Mary Batson

Orphaned Mary Batson discovers she is the long-lost twin sister of Billy Batson (Captain Marvel). Granted a share of the wizard Shazam's magic, she need only speak the word 'Shazam!' to transform into Mary Marvel, wielding superhuman strength, speed, flight, and wisdom bestowed by a pantheon of mythological figures.

Few characters can claim a Golden Age debut and still be turning up in comics more than eight decades later, but Mary Batson is exactly that kind of enduring figure. She first stepped onto the page in Wow Comics #9 in 1943, a product of comics' most mythmaking era, and she's never really left — 168 catalog appearances and six key issues speak to a legacy that collectors and readers have kept alive across generations. Her world is a rich one: she shares adventures with the likes of Billy Batson, Captain Marvel, Freddy Freeman, Green Lantern, and The Flash, placing her squarely in the company of comics royalty. Whether you're discovering her through Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam! or tracking down her Golden Age roots, Mary Batson is a character whose staying power is anything but accidental.