Warning! Spoilers for The New Champion of Shazam #1 by DC Comics
With Billy Batson officially stepping out of the role as Shazam in the DC Universe, his sister Mary Bromfield aka Mary Marvel will take the moniker in a brand new miniseries. DC Comics revealed on Friday that Mary Marvel would become Shazam in a brand new four-issue miniseries called The Champion of Shazam, which will be written by Josie Campbell and feature art from Evan "Doc" Shaner.
Mary Marvel is one of the oldest heroes in comic books, first appearing in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze in 1942. Mary Bromfield would become one of the sidekicks to Shazam and gain similar powers to become Mary Marvel. Like Shazam/Captain Marvel, she didn't appear in comics for nearly 20 years before DC acquired the rights to the formerly Fawcett heroes in the early 1970s. The character has continued to play a crucial part in Shazam's stories. Mary Bromfield made her live-action debut in 2019's Shazam, where Grace Fulton and Michelle Borth played her.
DC Comics revealed Mary Marvel will become the new Shazam in The Champion of Shazam by Josie Campbell and Evan "Doc" Shaner. The series will follow Billy Batson making a "heroic sacrifice" and the Shazam family's powers vanishing. A freshman in college, Mary will go on a journey of self-discovery, which leads her to be chosen as the new champion of Shazam. Campbell told Polygon (who debuted the announcement) that Mary is very much the heart of the comic who will be forced to make many important decisions on the fly in her new role as Shazam. Check out the cover art from Shaner.
Polygon also shared a character design from Shaner of Mary Marvel's Shazam. Shaner has become one of the most iconic artists for the Shazam family, as he worked on Convergence: Shazam with Jeff Parker and has drawn the hero in other projects. Shaner told Polygon that he had no interest in returning to anything Shazam-related but that since Mary was taking the focus in the new miniseries, "that was the one time I would return if it ever happened."
Check out a synopsis of the series below.
Mary Bromfield has always struggled to determine who she is outside her family … kinda hard to do when you’re all superheroes! Now, after Billy Batson’s heroic sacrifice, the power of Shazam has vanished, and she’s been left powerless.
Most heroes would be distraught, but not Mary. It’s finally time for a voyage of self-discovery as she prepares for her freshman year of college and a civilian life. But nothing is ever truly normal for this young hero, because she’s just been chosen as the new champion of Shazam! (At least according to a talking rabbit sent by her estranged brother Billy.) Will she embrace the power? Or will it die alongside this world’s hope of survival against the mysterious magical forces waiting to take control?
It's going to be a lot of fun to see Mary Marvel become the new Shazam. While Billy Batson's ultimate fate is still TBD, Mary taking the role is an exciting new direction for the underrated hero. Readers can see Mary Marvel's Shazam in action when The New Champion of Shazam comes to comic book stores on February 8, 2022.
Source: Polygon