Wisdom, Strength, Stamina, Speed.
Another suggestion was just easily referencing their respective Deity Namesakes: Hercules, Zeus, Mercury, etc..
Or even further (to the horror of some here) fully embrace the Power-Rangers motif using their color designations: Red, Green, Blue, ... etc. Or again the rank or attribute combined wit their color .
All fun!
Also Johns so far is having great fun with it: and the kids debating what name to go by, pretty much their own discussions mirror several ones we had here.
Although I can't remember anyone suggesting Captain Sparkles! Or the Sparkly Friends ! LOL
Last edited by Güicho; 03-27-2019 at 06:59 AM.
Agree with this.
Even when he was Captain Marvel... He was usually referred to as "The Captain" or "Captain" or even "Cap"... That could TOTALLY make a comeback. It would still stink a bit that he lost his 'Marvel'... but I was a big supporter of the "Captain Thunder" name that's been used in the past and just call him Captain for short. Still has that same 'Feel' that Shazam just doesn't have.
The funny thing is that there was one issue of Carol Danver's books were she was communing with different Captain Marvel(s), across time and space, with some being her doppelganger, which featured every version of "Captain Marvel"...including DC's (though you could only see a leg with the familiar colors.
Go go Shazam Rangers! Mighty Morphin' Shazam Rangers!
There's a surrpsiing amount of British ripoffs too in addition to the better known Marvelman. Ace Heart, Masterman, Electroman, Thunderbolt Jaxon, Captain Miracle the other Miracleman and even Bananaman.
The British loved their Captain Marvel homages.