Shazam! #28
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeShazam! #28 marks Black Adam's first appearance in a new, original story since his single Golden Age outing in Fawcett's Marvel Family #1 (December 1945) — a gap of more than three decades — making it the character's first-ever appearance under the DC Comics banner. Writer E. Nelson Bridwell used the issue not merely to resurrect a forgotten villain but to fundamentally reshape him, introducing for the first time the concept that Black Adam's powers derive from a distinct pantheon of Egyptian gods rather than the same Greco-Roman figures who empower Captain Marvel, a mythological distinction that became a cornerstone of the character's identity for every subsequent writer. The issue's placement of Teth-Adam in an active, ongoing Bronze Age DC continuity — rather than as a reprinted curiosity — transformed what had been a one-shot 1945 villain into a recurring arch-nemesis capable of carrying decades of stories, eventually becoming one of DC's most dramatically complex figures. That single act of creative stewardship by Bridwell laid the groundwork for Black Adam's slow ascent to A-list status, culminating in his own feature film in 2022.
In "The Return of Black Adam," the villain Sivana unleashes his resurrection machine to bring the ancient warrior Black Adam back to life, setting off a clash with the Marvel Family. With Black Adam seeking revenge for his past defeat, he travels to the present, only to face a new challenge in the form of Uncle Dudley. Written by E. Nelson Bridwell and illustrated by Kurt Schaffenberger, this 1977 DC classic features cover art by Kurt Schaffenberger.
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DC Comics acquired the Fawcett characters in the early 1970s and launched the Shazam! series in 1973, titling it after the magic word rather than 'Captain Marvel' because Marvel Comics had in the interim trademarked that name. E. Nelson Bridwell, DC's in-house continuity authority and a deep student of Golden Age comics history, became the series' primary writer and leaned heavily on his encyclopedic knowledge of the original Fawcett catalog to populate stories with forgotten characters and concepts. By the time issue #28 reached stands in early 1977, the series had been running alongside a popular live-action Saturday-morning television show (1974–1976), and Bridwell scripted the Black Adam revival with an eye toward satisfying readers who knew the original 1945 story while also accommodating elements from the TV adaptation, such as the 'Mentor' persona carried by Uncle Dudley. Kurt Schaffenberger, who had himself drawn Captain Marvel comics for Fawcett during the Golden Age, provided both the interior art and the cover, giving the issue a visual continuity with the character's earliest adventures.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Black Adam's second appearance in all of comics and his first in a new, original story since Fawcett's Marvel Family #1 (December 1945) — over 31 years between appearances.
- First appearance of Black Adam published by DC Comics; the character had previously belonged solely to Fawcett Publications.
- Written by E. Nelson Bridwell; interior art and cover by Kurt Schaffenberger; edited by Joe Orlando; lettered by Ben Oda.
- Cover date: April 1977; on-sale date: March 10, 1977. Published as part of Shazam! Vol. 1 (the 1973–1978 DC series).
- The issue introduces for the first time the retcon that Black Adam's powers derive from Egyptian gods — Shu (stamina), Hershef (strength), Amon (power), Zehuti (wisdom), Anpu (speed), and Menthu (courage) — rather than the Greco-Roman pantheon that empowers Captain Marvel.
- Plot: Dr. Sivana uses his Reincarnation Machine to resurrect Teth-Adam; Adam destroys the machine to prevent being de-powered, refuses to serve Sivana, and battles Captain Marvel across the Boston Tea Party era (1773) before being tricked into saying 'Shazam' by Uncle Dudley/Mentor and subdued with Captain Marvel's 'amnesia punch.'
- Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel appear only in flashback/cameo; the main active cast is Captain Marvel (Billy Batson), Black Adam (Teth-Adam), Dr. Sivana, Uncle Dudley/Mentor, and the wizard Shazam.
- The story was later collected in the DC black-and-white Showcase Presents: Shazam! Vol. 1 (2007), which reprints all original stories from Shazam! #1–35.
Cast · 9 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Sivana uses his resurrection machine to return Black Adam to life. Black Adam wants revenge on the Marvel Family for his last defeat. After battling Captain Marvel in the past during the Boston Tea Party, Adam returns to the present where he is once again defeated by Uncle Dudley.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
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