Shazam History

$3.99 Unlocks Everything In Key Collector

DC Jun 1936

New Comics #5

Low
$850
Mid
$2.6K
High
$8.1K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Zeus, the father of the Olympian gods in Greek mythology
The 'Z' in Shazam represents the power of Zeus
1st appearance of Mercury, the Greek deity best known as the messenger of the gods
The 'M' in Shazam represents Mercury who lends his speediness to Shazam
1st appearance of Pandora, a character in classical mythology whose actions caused the evils of mankind to be released into the world
Low
$1.7K
Mid
$6.7K
High
$16.8K
View on eBay
2nd appearance of Blue Beetle, first in a costume closer to the character's more common design
1st appearance of Hercules, the 'H' in Shazam refers to this version of Hercules who lends his strength to the hero when the magic word is spoken
Mystery Men Comics #2 is the in-continuity first appearance of DC's version of Hercules who continues to appear as an Olympian god with an ongoing backstory
Fawcett Jan 1940

Flash Comics #1

Ashcan
Low
$1.4K
Mid
$5.5K
High
$18.5K
View on eBay
12-page black and white Ashcan, a way to establish copyright by printing small-quantities and distributing to show proof of intellectual property ownership
1st appearance of Captain Thunder (Billy Batson), renamed Captain Marvel to avoid more copyright issues from Fiction House's character Captain Terry Thunder
Fawcett couldn't use the title Flash Comics due to All-American Comics (DC) already having secured the rights
8 copies were printed in 1940 but prior to 1986, collectors were unaware of its existence
High value is from a 2008 sale of a 9.4 graded copy
Fawcett Jan 1940

Thrill Comics #1

Low
$4K
Mid
$12K
High
$20.3K
View on eBay
12-page black and white Ashcan, a way to establish copyright by printing small-quantities and distributing to show proof of intellectual property ownership
1st appearance of Captain Thunder (Billy Batson), renamed Captain Marvel to avoid more copyright issues from Fiction House's character Captain Terry Thunder
Fawcett was forced to select the name Whiz Comics after Better Publications acquired the title Thrilling Comics
3 copies were printed in 1940 but prior to 1986, collectors were unaware of its existence
High value is from a 2008 sale of a 9.0 graded copy
Fawcett Feb 1940

Whiz Comics #1

Low
$34K
Mid
$106K
High
$301K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Captain Marvel, later renamed Shazam
1st appearance of the Wizard Shazam
1st appearance of Dr. Sivana, a scientific genius and the archenemy of Captain Marvel
1st appearance of Ibis the Invincible and Spy Smasher
1st team appearance of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, later renamed the Seven Deadly Sins
While not a precise swipe of Action Comics #1 artwork, this cover and other aspects of Captain Marvel led to DC (formerly National) filing a lawsuit against Fawcett for Captain Marvel too closely resembling Superman
Premiere issue of the series though the copyright notes read issue #2
There exists a scarce Ashcan edition of this issue
Fawcett Mar 1940

Whiz Comics #2

Low
$1.1K
Mid
$4.2K
High
$12.5K
View on eBay
2nd appearance of Captain Marvel, later becomes Shazam
2nd appearance of Dr. Sivana
2nd appearance of Spy Smasher
This is the second issue of the series although the copyright notes indicate this is issue #3
Fawcett Apr 1940

Whiz Comics #3

Low
$230
Mid
$875
High
$2.3K
View on eBay
3rd appearance of Captain Marvel
1st appearance of Beautia, the daughter of Dr. Sivana
Cover correctly reads issue #3, interior notes read #4
Fawcett Mar 1941

Whiz Comics #15

Low
$160
Mid
$500
High
$1.9K
View on eBay
Origin of Dr. Sivana
1st appearance of Magnificus Sivana, the son of Dr. Sivana
Revealed that Beautia is the daughter of Dr. Sivana
Low
$10K
Mid
$35K
High
$110K
View on eBay
Premiere issue of Captain Marvel's first ongoing series
Captain Marvel's costume was inspired by military officer-uniforms that had similar attributes to the ornate half-cape affixed by braided rope at the neck and slung over the shoulder
Fawcett Dec 1941

Whiz Comics #25

Low
$850
Mid
$2.8K
High
$8.5K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Captain Marvel Jr., Freddy Freeman, a boy who Billy Bastion shared his power with in order to save his life
Quality Jul 1943

Hit Comics #28

Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500
View on eBay
1st appearance of Solomon, an adaptation of the biblical figure who also provided the 'S' in Shazam, and when spoken, lent his wisdom to the hero
Fawcett Oct 1943 Vol 2

Wow Comics #18

Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$550
View on eBay
1st appearance of Uncle Marvel, a member of the early Marvel family who didn't actually have powers
Fawcett Nov 1943

Spy Smasher #8

Low
$80
Mid
$225
High
$915
View on eBay
1st appearance of Atlas, a titan from Greek mythology condemned to carry the world on his shoulders
The 'A' in Shazam represents Atlas who provides stamina to the hero when the magic word is spoken
Fawcett Dec 1945

Marvel Family #1

Low
$3.3K
Mid
$9.8K
High
$33K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Black Adam, an Egyptian prince named Teth-Adam who was first granted powers by the wizard Shazam though it corrupted him
Origin of The Marvel Family: Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Junior, Mary Marvel and Uncle Marvel
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
View on eBay
Unofficial appearance of Captain Marvel in DC Comics in the story 'Monkey's Paw'
The artist on this issue Kurt Schaffenberger was previously the artist on Captain Marvel (later Shazam) but lost his job after DC, National at the time, successfully sued Fawcett for copyright infringement which eventually led to the publisher to go bankrupt
DC Feb 1973

Shazam #1

Low
$6
Mid
$20
High
$75
View on eBay
DC begins publishing Shazam after licensing the Captain Marvel character from Fawcett who they had successfully sued 20 years earlier for copyright infringement due to the character's similarities to Superman
1st appearance of Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel since the Golden Age
1st appearance of Doctor Sivana and family since the Golden Age
Origin of Captain Marvel retold
DC Jun 1974

Superman #276

Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$18
View on eBay
1st modern appearance of Captain Thunder, an alternate timeline version of Captain Marvel who made very few appearances
Reference to the Fawcett Ashcan version of Captain Thunder
DC Dec 1974

Shazam #15

Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$45
View on eBay
First crossover of a DC character, Lex Luthor, in a Shazam story
Prior to this issue, Shazam was written in a separate universe than other DC characters
DC Mar 1977

Shazam #28

Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
View on eBay
2nd appearance of Black Adam in an original story
There was a fanzine published prior to this issue called Alter Ego where Black Adam appears on the cover but the interior is a text article recapping the Marvel Family and Black Adam written by prominent Marvel architect Roy Thomas before his tenure at Marvel began
DC Nov 1986

Legends #1

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10
View on eBay
1st appearance of Amanda Waller, director of the Suicide Squad
1st appearance of Brimstone
[January 2023 - a spin-off of Peacemaker with Viola Davis as Amanda Waller is planned]
DC Jul 2006

52 #12

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10
View on eBay
1st appearance of the second Isis, becomes Black Adam's wife and part of the Black Marvel Family
DC Mar 2012 Vol 2

Justice League #7

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3
View on eBay
New origin of Shazam told as back-up stories over the course of 13-issues, beginning here
New origin of Black Adam
DC officially renames Captain Marvel, Shazam
1st team appearance of A.R.G.U.S., a government agency
DC Mar 2013 Vol 2

Justice League #18

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3
View on eBay
1st full appearance of the Seven Sins in the Modern Age, introduced to Shazam by Doctor Sivana
This is the post-flashpoint version of the Seven Sins first introduced in Whiz Comics #2 (Golden Age)
DC Jan 2019 Vol 3

Shazam #2

Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$4
View on eBay
1st appearance of King Kid, the "seventh champion of the Marvel Family" according to him
Introduction of the Seven Magiclands

Clicking on the eBay link and making a purchase may result in this site earning a commission from the eBay Partner Network.

No Results Found

Try adjusting the "Variants" search filter above, or disable "Keys Only" to see all issues.

  • Variant Covers ()