Whiz Comics #2
Whiz Comics #2 is the true first issue of Fawcett's flagship anthology — there was no #1 published for public sale — and it stands as one of the most consequential debut packages in the history of American comic books, introducing Captain Marvel (later Shazam), his archenemy Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana, the wizard Shazam, Ibis the Invincible, Spy Smasher, and Golden Arrow all in a single 68-page package. The concept of a powerless child who transforms into an invincible adult by speaking a magic word was a foundational storytelling innovation: it turned the superhero wish-fulfillment fantasy into something uniquely intimate and accessible for young readers in a way that distinguished Captain Marvel from every contemporary hero. During the 1940s, Captain Marvel's adventures outsold even Superman, spawning half a dozen spin-offs and earning the distinction of being the first comic book superhero adapted to film. The ripple effects of this single issue — the decades-long DC lawsuit it provoked, the eventual acquisition of all Fawcett characters by DC, and the character's modern identity as Shazam — make it an essential hinge point in the legal and creative evolution of the superhero genre itself.
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In 1939, Fawcett Publications tasked staff writer Bill Parker with creating a superhero line to compete with the Superman-and-Batman boom; Parker's original concept was a team of six heroes each drawing power from a different mythological figure, but editorial reshaped it into a single character who embodied all six powers. When Fawcett discovered it could not trademark the names 'Captain Thunder,' 'Flash Comics,' or 'Thrill Comics' — all of which were already in use — the book was retitled Whiz Comics (a nod to the company's founding magazine, Captain Billy's Whiz Bang) and staff artist Pete Costanza suggested the name 'Captain Marvelous,' which editors shortened to Captain Marvel. Artist C. C. Beck, who drew the lead feature and cover, deliberately echoed the composition of Action Comics #1 for the cover — Captain Marvel hurling a vehicle rather than merely lifting one — and the issue was printed by C. T. Dearing in Louisville, Kentucky, carrying a February 1940 cover date but going on sale in late 1939. Bill Parker is credited as the sole writer on all seven features in the issue, with Beck and Pete Costanza sharing the art duties across the stories.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First published appearance of Captain Marvel (Billy Batson), the wizard Shazam, and arch-villain Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana, all in the lead story 'Introducing Captain Marvel!' written by Bill Parker and drawn by C. C. Beck.
- Also contains the debut stories of Ibis the Invincible (Prince Amentep, risen from a 4,000-year-old mummy case), Spy Smasher (alias Alan Armstrong, with his multi-mode Gyrosub vehicle), and western hero Golden Arrow (Roger Parsons), plus the first installments of Lance O'Casey and Scoop Smith — seven separate series launched in one issue.
- Fawcett never published a Whiz Comics #1 for public sale; two black-and-white ashcan copies titled Flash Comics #1 and Thrill Comics #1 (in which the lead hero was called 'Captain Thunder') were produced solely to secure trademarks and solicit advertisers, making #2 the effective first issue.
- The cover, drawn by C. C. Beck, shows Captain Marvel throwing a car at a wall — a conscious visual escalation of the Action Comics #1 cover, on which Superman merely lifts one.
- The SHAZAM acronym established in this issue grants Billy Batson 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.
- Of the seven series that debut in this issue, only three — Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, and Lance O'Casey — lasted all the way to the series' final issue, Whiz Comics #155 (1953).
- The entire issue has been reprinted multiple times: in DC's treasury-sized Famous First Edition #F-4 (October–November 1974), the DC Millennium Edition (March 2000), and DC's Facsimile Edition (February 2023), the last timed to coincide with the release of the film Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
- Captain Marvel was the first comic book superhero adapted to film, appearing in the 1941 Republic Pictures serial Adventures of Captain Marvel — a direct consequence of the character's explosive debut and rapid rise to become the top-selling superhero of the Golden Age.
Cast · 18 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
A band of criminals shoot down a hot air balloon piloted by Professor Paul Parsons, his wife and son, in order to get a secret gas formula. The young son is rescued by a lioness, which is shot by an old prospector who raises the child to manhood. That young man, now called Golden Arrow, tracks down the men responsible for his parent's deaths.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).