Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers of the movie Black Adam.Black Adam has rocked the DCEU for years to come through big-time revelations, with fan reception making it the best-received DC property in a decade. Unlike a lot of the recent films in the series, Black Adam has pushed the lore of the DCEU forward, which should be apparent in ensuing releases.

The movie's surprises include the return of Superman to confront Black Adam, and the existence of the Justice Society of America as a predecessor to the Justice League. Since there are quite a few significant events that take place in the movie, it’s best to recap them and look a bit deeper into what makes them so important to the DCEU.

The Future Can Be Changed Based On Past Knowledge

Doctor Fate without his mask in Black Adam

Doctor Fate proved himself to be the bravest character in Black Adam when he gave his life to prevent Hawkman’s death at the hands of Sabbac. This also brought the revelation that characters can change the future in the DCEU if they have knowledge of the past.

The Flash had reversed time to prevent the world’s destruction, but that wasn’t based on preexisting knowledge. Doctor Fate’s actions put the dark future of Darkseid’s potential arrival in a different context, as it means that this event can be altered so that it never comes to pass.

Amanda Waller Is Associated With The JSA

Amanda Waller smiling in DC's Black Adam.

The Justice Society of America received word of Black Adam’s return to Kahndaq from Amanda Waller, which established that the organization is associated with her. Considering Waller’s sketchy history with Task Force X and the villainous persona she’s carried so far, this was a massive revelation.

It turned out that Waller had been in contact with superheroes long before the Justice League, which sheds light on why she was so confident during her conversation with Bruce Wayne in Suicide Squad. It also hints at many other contacts that Waller might have that have the same status as the JSA.

The JSA Was Active Before The Justice League

Doctor Fate and Hawkman fist bumping

The Justice League’s formation was made out to be a big deal in the DCEU, with the implication that there had never been heroes of this caliber before. However, Black Adam showed that not only was the JSA already established but that they’ve been around for a long time.

This was confirmed through the existence of Al Pratt, who was said to be the original Atom Smasher. Considering Pratt’s older age and Doctor Fate’s claim that he’d lived for over a century, the JSA turned out to have a legacy that the Justice League can’t match.

There Are Hundreds Of Prisoners At The Task Force X Black Site

Black Adam walking in a hall

Viewers were aware of Task Force X from the Suicide Squad movies, which expanded on the many prisoners it had in the sequel. But Black Adam went further by showing the Task Force X black site, which is where empowered beings like Black Adam were kept.

It means that Amanda Waller has a large roster of individuals to choose from should she feel the need to call on them. Considering Black Adam’s incredible powers, his placement among the other captives at the black site implies that these characters have similar abilities as him.

Amanda Waller Is Still In A Position Of Power

Amanda Waller in a meeting in Suicide Squad

Amanda Waller’s position was exposed in Peacemaker, to go with several other failures she’s experienced in the Suicide Squad movies. However, Black Adam established that Waller has hardly seen a fall from grace and is still a powerful person.

This was confirmed when she not only contacted the JSA but had enough pull to summon Superman to warn Black Adam. Waller also threatened Adam without showing even the slightest fear of him, which goes to show that she remains someone not to be trifled with.

Eternium Is The Primary Weakness Of Black Adam And Shazam

Black Adam Crown of Sabbac pic

Shazam! is one of the movies that are similar to Black Adam due to the powers the two characters share. As it turns out, they also have the same weakness to the magical mineral known as Eternium, which was the only thing that could reliably hurt the titular character.

It also means that Black Adam, for all the incredible powers he displayed, has a similar weakness as Superman does to Kryptonite. The susceptibility to Eternium is sure to come into play in later movies, so viewers will have to keep this revelation in mind.

Legacy Superheroes Are Not Uncommon

Atom Smasher without his mask in Black Adam

Up until now, the DCEU had presented characters who were either first-time protagonists or carried the mantle of previous ones that the public didn’t know about. Black Adam revealed that legacy heroes aren’t a big deal, seeing as two members of the JSA were just that.

Cyclone claimed she was the granddaughter of Red Tornado, while Atom Smasher is the second person to take on the role after his uncle. As such, legacy heroes are not only uncommon in the DCEU, but their identities are also known to people at large.

Black Adam Is Not An Immediate Rival Of Shazam Or Superman

Split images of Black Adam, Superman, and Shazam in the DCEU

While it was known that Black Adam was a B-list character before this movie, the majority of viewers were expecting him to be set up as the next villain for Shazam and Superman. However, the character was introduced as a protagonist with a tragic backstory instead.

Furthermore, Superman’s arrival at the end wasn’t an act of aggression, as the Man of Steel made it clear that he just wanted to talk. Black Adam also doesn’t have any reason to go after Shazam since they’re separated by a great distance and their backstories don’t align. As a result, the DCEU has so far not provided a reason for Black Adam to fight these heroes even if that might change later.

NEXT: 10 Best Quotes In Black Adam