Mary Marvel, also known as Lady Shazam and Shazam, is a superheroine originally appearing in American comic books published by Fawcett Comics and now by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (cover-dated Dec. 1942). An ancillary character of Shazam, she is among the earliest known female contemporary of a male superhero in comic books. While her alter ego is Mary Bromfield, her origin and background have been retroactively altered throughout her publication history. In classical stories, she is the fraternal twin sister of Billy Batson (born Mary Batson), separated from him at a young age and adopted by the Bromfield family, relatives of the Batsons. After being reunited with her brother, she discovers that she possesses powers similar to his but derived from a different set of goddesses, becoming a superhero of Fawcett City alongside Billy and Captain Marvel Jr., the latter occasionally serving as her love interest, as the three form part of the Marvel Family. Modern stories instead portray Mary as the oldest foster sibling of Billy Batson, having come from an abusive household before being taken in by the Vazquez family. She initially receives her powers from Billy alongside the rest of the Shazam Family. Later stories establish her as the Wizard Shazam's Champion of Magic and then her powers instead being granted through Hippolyta and a female pantheon of goddesses, similar to earlier continuities. Mary Bromfield and her superhero alter-ego both made their cinematic debut in the DC Extended Universe 2019 film Shazam! played by Grace Fulton and Michelle Borth respectively, and the former returned in the 2023 sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods playing both parts. She also appears in the Young Justice animated television series, voiced by Erika Ishii and is alternatively referred to as Seargant Marvel.
Publication history
Fawcett Comics
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. Mary was introduced in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 as Mary Bromfield, a girl who discovers she is the long lost twin sister of Captain Marvel's alter ego Billy Batson. In Superhero Comics of the Golden Age, Mike Benton writes:
Rod Reed, the executive editor of Fawcett comics at the time that Mary Marvel was created, recalled that, originally, the letter "S" in Shazam was to have stood for Sappho. Rather than give his young heroine the questionable powers of a Greek poet from the isle of Lesbos, Reed suggested that Selene, goddess of the moon, might be a more wholesome choice.
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. 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 hosted a puzzle page drawn by C. C. Beck on page 33 of Mysteries of Unexplored World issue 1 (Charlton Comics August 1956). After that, Mary 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. According to Shazam #1 the Sivanas had put the Marvel family into suspended animation for 20 years, along with themselves (by mistake) and much of the supporting cast. 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 in 1987. 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.
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