Warning: Spoilers for Shazam #16!An early ally of the DC Comics hero ShazamKnown as Captain Marvel Jr., was depicted in rock legend elvis’ Biopic As an influence on the future star – and now the character has made a triumphant return, taking on a new persona for a new era, “The Commander”, which reflects Shazam’s evolution in “The Captain.”
Shazam #16 – Written by Josie Campbell, with art by Dan McDaid – iintroduced the hero’s final codename, settling decades of dispute over the character’s name by officially dubbing him the CommanderIn a move that will hopefully inaugurate a new era of Elvis’ underappreciated favourite.
Many people may not realize that Elvis Presley, who helped make rock ‘n’ roll a staple in America between the 1950s and ’70s, was a comic book fan and collector – and he had a special affinity for the hero. like “Captain” Marvel Jr.” At the time.
Elvis Presley’s favorite hero “Captain Marvel Jr.” Officially becomes the commander
Shazam #16 – Written by Josie Campbell; Art by Dan McDaid, Roberto Poggi, & Trish Mulvihill; Cover art by Gleb Melnikov
DC is in the midst of reinvigorating the Shazam character for the modern era of the DC Universe, first beginning during DC’s Dawn and now heading into the All-In era. Along with making the main hero and his Billy Batson secret identity separate and conflicting personalities, another massive change is renaming Shazam the Captain. It was the culmination of a long, tumultuous legal battle in DC over the right to use his namewhich dragged on for tens of years.
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Shazam #6 reminds readers that by extension, the captain’s legal problems regarding his origin
Captain Marvel’s name also meant legal trouble for the character of Captain Marvel Jr. The namesake refers to the superhero alter ego of Billy’s friend, Freddie Freeman. After suffering a serious injury, he was taken to the wizard Shazam, who gave Freddy his own powers, and the boy then adopted the name of Captain Marvel Jr. Now, however, Freddie explained to a news reporter that He will now go under the pseudonym of the commander.
The tricky legal history of the “Captain Marvel” codename, explained
Marvel vs. DC – in the courtroom
The legal troubles surrounding the Captain Marvel name date back to the creation of the Shazam character in 1940 for Fawcett Comics. During this time, believe it or not, Captain Marvel’s popularity overtook Superman’s, making Shazam the biggest superhero comic book character of the era, at least for a short span. Ironically, a lawsuit over the similarities between Captain Marvel and Superman led the rights to the Captain Marvel name, likeness and character to be transferred from Fawcett Comics to DC Comics.
[The] Freddy Freeman character is reintroduced to DC Comics continuity… something Elvis Presley would be thrilled about.
Unfortunately for DC, they got the rights to Captain Marvel at a time when Marvel Comics had already created a character named Captain Marvel under their banner. This created a whole new legal battle over which company should have the rights to the “Captain Marvel” name. It’s a feud that both Marvel and DC poke fun at now, but it was a serious matter for both parties at the time. Ultimately, Marvel won in court, and as a result, DC could no longer use the name Captain Marvel for their Captain Marvel character.
This led to DC’s Captain Marvel being renamed “Shazam,” after the phrase that protagonist Billy Batson uttered about becoming a superhero. In his current ongoing series, titled ShazamThe hero took to using the moniker “The Captain,” a nod to his origins. This makes it fitting that Freddy Freeman’s character was reintroduced to DC Comics continuity and given a similar new name, The Commander.Opening the door to a big return to prominence for the character – something Elvis Presley would be thrilled about.
Elvis Presley’s Love For Captain Marvel Jr., Explained
An insight into his collection
Elvis Presley was an avid comic book reader, with his comic book collection still preserved at his home in Graceland. Notable among his collection are issues of the Captain Marvel Jr. Series. Even in Baz Luhrmann Elvis In the movie, the musician’s adoration for the character is expressed in a scene where as a young boy, Elvis is depicted casually reading an issue of Captain Marvel Jr., a character that not everyone knows how important it was to Elvis to find his identity. More than just being a fan, Captain Marvel Jr. was a major source of inspiration for Elvis.
To whatever extent Elvis was influenced by Captain Marvel Jr., his fandom is a powerful example of how intertwined rock music and comics have been since the beginning of both forms of entertainment.
Captain Marvel Jr.’s influence on Elvis is evident from the moment readers look at Freddy’s old selfAs both entertainers sport a similar appearance. Elvis would adopt a signature jumpsuit, elaborately designed with a red cape, not unlike Captain Marvel Jr. One can also note similarities between Elvis and Freddie’s slicked-back jet-black hair with a signature curl. Elvis never officially confirmed Captain Marvel Jr.’s influence on his aesthetic on record, but the similarities are strong enough that astute observers can identify the parallels.
The crossover between rock ‘n’ roll and comic books is a fascinating intersection of American pop culture history, and to whatever extent Elvis was influenced by Captain Marvel Jr., his fandom is a powerful example of how intertwined rock music and comics have been ever since. . The origin of both forms of entertainment. DC bringing the character back and repackaging him under a new, legally-sound name shows that they recognize the importance of the character, and believe that he can find renewed popularity among readers.
The Significance of Captain Marvel Jr.’s New Role as “The Commander”
The dawn of a new era
In the midst of previous legal battles, Captain Marvel Jr. followed suit with his opponent and became Shazam Jr. Sure, he’ll always be connected to the Captain as a member of the Shazam family, but there’s something about the original hero’s best friend taking his name and calling himself Junior that reads like, at best, lazy, and at worst, Demining. To Freddy’s Hero’s Journey. The younger adage practically suggests that he is somehow less than, compared to the original.
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It’s also just a little weird for someone who isn’t Shazam’s son to call himself Shazam Jr. Just being related to Shazam, opening the door for a new era of storytelling for the commander to prove himself as more than just a Shazam family member. This could be the start of something new for the captain’s friend, And a way to modernize elvis’ Favorite comic character.
Shazam #16 Will be available October 2, 2024 from DC Comics.