Since Superman took to the skies in Man of Steel, the DC Expanded Universe has experienced a topsy turvy fluctuation in power levels. On the one hand, Superman could still be considered the most powerful being in the universe, but in a world with Darkseid, even that could be up for debate. But now, things have changed even more with the introduction of Black Adam. However, with Superman seemingly AWOL, the only hero who could stand a chance against him would be Shazam. That said, the Wizard’s champion may be more than underqualified to take on such a foe.
In the San Diego Comic-Con trailer for Black Adam, the titular anti-hero goes toe to toe with each member of the Justice Society of America. While their efforts to hold him back were valiant, Adam seemingly dispatched all of them with little to no effort on his part. While most of these characters wouldn’t have stood a chance against him in the comics either, the real feat of strength came when he was able to hold off the powerful Doctor Fate. With that logic, Billy Batson may have a real dilemma when it’s time for him to face off against the powerful being.
In Shazam!, Billy does his best to be the best hero he can be. But unlike Adam, he was never a warrior, let alone seen prolonged combat. In fact, the goodness of his heart and youth made him the prime candidate to wield the powers of The Wizard. That was because, in the past, he had granted his powers to Teth Adam, who used them to create destruction rather than save lives. But with Billy far from ready to take on someone of equal strength, how would a battle between Shazam and Black Adam go?
Adam has shown that he treats his powers as an extension of himself. As a result, he’s grown accustomed to his strength, flight and lighting abilities. And compared to Billy, he’s even more capable of wielding them in creative and destructive ways. In the past, Billy has shown that he prefers to use his powers like Superman, meaning that he rarely uses his lighting powers offensively. That said, he’s also incredibly durable, which he would need to face off against Adam.
Another disadvantage Billy has against Adam is that he doesn’t have the killer instinct that has honed Adam into the person he is today. In Black Adam, he’s already shown that he’s not afraid to take a life if it’s for the greater good. However, Billy, being a child, is far from prepared to face a choice of that magnitude. Because of this, Adam could easily take advantage of his hesitation and nearly kill Billy to prove that he shouldn’t have ever had the power.
While there’s still hope for Billy in a showdown between him and Black Adam, it won’t be a pretty fight. In fact, Adam will likely make an example of him before Billy finally embraces his inner strength. But even though a hero is likely to come out on top, there’s no doubt that Shazam is still grossly unprepared to face Adam. And the power Adam will demonstrate in his film will likely display that in a destructive fashion.
To see Shazam’s enemy make his big screen debut, Black Adam opens in theaters Oct. 21.
