Summary
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Shazam #13!It’s been a while since he was part of theShazamFamily, but one of the team’s oldest members finally returns. Chaos is spreading across the world as a magic leak ushers in an era of monsters. But lending a hand is one of the Earth’s Mightiest Mortal’s classic allies.
InShazam #13by Josie Campbell and Mike Norton, Billy has gone missing after a fallout with his magical alter ego, the Captain. Mary and Freddy search for him and track him to an abandoned subway. Unfortunately, the tunnel is overflowing with monsters known as the Submen, empowered thanks to the recent magic leak.
Maryturns into Mary Marvelto fight the Submen. However, she expends more power than she intended and is nearly choked out by a monster. Thankfully, Billy arrives with an old friend of Mary’s:Uncle Marv, now calling himself Uncle Marvel, “Philly’s own homegrown superhero”.
Uncle Marvel Returns to Join the Shazam Family
Backin the Shazam Family’sheyday, Uncle Marvel was a con artist who wormed his way into the team by posing as Mary’s long-lost Uncle Dudley. But even though the heroes could see straight through the act, they kept him around to act as the team’s ‘manager’. The character disappeared in the Post-Crisis DC Universe before returning as a janitor at Billy’s school who would act as Billy’s confidante. He disappeared once more in the post-FlashpointDC Universe until reappearing inThe New Champion of Shazam!miniseries asa kindly man who helped Mary look into a case involving missing persons.
To be clear, Uncle Marvel doesn’t have powers. He has, in the past, gained some magic from one of the Champions, but for most of his existence, Dudley’s just been a regular dude. But his lack of powers hasn’t stopped him from doing the right thing. He helped Mary with her investigation in The New Champion of Shazam! and he risked his life going up against a monster here. Sure, he’s got a history of being a hustler. But he’s got a good heart andwhen the Shazam Family needed him, Uncle Marvel came through in a pinch.
Uncle Marvel’s Here to Help at a Pivotal Moment
Magic is leaking into the world and it’s causing monsters to come out in full force. With Billy not on great terms with the Captain and most of the foster siblings powerless, Mary has her hands full. Granted Uncle Marvel doesn’t have powers either, but he’s not afraid to risk his life if it means keeping his city safe. Maybe he doesn’t have the Speed of Mercury or the Strength of Hercules, but Uncle Marvel’s got the gumption needed to help theShazamFamily in whatever way he can.
Shazam
Originally known as Captain Marvel, the magical champion Shazam is a DC Comics superhero who gains his powers from various mythological figures: Solomon’s wisdom, Hercules' strength, Atlas' stamina, Zeus' power, Achilles' courage, and Mercury’s speed. When child Billy Batson utters the phrase “Shazam,” he transforms into an adult superhero with these combined abilities. Shazam fights villains alongside the Marvel Family, embodying the ideals of heroism, justice, and magic in the DC Universe.
