Shazam made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman, by 14 million copies a month. It wasn't long before a variety of merchandise was licensed--secret decoders, figurines, buttons, paper rockets, tin toys, puzzles, costumes--and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand. These collectibles now sell for outrageous prices on eBay or in comic book stores and conventions. Seventy years later, an unprecedented...

For one 14-year-old boy, life can be a challenge sometimes. With all of the usual crises that accompany being an adolescent, foster kid Billy has some additional obstacles in life. A chance encounter with a mystical wizard completely changes everything. And it's not long before this boy discovers that one phrase grants him the ability to make a transformation into a superhero. In fact, it couldn't be easier. All Billy needs to do is shout "Shazam!"...

"Young orphan Billy Batson has bounced from foster home to foster home, but he's far from the ideal child. Brash and rude, Billy is a troubled teen who just can't seem to find a calling. But after a fateful night on a subway car, that all will change. Brought to the feet of the magical wizard Shazam at the Rock of Eternity, Billy is imbued with powers beyond any mortal man. By shouting the wizard's name--Shazam!--the young teen is mystically transformed...

With the word Shazam, Bill Batson transforms into Captain Marvel, a man imbued with the powers of the gods and the Wisdom of Soloman. Witness his first meeting with Superman and the formation of a mighty friendship.

"IT IS HERE! The Marvel comic event EVERYONE will be talking about. A new Inhuman emerges, with the ability to profile the future, and the ramifications ripple into every corner of the Marvel Universe. Lines are drawn, bodies fall, and the Marvel Universe will be rocked to its very core, "--Amazon.com.