With the release of DC Comics’ newest superhero film, Black Adam, a spin-off to the 2019 movie Shazam we thought it would be awesome to look at 15 things you didn’t know about Black Adam. The anti-hero is getting his own solo film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serre and starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
When given a choice between playing Shazam and Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson expressed his excitement for the latter, saying, “I just love [his] backstory, and I think that Black Adam has always been, for me, the most intriguing superhero.” So comic fans, kneel at the feet of Black Adam or get crushed by his boot. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Black Adam.
1. First created by Fawcett Comics in 1945, Black Adam first appeared as the Ancient Egyptian “Teth-Adam” in the issue of The Marvel Family #1. A good-hearted man chosen to be a hero by the wizard Shazam, all Adam had to simply say was the word “Shazam,” and just like that, Black Adam was born. It wasn’t long before the hero was corrupted and turned to the dark side. He was banished to the furthest reaches and after several millennia, he found his way back.
2. Black Adam’s wields the power of the Egyptian Gods. Although his powers were bestowed by the Wizard, saying the word “Shazam” invokes the power of the six Egyptian gods: Shu. Heru, Amon, Zehuti, Aton and Mehen. “Shazam” is Black Adam’s war cry.
S – Stands for the god Shu, the god that provides incredible endurance and the ability to survive counterattacks.
H – The speed of Heru, enables Black Adam to fly faster than the speed of light.
A – The power of Amon, helps make Black Adam one of the most powerful superheroes in the universe.
Z – The knowledge and wisdom of Zehuti, which gives Black Adam a level of intelligence, is far superior to the average superhero.
A – Aton provides Adam with the power to wield thunderbolts, travel across dimensions and even change form.
M – The Fortitide of Mehen allows Adam to have courage and inner strength.
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3. Black Adam has fought Superman on several occasions and can easily go toe-to-toe with the Kryptonian totally unfazed. Taking Superman’s punches with Superman commenting “punches land with the volume of canon blasts and the impact of a small bomb. It’s safe to Black Adam can hold his own against Superman with notable restraint.
4. In World War III, #1 He turned Martian Manhunter against himself. In the attempt to stop Black Adam’s rampage, Manhunter calls him out however, Black Adam vaporizes him with a burst of lightning, picking him up with one arm Black Adam then turns Manhunter’s mind control powers against himself.
5. He moved the moon to beat Ultraman in the New 52. When Black Adam was briefly a superhero after disabling the Crime Syndicate, he and Sinestro teamed up to fight Ultraman. The battle proved to be difficult, with Ultraman having already broken Black Adam’s jaw. Knowing his own vulnerabilities, Ultraman causes an eclipse by temporarily moving the moon to shield the sun. Black Adam and Sinestro reverse the planetary shift, teaming up and moving the moon back to its original place. This then exposes Ultraman to the harmful rays of the sum and weakens him, leading the way to his eventual defeat.
Bonus: The Rock passed on the original Shazam! Instead, he was drawn to Black Adam’s complex background, character, and history. In an interview with IGN, Dwayne Johnson stated he respects and wants to pay homage to the true mythology of Black Adam.