15 Superpowers Shazam Keeps Hidden (And 10 Strange ...

After the worldwide success that the MCU’s Captain Marvel had, Marvel Comics continues to dominate the film and television industry. Yet heading further into 2019, Warner Bros. and DC Comics seem determined not to give up on their own films. After Aquaman became a huge success for the comic book company, fans have been eager to see what film would come next and determine whether the DC Extended Universe could continue forward despite the initial setbacks of the Justice League film. Well, fans are going to get their answer soon, as DC’s Shazam is set to premiere in theaters.

The story of Shazam is an interesting one. Originally known as Captain Marvel in the hero’s origins, teenager Billy Batson is called upon by the wizard Shazam and bestowed with the power the wizard himself held for centuries. Upon shouting the name Shazam, Billy Batson becomes an adult superhero with nearly godlike power. Flying around the world and stopping threats, the hero’s known to be a mirror image of Superman’s own powers and abilities, yet possess the mind and maturity of his pre-teen/teenage self (depending on the era of comics you read.) With Zachary Levi set to bring this superhero to the big screen in DC’s first comedic superhero tale, casual fans and hardcore fans alike might be curious just what Shazam is capable of.

That’s what we are here to find out today. It’s time to take a deep dive into the world of Shazam and find out 15 powers that the hero keeps hidden, and 10 strange weaknesses you never knew he had.

25 Power: Immortality

via Screen Rant

As powerful as Superman is, one thing fans have seen in the comics is Superman aging, albeit at a much slower rate than humans. Yet one thing that stands out immediately as a pretty insane power that most don’t know about is Shazam's immortality. That’s not to say he can’t get hurt at all or anything, but he literally cannot pass the mortal coil. The lightning that gives the hero his power also carries with it the ability to heal him from injuries he sustains, keeping him tied to the mortal realm always.

24 Power: Atomic Punch

via ENTFX

One thing most fans of modern day Billy Batson and Shazam don’t know about is that early on in the 1940s, Shazam (or Captain Marvel for longtime DC fans,) could have an atomic punch. That era was when atomic warfare first came into play, after all.

He could put all of his power into a single punch, which would create a mushroom cloud where the punch landed. However after the events of World War II transpired, the atomic punch was slowly phased out of circulation.

23 Weakness: Voiceless

via DC Animated Movie Universe Wiki - Fandom

One thing that is so obvious that fans often don’t think of it is the fact that Shazam’s power relies heavily on Billy’s ability to speak. Often in DC comics and the subsequent animated films/shows, there will be times when Billy is forced back into his human form, and before he can shout “Shazam!,” his enemies or even allies can cover his mouth and prevent him from speaking. Superman even did this in an episode of the animated series Justice League: Unlimited. This could put him out of the fight quite easily.

22 Power: Omnilingual

via CBR

One thing that will surprise fans is that Shazam has the ability to speak all languages. The wisdom of Solomon that comes with his abilities allows Billy to speak not only all languages on Earth, but all alien dialects, dead languages, and even allows him to communicate with animals. This allows him to hear what enemies are saying in another dialect or communicate in order to prevent violence from occurring between two factions who speak different languages. It’s quite a handy ability.

21 Power: Cannot Age

via Say Something Nice Podcast

Besides being immortal, one thing that defines Shazam has to be his ability to not age. That doesn’t mean Billy himself can’t age, just his Shazam form. So as Billy Batson ages normally, the body he gets from his Shazam power will remain the same age forever.

This is tied to his abilities thanks to what is known as the Stamina of Atlas.  The wizard who gave him his power also has this ability, yet remains in stasis as an old man for some reason. Either way, Shazam cannot age, and will retain this body forever.

20 Weakness: High Order Magic

Via geektyrant.com

A big part of the comics for Billy Batson and his journey as Shazam has to be the use of magic. The hero’s own power derives greatly from the use of magic, especially since it was a powerful wizard that granted him his abilities. Only the highest of magics can affect Shazam. Being a hero of magic himself, it would take quite a lot for him to be weakened or damaged by magic. It would take the power of someone like The Spectre to have a chance to taking Billy out with magic.

19 Power: Juggle Planets

via ENTFX

When we say the hero Shazam’s own power could be considered “godlike,” we don’t say that lightly. Early on in Shazam’s career (then Captain Marvel,) his powers mirrored those of Superman. Much like the Man of Steel, Shazam could move and even juggle whole planets using his strength, and could even move entire suns if need be. While his power has diminished in more modern times, he could still move meteors and falling asteroids if need be using that same strength.

18 Power: Lightning Bolt As A Weapon

When the lighting bolt was introduced as Billy’s way of summoning the power of Shazam, it was used more as a symbolic thing than an actual physical ability. However, as the lightning bolt became more prominent in the story of Shazam, he has gained the ability to wield the bolt as a weapon.

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The most famous case of this came in the alternate story Kingdom Come, when he battled Superman. In that fight, he called upon Shazam to summon the bolt of lightning to hit Superman several times, who is vulnerable to magic.

17 Weakness: Electricity

via Inverse

One thing that fans have obviously noted about the hero is his reliance on electricity and electrical power. It may seem strange, but despite his reliance on lightning for his power, Billy is highly susceptible to electricity. This means that if he is hit with a powerful enough blast of electricity, Shazam will be transformed back into Billy Batson. This is a strange weakness to have, as you’d think a hero with such a powerful connection to lightning would be impervious to electricity.

16 Power: Faster Than Light

via HeyUGuys

The world knows Superman as the hero who took to the skies. However, strange enough, Shazam actually beat Superman to the skies in the comics. It took years before Superman began flying, but Shazam began flying after only three issues of his original comic series. Yet it was Superman who gained the ability to fly so fast that he could travel through time. However Billy eventually gained so much speed that he was able to travel faster than light, which allowed him to visit the Rock of Eternity.