6. …But Shazam Is Actually A Child Called Billy Batson
Though Shazam has the outer appearance of someone like Superman, this is who he transforms into from Billy Batson, an arrogant and troubled 15-year-old foster child living in Philadelphia who has gone through several foster homes mostly because of his seemingly unfriendly and spiteful nature.
Initially planning on making money with his newfound powers – which are granted to him by a dying Wizard soon after Black Adam is released – he soon finds himself bonding with his foster brothers and sisters after sharing his powers with them in a bid to stop Adam once and for all.
As it turns out, Billy isn’t a bad kid, and while this is the most recent take on his origin, he’s been portrayed very differently over the years, so they have a lot of material to pick and choose from when it comes to creating Billy.
