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'{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics--> |image= CMJ1.JPG<!--needs replacing with a more iconic or recent image--> |converted=y |caption=Captain Marvel, Jr. by [[Matthew Clark]] in ''Outsiders'' (vol. 3) #29. |character_name=Captain Marvel, Jr. |real_name=Frederick Christopher "Freddy" Freeman |publisher=[[Fawcett Comics]] (1941 - 1953) <br />[[DC Comics]] (1972 - present) |debut=''[[Whiz Comics]]'' #25 (December 1941) |creators= Ed Herron<br>[[Mac Raboy]] |alliances=[[Marvel Family]]<br/>[[Teen Titans]]<br/>[[Outsiders (comics)|Outsiders]]<br/>[[Young Justice]]<br/>[[Justice League]] |aliases=CM3, Shazam |powers= Magically bestowed aspects of various mythological figures which include super strength, invulnerability, super-speed, flight, healing, fearlessness and wisdom/enhanced mental perception. Also he can control the magic lightning for himself. | cat = | subcat = | hero = y | villain = | sortkey = Captain Marvel Jr. | addcharcat1 = Marvel Family | addcharcat2 = DC Comics superheroes }} '''Captain Marvel Jr.''' ('''Freddy Freeman''') is a [[fictional character]], a [[superhero]] originally published by [[Fawcett Comics]] and currently in the {{DC Universe}}. A member of the [[Marvel Family]] team of superheroes, he was created by Ed Herron and [[Mac Raboy]], and first appeared in ''[[Whiz Comics]]'' #25 in December 1941. Captain Marvel Jr.'s alter-ego is Freddy Freeman, a crippled newsboy saved by Captain Marvel from the villainous [[Captain Nazi]]. Junior derives his powers from Captain Marvel himself, while the other Marvels derive their powers from the wizard [[Shazam (comics)|Shazam]]. By saying the name Captain Marvel, Freddy is transformed into the teenaged Captain Marvel Jr. Unlike Captain Marvel and the modern-era version of [[Mary Marvel]], Junior remains a teenager in his transformed state.<ref name="dc-ency">{{Citation | last = Jimenez | first = Phil | author-link = Phil Jimenez | contribution = Captain Marvel Jr. | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | pages = 69 | publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]] | place = New York | year = 2008 | isbn = 0-7566-4119-5 | oclc = 213309017}}</ref> In the ''The Trials of Shazam!'' maxi-series published from 2006 to 2008, Freddy Freeman is made to undergo six trials to prove himself worthy of succeeding Captain Marvel, who takes over the wizard Shazam's post on the Rock of Eternity. Upon completion of the Trials, Freddy assumes the superhero name '''Shazam.''' ==Publication history== ===Fawcett character origin=== [[Image:Mastercomics30.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Captain Marvel Jr., from ''Master Comics'' #30 (1942). Art by [[Mac Raboy]].]] After [[Fawcett Comics]]' success with their first superhero character, [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]], the company decided to introduce a spin-off character.<ref name="CMJforeword">Hamerlinck, P.C. (2006). Foreword to ''The Shazam! Family Archives, Vol. 1''. New York: DC Comics.</ref> Although Captain Marvel had been given part-time sidekicks in the form of the look-alike [[Lieutenant Marvels]] in ''Whiz Comics'' #21 (Sept. 1941), Fawcett Comics editor [[Ed Herron]] wanted to introduce a distinctive spin-off character.<ref name="CMJforeword" /> Captain Marvel transformed from teenage boy to adult superhero with a magic word; Herron decided for his new character to remain a teenager to differentiate him from Captain Marvel.<ref name="CMJforeword" /> Fawcett staff artist [[Mac Raboy]] designed the new character, named Captain Marvel Jr., using a more realistic style parting with [[C.C. Beck]]'s more cartoony artwork for the Captain Marvel stories.<ref name="CMJforeword" /> Captain Marvel, Jr's first appearance in ''[[Whiz Comics]]'' #25 was part of a three-issue crossover between ''Whiz Comics'' and another Fawcett publication, ''[[Master Comics]]'', in late 1941. The crossover, printed during the height of [[World War II]], found [[Bulletman]] and [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] at odds with [[Adolf Hitler]]'s superpowered champion, [[Captain Nazi]]. During a battle with Captain Nazi in ''Whiz Comics'' #25, one of Captain Marvel’s punches sends the villain careening into a lake. An elderly man and his teenage grandson happened to be fishing in the lake near the place Nazi has landed, and, not knowing who he is, lift the unconscious man into their boat to prevent him from drowning. Nazi immediately comes to, tosses the old man into the lake, and knocks the boy out of the boat with an oar. The old man immediately dies, but Captain Marvel is able to save the unconscious boy, named Freddy Freeman, and bring him to a hospital. Captain Marvel, in his alter ego as young Billy Batson, learns from a nurse that Freddy is not expected to last the night. This leads Billy to take Freddy to the underground throne of the wizard [[Shazam (comics)|Shazam]], who originally granted Captain Marvel his powers. Billy asks the wizard to heal Freddy and save his life, but Shazam cannot, and instead tells Billy that he, as Captain Marvel, can pass along some of his powers to so that Freddy can walk again. Shazam disappears and Billy transforms back into Captain Marvel, just as Freddy awakens. Looking up, he exclaims “Why...it’s Captain Marvel,” and is instantly transformed into a super-powered version of himself. Freddy, now called Captain Marvel Jr., resembles a younger Captain Marvel, though with a yellow-on-blue costume with a red cape, rather than Marvel's yellow-on-red with a white cape. Captain Marvel informs Junior that he cannot remain in his super-powered form at all times, but that he must allow his human form to heal as best it can. With that, Freddy once again said his mentor's name and returned to his hospital bed. Freddy remains permanently [[lame]] in his left leg and is forced to walk with a [[crutch]] (although Captain Marvel Jr. bears no such impediment). As a result, Junior sought revenge against Captain Nazi, and the two repeatedly battled in a number of World War II-era comic stories. ===Fawcett years=== Captain Marvel Jr. was a popular spin-off character, and appeared in solo adventures in both ''[[Master Comics]]'' and his own ''Captain Marvel Jr.'' comic book. Mac Raboy's darker, more dramatic art style illustrated adventures with more serious themes than those often seen in the often whimsical Captain Marvel stories. Marvel Jr's regularly dealt with espionage, organized crime, murder, and Nazis in more-or-less straightforward adventure styles with often somber overtones. The stories depicted the plight of working-class and working-poor people during [[World War II]]. Even as he fought Japanese air attacks, conferred with United States president [[Franklin Roosevelt]] and United Kingdom Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]], and even came close to capturing [[Adolf Hitler]] himself, Freddy continued to live in a run-down hovel and to dress in shabby rags. His one valuable possession appeared to be his diary, which was written in a large, richly ornamented book. In most of his adventures, Freddy Freeman is depicted as a character to be pitied for his injury, reminiscent of Tiny Tim from [[Charles Dickens]]' ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'', until he transforms into his super-powered state (C.C. Beck described the character as resembling Tiny Tim as Freddy Freeman, and [[Peter Pan]] as Captain Marvel Jr.).<ref>Beck, C.C. (1983). "The Human Quality of the Captain Marvel Characters." Originally written for ''Fawcet Collectors of America'' magazine, reprinted in: Hamerlinck, P.C. [ed.] (2001). ''Fawcett Companion: The Best of FCA''. Raliegh, North Carolina: Two Morrows Publishing. Pgs. 28-29.</ref> Ironically, as Captain Marvel Jr., the character is unable to introduce himself to anyone, since he would transform back into Freddy Freeman after pronouncing the first two words in his name. This technicality is sometimes employed in the Fawcett stories as a plot point; later DC Comics stories would tend to make light of the issue.<ref>In ''Power of Shazam!'' #14 (April 1996), Captain Marvel Jr. is asked by a New York police officer to identify himself. His response (as he reminds himself that he can't pronounce his own name aloud): "Uh...you know that Marvel guy in Fawcett?"</ref> Junior, Captain Marvel, and [[Mary Marvel]] began appearing together in ''The Marvel Family'' comic book beginning in 1945. That title and Junior's own ran until 1953, when [[Fawcett Publications]] discontinued all the Marvel Family comic books as the result of a lawsuit brought by National Comics (later [[DC Comics]]). ===''Shazam!'' revival=== After Fawcett Comics folded, Captain Marvel Jr. remained unpublished, alongside the rest of the [[Marvel Family]], for years. In 1972, DC Comics purchased the rights to the Marvel Family characters and revived them in a new series entitled ''Shazam!'' In his 1970s adventures, Captain Marvel Jr. discovered that fellow super hero [[Kid Eternity]] was in fact his long-lost brother. This [[retcon]] took place because of the characters' very similar origins. Both characters' origins involved the death of a grandfather, and both characters also rely on magic words that form part of their super-hero names (and therefore neither hero can speak his name without triggering his powers). In reality, Kid Eternity had been published by another company, [[Quality Comics]], whose characters DC had also purchased. Following DC's ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' mini-series, the Marvel Family was [[retcon]]ned out of DC continuity, with Captain Marvel appearing in DC publications for the next decade as a solo character. ===''Power of Shazam!'' and other 1990s/early 2000s appearances=== Freddy Freeman was reintroduced in 1995, with ''The Power of Shazam!'' #3. His origin as Captain Marvel Jr. was reworked and represented, with Junior making his first post-''Crisis'' appearance in heroic form in ''Power of Shazam!'' #7 (Sept. 1995). Beginning with ''Power of Shazam!'' #13, writer [[Jerry Ordway]] began focusing the book on Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, relegating Junior to periodic solo stories. During this period, Junior began appearing in ''Teen Titans'', and the character's name was changed to ''CM3'', so that he could identify himself without triggering his transformation. Junior continued to appear in ''Teen Titans'' until its cancellation in mid-1998. The character then returned to regular appearances in ''Power of Shazam!'', until that book was canceled at the end of the year. After the demise of ''Power of Shazam!'', Captain Marvel Jr. made sporadic guest appearances throughout the DC Universe. One of these appearances was as an adult Captain Marvel in "[[Titans Tomorrow]]", a story-arc in ''Teen Titans'' (vol. 3) #17-19 (2005). By this time, the character was once again identified by the name Captain Marvel Junior, rather than CM3, and his costume was slightly modified, substituting his traditional red [[cape]] for a white one like that of the other two Marvels. A guest appearance in ''[[Outsiders (comics)|The Outsiders]]'' (vol. 3) #10 in 2004 led to Captain Marvel Jr. briefly joining the team the following year. The Junior-featured ''Outsiders'' stories featured the team battling Marvel Family villains such as [[Dr. Sivana]], [[Sabbac]], and [[Chain Lightning]].<ref name="dc-ency"/> Captain Marvel Jr. also made brief appearances in the 2005-2006 ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' mini-series and its 2006-2007 maxi-series sequel, ''[[52 (comics)|52]]''. One of the key supporting characters of ''52'' was [[Osiris (DC Comics)|Osiris]], Captain Marvel Jr.'s analogue in [[Black Adam]]'s [[Marvel Family#Black Marvel Family members|Black Marvel Family]]. ===''The Trials of Shazam!''=== Writer [[Judd Winick]], who had written ''Outsiders'' (vol. 3), was given the task of revamping the ''Captain Marvel'' franchise. The events of ''Infinite Crisis'' included the death of the wizard Shazam, and in a twelve-issue maxi-series titled ''The Trials of Shazam!'', Winick began exploring Freddy Freeman's quest to prove himself worthy of wielding the power of Shazam in the new age of magic, which began with the end of ''Infinite Crisis''. As Winick felt the ''Shazam!'' characters were too light-hearted and not being taken seriously,<ref> Hinze, Scott and Hull, Oliver (April 16, 2006). "[http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=81480 Interview with Judd Winick]," ''Fanboy Radio</ref> ''The Trials of Shazam!'' series features a much darker tone than earlier DC Comics ''Shazam!'' stories, reflecting more of the darker tones of the original Fawcett Captain Marvel Jr. stories. Freddy Freeman is now a young adult, forced to battle various beings powered by [[black magic]], including a new female archenemy named Sabina. The Shazam gods are presented in ''Trials of Shazam!'' in reimagined forms (Solomon is a female tattoo artist in [[New York]], Hercules a [[Latino]] convict, etc), since they are all hiding from the various evils of the new age. The first eight issues of ''Trials of Shazam!'', as well as a prequel written by Winick for ''[[One Year Later|Brave New World]]'' #1, were illustrated by [[Howard Porter]]. Porter broke his drawing hand during the course of production on the series, which led to a number of extended delays between issues.<ref>Hinze, Scott (September 26, 2007). "[http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=259760 Interview (#2) with Judd Winick]". ''Fanboy Radio</ref> [[Mauro Cascioli]] took over the artist's chores for the final four issues. At the conclusion of the series, Freddy takes over the mantle of Captain Marvel under the name Shazam (assuming the red costume and adult form of Captain Marvel, with longer hair), while Billy Batson, the former Captain Marvel, was given the role of the wizard Shazam under the name Marvel. Freddy Freeman/Shazam will be among the characters appearing in a six issue ''[[Justice League: Cry for Justice]]'' mini-series written by [[James Dale Robinson|James Robinson]] and illustrated by Mauro Cascioli, set to run in late 2009.<ref>Mahadeo, Kevin (December 8, 2008). "[http://www.wizarduniverse.com/120808behindthecover207jla.html BEHIND THE COVER OF WIZARD #207 GOLD]". ''WizardUniverse.com'' Retrieved April 4, 2009.</ref> ==Fictional character biography====<!--needs spliting into pre-Crisis and post-Crisis character biography sections--> ===Early years=== [[Image:Power-of-shazam-19.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Captain Marvel Jr. battles his archenemy [[Captain Nazi]] on the cover of ''[[The Power of Shazam!]]'' #19 (1996). Art by [[Jerry Ordway]].]] According to Captain Marvel Jr.'s current DC origin story, Freddy Freeman was born and raised in a [[New England]] fishing village, living with his parents and his foster brother, Timothy Karnes.<ref name="Outsiders10">''Outsiders'' (third series) #10</ref> When Freddy's parents drowned in a storm, Freddy's maternal grandfather Jacob took him in, while Timothy was sent to live with various foster families.<ref name="Outsiders10" /> As an adult, Karnes would harness the powers of the underworld and become [[Sabbac]], one of Captain Marvel Jr.'s enemies.<ref>''Outsiders'' (vol. 3) #9</ref> The teenage Freddy Freeman, living in Midwestern [[Fawcett City]], was shown to be an all-star student and athlete at the Binder school in Fawcett City, and a friend of Captain Marvel's alter ego Billy Batson<ref name="Power of Shazam! #6">''Power of Shazam!'' #6</ref> One afternoon, after winning a baseball game for his school team, Freddy and his <!--maternal, so his last name isn't "Freeman"--> grandfather Jacob went on a fishing trip in the Fawcett Bay,<ref name="Power of Shazam! #6"/> At the same time, however, Captain Marvel found himself engaged in a battle with the supervillain [[Captain Nazi]]. As in the Fawcett origin, one of Marvel's punches knocks Captain Nazi into the lake near Grandpa Jacob's boat, and Freddy and his grandfather are attacked when they attempt to save the villain from the water.<ref name="dc-ency"/> Captain Marvel intervenes and rushes both injured bystanders to a hospital. Grandpa Jacob slips into a coma, and Freddy is found to have a severely injured spine and a broken leg, which will prevent him from ever walking again. After a second attack from Captain Nazi, the injured Freddy is taken to the wizard Shazam by Captain Marvel and his sister [[Mary Marvel]], who both grant the boy the power to become Captain Marvel Jr. However, Jacob dies, and Captain Marvel Jr. goes on a rampage against Captain Nazi until the other Marvels intervene. Nazi and Captain Marvel Jr. would become arch-enemies, regularly pitted against one another. ===As Captain Marvel Jr.=== Junior becomes an integral member of the Marvel Family until he draws Billy's ire by making a pass at his sister.<ref>''Power of Shazam!'' #13</ref> The resulting conflict (created essentially to write Junior out of ''The Power of Shazam!'' from issue #13 on) causes Junior to leave Fawcett City and seek refuge in [[New York City]], where he joins the [[Teen Titans]]. At this time, the character's name was briefly changed to ''CM3'' (short for Captain Marvel Three, with Billy being CM1 and Mary CM2), a name he could identify himself with in dialogue without triggering his transformation.<ref name="dc-ency"/> After some time spent with the Titans, Junior returns to Fawcett (and ''The Power of Shazam!'' comic with issue #42) and makes amends with Captain Marvel. Another superhero team, The Outsiders, found themselves in a battle against Ishmael Gregor, who had killed Timothy Barnes and stolen his Sabbac powers.<ref>''Outsiders'' (vol. 3) #9-10</ref> Captain Marvel Jr. arrived to help the Outsiders dispatch Sabbac, and some time later Junior would join the team for a brief period.<ref>''Outsiders'' (vol. 3) #28-#33</ref> Following the ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' crossover event, Junior briefly joins the depleted Teen Titans roster during the weekly ''52'' comic book series, and is part of the wedding party for his former enemy Black Adam's marriage to [[Isis (DC Comics)|Isis]].{{Issue|date=April 2009}} Later, Junior attempts to vouch for Black Adam's protégé, Isis' brother Osiris, who wants to join the Titans as well. However, Osiris accidentally murders a supervillain, leading to the Titans being investigated for terrorist affiliations. Osiris is eventually murdered by [[Sobek (comics)|Sobek]], a biogenerated crocodile monster who posed as the boy's friend. After the death of Osiris, Freddy and Mary are the paulbearers of his casket at his and his sister's funeral. His last appearance was in World War III where he fought and lost to Black Adam. ===As Shazam=== [[Image:NewShazam1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Freddy Freeman now transformed into the new Captain Marvel in ''[[The Trials of Shazam!]]'' #12 (2008). Art by [[Mauro Cascioli]].]] During ''Infinite Crisis'', an event designed to significantly alter the status of the DC Universe, the wizard Shazam was destroyed by the [[Spectre (comics)|Spectre]],<ref>''Day of Vengeance'' #6</ref> causing Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel to lose their powers a year later.<ref>''Brave New World'' #1</ref> Captain Marvel is transformed into ''Marvel'', a white-robed being who assumes Shazam's old post as caretaker of the Rock of Eternity.<ref name="tos2">''Trials of Shazam!'' #2</ref> Marvel drafts the now-powerless Freddy Freeman to undergo a quest to prove himself worthy of replacing Captain Marvel. Each of the six gods who contributed their powers — [[Solomon]], [[Hercules]], [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]], [[Zeus]], [[Achilles]], and [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] — present Freddy with a trial (similar to the [[Labours of Hercules|Labors of Hercules]]), which Freddy would have to complete successfully in order to be granted with that god's particular power. If he completes all six tasks, he will take on the name Shazam.<ref name="dc-ency"/> Zareb Babak, a demoted [[necromancer]], serves as Freddy's guide during his trials. At the same time, however, a dark organization known as the [[Merlin (DC Comics)|Council of Merlin]] are backing their own candidate, a [[Creole peoples|Creole]] sorceress named Sabina. If she wins the trials, then the power of Shazam will be lost to the Marvel Family and she will control it. Freddy and Sabina end up competing nearly neck-and-neck for many of the trials. Freddy passes the trials of Solomon and Achilles, gaining wisdom and invulnerability, but is only given half of Hercules' strength, after Sabina steals what she can from him. Sabina later kills Atlas and steals his power of stamina. Apollo is drafted to replace Atlas in the Shazam pantheon, but splits his healing/renewal ability between both competitors following a battle against Freddy. Sabina also manages to steal the powers of Mercury and then injure him, placing her on an equal footing with Freddy. With the help of Marvel, Katana, the [[Shadowpact]], and the [[Justice League]], Freddy fights Sabina and the demons of Merlin to keep Sabina from summoning Zeus and obtaining his power. After proving himself willing to sacrifice his life to keep Sabina from attaining all of the power of Shazam, Zareb reveals that he himself is Zeus in disguise, and grants Freddy the full powers of Shazam. Sabina is cast through a portal, seemingly defeated, and her legion of demons banished, as Freddy becomes Shazam for the first time. As Shazam, Freddy wears the same costume as Captain Marvel, with a yellow-on-red theme and longer hair. He now says "Shazam" to transform, although he can say the word without transforming if he so wishes and only transforms through force of will. Freddy has appeared in several stories set following the ''Trials'' series. Freddy, as Shazam, appears as a supporting character in DC's 2008/2009 ''[[Final Crisis]]'' mini-series event, joining forces with a small band of superheroes (including his enemy [[Black Adam]]) to fight [[Darkseid]] and the [[Anti-Life Equation]] he has used to take over the Earth and many of its heroes. Shazam, Black Adam, and [[Tawky Tawny]] fight an evil, possessed Mary Marvel, whose body has been possessed by the [[New Gods|New God]] [[Desaad]]; she is defeated after Shazam uses his magic lightning bolt to transform himself back to Freddy and the evil Mary Marvel back to a normal Mary Batson.<ref>''Final Crisi'' #3-6 (2009)</ref> Freddy appears briefly in the concurrent "[[Superman: New Krypton|New Krypton]]" (2009) storyline in ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #684 and ''[[Action Comics]]'' #873, in which he joins forces with [[Zatanna]] and a band of other magic-based superheroes to help stop the invading Kryptonians by using the magic lightning of Shazam. In a 2009 ''[[Justice Society of America]]'' story, the wizard [[Shazam (comics)|Shazam]] returns, and, angry at the state of affairs, strips Billy and Mary Batson of their powers and banishes them from the Rock of Eternity, vowing to come after Freddy for "stealing his name," as Freddy's powers come from the gods themselves and not the wizard.<ref>''Justice Society of America'' (vol. 3) #25 (April 2009)</ref> Shazam's profile is raised when he becomes part of a ''Justice League'' miniseries by [[James Robinson (comics)|James Robinson]] which will establish a new ''Justice League of America'' line-up. In the second issue of [[Justice_League:_Cry_for_Justice|''Justice League: Cry For Justice'']] (2009), Freddy Freeman appears at the [[Flash Museum]] after an attack there and on [[S.T.A.R. Labs]] in [[Fawcett City]]. He meets up with [[Flash (Jay Garrick)|Jay Garrick]] and [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Ray Palmer]] who aren't sure whether he goes by Captain Marvel or Shazam, which he says to call him Freddy. Freddy and Ray talk about their time on the [[Teen Titans]] then head to [[Gotham City]] where they meet [[Hal Jordan]] and [[Green Arrow]], as well as declaring they want Justice.<ref>''Justice League: Cry for Justice'' #2 (August 2009)</ref> Freddy ends up joining Hal and Ollie's group of heroes, developing a mutual attraction with [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]]. Freddy also saved the team from Clayface himself acting as a bomb to blow up a building.<ref>''Justice League: Cry for Justice'' #3 (September 2009)</ref> Freddy joins Ollie and Hal's team after saving them from an explosion.<ref>''Justice League: Cry for Justice'' #4 (October 2009)</ref> He is later seen to have betrayed the team, defeating The Flash, [[Congorilla]] and dismembering [[Roy Harper (comics)|Roy Harper]].<ref>''Justice League: Cry for Justice'' #5 (December 2009)</ref> ==Powers and abilities== When Freddy Freeman says the magic word "Shazam" he is empowered with the energies of the six forgotten gods as their direct champion. Formerly he invoked the words "Captain Marvel!" and transforms into "Captain Marvel, Jr." but in both instances his form remains the same unlike Batson. In his super-powered state, Freeman has the following magic based powers: {|class="wikitable" border="1" |- |'''S''' ||for the wisdom of '''S'''olomon ||As Captain Marvel Jr., Freddy has instant access to a vast amount of scholarly knowledge, including most known languages and sciences. The wisdom of [[Solomon]] also provides him with counsel and advice in times of need. |- |'''H''' ||for the strength of '''H'''ercules[[Hercules (DC Comics)|*]] ||[[Hercules]]' power grants Captain Marvel Jr. immense superhuman strength, making him one of DC Comics' most physically powerful characters; he is able to easily bend steel, punch through walls and lift massive objects, (including whole continents like South America). |- |'''A''' ||for the stamina of '''A'''tlas ||Using [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]]' endurance, Captain Marvel Jr. can withstand and survive most types of extreme physical assaults. Additionally, he does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe and can survive unaided in space when in Captain Marvel Jr. form. In the ''[[Captain Marvel Jr.#The Trials of Shazam!|Trials of Shazam!]]'' mini-series, Atlas was killed and replaced by Apollo after Atlas had his powers stolen. |- |'''Z''' ||for the power of '''Z'''eus ||[[Zeus]]' power, besides fueling the magic thunderbolt that transforms Captain Marvel Jr., also enhances Junior's other physical and mental abilities, and grants him resistance against all magic spells and attacks. Junior can use the lightning bolt as a weapon by dodging it and allowing it to strike an opponent or target. The magic lightning has several uses, such as creating apparatus, restoring damage done to Junior and acting as fuel for magic spells. |- |'''A''' ||for the courage of '''A'''chilles ||This aspect gives Captain Marvel Jr. the courage of [[Achilles]]. In the ''Trials of Shazam!'' mini-series, this was changed to the Greek hero's near invulnerability. It also aids Captain Marvel Jr.'s mental fortitude against most mental attacks. |- |'''M''' ||for the speed of '''M'''ercury ||By channeling [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury's]] speed, Captain Marvel Jr. can move at superhuman speeds. This also enables him to fly and to reach the Rock of Eternity by his own power. |} ==Other versions== ===''Bravo'' comic=== In April 1950, the [[Belgian]] comic ''Bravo'' published its own version of ''Capitaine Marvel Jr'', drawn by [[Albert Uderzo]], best known as the artist of ''[[Asterix]]''. In this version Freddy Freeman, although crippled, tries to save the life of Doctor Satano who has built a machine designed to help him rule the world but has caused a series of explosions in his laboratory. The machine gives superpowers and blue Captain Marvel outfits to both Freddy and Satano and they become sworn enemies.<ref>[http://www.bd-anciennes.net/annees50/bravo/bravo.php article on "Bravo" at bd-anciennes.net]</ref> ===Kingdom Come=== [[Image:King marvel-1-.png|thumb|140px|right|A sketch of King Marvel, an adult version of Captain Marvel Jr. seen in ''[[Kingdom Come (comic book)|Kingdom Come]]'', drawn by [[Alex Ross]].]] An adult version of Captain Marvel Jr. appears as a background character in the 1996 ''[[Kingdom Come (comic book)|Kingdom Come]]'' mini-series by [[Mark Waid]] and [[Alex Ross]]. In this alternate future, Junior now goes by the name '''King Marvel''', and resembles Elvis Presley. Mary Marvel, now called '''Lady Marvel''', is his wife, and the two have a superpowered son named '''the Whiz''', named after ''[[Whiz Comics]]''. ==="Titans Tomorrow"=== In this future, the adult Freddy Freeman has taken the Captain Marvel mantle and is a member of the [[Titans East]]. ===''52''=== In the final issue of the maxi-series ''[[52 (comic book)|52]]'' (#52, May 2, 2007), a new [[Multiverse]] is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated Earth-5. As a result of Marvel Family foe [[Mister Mind]] eating aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-''Crisis'' Earth-S, including the Marvel Family characters. The names of the characters are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear, but a character visually similar to Captain Marvel, Jr. appears.<ref> {{Comic book reference | title=[[52 (comic book)|52]] | issue=52 | date=May 2, 2007 | publisher=[[DC Comics]] | page=12 | panel=5 }}</ref> Based on comments by ''52'' co-author [[Grant Morrison]], this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-S.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=111900 | title = The 52 Exit Interviews: Grant Morrison | accessdate = 2007-05-12 | last = Brady | first = Matt | date = 2007-05-08 | publisher = Newsarama }}</ref> ===Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!=== Freddy Freeman is solicited to be in issue 14 coming out in March of 2010. ===Justice=== In the twelve-issue series of Justice, Freddy and Mary were taken captive by Black Adam and brainwashed to fight Billy Batson. Freddy, along with Mary and the Teen Titans, were sent to fight the Doom Patrol, which they defeated. Soon after, John Stewart freed Freddy, Mary and the Teen Titans with his Green Lantern Ring, after which they joined the fight against the villains. He was last shown with Hal Jordan and other heroes fixing the Watchtower. ===Tiny Titans=== In issue 21 of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'', Hoppy the Marvel Bunny comes to the Tiny Titans Pet Club, where Tiny Captain Marvel Junior joins him. Supergirl asks him his name and he replies "Captain Marvel Junior". He then tranforms back to Freddy Freeman. When asked again he says "Captain Marvel Junior", but adds "You can call me Freddy." ==Elvis Presley== The musician [[Elvis Presley]] was a big fan of Captain Marvel Jr., and styled his trademark [[haircut]] after that of the comic book character and some of Elvis' stage outfits (with a half-cape similar to those worn by the Marvels) and his TCB logo (with a Marvel-esque lightning bolt insignia) also show inspiration from Captain Marvel Jr.<ref> {{cite web| url = http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/86/| title = Elvis and Captain Marvel, Jr.| accessdate = 2006-09-13| last = Reed| first = Robby| date = | publisher = Dial B for Blog}}</ref> Elvis' childhood collection of ''Captain Marvel Jr.'' comic books still sits in [[Graceland]] displayed by the fans. In reference to Elvis' admiration for the character, Captain Marvel Jr. has often been shown as either a fan of Elvis or having been inspired by Elvis. In ''Teen Titans'' (vol. 3) #23, Captain Marvel Jr. is revealed to be a huge fan of [[Elvis Presley]]. The narrator ([[Superboy (Kon-El)|Superboy]]) states that "He's okay, just a little too into the retro thing for my tastes. Loves all that [[rockabilly]] crap. Flame shirts and hot dice belt buckles." Captain Marvel Jr. himself quotes Elvis, (whom he refers to as "the greatest modern-day philosopher"), with the quote "Do what's right for you as long as you don't hurt no one", to which [[Hawk and Dove|Hawk]] immediately states that she likes [[Sex Pistols]] bass guitarist [[Sid Vicious]] better as a role-model. ==Appearances in other media== Along with the rest of the Marvel Family, Captain Marvel Jr. appeared in the 1981 ''Shazam!'' [[Saturday morning cartoon]], aired as one-half of ''[[The Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam!]]'' voiced by [[Barry Gordon]]. In December 2006, the [[VS System]] Card game released a ''Freddy Freeman <> Captain Marvel'' card based on the version of the character that appeared in the "Titans of Tomorrow" story-arc. Two other cards featuring Freddy were released in 2007, known as "Freddy Freeman <> Captain Marvel Junior", one representing his membership with the Teen Titans and another his membership with the Outsiders. ==Collections and reprints== *''The Shazam! Family Archives, Volume 1'' (2006). Reprints Captain Marvel Jr. stories from ''[[Master Comics]]'' #23 - 32 and ''Captain Marvel Jr.'' #1, as well as the origin of Mary Marvel from ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18. Art by [[Mac Raboy]], [[Al Carreno]], and [[Marc Swayze]]. (ISBN 1-40120-779-0) *''The Trials of Shazam! Volume 1'' (2007). Collects ''The Trials of Shazam!'' #1-6 of the maxi-series, as well as the eleven-page preview from ''Brave New World'' #1. Written by Judd Winick. Art by Howard Porter. (ISBN 1-40121-331-6) *''The Trials of Shazam! Volume 2'' (2008). Collecting issues #7-12 of the maxi-series. Written by Judd Winick. Art by Howard Porter and Mauro Cascioli. (ISBN 1-40121-829-6) ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *[http://www.marvelfamily.com/whoswho/whoswho.aspx?castID=3 Captain Marvel, Jr.'s "Who's Who" file] at The Marvel Family Web *[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=272 Earth-S Captain Marvel, Jr. Index] *[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=1151 Earth-S Marvel Family Index] *[http://www.toonopedia.com/capmarvj.htm Captain Marvel, Jr.] at Don Markstein's Toonopedia *[http://www.captainmarvelculture.com/8jr.html Captain Marvel, Jr.] at Captain Marvel Culture.com, the history of the many Captain Marvels *[http://www.titanstower.com/source/whoswho/CM3.html Titans Tower: Captain Marvel, Jr.] {{Shazam}} [[Category:1941 comics characters debuts]] [[Category:Child superheroes]] [[Category:Comic book sidekicks]] [[Category:DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds]] [[Category:DC Comics characters with accelerated healing]] [[Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman strength]] [[Category:Fawcett Comics titles]] [[Category:Fictional characters with precognition]] [[Category:Fictional orphans]] [[Category:Golden Age superheroes]] [[de:Captain Marvel Jr.]] [[it:Capitan Marvel Jr.]] [[pt:Capitão Marvel Jr.]] [[sv:Captain Marvel Jr.]] [[tl:Captain Marvel, Jr.]]'