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Mary Marvel

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Mary Marvel
File:Power-of-shazam-4.jpg
Mary Marvel on the cover of The Power of Shazam! #4. Art by Jerry Ordway.
Publication information
PublisherFawcett Comics (1942 - 1953)
DC Comics (1972 - present)
First appearanceCaptain Marvel Adventures #18 (December 1942)
Created byOtto Binder
Marc Swayze
In-story information
Alter egoMary Batson, adopted as Mary Bromfield
Team affiliationsMarvel Family
Justice League
Notable aliasesCaptain Marvel
AbilitiesMagically bestowed aspects of various mythological figures which include super strength, invulnerability, superspeed, flight, fearlessness, and vast wisdom/enhanced mental perception. Can heal herself through magic lightning.

Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 in (December 1942). The character is a member of the Marvel Family of heroes associated with Captain Marvel.

She is the alter ego of teenager Mary Batson (adopted name Mary Bromfield), twin sister of Captain Marvel's alter-ego, Billy Batson. Like her brother, Mary has been granted the power of the wizard Shazam, and has but to speak the wizard's name to be transformed into the superpowered Mary Marvel.

Mary Marvel was one of the first female spin-offs of a major male superhero, and predates the introduction of Superman's female cousin Supergirl (also created by Otto Binder) by more than a decade.

Publication history

Fawcett Comics

File:Captainmarveladventures18.JPG
The first appearance of Mary Marvel, from Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (1942). Art by C. C. Beck.

Mary Marvel was introduced into Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family franchise a year after a young male counterpart, Captain Marvel Jr., made his debut. Artist Marc Swayze based Mary Marvel's design and personality upon American actress Judy Garland. [1] Mary was introduced in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 as Mary Bromfield, a girl who discovers she is the long lost sister of Captain Marvel's alter ego Billy Batson.

Just before the Marvel Family's adventures ceased publication in 1953, Mary Marvel’s costume and appearance were altered: the neckline of her blouse was lowered slightly, her hair was shortened, and she now wore yellow slippers instead of the customary Marvel Family yellow boots. After Fawcett canceled their superhero comics line because of a copyright infringement lawsuit with National Comics (later DC Comics), Mary Marvel and her teammates went unseen for years.

DC Comics

1973-1985

In 1972, DC Comics licensed the rights to the Marvels, and revived them in a new comic series called Shazam!. Mary, Cap, and Junior appeared in both new stories and reprints of their classic stories. The comic book was canceled by 1978, and the Shazam! stories were relegated to the back pages of World's Finest Comics (from 1979 to 1982) and Adventure Comics (from 1982 to 1983). After the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries, Captain Marvel’s origin was rebooted in the Shazam! The New Beginning miniseries. The Marvel Family was written out of the Shazam! mythos, and neither Mary Batson nor Mary Marvel appeared in DC Comics for several years.

1994-1999

Mary Batson was reintroduced in The Power of Shazam! graphic novel by Jerry Ordway in 1994. An ongoing series followed in the next year, and Mary Marvel was introduced into the modern DC Universe with a new origin story in Power of Shazam! #4.

When calling upon her powers, Mary is transformed into an adult resembling her late mother (in the same way that Billy resembles his father when in Marvel form). Mary shares the title of Captain Marvel with her brother. Various characters in the series distinguish the two by gender when addressing them, addressing Mary as "the lady Captain Marvel".

At first, Mary’s costume was the same as her original one. However, beginning with Power of Shazam! #28, Mary donned a white costume to distinguish herself from her brother. The color change was retained for most future uses of the character during the next decade.

2000s

After the Power of Shazam! series ended in 1999, Mary’s superpowered alter ego was officially rechristened "Mary Marvel." Since then, she has guest-starred in both Superman and Supergirl comics. In 2003, Mary became a member of an offshoot of the Justice League known as the Super Buddies in the Formerly Known as the Justice League miniseries, which juxtaposed her Golden Age-era personality with the modern-day world for comic effect.

Mary Marvel appears briefly in several stories relating to DC's 2005-2006 Infinite Crisis crossover. Mary also appeared in DC's weekly limited series 52, with her most substantial appearance being in 52 #16 as the maid of honor at the wedding of Black Adam and Isis, two Shazam!-related characters.

In 2006, DC began a revamp of the Shazam! mythos with Judd Winick and Howard Porter's Trials of Shazam! limited series. The series began with a preview within the pages of Brave New World #1 in June 2006, in which Mary Batson loses her powers, suffers a three mile fall, and falls into a coma. This set up Mary's appearances as a main character in Countdown, a weekly DC series which served as the successor to 52. During the course of the series, head writer Paul Dini and his collaborators had Mary acquire the powers of Black Adam, which give her a new look including a form-fitting long-sleeved black uniform and skirt with black lace-up boots. While the series tracked the character's struggle between good and evil, due to manipulation by f supervillianesses Eclipso and Granny Goodness (promotional material for the series used the catchphrase "Seduction of the Innocent," a reference to Fredric Wertham's book of the same title), "Black Mary Marvel" (as she was referred to informally) emerged from the series under the influence of Superman villian Darkseid. She appears in DC's 2008 crossover series Final Crisis, written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by J.G. Jones, as a Female Fury, with another design change (to match the styles of the other Furies) and a fully evil personality.

Fictional character biography

The Marvel Family #78 (1952), featuring Mary Marvel's then-new look. Art by Kurt Schaffenberger.

Original Fawcett origin

Mary Marvel's first appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 also relayed her origin story.

As infants, twins Billy and Mary Batson were nursed by a woman named Sarah Primm. When the Batsons' parents die in a car accident, Primm was required to send both children to an orphanage. However, Primm is determined to at least give one of the children a home, and arranges for Mary to secretly take the place of another baby girl, who had suddenly died while under Primm's care. As a result, Billy is sent to an orphanage, while his sister is raised by the wealthy Ms. Bromfield.

Several years later, Billy Batson becomes a teenage radio announcer. While hosting an on-air quizbowl, he receives an urgent letter from Sarah Primm, now on her death bed, requesting his presence. Billy goes to see her during a break, and Primm tells him the secret of his long-lost sister. To help him find Mary, Primm gives Billy a locket broken in half, and tells the boy with her last breaths that Mary wears the other half.

After the quizbowl broadcast is over, Billy tells his best friend Freddy Freeman about his sister and the locket. Billy then recalls that one of the quizbowl contestants, a rich girl named Mary Bromfield, wore a broken locket. He and Freddy trail Mary’s limousine in their superpowered forms of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr., and find themselves called into service to save Mary from a gang of kidnappers.

Captain Marvel then learns that Mary's locket matches his own, and that she is indeed Billy’s sister. The Marvels reveal their secret identities to Mary, who wonders if, since she is Billy’s twin, she could become a Marvel by saying the magic word "Shazam". Billy, however, is assured that “Old Shaz—er—you know who—wouldn’t give his powers to a girl!”

Just then, the kidnappers awaken and gag Billy and Freddy, preventing them from saying their magic words. Mary realizes that Billy can’t say Shazam, inadvertently saying the word. She is then struck by a magic lightning bolt, and transformed into a superpowered version of herself, later christened "Mary Marvel" by her brother. She then defeats the thugs by herself and frees Billy and Freddy.

Modified DC origin

Mary Marvel's current DC origin was presented within the pages of the Power of Shazam! graphic novel and ongoing series, written by Jerry Ordway.

Prominent archaeologists C. C. and Marilyn Batson are assigned by the Sivana expedition on an excursion to Egypt. They take along their young daughter Mary, but are forced to leave their son Billy in America with C. C.'s half-brother. The elder Batsons are killed by their associate Theo Adam, who then kidnaps Mary. Upon Theo Adam's return to the United States, Adam’s sister, a maid named Sarah Primm, takes Mary into her care. Primm arranges for her childless employers, Nick and Nora Bromfield, to illegally adopt Mary. As Mary Bromfield, the young girl grows up living an idyllic life in a wealthy family, but continuously has dreams of another family with a brother she has never seen.

Meanwhile, Billy, eventually finding himself on the streets, is given the power to become Captain Marvel. He learns that Mary is still alive, but after four years of searching, neither he nor his benefactor, the wizard Shazam, can find the girl. The only thing Billy has to remember Mary by is her favorite toy, a "Tawky Tawny" doll, which was shipped to America with the Batsons’ possessions after their murders.

As a young teenager, Mary enters a regional spelling bee held in Fawcett City and emceed by Billy, who works as an on-air reporter for WHIZ radio. After saving Mary from kidnappers twice as Captain Marvel, Billy notices how much Mary Bromfield reminds him of Mary Batson, and has an undercover cop named “Muscles” McGinnis retrieve the girl’s forged adoption record. Learning that Mary is indeed his sister, Billy tries to figure out a way to let Mary know he is her brother. The old "Tawky Tawny" doll suddenly transforms into a full-sized tiger and comes to life, instructing Billy to take it to Mary. As Captain Marvel, Billy flies out to the Bromfields’ hometown of Fairfield to deliver the doll and the adoption papers to Mary.

Captain Marvel arrives at the Bromfield estate and changes back to Billy Batson to deliver the package, but is immediately kidnapped by the thugs who helped Primm forge Mary’s adoption records. Mary, not having seen Billy, takes the package and opens it, discovering the adoption records and the Tawky Tawny doll. Once again, the doll comes to life, and instructs the bewildered girl to say the magic word “Shazam” and save her brother. Mary complies, and is transformed by a bolt of magic lightning into a superpowered doppelganger of her deceased mother. She saves Billy, who transforms into Captain Marvel to help Mary defeat the thugs, but the two Marvels cannot save Sarah Primm, who is murdered by one of the thugs.

The Trials of Shazam! and Countdown

Mary Marvel in Countdown #47 (June 6, 2007).

In the eleven page preview to Judd Winick and Howard Porter's Trials of Shazam! limited series appearing in DC's Brave New World one-shot comic (June 2006), Mary Marvel loses her powers in mid-flight as an after-effect of the death of the wizard Shazam in Day of Vengeance #6, and falls from a height of three miles. Mary survives the fall, and Freddy Freeman, who lost the power to become Captain Marvel Jr., has her transported to a hospital in New York City where he can keep watch over her.

In Countdown #51, Mary is released from the hospital. She finds that she is still powerless, and a note left by Freddy Freeman with a nurse asks her not to look for him. Making her way to Gotham City (despite being warned by Madame Xanadu to avoid the place in Countdown #50),[2] Mary stumbles upon the former Kahndaqi embassy and encounters Black Adam, who angrily threatens her. Mary tells Adam how much she valued her powers, and how she desires to regain them. Adam, bitter over the loss of his wife Isis and brother-in-law Osiris during the events of 52 as well as his failure to resurrect the former, gives Mary his powers; he is transformed into the mortal Teth-Adam. Mary wears a black, form-fitting costume, and wields Adam's powers as a darker, angrier character.[3] While searching for a tutor to help her harness her power, she encounters Eclipso who only fuels her wild abandon.

Their alliance however seems to break down when Eclipso, hoping to please her master, Darkseid, offers the young and pretty Mary as her new concubine, reasoning that the two women could always leech Darkseid's arcane knowledge, slay him, and take his place. Mary refuses to sell herself for more power, beats Eclipso with her own crystal, and flees enraged. Eclipso catches up to her and regains the diamond. Eclipso then departs, leaving Mary alone again. Some time later, Eclipso returns, hoping to finish her off, but Mary is too strong for her.

Mary suffers a change of mind, and upon realizing that Black Adam's powers are as responsible of her corruption as Eclipso, divests herself of them, feeding the lighting bolt into Eclipso. Both women lose their powers, and fall into the ocean. However, an unpowered Mary lands on Themysciran soil, where Queen Hippolyta drafts her in the rebellion against Granny Goodness, posing as the goddess Athena.

Mary, Holly Robinson, and Harleen Quinzel manage to reveal Goodness' deception, and the trio follow her to Apokolips. After escaping the Female Furies, Mary started to hear the voices of the gods. The group managed to free the gods from an Apokaliptan chamber; Mary Marvel's powers were restored with a variation of her classic costume, with a gray lightning bolt and long sleeves.

After journeying with the Challengers to Earth-51 and witnessing the Great Disaster occurring there, Mary finally returns home to find Darkseid waiting for her. Reminding her of how strong she felt using Black Adam's powers, he returns them to her, restoring her black costume. She then confronts Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner, Forager, and Jimmy Olsen, seizing Jimmy to take him back to Darkseid. When Donna questions Mary's use of the powers, Mary insists that she is not evil, merely "driven". [4] After Darkseid's defeat, Mary returns to Black Adam, asking to be a part of a new Black Marvel Family. Adam refuses her, and she decides to become a solo superheroine.

Powers and abilities

Mary Marvel in Formerly Known as the Justice League #1 (2003). Art by Kevin Maguire and Josef Rubinstein.

As Billy's twin, Mary shared Billy's ability to transform into a superhero by speaking the name of the wizard Shazam. In her petite superpowered state, Mary Marvel originally wore a red short-sleeved blouse and red skirt lined with gold trim, which included a lightning bolt insignia and cape.

The Fawcett and pre-1985 version of Mary Marvel did not derive her “Shazam” powers from the male mythological figures who empower Billy, but from a set of female benefactors: Selena for grace, Hippolyta* for strength, Ariadne for skill, Zephyrus for fleetness (and flight), Aurora for beauty, and Minerva for wisdom.

Although these deities were originally described and depicted as goddesses, Zephyrus is actually a male god. In addition, the list does not account for all of the superhuman traits shared by Billy and Mary, specifically Captain Marvel's powers of invulnerability, stamina, and courage. The original Mary Marvel remained a teenager when she transformed, rather than becoming a mature adult like Billy.

The current version of Mary Marvel, originating in The Power of Shazam!, has the same powers, from the same benefactors, as her brother (Solomon, Hercules*, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury). A power-sharing element was added to the mythos in the Power of Shazam! series - one finite source of power was shared between Mary, Captain Marvel, and Captain Marvel Jr. It should be noted that this power-sharing element has not been honored by all later appearances of the Marvels. Mary loses these powers a year after the death of of the wizard Shazam.

In Countdown, Black Adam gives Mary his powers.[5] Since Adam was not sharing his powers with anyone else when he granted them to Mary,[6] and had also been carrying the powers of his dead wife Isis[7] (who had granted them to him with her death), Mary is now more powerful than she's ever been. Mary's patron deities become seven Egyptian gods: Shu, Heru, Amon, Zehuti, Aten, Mehen, and the "most powerful"[8] Egyptian deity, Isis. Mary's powers continue to expand rapidly as she and her mentor Eclipso seek new sources of magical power for her, gaining various new magical powers. Eventually realizing she had been corrupted by Eclipso and the powers of Adam's gods, Mary relinquished these abilities. Mary's powers were restored, but their levels were lower than her previous powers and her Black Adam powers. Recently, her Black Adam powers were restored, given to her by a new source: Darkseid.

Alternate versions

Soon after her introduction, Mary Marvel headlined Wow Comics, and by 1945 had her own Mary Marvel book. She also appeared in The Marvel Family book with Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. In her solo adventures, Mary soon gained sidekicks in her kindly Uncle Marvel, who was not actually her uncle nor a Marvel, and his similarly nonpowered niece, Freckles Marvel. Uncle Marvel was eventually made the Marvel Family’s manager, and also served as Mary’s guardian.

52 Multiverse

In the final issue of 52, a new Multiverse is revealed, consisting of 52 identical realities; Earth-5 is depicted as home to the Marvel family characters. As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this universe, it takes on aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-S. Although the characters are not named in the panel in which they appear, a character looking like Mary Marvel is shown.[9] 52 co-author Grant Morrison has made clear that this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-S.[10]

An evil version of Mary Marvel exists on an alternate universe, as a member of the "Power Posse" (evil analogues of the Super Buddies). Mistress Mary, as she is called, wears a black variant of Mary's traditional outfit, almost identical to her costume during 2007/2008 Countdown series.[11]

Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil

In the 2007 limited series Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil, written and illustrated by Jeff Smith, Mary Batson is depicted as a prepubescent child who does not age when she transforms into Mary Marvel.

Mary meets her lost brother in the circus that is attacked by Alligator Men and is rescued by Captain Marvel. With the help of Talky Tawny, a trickster spirit who change into various forms, but prefers being a tiger when convenient, the siblings learn they are related. When Billy transforms into Captain Marvel, Mary stands too close to her brother and is struck by the fringe of the magic lightning. As a result, Mary gains her Marvel form (which is still at her actual age) that is apparently based on the aspects of various goddesses, including superior flying speed to her brother, and powers stemming by a female set of benefactors. For example, Athena's wisdom is different from Solomon's, allowing Mary to perceive "life vibrations" and distinguish between living and non-living beings.

Although she is kidnapped in her regular form by Doctor Sivana and Mr. Mind, Billy rescues her as Captain Marvel and removes a piece of duct tape from her mouth, allowing her to transform. When Billy accidentally loses his Marvel powers, Mary restores them to him by calling down the lighting and touching him as it strikes.

Tangent Comics

In the Tangent Comics print, Mary was one of three superheroines (the others being Madame Xanadu and Lori Lemaris) who masqueraded as a heroic version of The Joker.

Appearances in other media

Along with the rest of the Marvel Family, Mary Marvel appeared in the 1981 Shazam! Saturday morning cartoon, aired as one half of the Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam!, voiced by Dawn Jeffory. Although she has not appeared in any other television programs or films, Mary Marvel is featured in issue 20 of the Justice League Unlimited comic book, in which she appears in the art style of the Justice League Unlimited television show.

References

  1. ^ Hamerlinck, Paul (ed.) (2001). Fawcett Companion: The Best of FCA. Raleigh, NC: TwoMorrows Publishing.
  2. ^ Coundown's issue numbering runs backwards; that is, the series begins with #51 and ends at #0).
  3. ^ Countdown #41
  4. ^ Countdown to Final Crisis #4
  5. ^ Countdown #47
  6. ^ 52, Week #52
  7. ^ Countdown #46
  8. ^ 52, no. 12, p. 15/1 (August 28, 2006). DC Comics.
  9. ^ 52, no. 52, p. 12/5 (May 2, 2007). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Brady, Matt (2007-05-08). ""The 52 Exit Interviews: Grant Morrison"". Newsarama. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  11. ^ JLA Classified #8, 9
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