Black Adam 101

Yes, because throwing rocks at a superhero is a well thought-out, worthwhile attack plan. Right.

In anticipation of all the head-squishing fuckery sure to go down in Justice Society of America #23 next week, here's something a lot of JSA/52 readers and Black Adam fans have probably never seen: his first (and only, as Geoff Johns unfortunately learned during research for JSA) Golden Age appearance.

"The Mighty Marvels Join Forces" was the main story from the first issue of Fawcett Comics' The Marvel Family series, published in December 1945. It features Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Junior, and Uncle Marvel - yes, there really was an Uncle Marvel - banding together to fight Black Adam - whom their mentor, the old wizard Shazam, created 5000 years ago and conveniently waited until now to tell the Marvels about. Like most Golden Age Captain Marvel stories, it was written by Otto Binder and drawn with dot-eyed, potato-nosed precision by C.C. Beck.

Read up over @ Flickr.

(Incidentally, the backup story featured the Marvels adopting and taking care of a foundling baby they dub "Baby Marvel". I shit you not.)