DC superheroes come in all shapes and sizes and over the last eight decades some of them have even changed name. One 1940s hero went by a name that would end up becoming synonymous with rival firm <a href="https://comicvibe.com/october-7s-new-marvel-comics-the-full-list/" title="October 7's New Marvel Comics: The Full List”>Marvel Comics thanks to the very nature of his name, but back in his early appearances, the character was strong competition for other fresh heroes like Batman and Superman. In a recent sale at Heritage Auctions, a battered copy of Whiz Comics #1 sold for $14,640, not an insignificant amount when looking at the terrible condition and extremely low grading given to the issue. With a CGC Apparent PR 0.5 grading – the lowest possible grade for a comic – the example is a restored version of this 86 year old issue that is also incomplete with significant damage and creasing and is essentially as badly preserved as a certified collectible comic can get. However, being notable as the first appearance of one of the Golden Age’s most important characters does a lot of heavy lifting at auction.
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Now best know by the name Shazam, Billy Batson made his debut as Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #1 in 1940. While the recent screen iteration of the character, played in two movies by Zachary Levi, was not able to create the same kind of stir, his first appearance in comic book form was a sensation and made him one of the biggest superheroes of the 1940s, often leading to his comics outselling those of both Batman and Superman, who were also both in their infancy at the time. While the latter two have gone on to become two of the pillars of DC Comics, the man who became the World’s Mightiest Mortal after uttering his magic word, has not quite maintained the same level of exposure and popularity over the years, but that original comic appearance is still listed at number 10 on Overstreet’s Top 100 Golden Age Comics.
The DC Hero Who Lost His Name to Marvel Comics
Of course, back when Captain Marvel made his debut, DC Comics was a thing of the future and the character was competition to the heroes that would later become his stable mates. This caused problems for Whiz Comics and publisher Fawcett as the character’s striking resemblance to Superman led to a lawsuit from National Comics, the publisher behind the Man of Steel who would later rebrand as DC Comics. The lawsuit took a toll on Fawcett, being partially responsible for them removing the character from publication in the early 1950s, but years later saw DC Comics then licence the character and revive him in their own comics as Shazam alongside their own long-standing heroes.
Of course, in the years between those events, Marvel Comics had launched and trademarked their own version of Captain Marvel, which is why DC Comics were unable use the name when they picked up the character. That, in terms of collectible comics, is just another reason why Whiz Comics #1 is a grail among fans, as it contains the original Captain Marvel before his name and brand changes took place the following decade. Over the years, the change in name did not impact Shazam, as he continued to be one of the DC’s most powerful heroes and appeared alongside his one time rival Superman among many others. While copies of Superman #1have sold for millions of dollars in the last few years, it is likely that a copy of Whiz Comics #1 with a much higher grading than the example sold in this recent auction would be able to compete with the most valuable comics out there.
6 DC Comics Characters with Marvel Counterparts
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