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DC: 10 Questions About Black Adam, Answered

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After quite some time of announcements and ambiguity surrounding the Black Adam movie, the DC Extended Universe finally saw the character debut in 2022. Fans have wanted to see him for a while and the confirmation of The Rock’s portrayal only brought more interest toward Black Adam.


There are a number of questions that come to mind, including things like Black Adam’s background, who he is, and what his connection to Shazam is supposed to be. These are all questions casual movie-goers might want to be answered after seeing the movie.

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Updated on December 3rd, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: Though Black Adam might not be a critical hit (it sits at 39% on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes), Dwayne Johnson has been earning quite a bit of praise for his commitment to the titular character and for his understated performance in the role. His usual charisma and wisecracks have been toned down to take on the comic book role, and the audience consensus is that viewers don’t have to be comic book fans to enjoy the action and the story the movie tells. For fans going into the movie without the background of comic book knowledge, however, there is always more to learn about a character with a long comic book history.


Is Black Adam A Villain?

Black Adam in Rage Mode

While Black Adam won’t be joining the number of villains seen in the DCEU, he actually is best known as a villain. It’s only after he joined the Justice Society of America that Black Adam’s portrayal began to sway towards him being an anti-hero.

RELATED: 5 Ways DCEU’s Darkseid Is The Best Comic Book Villain (& Why It Will Always Be MCU’s Thanos)

This took place in JSA #21 after Black Adam was freed of the Theo Adam personality and repented his earlier actions. Still, considering the long history of the character, the popular perception remains of Black Adam being a villainous character.

Who Is Black Adam’s Archenemy?

Shazam dances at a construction site in Shazam!

Although he hasn’t been seen in the DCEU yet, Black Adam is by no means a low-level villain. His archenemy is none other than Shazam, who was largely known as Captain Marvel in the past. Their rivalry stems from their shared history of receiving powers from the wizard Shazam.

Not only is the hero Shazam his main rival, but the entire Marvel family comes under Black Adam’s core nemesis. The DCEU, however, is unlikely to go deep into this history since Black Adam is initially a solo act in this continuity.

When Did Black Adam Make His Debut?

The Marvel Family 1

The first issue of The Marvel Family in 1945 (by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck) is also the debut appearance of Black Adam. The wizard Shazam tells the Marvel family about Teth-Adam, the first person he had bestowed power unto, who then became the Mighty Adam.

The Marvel family is then tasked with putting an end to Black Adam’s latest exploits. The story is by the numbers compared to today’s standards but established villain for times to come and remains the first appearance for the character.

What Are Black Adam’s Powers?

Black Adam Sinestro Corps

Black Adam’s powers spell out the same “Shazam” as his counterpart, but his are derived from Egyptian gods. These are the stamina of Shu, the swiftness of Horus, the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the power of Aten, and the courage of Mehen.

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Unlike Captain Marvel/Shazam, Black Adam very rarely switches into his base appearance, meaning he’s generally in an empowered state. Since he had peak human skills before gaining his powers, being Black Adam amplifies his earlier abilities as well.

Who Created The Character?

Black-Adam-Endless-Winter-Image

The character is synonymous with DC Comics but his debut was for Fawcett Comics. The men credited with creating Black Adam are writer Otto Binder and comic book artist C. C. Beck. Of the two, Binder came up with the character, but it was Beck who penciled his appearance.

The creation of Black Adam by Binder and Beck is unique due to Beck also being the artist for Shazam while Binder was the co-creator for the Marvel Family. Both of them worked together to come up with this character.

What Teams Has Black Adam Been A Part Of?

Black Adam custom image with Cyclone and Atom Smasher

While his movie sees him having to work with the Justice Society of America, Black Adam has a very long history of entering teams in the comics, ranging from being a part of good guys to bad guys. He’s been a member of the Justice League and the Injustice League, along with a host of other teams whose affiliations varied.

In addition to the Justice League and Injustice League, Black Adam has been part of the Legion of Doom, Black Marvel Family, Injustice Society, Justice Society of America, Secret Society of Super Villains, Monster Society of Evil, and the Suicide Squad.

What Is Black Adam’s Background?

Black Adam sits on a throne in DC comics

As is the case with just about every comic book character, the background of Black Adam has varied according to the writers. In the original continuity set in The Marvel Family #1, he was an ancient Egyptian named Teth-Adam who twisted the power bestowed upon him and took five thousand years flying back from his banishment.

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In his reintroduction in The Power of Shazam!, Black Adam was still Teth-Adam, but the son of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II and the wizard Shazam was the high priest. In the New 52 reboot, he was revealed to be a slave boy known as Aman whose uncle Adam had shared his power and eventually overcome his nephew’s personality.

Black Adam in Young Justice

It’s more than likely that Black Adam’s depiction will be similar to other characters in the DCEU. For versions that vary in style and personality, fans can turn to a number of works that have brought the character forward in different interpretations.

These include appearances in The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice, Justice League Action, and as a playable character in the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Does Black Adam Have Any Weaknesses?

Black Adam walking into a lighting-filled structure in Black Adam.

Black Adam doesn’t have outright weaknesses like Superman does with Kryptonite, with the character’s limitations generally being in relation to his opponent’s power. One of the ways he can be defeated – although this has varied between stories – is to trick him into taking back his human form, which is thousands of years old and will kill him.

Apart from that, Black Adam isn’t one of the characters whose weaknesses can be exploited, and he generally loses to characters whose own powers outstrip Black Adam’s. This makes him a safe bet to win an all-out battle scenario since there’s not much his enemies can target against him.

Did The DCEU Always Plan A Black Adam Solo Film?

the rock Black adam DCEU fast and furious

With the huge catalog of DC comic book properties being adapted for live-action, it seems like just how connected they are is ever-changing. Unlike in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DCEU doesn’t all feature characters in the same timelines and has several standalone projects. Black Adam, however, does appear to connect to the larger DCEU as a whole with a couple of familiar faces in the film.

Initially, the character wasn’t set to appear in a solo film at all. Black Adam was supposed to make his first appearance in Shazam, opposite his comic book nemesis. Shifting focus to allow Black Adam his own movie, however, allows the audience to see him as an anti-hero instead of a villain, and it allows for a more thorough exploration of the character. Dwayne Johnson can be credited for suggesting that the two characters get their own solo movies instead of trying to combine their origin stories in one movie.

NEXT: 10 Biggest Revelations Zack Snyder’s Justince League Brings About The DCEU

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