Darla, Eugene and Pedro and/or the Lieutenant Marvels ? Which Worked better ?

[Adekis]

But Darla, Eugene and Pedros should be the Lt. Shazam.
I mean, "Marvel" is a word forbidden in DC.

But without Billy having "Captain" in his alter-ego's name, the "Lt." doesn't really make sense, nor would any other rank. For a while I considered the old appellation of "Mary Marvel: The Shazam Girl" for Mary Marvel, which dates back to the Golden Age, could work, with Mary being Shazam Girl and Freddy being Shazam Boy, but then I realized that their ages change so they're all adults, so that obviously doesn't work either.

But the movie does something weird and interesting that mostly solves the problem for me. It calls Billy's alter ego "Red Cyclone" at multiple points. Why not just apply that to everyone? Freddy can be Blue Cyclone, Darla is Purple Cyclone, Eugene is Black Cyclone, and Pedro is Green Cyclone. Of course, sadly both Billy and Mary's costumes are red. Maybe she could be White Cyclone if she went back to the white costume?

Obviously DC isn't going to do absolutely any of this crap, so it's just my own thought experiment, based mostly on the fact that the movie like, goes out of its way not to call Billy's alter ego any recognizable thing in any diegetic source, excepting that at the end Billy seems to regard "Shazam" as his name. Still, nobody ever calls him that, and the credits just call the adult versions of the other family members "Super Hero Freddy," "Super Hero Pedro" and so on, which is just clunky.

... also Freddy didn't once mention a vehement hatred for Nazis or a love of Elvis in the movie, and I'm just a little annoyed with both absences.

[Dr. Poison]

I'll take Darla(LOVE HER), Eugene, and Pedro over the Lt. Marvels.

[Jim Kelly]

I prefer that they call each other by their real names, except when they're superheroing in public--then they can use funny names for each other--like Red Cheese, Green Cheese, Blue Cheese. For short, they might call Billy their Captain, because he's the captain of the team. And the others might take military titles, too, such as Caballero for Pedro (a Spanish military rank).

[Thor-Ul]

I prefer that they call each other by their real names, except when they're superheroing in public--then they can use funny names for each other--like Red Cheese, Green Cheese, Blue Cheese. For short, they might call Billy their Captain, because he's the captain of the team. And the others might take military titles, too, such as Caballero for Pedro (a Spanish military rank).

Depending on the context, "Caballero" means Sir, mister or knight,but it isn't a military rank,only could be in an honorific way. Pedro could be a teniente, cabo, sargento.

[Jim Kelly]

Caballero Alférez Cadete = Officer Cadet.

[Güicho]

This has been brought up in the main SHAZAM appreciation thread; Sadly many don't know the history of the Thrill comics Captain Thunder ashcan copy.

But the movie does something weird and interesting that mostly solves the problem for me. It calls Billy's alter ego "Red Cyclone" at multiple points. ... Still, nobody ever calls him that, and the credits just call the adult versions of the other family members "Super Hero Freddy," "Super Hero Pedro" and so on, which is just clunky.

The movie had more than just Red Cyclone...
Of course Captain Sparkle Fingers! And More!
When Freddy uploads all SHAZAMS! deeds to Youtube, you see many of his alternate name suggestions:
*Captain Thunder! (actually his original Thrill Comics ashcan name (See image above), often invoked by DC, and one of the most popular alternatives)
Champion
Thundercrack!
Sir Zaps-Allot!
Mr. Philadelphia (both the new book and film take place in Philly)
Power Boy
Red Cyclone
Maximum Voltage
ZAP-tain America!
Human Powerstorm
Chosen One
So-called Perfect Man
And many more...



And that's not just the movie, the book has allot of fun with alternate names too. -
Captain Sparkles
The Lightning League
The Thunder Squad
The Sparkly Friends
The Super Sorcerers
The Philadelphia Wizards
The Magic Men
https://community.cbr.com/showthread...=1#post4275443

And also made several similar suggestions going way back...; )

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

[Castling]

I prefer the new kids. They're just better characters.

[Digifiend]

But without Billy having "Captain" in his alter-ego's name, the "Lt." doesn't really make sense, nor would any other rank. For a while I considered the old appellation of "Mary Marvel: The Shazam Girl" for Mary Marvel, which dates back to the Golden Age, could work, with Mary being Shazam Girl and Freddy being Shazam Boy, but then I realized that their ages change so they're all adults, so that obviously doesn't work either.

But the movie does something weird and interesting that mostly solves the problem for me. It calls Billy's alter ego "Red Cyclone" at multiple points. Why not just apply that to everyone? Freddy can be Blue Cyclone, Darla is Purple Cyclone, Eugene is Black Cyclone, and Pedro is Green Cyclone. Of course, sadly both Billy and Mary's costumes are red. Maybe she could be White Cyclone if she went back to the white costume?

Obviously DC isn't going to do absolutely any of this crap, so it's just my own thought experiment, based mostly on the fact that the movie like, goes out of its way not to call Billy's alter ego any recognizable thing in any diegetic source, excepting that at the end Billy seems to regard "Shazam" as his name. Still, nobody ever calls him that, and the credits just call the adult versions of the other family members "Super Hero Freddy," "Super Hero Pedro" and so on, which is just clunky.

Shazam Girl would still work as Mary's codename. Batgirl and Hawkgirl are adults. The other four would be colour Shazam, so Blue Shazam for Freddy, etc.

Hopefully the movie was just using Super Hero name as a way of not revealing codenames before the comics do. I'm sure they'll get names eventually. How else could they maintain a secret identity? Got to call each other something other then their real names!

[Güicho]

This has been brought up in the main SHAZAM appreciation thread; Sadly many don't know the history of the Thrill comics Captain Thunder ashcan copy.


+

Pedro's suggestion I posted above ^ Captain Thunder and "The Thunder Squad" speaks the most to me.
They can easily still use Captain (not owned by Marvel) + Thunder, as was his original ashcan (secured for copyright) name.
Captain Thunder.
This has been used by DC themselves when first appropriating the character, (look it up Superman #276 https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20081230023026) invoked by Morrison in Multivercity, and others.
Further Captain Thunder and the Thunder Squad, invokes Shazam's old Fawcett Squadron of Justice, although here applied to his new team.
Also Squadron keeps the whimsical military ranking, kids would play with.
Also in a squadron Billy can still be Captain, and the other Lieutenants.
Or even as I suggested all invoke their random military ranks for themselves + the word Thunder.
Captain Thunder
Lieutenant Thunder, Major thunder, General thunder, Admiral Thunder and all the Thunder Squad etc.

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.

[scary harpy]

First of all, they should be able to say Shazam! without changing.

Only when they say Shazam! with the intent of changing, then they should change.

Second, individual codenames.

Billy: Shazam

Freddy: Blue Thunder

Mary: Ms Shazam

Darla: Zephyr

Eugen: Electrum

Pedro: Green Fury

[Ascended]

I thought they had a really interesting take on them in Thunderworld. Billy, Freddy and Mary all had powers, but Fat Billy, Tall Billy and Hill Billy (and Uncle Dudley and Tawky Tawny) all just wore Captain Marvel costumes and jetpacks. They may have been armed with laser guns.

Did they? I do not remember that at all! Been ages since I read Multiversity!

I like the idea a lot though.

I could see it as a kind of "superhero neighborhood watch" yknow? With the Shazamily having several magic realms to explore and protect, who's gonna take care of Philly when they're gone? Dudley and the Billys could pick up that slack. The tech and a more classic/military costume helps set them apart from the actual superpowered heroes, it keeps them on the lower end of the "powers" scale, which would fit the "neighborhood watch" concept......yeah, it could work and be quite interesting.

You'd have to adjust the Billys. I mean, three kids all named Billy Batson is such a weird, stupid thing only comics could get away with it and pull it off, but I think some adjustments and updates would be a must. At the very, absolute least, have each of them go by a different variant or nickname; William, Will, etc. Were they all brothers originally? I feel like they weren't but making them all related (cousins?) would also help make the last name make more sense (especially if it were Watson instead of Batson; the Willy Watsons?)

[Jim Kelly]

I think Bat-Son is a great name for a DC character--even better than Gray-Son.

[Adekis]

Did they? I do not remember that at all! Been ages since I read Multiversity!

I like the idea a lot though.

I could see it as a kind of "superhero neighborhood watch" yknow? With the Shazamily having several magic realms to explore and protect, who's gonna take care of Philly when they're gone? Dudley and the Billys could pick up that slack. The tech and a more classic/military costume helps set them apart from the actual superpowered heroes, it keeps them on the lower end of the "powers" scale, which would fit the "neighborhood watch" concept......yeah, it could work and be quite interesting.

You'd have to adjust the Billys. I mean, three kids all named Billy Batson is such a weird, stupid thing only comics could get away with it and pull it off, but I think some adjustments and updates would be a must. At the very, absolute least, have each of them go by a different variant or nickname; William, Will, etc. Were they all brothers originally? I feel like they weren't but making them all related (cousins?) would also help make the last name make more sense (especially if it were Watson instead of Batson; the Willy Watsons?)

Thunderworld is such a self-consciously and deliberately cartoony world though, I don't think you need to change their name. If they're not named Billy Batson, there's no reason for Billy even to know them!

[Jim Kelly]

If all the Jim Kellys in the world could get super-powers by saying a magic word that would be pretty neat. There are a lot of us.