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As Billy Batson continues to struggle to retain the godly powers of Shazam, the disruption is linked to a wider plot across the DC Universe.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Shazam #1, on sale now from DC.
While Billy Batson hasn’t been known to have a particularly stable life, before finally finding the love and acceptance of his foster family, the teenage alter ago of the Earth’s Mightiest Mortal has been a particularly calamitous period of his life during the Infinite Frontier era. Historically able to channel the powers of the gods simply by saying the name of the wizard Shazam, Billy’s ability to transform into the superhero has become increasingly inconsistent, leaving him vulnerable at dangerously inopportune times.
And as Billy struggles to reaffirm his handle on his powers, he learns that the recent instability may be part of a larger plot that is targeting different elements throughout the DC Universe in Shazam #1, by Tim Sheridan, Clayton Henry, Marcelo Maiolo and Rob Leigh.
For the past several months, Billy’s powers have been in flux and he’s been unable to contact the wizard to learn what has gone wrong with his iconic transformation. Desperate to continue to save the day, Billy enrolled in Teen Titans Academy while deliberately avoiding contact with the rest of his foster family. Billy’s secretive nature led some of his classmates to speculate that he had become the new Red X, though this appeared to have been quietly debunked as details from the masked vigilante’s past have gradually come to light.
As Billy continues to struggle with triggering his magical transformation, the veteran Titans have a meeting with Doctor Fate, with the magical superhero already revealing himself to have a special interest in the school. Fate observes that a series of attacks is steadily building itself up to be a Crisis-level threat, including the Speed Force growing increasingly unstable and the Green Lantern Corps’ Central Power Battery being destroyed. These incidents come along with the Rock of Eternity and Wizard Shazam being attacked by unknown forces, with the various developments likely linked as part of a wider plot to weaken the DCU’s greatest heroes ahead of something far more sinister.
With Fate’s revelation that the Rock of Eternity and guardian wizard has been attacked, this certainly answers the question as to why Billy’s powers are in flux. It also ominously lines up with Shazam’s dark fate as teased during Future State. After Billy became the guardian of the Rock of Eternity, he opted to keep it in the depths of Hell to prevent the Seven Deadly Sins imprisoned within it from roaming free. In order to keep its contents safe, Billy volunteered to remain in Hell to watch over it while Shazam was split into a separate being who grew increasingly violent without his tether to humanity.
The last time the Rock of Eternity came under attack, it was during the Infinite Crisis when the Spectre declared war on all magic and destroyed the magical structure while slaying the wizard in an epic duel. In the immediate aftermath, Billy became the new wizard but eventually ceded the role as the original Shazam rose from the grave and reclaimed his title. It is still unclear who is behind the attack on the Rock of Eternity and for what fiendish purpose this time, but until the Rock is restored, Billy may find himself without his greatest source of power.
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