Captain Marvel: The Power of Shazam #1

By George Jones

1942

The Skies above Nazi Germany

The roar of the four engine B-17 flying fortress American bombers was deafening. Explosions of flak exploded all around, the horrifying screams from the crews inside the bombers was a mere whisper to the thunderous crashes all around. A B-17 suddenly erupted into a huge ball of flame as it's under carriage bomb bay was struck by a flak shell. The bomber plummeted from the sky in a blazing terror. The crew inside were killed instantly, nothing left of their bodies but crushed bones and sprays of blood. Squadron Leader Chuck Taylor who piloted the lead B-17 radioed to the remaining bombers in the squadron.

"Hun fighters inbound! 12 o'clock high!"

From the horizon the feint outlines of the enemy fighters appeared. The American bomber crews clenched in a mix of adrenaline, fear and panic as the incoming fire fight was soon to begin. The 30 plane squadron of Messerschmitt BF 109 fighters soon had the drop on the bombers, their machine guns ripping and tearing holes into the B-17s. The Nazi fighters dipped, weaved and dived all around the bombers, unleashing their deadly machine guns onto the Americans. The crews manning the B-17 gun turrets fired back, 50 caliber tracer rounds flew all around the deadly skies.

"Starboard engines down!" Chuck Taylor screamed to his navigator as two of his engines exploded in the corner of his eye. Taylor looked around his see his navigator slumped over and missing half his head. Taylor's B-17 began to lose altitude; it rapidly descended as the only two remaining engines couldn't hold up its weight. Taylor screamed and his life flashed before his eyes, his death was impending. A sudden lurch rocked Taylor as the cockpit roof above him was ripped away like wet paper. Taylor looked up to see a hulking figure above peering down at him, his red, white and golden costume glistened in the sunlight. His cape violently waved, the large framed man reached down grapping Taylor by the collar.

"Wanna see what it's like to fly for real?" Taylor's savior said as he lifted him out and away from danger.

1948

Fawcett City

16 year old William 'Billy' Batson sat at the back of the movie theatre. Before the main feature film began the audience would be shown a newsreel. The screen was illuminated with old film stock of American GI's and Earths mightiest mortal.

"Four years ago today, Earth's mightiest mortal Captain Marvel defeated the evil Captain Nazi over the skies of Normandy, France. This triumphant but hard fought victory allowed the allied forces to advance off the beaches and inland towards the heart of Nazi occupied Europe. Captain Marvel! The defender of Justice-"

A rowdy teenager in the front row threw a handful of popcorn at the screen, "We know! Captain Has-Been is old news! Show the film already" The young man shouted. Billy stood up and walked out of the theatre in a mix of amazement and annoyance. Billy stomped down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. He looked down the street to see the road blocked off by barricades, a cluster of anti-nuclear testing and war protestors stood waving their homemade signs in the air. Billy scuffled past scowling at the crowd.

Late 1942

Berlin

Ministry of Human Weaponised Warfare

Martin Bormann and fifteen other high ranking Nazi officers, generals and field marshals stood behind the guard rail as Professor Anton Gotze stood at the center of the room next to the large framed body of Albrecht Krieger. Gotze was a middle aged man; his hair was frail like his body frame. Meanwhile Krieger was a hulk of a man; his unnaturally large muscles were threatening to rip his shirt to bits. His pitch black hair was cropped high and his face appeared to be chiseled from granite. Gotze patted his guinea pig on his bulging chest and began his presentation to the high ranking Nazi's present.

*Translated from German*

"Good evening Gentlemen, as you know the tide of war turned against us in North Africa. This was merely due to the Allies unleashing their ultimate weapon against us, a new type of soldier, a superhuman soldier, labeled by the American press as 'Captain Marvel'. This one man cannot be underestimated. We cannot allow this man to be the catalyst for the defeat of Nazi Germany. Therefore I suggest we give him his equal, his better…"

Gotze looked up at Krieger "…I present to you, Albrecht Krieger! Now he may look like an ordinary man but trust me he is not. This man will win the war for us, he can punch with the force of a tank, he can run as fast a train, his skin is unbreakable and most impressively we have unlocked 25% more of his brain capacity thus enabling him to do something we didn't even predict. This man can fly!"

The crowd of Nazi's laughed; they couldn't believe the claims of the scientist.

"…Don't be so quick to mock. The allies have Captain Marvel; I present to you…Captain Nazi!"

Krieger smiled and slammed his fist into the floor creating a small crater and rocking the building from the foundations. The Nazi officers gasped as they grabbed the guard rail for balance as the room shook. Krieger then closed his eyes and began to tense his whole body till his face turned a shade of red. The ground he stood on began to vibrate and Krieger's body raised 2 feet into the air. The Nazi officers stood in awe at the sight. The professor wasn't lying…

1948

Fawcett City

Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman and Mary Batson stood leaning up against the railings of the beach pier looking out to sea. Freddy and Mary also wielded the power of SHAZAM. Freddy was 18 years old and Mary 19. To the world, Freddy and Mary were better known as Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel. All three had fought in Europe during the war.

Billy looked over to his sister and friend with a distressed look across his face "The nightmares came back again last night…"

Mary placed her hand on her brother's forearm.

"…It's the same one again…" Billy continued "…the one where I'm holding the guy in my arms and the grenade by my feet goes off. His body gets ripped in half as I hold him, his intestines and guts spread themselves all over me…I can't get it out of my head…"

Mary hugged Billy as tears began to stream from his eyes. Freddy looked down at his hands.

"I just want to talk to someone but I can't…" Freddy said solemnly "…the things I saw, the things I did. What makes me sick is they make us out to be these 'war heroes', they used us, they used us as weapons. We swore to the wizard to stand for Justice but for all of those years, the only thing we stood for was killing and bloodshed"

Freddy ran his hands through his black hair and walked away back down the pier. Billy turned and looked at his friend as he walked away devastated.

To be continued…