Ebenezer Batson

Ebenezer Batson is Billy Batson's unscrupulous uncle, the guardian who cheated his nephew out of his inheritance and left him homeless — setting the stage for Billy's fateful encounter with the wizard Shazam and his transformation into Captain Marvel.

Ebenezer Batson carries the distinction of debuting in the very earliest days of Fawcett's Golden Age mythology, first appearing in the historic 1940 ashcan Thrill Comics #1 — created by the legendary team of Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, the same visionary duo who launched one of comics' most beloved franchises. Though his catalog footprint is modest at just five appearances, two of those land as collector-recognized key issues, making every sighting significant. He keeps remarkable company across his appearances, sharing pages with Captain Marvel, Billy Batson, the villainous Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana, and the wizard Shazam himself, placing him squarely at the heart of Fawcett's magical corner of the Golden Age. For fans who love digging into the roots of the Marvel Family saga — a world that endured across an impressive 55 years from 1940 to 1995 — Ebenezer Batson is one of those quietly essential pieces of the puzzle.