Black Adam

King Teth-Adam

Powers

• Flight

• Incredible superhuman strength

• Incredible durability

• Resistance to magic

• Faster than light speed

• Can shoot magical lightning bolts

• Can turn into a normal powerless human at will

Origin

• Born Teth-Adam in the North African country of Kahndaq, a neighbor to Egypt, thousands of years ago

• At the time Kahndaq was ruled by a cruel despot called Ibac who had Adam’s family killed

• To depose him Black Adam left for Egypt and met the wizard Shazam, who gave him powers from 6 Egyptian gods that he could summon with the magic word Shazam

• After deposing Ibac by force he was deemed corrupted by Shazam and (depending on the version of the story) banished/ destroyed but returned/ resurrected in the modern day

• Found Shazam had chosen a new champion and enraged set out to fight him• After reconciling with Marvel though he came back to Kahndaq, which had been

enslaved by Ibac’s descendant, took back the country and attempted to lead it the best he could, even becoming a hero for a while

• Remarried but after his new wife’s death became a villain again, laying siege to several countries and nearly beginning a global war

Personality

• A sympathetic villain, with completely selfless goals but brutal methods to achieve them

• Fiercely protective of his home country Kahndaq and his family

• Hates dictators and oppressors • Fights fiercely for the freedom of his people, breaking up

human trafficking rings, insisting his people treat him as only a protector not a ruler so he can never become a dictator himself, and attacking any group or individual who wishes to take away the freedoms of the people of Kahndaq and the world

• Wishes to redeem himself for his past crimes• Suspicious of foreign powers, and quick to rise against

them when provoked• Swift to anger, especially when insulted

Enemies/associates

• Captain Marvel/ Shazam: Superhero who gained the Shazam power after him, his enemy but later respected ally, even friend briefly

• Isis: Wife in the present day, convinced him to take a no-kill vow until she was killed by Intergang and he swore revenge on her killers

• Osiris: Isis’s little brother• Ibac: Old foe of Black Adam who caused his family’s deaths• Dr Sivana: Foe of both Captain Marvel and Adam, hating anyone

who bears the Shazam power • Atom-Smasher: Former co-member of the JSA and former friend • The Questions: Close friends of Black Adam’s family ever since they

prevented a suicide bombing at his wedding

Quotes:

• “It's time for heroes who don't just patrol the world... they change it.”

• “Send soldiers. Send armies. Send them all”

• “This world belongs to no one

• ‘I am not your master. You bow to no one”

Recommended Reading:

• 52

• Infinite Crisis

• Villains United

• Forever Evil

• Many Captain Marvel stories

• Villains Month: Black Adam

• JSA: Black Reign

• The animated movie Superman/ Shazam