Shazam! takes cheap shot at D-list Justice League member

Billy Batson is having to avoid using his powers, but that didn’t stop him from taking a shot at Plastic Man in the latest issue of Shazam!

The current run of Shazam! has been used to re-establish Billy Batson’s place in the DC Universe. Finally settling on a new codename (The Captain) and embracing life with his adopted family, Billy seems to be settling into his place in the DCU as a superhero. 

That was before he started having bizarre outbursts, though. It started with yelling at a crowd of onlookers to get away from him, and later culminated in nearly killing Psycho-Pirate. 

Unsure why he’s losing control, Billy now refuses to say the word and transform. Other heroes are filling the void, which Billy isn’t entirely happy with. 

Shazam! takes a cheap shot at Plastic Man

In Shazam! #3, Billy has forsaken ever speaking the magic word again. He’s obviously upset about it, but he assures himself it’s fine as other heroes step in. 

Billy reflects on this as he thinks of all the other heroes, like Superman and Wonder Woman, who can stop disasters he could have. As he does so, he notices his sister, Mary Marvel, saving some bystanders – but singles out that Plastic Man is also there, noting that fate is “just rubbing it in.”

It’s hilarious that Billy would show such disdain for Plastic Man, considering how many years the two had roughly the same level of popularity. It makes sense in-universe, though. Plastic Man has always been treated like the butt of the joke, even when he was at his most popular in the 1970s. 

Recent stories have done a lot of work trying to change the perception of Plastic Man. He was a prominent member of the Justice League when the roster expanded during the seminal JLA run. Most recently, he was the key to saving the universe during the Dark Knights event. 

It’s unlikely Plastic Man and The Captain are going to become fast friends, but Billy will need all the help he gets. The issue ends with Billy having to transform anyway and being challenged by an old Doom Patrol villain, Emperor Garguax. 

Shazam! #3 is available now from DC Comics. For more Shazam! and comic book news, be sure to follow all our coverage.