DC Comics Black Adam has a mysterious past, rising as an archenemy to Captain Marvel/Shazam.
Teth-Adam served as the champion of the Wizard, but then was sent away under the name Black Adam. When Black Adam made it to the big screen, the movie reflected this dark, violent character so much, that it had to be recut to avoid an R rating.
Why is Black Adam called Black Adam? The answer comes down to his soul, powers, and the word “Shazam.”
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What are the Origins of Black Adam?
According to comic history, Teth-Adam lived as a mortal man in ancient Egypt. He was a slave who experienced the worst treatment and tried to escape with his cousin Aman, but was brought to the Rock of Eternity by Shazam the Wizard.
Aman and Teth-Adam were empowered by the Wizard to remove the vile ruler Ibac and his slavers. Teth-Adam was fueled by vengeance and went on a destructive warpath that overthrew Ibac, placed himself in power, and wiped out nearly everyone.
The name Black Adam or Khem-Adam originated from when the Wizard banished him for these destructive deeds, and for becoming too selfish and evil. Black Adam referred to the dark character that Shazam had become and the black soil along the Nile River in Egypt.
Before he was banished, Black Adam was also called Mighty Adam after he killed his nephew, assumed his powers, destroyed his enslavers, and freed the Kahndaqi tribe. Once he turned against the Council of Eternity, his darkness and power were revealed even more.
Black Adam as a comic character goes back to the mid-1940s, when Otto Binder and C.C. Beck created The Marvel Family #1 comic. In the 1970s, DC Comics acquired this villain character who evolved into an archenemy of Captain Marvel/Shazam.
Black Adam engaged in numerous battles with Billy Batson and his alter-ego, Captain Marvel/Shazam, enhancing his dark villain status.
Why is Black Adam Called Black Adam?
From these origins, we can see that the name Black Adam does not equate with skin color, but with his evil spirit.
The Wizard recognized this evil and trapped Black Adam’s soul and powers, and buried his body in a tomb for a couple of thousand years. The evil that lurks within Black Adam is the main reason why he is called that name.
This name also connects with Black Adam’s powers. After he returned to the living, Black Adam drew his powers from the Egyptian Gods who bestowed him Divine Empowerment.
His top powers are speed, stamina, strength, magic, and immortality. Through the deity Aten, Black Adam gained the power to control and channel lightning. His powers are incredible and often destructive. So, his name coincides with a darker side of power.
Recently, Black Adam evolved into more of an anti-hero and worked with superheroes from the Justice League. In the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 from 2022, Black Adam shares his powers with the heroes of the Justice League like Superman and Batman.
Yet, as he jointly combats the evil forces of the character Deathstroke, Black Adam’s magical powers have an underlying destructive nature to them. A darkness hiding in the good.
In the movie 2022 Black Adam, we see these twin elements of the character too, reflecting that his powers are the second reason why he is called Black Adam.
As we can see from this clip, Black Adam’s power intensifies with his anger, and his lightning-strike attacks have a dark, devastating effect. For him, it’s not just about defeating his opponents, but completely wiping them out.
As actor Dwayne Johnson explained, “the Black in Black in Black Adam refers to his soul.” Even with his shift to helping people, he can still be harmful. Black Adam still harbors a dark past and a dark side to his powers.
His evil background and powers explain his name.
Black Adam, Shazam, and Captain Marvel
With the word “Shazam,” Bill Batson transforms into the character Captain Marvel/Shazam with the power granted to him by the Wizard. Through this transformation, Shazam/Captain Marvel obtains the powers of multiple gods/deities, including the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, and the power of Zeus.
![Billy Batson becomes Shazam | Shazam! [4k, HDR]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m5gfXpN8TKY/0.jpg)
When Black Adam says “Shazam”, he experiences a similar transformation, but draws on a different collection of deities. He gets the quickness of Heru, the stamina/invulnerability of Shu, the strength of Amon, and the power of the god Aton.
The word Shazam thus provides the powers of both characters and intersects them. This word is an acronym that stands for where their powers come from. For Captain Marvel, that means six Greek gods and heroes and one biblical king, Solomon, for wisdom.
This word is also somewhat confusing because it originally referred to the Wizard. But as of 2012, Captain Marvel goes by Shazam.
With the on-screen appearance of Black Adam, the word Shazam took on more importance. In the comics and movies, the word conjured the power of Egyptian gods and granted Black Adam the same level of speed, strength, and invulnerability as Shazam/Captain Marvel.
Black Adam is also bonded with Shazam/Captain Marvel through their rivalry. Shazam/Captain Marvel had replaced Black Adam as the Wizard’s champion, which fueled their battles.
Black Adam and Shazam have had numerous legendary fights. In several of them, Black Adam’s dark side comes through, as in leaving a destructive wake across the Earth, trying to seize the Rock of Eternity, and hunting down Shazam.
While drawing on a similar power base, they have different outlooks on how to use that power. This leads to conflict between the two characters and leaves an impression that the word Shazam has distinct meanings.
Black Adam is Called Black Adam
Black Adam arose from a dark past of rage and revenge. Even as an antihero, this character still showed his dark side. He is called Black Adam because of his black soul and destructive powers.
Black Adam also intersects with Captain Marvel/Shazam. The magical word “Shazam” draws them together, as does their history of conflict. Yet, the two are different in their background stories, sources of power, and actions.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.