Remembering Artist Kurt Schaffenberger

Remembering artist Kurt Schaffenberger on his birthday (December 15, 1920 - January 24, 2002) with another ending, the covers for the last two issues of Marvel Family (#88 and #89, October 1953 and January, 1954)...the last appearances of Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. before they showed up in Shazam! #1 at DC!

Happy 4th Of July With The Marvel Family

Celebrate the 4th of July with family...the Marvel Family, that is, as Freddy, Billy and Mary play the fife and drum on this cover to Marvel Family #23 (May, 1948) (likely by Pete Costanza) in their super identities of Captain Marvel Jr, Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel. 

Inside the issue, the Marvel Family deals with the Sivana Family, Captain Marvel deals with a distant relative of Thor, and more stories with Junior and Mary!

JSA Vs The Marvel Family Crisis In WWII

To be fair, even though this issue involved heroes from different Earths, there was no Crisis here.  But, what the issues did have was a historic meeting, with members of the greatest hero team of World War II meeting with the youngsters who had the power of Shazam, all within the confines of the retroactive continuity of the All-Star Squadron, which, meant that this meeting was taking place while many Earths were facing the threat of World War II!

Thunder Over London

The story all started in All-Star Squadron #36 (August, 1984, by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Richard Howell, with cover by Buckler and Jerry Ordway), with some of the members of the Justice Society of America (Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, Superman and Wonder Woman) watching a newsreel about a new "Super-Nazi" causing havoc over London...and even besting London's protector, the Shining Knight! 

All set to charge off to face this new menace, Plastic Man instead shows up to get the heroes to meet with the President instead, as Superman sees at a newsstand that this new menace resembles the comic book hero, Captain Marvel (and charges off to England anyway).  The other heroes still head to the White House (just missing a boy with a crutch and a young girl).  In Germany, Hitler plans with his new pawn, this Captain Marvel, how best to attack the allies (and that Hitler has Billy Batson prisoner....but, how?  Doesn't Captain Marvel come into existence in place of Billy when Billy says Shazam?  Why is he working with the Nazis?  What is that Spear of Destiny). 

FDR meets with the other heroes and sends them after Superman.  In England, Superman meets the recovering Shining Knight, and then goes to fight Captain Marvel.  The Superman vs. Captain Marvel battle goes evenly, with Captain Marvel retreating, but thankfully the JSA shows up to stop Superman from following (which would have led him into the mystic barrier Hitler set up with the Spear of Destiny that would allow Hitler to take control of any magic based or magic vulnerable hero, like Superman).  The heroes land in London, where they meet Freddy and Mary (the young boy and girl), who say their magic words and become....Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel!

Lightning In Berlin

All-Star Squadron #37 (September, 1984 by Roy Thomas, Arvell Jones and Richard Howell, with cover by Rick Hoberg and Jerry Ordway) picks up where the last issue left off....with Superman, upset from his battle with Captain Marvel, thinks about attacking the two younger Marvels, until Batman convinces him to stop (though Green Lantern and Junior and Wonder Woman and Mary skirmish a little as Superman doesn't quickly stop).  Mary explains how she just got her powers (in a world where they aren't comic book characters) and the three Marvels were flying when Captain Marvel disappeared.  Mary and Junior went to the old Wizard (Shazam) at the Rock of Eternity, who gave them enough information to track Cap here, and they were looking for help.  The heroes plan to go to Germany, but Mary and Junior change back to Mary and Freddy, and only Batman, Flash, Hawkman and Plastic Man can go to Germany (as magic heroes would fall under Hitler's Spear of Destiny spell).

At Hitler's headquarters, the heroes find Billy Batson...and are found by Hitler and Captain Marvel!  Hitler explains that he had his scientist, Hans Gootsden bring Captain Marvel to this Earth, and split Billy from Cap, with Cap under Hitler's control.  Gootsden does the same to Mary and Freddy, taking control of the Shazam powered Mary and Junior. 

The now controlled Marvel Family take a bomb from Hitler's arsenal, with the plan to fly and drop it on London.  The heroes  and alter egos escape, following along to London, where they are shot down.  Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern stop the bomb and fight Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr....and looks like the heroes nearly lose.  Meanwhile, the others are nearly shot...until the previous six show up and save them (inexplicably, the Marvel Family fell out of Hitler's influence...by flying Billy, Mary and Freddy out of Hitler's Spear of Destiny control).  The evil plan defeated, Billy guesses that if the three Marvels and their alter egos all say their magic words, they'd go home and be restored to normal....which they do (and readers guess they did!), as the JSAers and Plastic Man head home.

Green Lantern does learn that Cap was okay, as he ends up on Captain Marvel's Earth during World War II (and the Crisis On Infinite Earths, soon after the JSA was sent into hyperspace by Harbinger), and much later, after the Earths start to get designations (starting with the first JLA/JSA crossover), the Earth-1 Superman and Earth-S Captain Marvel meet as well.  This caps a little review, and a rare Earth to Earth crossover that did not involve Earth-1, but Earth-2 and Earth-S!

JLA JSA Fourth Multiple Crisis

More worlds for the discovery, as the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America make their way through another batch of team-ups.

These two teams from different Earths find their way together, and go to other Earths as well....and to other times!

Where On Earth Am I?

The first JLA/JSA team up this time around is Justice League of America #123 (October, 1975) by Cary Bates, Elliot S. Maggin, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin, under a cover by Ernie Chan.

This issue starts with Cary and Elliot trying to plot an issue of Justice League of America for Julie Schwartz (yes, it is a trip to Earth-Prime, where the JLA are only comic book heroes).  Fooling around, Cary gets transported to Earth-2 on the Cosmic Treadmill, with Elliot getting help from Julie to do it himself.  Cary ends up meeting the JSA and developing super powers, while Elliot ends up on Earth-1, and is found by the JLA (and the Flash/Barry Allen helps convince them to listen to him).  Cary uses his new powers to face the JSA and defeat them, while Elliot and the JLA figure that Cary must have ended up on Earth-2, so they go there, and end up on an aircraft carrier...

...fighting the Injustice Society of the World (Wizard, Gambler, Icicle, Sportsmaster, Huntress and new member, the Shade)!

The JLA defeat them easily....to find that they were the JSA (Johnny Thunder, Hourman, Robin, Wildcat, Wonder Woman and Dr. Mid-Nite).


Who is responsible for this?

"Why, none other than that little old plot twister -- ME!" says Cary Bates.

Avenging Ghosts Of The Justice Society

Elliot S. Maggin, Cary Bates, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin serve up part two in Justice League of America #124 (November, 1975).

The JSA are dead from their battle with the JLA, and Cary Bates is continuing his crime spree for the ISW.  Feeling guilty, the JLA members are working to help Earth-2, while Cary goes to get Elliot to lure in the JLA, while ghostly spirit of vengeance JSA member the Spectre gets permission from God to resurrect the JSA with the Ring of Life (which he does during a battle with the ISW).  The heroes defeat the villains...and the writers go home to Earth-Prime, to try to sell Julie on this two issue story (in which he finds many a "plot-snag", including where Cary got his powers and the JSA's unlikely death and return).


After this JLA/JSA team-up, most of the members of the JSA (and ISW) show up in the start of the 1970s run of All-Star Comics (where Robin gets his new costume), except for Wonder Woman, Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt (and the Shade), who show up in the next JLA/JSA team-up!  Earth-Prime would return as well!

Crisis In Eternity

The JLA and JSA (along with the newly minted Squadon of Justice) fight the large menace of King Kull across the Earths, starting in Justice League of America #135 (October, 1976) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin all under this Ernie Chan cover.

This time around, King Kull (foe of the Marvel Family and last of the Beast-Men) finds a way to freeze the Gods of Eternity and the old wizard Shazam (those who give the Marvel Family their powers) at the Rock of Eternity.  Shazam was able to send Mercury to go gather help, including the JLA from Earth-1 (including Hawkgirl, who has yet to join) and JSA from Earth-2 (Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, Robin and Batman - making an active debut in JLA/JSA team-ups)...

...and heroes other than the Marvel Family (Spy Smasher, Ibis the Invincible, Mr. Scarlet, Pinky, Bulletman and Bulletgirl).


Using the headquarters of the Crime Champions, the heroes are split into teams to stop King Kull's plans to destroy the three Earths (with Mercury sending Johnny Thunder on a special mission).


Saving Earth-2 are Superman and Green Arrow of Earth-1, Wonder Woman of Earth-2 and Spy Smasher from Earth-S (Earth-S named in this issue for the first time), who deal with a risen Atlantis, and Penguin and Blockbuster from Earth-1, Queen Clea from Earth-2 and Ibac from Earth-S.

Crisis On Earth-S

For this issue of Justice League of America #136 (November, 1976) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin, the action switches to Earth-S, as calamities begin to strike across the globe (as reported by Billy Batson at WHIZ TV....who, along with Mary and Freddy Freeman, are unable to summon Shazam's lightning to turn into the Marvel Family).

This issue is about partners in teams, with the Earth-2 Batman and Robin and Earth-S Mr. Scarlett and Pinky facing the Earth-2 Joker and Earth-S Weeper (a foe of Bulletman's), and the Earth-1 Hawkman and Hawkgirl and Earth-S Bulletman and Bulletgirl facing the Earth-1 Dr. Light and Earth-2 Shade.  The heroes have to also deal with natural disasters, and unnatural disasters (where people are transforming into whatever substance is near them).  This was caused by two artificial satellites in the sky...one mimicking the sun, the other the moon.  The heroes figure out how to use them to annihilate each other, thus saving Earth-S!

Meanwhile, old wizard Shazam muses on Johnny Thunder's secret mission as Johnny arrives to see the Batsons and Freddy at WHIZ TV, revealing their secret identities!

Crisis In Tomorrow

The finale to this JLA/JSA team up in Justice League of America #137 (December, 1976) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin!

Superman, the Flashes, the Green Lanterns, Ibis the Invincible and Mercury face off against Brainiac and Mr. Atom in a future of Earth-1.  The heroes eventually defeat the two robotic menaces from Earth-1 and Earth-S, and all the heroes converge on the Rock of Eternity to face King Kull and free Shazam and the Elders, except King Kull exposes Superman to Red Kryptonite, sending him against everyone else.

Say, you might think Johnny Thunder would use his magic Thunderbolt to change Billy, Mary and Freddy into Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. (and you'd be right).

The Marvel Family show up at the Rock of Eternity, free Shazam and the other 11 Elders, while Captain Marvel prepares to battle Superman...but doesn't, saying "Shazam!" and letting the old wizard hurl a special bolt, that not only brings Billy Batson back, but cures Superman of his madness (this issue was only one lead up to an eventual "Superman vs. Shazam" battle). 

The JSAers all appear next in the 1970s All-Star Comics run, except for Jay Garrick Flash, who appears next in Flash #247, and the Marvel Family appears here between Shazam! #20 and #26 (with Captain Marvel appearing between Shazam! #25 and #26, and only Bulletman and Bulletgirl returning during Shazam's World's Finest Comics run).

Crisis In The 30th Century

The JSA ended up on Earth-1 (capturing the Psycho-Pirate, who fled there), they met up with the JLA quick (including their newest member, Power Girl) in Justice League of America #147 (October, 1977)  in a story by Paul Levitz, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin, under a Dillin/McLaughlin cover.

As the JSA tries to return home, a mystic hand invades the JLA Satellite, taking JLAers Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Black Canary and JSAers Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Hawkman and Power Girl to the 30th Century of Earth-1, where it is revealed that the hand is that of Mordru, mystic foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  Mordru captures the JLA and JSA as well as some of the Legion (some of whom; Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, Ultra Boy and Shadow Lass; he already had captive).

Mordru was trying to retrieve the Red Jar of Calytos, the Green Bell of Uthool and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath from the JLA Satellite (as Mordru knew it would soon be destroyed in a Crisis).  Instead, he got these heroes and sent them to retrieve the items (and Legion members already sent to get them) in the 30th Century.

Superman, Hawkman and Dr. Fate go to get the Silver Wheel (and Sun Boy and Wildfire) from some shape changing aliens (Proteans) who are imitating the wheel; Batman and the Green Lanterns deal with an alien race (Vaxonians) who are using the Green Bell to keep a dragon from eating them and, with Brainiac 5 and Princess Projectra's help, find a way to scare away the dragon; and Flash and Power Girl go to an interdimensional space, where Power Girl gets the Red Jar away from an alien mother who had confused it for her egg (all while Green Arrow, Black Canary and other Legion member are held captive).

Returning the items, Mordru summons up the Demons Three (Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast; old foes of the JLA, but in the current 30th Century).

The Demons Three quickly turn on Mordru, and plot to end 30th Century Earth as time runs down on Green Arrow and Black Canary, trapped in a mystic hourglass around Mordru's neck!

Crisis In Triplicate

Paul Levitz, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin conclude this JLA/JSA/LSH team up in Justice League of America #148 (November, 1977).

The Demons Three agree to destroy the three items and have some Legion members take Mordru's spirit back to be buried with his body (his power is stopped by being underground, saving Green Arrow and Black Canary for a bit), but disagree for the first time in eons, with Abenegazar loving the peace of the Legion, Rath wanting the riches of the future and Ghast wanting to end all who live.  The Demons Three find out they are equally matched, so hypnotize the JLA (Ghast) and JSA (Rath), with the Legion working with Abenegazar to stop them.

The teams prove relatively equally matched, so Rath and Abenegazar battle, exploding each other (with Dr. Fate absorbing their mystical energy).  Dr. Fate uses that extra energy to pull back the pieces of the JLA Satellite, trapping Ghast in there, and ending the future menace of the Demons Three, with Superman and the Green Lanterns returning the JLA and JSA to their home time (and putting in a post hypnotic suggestion to all that they shall not remember what they learned of their own futures, like the destruction of the JLA Satellite).

These were five of the most popular JSAers, so they all appeared next in the 1970s run of All-Star Comics, and the Legion of Super-Heroes was here between Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #231 and #232 (and how weird for the Legion to see Superboy as they normally did, then him aged a few decades, then "back to normal").

All of these stories expand the knowledge of the JLA and JSA, and can be found in the Crisis On Multiple Earths Volume 4; a natural continuation from Volumes 1, 2 and 3!

Still, will even what they have learned (and what they have kept from themselves) help them in future crises, especially if the menaces come from the past?

Marvel Family Versus The Mad Mummy

With Billy Batson getting his amazing powers as Captain Marvel after he said "Shazam" (the name of an ancient Egyptian wizard, and Billy's mentor), you'd figure that the Marvel Family would face a mummy at some point!

They did, in Marvel Family #79 (January, 1953) when "The Marvel Family Battles The Dynasty Of Horror" by Otto Bender, C.C. Beck and Pete Costanza, including the Mad Mummy (who, after his pyramid was found on the bottom of the ocean, and brought to the surface by Cap, Mary and Junior, who then had to face the monster, freed from his prison of a thousand years, and his gathering of monsters as well....).

The family even got advice from Shazam, as the old Wizard had faced him as well 5000 years ago (or so Shazam said....).

This attempt at cashing in on the horror craze didn't save Shazam or the Marvel Family, as their issues at Fawcett ended 10 later with Marvel Family #89 (January, 1954)...


....but the Marvel Family survived, ending up at DC years later!


Holy Moley!

DC Super Heroes Vs Monsters

It was "Super Heroes' War Against The Monsters" for DC Special #21 (April-May, 1976), featuring Superman, Green Lantern, the Marvel Family and even United States soldiers facing terrible monsters that menaced large populations....


...all under a cover by Ernie Chan.


Here's the story behind the original presentations of these tales.....

Action Comics #326

First up is a tale featuring Superman from Action Comics #326 (July, 1965), featuring the Man of Steel facing off against larger super-powered insects in "The Legion of Super-Creatures" by Otto Bender, Curt Swan and George Klein, all under a creepy crawly cover by Curt Swan and George Klein.


These alien insects descended on Earth, and even Superman was powerless to defeat this insect army and their assorted abilities.  Superman was able to track down the alien ship that deposited these creatures on Earth, and learning of the motivations of those who released them, figured out a way to stop the giant bugs.

Green Lantern #3

Hal Jordan literally created his own monster problem in the back-up tale of "The Leap-Year Menace" from Green Lantern #3 (November-December, 1960) by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella.

Green Lantern was meeting his fan club at charity event, then returned to his alter ego to meet his girlfriend, Carol Ferris, where Carol told Hal she plans to take advantage of the leap year tradition to ask Green Lantern to marry her at another charity event Green Lantern will be at.  Hal, to save his secret alter ego (so he can woo Carol as himself), creates a power ring monster to menace his heroic self...but, this plan goes awry as the menace becomes too menacing (and then GL has to not only face Carol's proposal, but that of his female fan club as well!).

Star Spangled War Stories #132

DC used to feature comics with war heroes as stars, as well as comics that featured monsters, but, it was the feature of "The War That Time Forgot" that regularly pitted United States Armed Forces against the dinosaurs of Monster Island, including this tale from Star Spangled War Stories #132 (April-May, 1967) by Robert Kanigher and Russ Heath, featuring "The Big House Of Monsters".

The story involves a cop and a criminal, who end up enlisting in the army together, getting captured by the Japanese, then, in escaping their POW camp, end up together on Dinosaur Island.  The two have to work together to get off the island (and fend off the beasts), yet, the criminal also plans to kill the former policeman.   This tale does not end well for either of them....with quite the pyhrric victory for the survivor of the human battle.

Marvel Family #7

Last, but not least, is a little love from old Fawcett comics, with a feature of the Marvel Family (Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr.) from Marvel Family #7 (December, 1946) with "The Marvel Family Reaches Eternity" by Otto Binder, C.C. Beck and Pete Costanza.

The Marvel Family faces off against The Three Faces of Evil, as they break free from their prison under the Rock of Eternity (home of the ancient wizard, Shazam, who powers the Marvel Family), and split up to cause mischief, which is thwarted by Cap, Mary and Junior, who split up to each take on one face of evil....then battle to reunite them, and return them to their prison under the Rock!


Holy Moley!  Enough monsters for you?

Shazam! It's Fawcett's Captain Marvel

A long time ago, Billy Batson first uttered the word, Shazam at the beckoning of the old wizard with that name, and became Captain Marvel!

Let's take a look back at the glory days of Captain Marvel, and the whole Marvel Family!

Captain Marvel

Billy Batson was the one who started it all, when he followed a stranger (secretly Mercury) into a subway tunnel, to meet an old wizard, who was dying and wanted to pass on his power to the boy...

...and bid Billy to speak the wizard's name, Shazam!...

....then Billy became Captain Marvel, as the wizard died, passing on his power.


All this (and more, including a battle with Sivana, the world's wickedest scientist), as well as Billy getting a job at Whiz Radio for Sterling Morris in Whiz Comics #2 (February, 1940) by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck.

Billy's powers were the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury, gained when he said "Shazam!" and was struck by the mystical lightning (and that's also how Cap changed back to Billy...

...all of which really meant he could fly, was invulnerable, super-strong, fast and smart).

Captain Marvel seemed like Superman, but in his earliest adventures, was serialized more like Flash Gordon, and was a young orphan boy's wish fulfillment....to be able to speak a magic word and become an adult and solve all his own problems.

Billy wasn't alone, he had many foes, such as Dr. Sivana, beastman King Kull, demonic powered Ibac, atomic powered Mr. Atom, the sinister Mr. Mind and his Monster Society of Evil, and, as he began during World War II, he also fought the Axis powers, and their representative, Captain Nazi (who was the villain that led to the beginnings of the Marvel Family).

Billy and his alter ego were the star of Whiz Comics until it ended, with Whiz Comics #155 (June, 1953), as well as Special Edition Comics #1 of 1940, which led to Captain Marvel Adventures, who ran 150 issues from January 17, 1941 (it was bi-weekly in its early days) to November, 1953...

...as well as being the main feature of America's Greatest Comics for its 8 issues from 1941 to 1943, that spotlighted other Fawcett characters as well, such as Spy Smasher, Bulletman, Minute Man and Mr. Scarlet.


A team-up with Spy Smasher led to our next hero...who ended up having ties to Captain Marvel! 

Captain Marvel, Jr.

Freddy Freeman was a victim, after a battle between Captain Marvel, Bulletman and Captain Nazi in Master Comics #21 (December, 1941), Captain Marvel followed Captain Nazi to Whiz Comics #25 (December 12, 1941, by France Herron, C.C. Beck and Mac Raboy), where Captain Nazi killed Freddy's guardian, grandpa Freeman, and injured the boy, forcing Captain Marvel to take desperate matters to save the child.  Forecast at the hospital not to live, Billy kidnapped Freddy and took him to the subway tunnel where he had gotten his powers from Shazam, and communicating with the spirit of Shazam, came up with the idea to transfer a bit of his power to the boy to save his life, thus allowing Freddy to become Captain Marvel, Jr. whenever he spoke his hero's name.

Captain Marvel, Jr. had pretty much the same powers as Captain Marvel did, only his appearance (other than getting a blue uniform) didn't change as much as Billy's did when he became Captain Marvel, and whenever he was only Freddy, he walked with a limp, as a reminder of Captain Nazi's attack.  Captain Marvel, Jr. worked with Bulletman in Master Comics #22 (January, 1942) to thwart Captain Nazi, and Captain Nazi became more of Junior's foe for a time.

Captain Marvel, Jr. had a few foes of his own...

...such as Captain Nippon (it was wartime), demonic Sabbac, slippery Mr. Hydro, flexible Mr. Acrobat, dreamy Mr. Morpheus, Vampira the Queen of Terror, mobster Graybeard, and even the scientist son of Sivana, Sivana Jr. (as well as facing off against Sivana himself more than a few times, both alone and with the rest of the Marvel Family....).

Captain Marvel, Jr. was the main feature of Master Comics until its end with Master Comics #133 in April, 1953, as well as having his own title, Captain Marvel Jr. for 118 issues, from #1 in November 18, 1942 to #119 in June, 1953 (miscounting one issue), and Jr. also teamed up with other Fawcett heroes occasionally, like Bulletman and Spy Smasher...

...even taking the lead of the one and only issue of All-Hero Comics #1 (March 17, 1943), as well as being there for the final issue of America's Greatest Comics...


...even showing up in a few Captain Marvel Adventures, like #52 to meet the son of Sivana, or all the way back to Captain Marvel Adventures #18, to meet our next character....   

Mary Marvel

Mary Batson first met Billy and Freddy in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (December 11, 1942, by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze), and this could be considered the first appearance of the Marvel Family, as the three main members were there.  But, at the time, Mary was known as Mary Bromfield.  Mary was the twin sister of Billy, meeting him thanks to competing on a game show Billy was hosting.  Criminals take Billy and Freddy hostage, and Mary finds out that she too can gain the powers of Shazam by saying his name, turning into a female version of Captain Marvel, called Mary Marvel during her time at Fawcett Comics.  Mary had a brief training session with her brother in the next issue of Captain Marvel Adventures, before heading out to her own series in Wow Comics, starting in Wow Comics #9 (January 6, 1943), where she also worked with Mr. Scarlett and his partner, Pinky.

Mary's powers were slightly different from her brother's...

....with Shazam breaking down as Selena for grace, Hippolya for strength, Ariadne for skill, Zephyrus for fleetness, Aurora for beauty and Minerva for wisdom...

...but she could pretty much keep up with the boys in super-feats.

Mary also spent more time facing supernatural threats, or more closely, adventures that sent her to magical lands, than fighting foes..

...though she did have a few...

...like Mr. Night, Mr. Question, Nightowl, and even the daughter of Sivana, Georgia, who also had a penchant for scientific crimes, like the rest of the Sivana family.

Mary lasted in Wow Comics until Wow Comics #58 (September, 1947), and for 28 issues of her own, Mary Marvel, series, that went from December, 1945 to September, 1948.  Mary worked with a few other Fawcett heroes here and there as well, but her biggest contribution to the Marvel Family was finding Uncle Dudley.....

Uncle Marvel

Dudley Batson was Mary Batson's uncle, and introduced in Wow Comics #18 (October, 1943) by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze.  Dudley found Mary's diary, and claimed to be Mary's uncle, but the Marvel's figured better.


Thing is, Dudley was charming and mostly harmless (except to himself)...

....so they let him hang around and fed his fantasy to keep him safe (and others safe from him).

Dudley didn't have any powers, but did fashion his own "Shazam" suit to stand with the rest of the Marvel Family.


Uncle Marvel appeared in Wow Comics #24 (April, 1944), met Captain Marvel in Captain Marvel Adventures #43 (February, 1945) and Jr. in Master Comics #61 (May, 1945), (with appearances in Mary Marvel #34 and #35 between), before finally being accepted as a member of the Marvel Family with Marvel Family #1 (December, 1945).

It was a good thing, too, as Dudley was the one who stopped Black Adam (Shazam's evil protege from ancient Egypt) who had the full Shazam powers, and planned much evil on Earth, at least until Dudley got him to say Shazam, turning Black Adam back to his mortal form of Teth-Adam, where he died of old age.

Uncle Marvel, or Dudley, appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #53 (February 1, 1946), Captain Marvel Adventures #59 (April 26, 1946), Marvel Family #2 (June, 1946), Marvel Family #8 (February, 1947), Marvel Family #10 (April, 1947 - facing the combined might of the Sivana Family), Marvel Family #14 (August, 1947), Mary Marvel #17 (October, 1947) and Mary Marvel #28 (September, 1948), before fading out for a time.  But, the Marvels really didn't need an unpowered man around, when they had three more men with the power of Shazam!

Lieutenants Marvel

Back to Billy Batson.  But Captain Marvel's alter ego wasn't the only Billy Batson, there were three others (at least) that also had that name, and they met in Whiz Comics #21 (September 5, 1941) by C. C. Beck. 

A tall Billy from Texas, a "hill" Billy from the Ozarks and a fat Billy from Brooklyn all got together, and the four were threatened by Sivana...

...and the only way the group could escape was to all yell "Shazam!" at the same time as too much noise was being made for the old wizard to hear Captain Marvel's alter ego...and this resulted in all four of the Billys being turned into versions of Captain Marvel, just in time to defeat Sivana. 

Each of the three other Billys (Tall Marvel, Hill Marvel and Fat Marvel) had the same powers as Captain Marvel...

...but the three could only change if all four Billys were present and said Shazam...


....so by necessity, you always saw the three Lieutenant Marvels together. 

The team next appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #4 (October 31, 1941, but not on the cover), then Whiz Comics #29 (April 17, 1942), Whiz Comics #34 (September 4, 1942) and Whiz Comics #40 (February 19, 1943)...

...before becoming official Marvel Family members with Marvel Family #2 (June, 1946).  It sure took some time as they predated the rest of the Marvel Family!

The Lt's next appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #62 (June 7, 1946) and Captain Marvel Adventures #71 (April, 1947) before disappearing for a time...



...but neither of those appearances have the 3 Lieutenants on the cover, so instead, take a look at this happy gathering from Whiz Comics #59 (October, 1944), to take a look at the extended Marvel Family in an impossible photo (as Billy, Mary and Freddy are in the picture, along with Cap, Mary and Junior, as is Uncle Marvel!  Even the old wizard, Sterling Morris and a few others like Beautia Sivana, and foes like Sivana, Mr. Mind and Ibac showed up here as well....).

Sadly, with the ironic cover of Marvel Family #89 (January, 1954, drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger), the Marvel Family was gone, or at least Fawcett's version of them was.

Kurt went to work for DC Comics, and snuck him in an issue of Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane (#42 from July, 1963, for only a cameo, and colored differently in green, but colored correctly for the reprint in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #104 of September-October, 1970), and later still, DC made it official and purchased the Captain and his family...

...though failing to secure the rights to the Captain Marvel name on the cover, Stan Lee and the Marvel folks caught that in the 1960s, and created their own Captain Marvel.

So, when Captain Marvel debuted at DC, the comic ended up being called Shazam, which was a defining phrase of the hero!  This continued on the adventures of the Fawcett Marvel Family, moving them into the 1970s for 35 issues, then a back up feature in World's Finest Comics, and two issues in Adventure Comics (as a digest-sized book), and they survived through the Crisis on Infinite Earths, with their separate status on Earth-S ending with that series.

Captain Marvel was the first of the Marvel Family to come back, with Legends #1 (November, 1986), and later, after Jerry Ordway retooled Captain Marvel with his Power of Shazam Graphic Novel (January, 1994), which led into a Power of Shazam series, even Mary and Freddy came back as well.

Holy Moley!