The DC Comics Thread Vol. 3

["Chosen" NOT his black friend Find all posts View Profile Close "Chosen"]

The only real problem I have with calling him Shazam instead of Captain Marvel is that "Shazam" is still his magic word. So now he can't even tell anybody who he is without reverting to a kid...

Yeah he can, it's the intent of the word Shazam that causes the change.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Yeah he can, it's the intent of the word Shazam that causes the change.

Yeah and that has changed the whole dynamic for the worse, imho. Not to the extent that I won't read it, but to the extent that I would be very pleased to see it reversed.

I don't even get it. I thought DC won that lawsuit because they owned the Fawcett comics and the character pre-existed. either I missed part two of that or DC voluntarily gave up. Plus they still use the name 'Marvel family' for the range of characters, which is weird.

[Ωmega Man Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Ωmega Man]

Yeah and that has changed the whole dynamic for the worse, imho. Not to the extent that I won't read it, but to the extent that I would be very pleased to see it reversed.

I don't even get it. I thought DC won that lawsuit because they owned the Fawcett comics and the character pre-existed. either I missed part two of that or DC voluntarily gave up. Plus they still use the name 'Marvel family' for the range of characters, which is weird.

That's my whole problem with it. When Mary gets powers again will she not be called Mary Marvel? Why couldn't DC just call Cap the Red Marvel, since Marvel only has rights to the Black Marvel and Blue Marvel names? DC could still call him Captain Marvel, just not in the title or on covers. Power of Shazam! was still one of the best things to come out of that era of comics back in the 90's.

[Hypo Lil' Leaguer Find all posts View Profile Close Hypo]

I don't even get it. I thought DC won that lawsuit because they owned the Fawcett comics and the character pre-existed. either I missed part two of that or DC voluntarily gave up. Plus they still use the name 'Marvel family' for the range of characters, which is weird.

I think you're misremembering (or there's a part of the legal history that I'm not familiar with):

• DC sues Fawcett alleging that Captain Marvel infringes on their Superman copyright
• While the legal proceedings drag on Captain Marvel sales fall to a point where it's no longer profitable for Fawcett to publish. They reach a settlement with DC, which includes ceasing the publication of Captain Marvel comics
• In the '60s Marvel trademarks the Captain Marvel name since Fawcett's trademark has lapsed due to them no longer publishing comic.
• DC licenses Captain Marvel and related characters from Fawcett in the '70s but since Marvel owns the Captain Marvel trademark they have to call the book Shazam
• DC buys the rights to Captain Marvel and related characters from Fawcett in the '90s.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Okay, thanks. I wasn't trying to suggest I knew the details with any authority.
But what Omega said seems right too. For a while, they didn't title the book Captain Marvel (to avoid lawsuit) but still called him that within, so what made them back off to where they don't use it within the pages?

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I sometimes feel like it might have turned out better if Marvel had been the company to buy Cap from Fawcett. Assuming DC couldn't still say he was a superman rippoff, Marvel could have marketed Cap properly and introduced him into their universe.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Or maybe that was the real reason DC snagged him when they did. So Marvel COULDN'T have him. Better to keep him flopping around than to see Marvel succeed with him.

[Hypo Lil' Leaguer Find all posts View Profile Close Hypo]

Okay, thanks. I wasn't trying to suggest I knew the details with any authority.
But what Omega said seems right too. For a while, they didn't title the book Captain Marvel (to avoid lawsuit) but still called him that within, so what made them back off to where they don't use it within the pages?

Yeah so since they own the copyright on the Captain Marvel character they could use that in the book but since Marvel owns the trademark they couldn't call the title Captain Marvel. The decision to change to Shazam wasn't something they were forced to do it was them deciding they couldn't market the book/movie/whatever effectively if the title didn't match the character's name.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

^That makes sense and now that you say it I vaguely recall a statement from DC to that effect when they did the New 52 mini-series.

[Ωmega Man Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Ωmega Man]

I sometimes feel like it might have turned out better if Marvel had been the company to buy Cap from Fawcett. Assuming DC couldn't still say he was a superman rippoff, Marvel could have marketed Cap properly and introduced him into their universe.

Marvel had their own version of Cap called PRIME in their Malibu imprint. They brought Topaz over from that universe, no reason they couldn't do the same with Prime... unless they're just waiting for Shazam to come out to ride it's coattails...

I don't see the reasoning being that sound, calling the hero the same name as what's on the title of the comic was never a dealbreaker before. You look at Detective Comics you know it's Batman even if the word 'Batman' isn't on the damn cover. Same with Superman and Action Comics, etc.

And had Marvel bought the rights to the REAL Capt. Marvel and Co. he'd have already been replaced three times with SJW themed characters, had a robotic arm, been a Young Avenger, Avenger, etc. and he would have ALWAYS lost to Thor, Wolverine, etc. I'm fine with him at DC LOL

[Hypo Lil' Leaguer Find all posts View Profile Close Hypo]

I don't see the reasoning being that sound, calling the hero the same name as what's on the title of the comic was never a dealbreaker before. You look at Detective Comics you know it's Batman even if the word 'Batman' isn't on the damn cover. Same with Superman and Action Comics, etc.

Eh, those two are completely different in my opinion given how long they've been around and frankly given how much more known Batman and Superman are. And even if you say it's not an issue from a comic perspective yea but I'm sure they factored in the possibility of a movie and Marvel being able to make a Captain Marvel movie called Captain Marvel.

Speaking of the name change did we ever get new names for the rest of the Shazam family? Is Mary Marvel now Mary Shazam? Because that sounds stupid as hell.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Yeah he can, it's the intent of the word Shazam that causes the change.

That's a new development, isn't it? Just to compensate for changing the name. It seems a little forced to me. If it is all about intent and not the word itself, why does he have to SAY anything?

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

[Ωmega Man Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Ωmega Man]

Eh, those two are completely different in my opinion given how long they've been around and frankly given how much more known Batman and Superman are. And even if you say it's not an issue from a comic perspective yea but I'm sure they factored in the possibility of a movie and Marvel being able to make a Captain Marvel movie called Captain Marvel.

Speaking of the name change did we ever get new names for the rest of the Shazam family? Is Mary Marvel now Mary Shazam? Because that sounds stupid as hell.

No we never got new names for the rest of them. Suzie Shazam sounds about as 1940's as Mary Marvel, but DC needs to figure out which corner they've backed into to get out of first.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

^Yeah, IIRC, in the miniseries, some of the others were introduced (as other orphans in Billy's foster home) but they never received powers or hero names.