At first introduced as a Kahndaq native who ascended to godhood, this origin was retconned and he is revealed to be Mamaragan, a figure based upon the deity in Kunwinjku culture.

The original Golden Age incarnation has appeared in live television serial such as the Adventures of Captain Marvel, portrayed by Nigel De Brulier.

While not part of the first wave of DC's The New 52 2011 line wide relaunch, it was announced at New York Comic Con on October 15, 2011, that Billy Batson would be featured in a backup story, "The Curse of Shazam!"

[6] It was confirmed by Geoff Johns, DC Comics' chief creative officer and the author of the story, that Billy Batson's alter ego would be called "Shazam" rather than "Captain Marvel" from now on.

[7] In DC's, 2012 Free Comic Book Day offering called The New 52 FCBD Special #1, it was revealed that seven wizards representing seven different mythologies occupied the Rock of Eternity at the dawn of time in The New 52.

[11] Shazam informs Billy that he is an ancient Egyptian wizard who has been using his powers for many centuries to fight the forces of evil, but that he is now old and not long for this world.

Ibis then joins Bulletman, Spy Smasher, Minute-Man, and others to fight evil during the World War II era.

Possessing the body of Jean Loring, the Atom's ex-wife, Eclipso corrupts the confused Spectre into joining forces with her, and begins a war against all magic-powered beings in the DC Universe.

In the Day of Vengeance mini-series, Shazam enlists Captain Marvel to keep the Spectre at bay while the wizard gathers all of his power to battle him.

It is also revealed that the entire affair was orchestrated by Alexander Luthor Jr. and the Psycho-Pirate to reduce magic to its raw form, the death of Shazam turning his name into a tether for the rest of the raw magic that Alexander could harness to power his tower by acquiring one of Shazam's champions, eventually forcibly 'enlisting' Black Adam for that purpose after failing to capture any of the other Marvels.

In Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special, the Shadowpact teams up with the majority of the DC Universe's surviving magical characters to rebuild the Rock of Eternity and reseal the Seven Deadly Sins.

In the comic series 52, Captain Marvel is revealed to be currently headquartered at the Rock of Eternity, acting in Shazam's stead.

The earliest origin cast Shazam as a Kahndaqi-born sorcerer who ascended to godhood and leads the Council of Eternity, a group of wizards overseeing mystic matters on Earth, and was a keeper of magic.

This retcon instead explains that the character's songlines guided him to a seat on the Council of Eternity, where he adopted the title of "Wizard" and the name Shazam.

[2] As leader of the Council, the character would be responsible for numerous incidents such as being the one to punish Phantom Stranger, an interpretation of Judas Iscariot, for his betrayal of Jesus Christ on behalf of the Presence and Pandora, based on Greek mythology, by granting her immortality and scars that constantly burn as a consequence of unleashing the Seven Deadly Sins upon humanity.

backup in the Justice League comic book title shows an elderly Shazam in the modern era later apologizing to Pandora for giving her a harsh punishment as his demise nears and Black Adam is resurrected by Dr. Sivanna[17] and like past stories, he bestows his powers onto Billy Batson, whom is more abrasive and ill-mannered than previous incarnations but sees potential goodness in him.

After he, the society, and surprise adversary Superboy Prime is defeated, Mamaragan becomes aware of a potential future with a redeemed Black Adam as the eventual seventh champion.

Mamaragan watches the family battle the society and later a returned Superboy Prime, who was previously imprisoned with magic generating Red Sun energies.

Remorseful of not trusting Billy, he comes to believe in his decision and witnesses a potential future where he helps redeems Black Adam and the Shazam Family becomes the spiritual successors of the Council of Eternity.

[25] Later, it was revealed that the Quintessence was under the control of the Great Darkness (namely Pariah's manipulation of a fraction of its power), eventually leading to the seemingly death of the core members of the Justice League.

At the end of the event, after Pariah's defeat and restoration of the Justice League members, the Quintessence, including the Wizard, was revived by the Spectre.

[26] In the Lazarus Planet crossover, the Wizard is unexpectedly ousted from his role as Keeper of the Rock of Eternity and believes Billy to be responsible.

2023 comic book series, the Wizard makes a brief appearance and is mentioned by Billy Batson as he recalls his transformation into Shazam.

In both incarnations of the character, he often seeks a worthy successor to his power and is unable to engage in active combat himself due to his advanced aging.

[29][3] In more recent stories, the character is also depicted to be more jaded and fickle due to the betrayal of Black Adam overtime, causing him to constantly question the worthiness of his chosen champions.

He often assumes the role of a mentor to Billy and provides assistance in the form of a ghost when needed, utilizing his supernatural knowledge to aid the young hero.

Unaware of what transpired, Shazam learns centuries later of his fate and seals Teth in return and renames him Black Adam.

[26] The character is often depicted as a sorcerer with vast godly-level[35] magical abilities, reality alteration powers,[3] and immortality[36] at his peak.

[27] The Living Lightning refers to the unique form of magic in the DC Universe often portrayed to be intrinsically tied to the Mamaragan, lineages of the Marvel Family, and the Rock of Eternity.

Shazam cuts off Billy and Mary's access to his power, returns Stargirl to Earth, and mentions dealing with Freddy before closing the Rock of Eternity.