In the past, the character of Captain Marvel was a familiar name in DC Comics. But due to trademark issues with Marvel Comics, DC Comics had to change the name of the character to Shazam. As a result, the character was no longer called Captain Marvel in the comic book, but was referred to as Shazam. This was done to avoid giving Marvel’s Captain Marvel any free publicity.
However, Mark Waid, the current writer of the new Shazam series launching from DC Comics in June, has a different approach to naming the character. Waid prefers to simply call him Captain, stating that even though they do not refer to him as Captain Marvel in the book, he will never stop calling him that when he is relaxed. In the comic book, the character is referred to as the Captain, a name given to him by the other kids after a maritime accident where he was soaked, and Mary laughed and saluted him.
Talking on the Comics Cube YouTube channel, he stated, “I’ll just call him Captain. We don’t call him Captain Marvel in the book, but I will never not be able to call him Captain Marvel when I’m just relaxed. So in the book, he’s just called the Captain, and that is the other kids’ name for him.”
In addition to the name change, Waid also introduced a new limitation to the character’s powers. The previous DC continuity stated that the character could say the magic word “Shazam,” but only if he had the intent to transform. However, Waid did not like this limitation as it took the magic out of the word. Instead, he used the Lazarus Planet as an excuse to say that magic works differently in the DC Universe, and as a result, the character cannot say the word anymore.
Despite these changes, Mary Marvel will still be called Mary Marvel. While not all of the Captain Marvel family will be able to share his power right now, Mary will. Bleeding Cool suggested the character be named Captain Shazadam, but that idea was not well-received.
The new Shazam series promises to be an exciting and fun adventure for both old and new fans alike. It will feature the character hanging out at the Rock of Eternity, his secret clubhouse that can travel through space and time. He will also get into wild and fun adventures with his tiger, Tawky Tawny, by his side.
Captain Marvel may no longer be referred to as such in the DC Comics universe, but fans will always remember him as Captain Marvel. The quotes from Waid make it clear that although the character may have undergone some changes, he is still just as beloved as ever.
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