The influence of Mary and the other Marvel Family characters is woven throughout the DNA of modern pop culture (see the extended sequence in the recent Oscar-nominated biopic about Elvis Presley basing his iconic stage looks off Captain Marvel Jr.) but the significance of their legacy is sometimes obscured by the fact that DC sued Fawcett out of business in the early '50s, alleging that Captain Marvel was a rip-off of Superman. HardPress Mary Marvel's first appearance in 'Captain Marvel Adventures' #18. "Making comic characters resemble well-known people (without actually saying so) made them instantly acceptable to readers," Beck explained in a piece for the Fawcett Collectors of America newsletter, eventually collected in The Fawcett Companion. But who needs to change when you already look like Judy Garland? Even Mary Marvel's creators acknowledged that the star of The Wizard of Oz was the model for their character's look. Unlike Billy and Freddie, Mary didn't grow older or significantly change when she said her magic word - she just got an awesome outfit and superpowers of her own. But unlike the solitary Superman or the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin, Captain Marvel was soon surrounded by a whole family of fellow superheroes: First came Billy's friend Freddie, who could transform into Captain Marvel Jr., and then the revelation of Billy's twin sister Mary. There was, of course, Billy Batson, a young boy who by saying the magic word "Shazam!" transformed into an older self with a vast array of superpowers. Originally created by writer Otto Binder and artist Marc Swayze, Mary Marvel was the third member of Fawcett Comics' "Marvel Family." Years before the reign of Marvel Comics (when the publisher of Captain America and the Human Torch was still known as Timely), Fawcett had become a major competitor to DC thanks to its assembly of lighthearted magical superheroes. With the release of the sequel to 2019's surprise hit Shazam!, it feels worthwhile to dig into the saga of Mary Marvel - the first female spin-off superhero, whose creation predates that of Supergirl by almost two decades. With both the new film and the recent DC comic series New Champion of Shazam, Mary is finally taking on a bigger role worthy of her long, important history. Like a magic thunderbolt from the sky, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is set to hit theaters this weekend.
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