Shazam’s Most Powerful Attack Has Been Totally Forgotten by DC

DC has forgotten about Shazam’s most powerful attack, one capable of leveling cities and decimating the publisher’s heavy hitters!

DC Comics has forgotten Shazam’s most powerful attack ever: the Atomic Punch! In 1979’s World’s Finest Comics #257, the World’s Mightiest Mortal takes on a seemingly unstoppable foe, one capable of taking everything Shazam was dishing out. Finally, in a last ditch effort, Shazam unleashes the Atomic Punch on his adversary. This mighty punch is potentially capable of leveling entire cities, and even generates a mushroom cloud!

Shazam’s ability to create such an attack should come as no surprise, as he draws his powers from a variety of mythological characters, such as the power of Zeus, the stamina of Atlas and the wisdom of Solomon. This much power concentrated gives Shazam a wide range of abilities, and nearly makes him Superman’s equal – yet Shazam does not share any of the Man of Steel’s weaknesses. The power of the gods makes Shazam one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, but his most powerful attack, a punch capable of mass destruction, has been largely forgotten.

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Shazam’s Atomic Punch Comes from a Different Time

In the story “The Invincible Man,” written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Don Newton, Shazam comes face to face with a mysterious villain unleashing havoc on Times Square. Shazam hits the unknown foe with a punch that “would have kayoed a charging rhinoceros.” Much to his surprise, the Invincible Man takes it. The two fight back and forth, and after Shazam is hit with a light post, he decides to end the battle. Shazam then hits the villain with his “Atomic Punch,” which creates its own mini-mushroom cloud.

The Atomic Punch is the most powerful weapon in Shazam’s arsenal, an attack that could decimate Black Adam and many other DC heavy hitters, and it is a punch that could level many villains’ lairs – yet for some reason the publisher has chosen to ignore it. There exist a few potential reasons why. The Atomic Punch was a product of the dawn of the Atomic Age, when humanity learned to split the atom and harness its power, which usually manifested as a destructive mushroom cloud. The creators working on Shazam in the 1940s incorporated America’s fascination with atomic radiation into the character. But by the time “The Invincible Man” was published, atomic power was less sensational and better understood, making the Punch seem like a silly relic of a more innocent but now bygone era. Indeed, this could be said about a number of concepts that were once integral to Shazam – but the Atomic Punch stands out because it’s another level of Shazam’s power which is now ignored.

Shazam Deserves His Ultimate Attack Back

The Atomic Punch was well on its way out by 1979, for the reasons stated above. In the mid-1980s, Shazam and his allies were fully integrated into the DC Universe in Shazam: A New Beginning. This dark take on the character did not allow for the Atomic Punch… or much else of what was once great about Shazam. Many of these elements have since returned, but despite all the changes that have come and gone, no-one has yet brought back Shazam’s forgotten ultimate attack. However, with DC’s Infinite Frontier era bringing past continuities back into canon, there’s never been a better time for Shazam to throw his Atomic Punch once again.

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