The Crusade for Magic was a series of attacks and skirmishes initiated and performed by Thaddeus Sivana with the help of the Seven Deadly Sins to the damages of Sivana Industries. These attacks were stopped by the newborn superhero Billy Batson and the entire Shazam Family.[1]
Background[]
- "I dedicated my life to getting here. I scoured the Earth. No one believed me. No one helped. Not the wizard. Not my family. I only had myself."
- ―Thaddeus Sivana to Billy Batson[src]
Long ago, Shazam, along with six other wizards, chose a champion because of the heroic acts he had done. When the champion's family were murdered by criminals, he became vengeful and ruthless and released the Seven Deadly Sins upon his enemies and the people of the city of Kahndaq, killing millions. The Sins murdered Shazam's brethren before he managed to imprison them within statues in the Rock of Eternity. Because of this, Shazam left him entombed ever since, plaguing him with the name "Black Adam". After the event, he swore to only choose a champion pure of heart to succeed him.
Young Sivana meets the Wizard.
Years later, young Thaddeus Sivana was whisked away from his father's car by Shazam as a candidate for his champion. Thaddeus attempted to take the Wizard's staff but was quickly tempted by the corruption of the Seven Sins, causing the Wizard to reject him and send him back to the car. In his confusion and frustration, he made a scene and caused a car crash that crippled his father. After the accident, his father belittled him even more than he did before. This led to his obsession with magic, spending his life searching for ways to gain the abilities he was denied as a child.[1][2]
Crusade[]
Escape of the Seven Deadly Sins[]
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Massacre at Sivana Industries[]
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Ambush on Billy Batson[]
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Skirmish in the Rock of Eternity[]
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Battle at the Chilladelphia Winter Carnival[]
- "You will beg for mercy as I feast on your heart, slow..."
"Are you making, like, some big evil guy speech right now or something? You're like a mile away from me, and there's cars and trucks..."
"I will have the world eating out of the palm of my hand..."
"All I see is mouth moving, I don't hear any..."
"Only I have the power to unleash..." - ―Thaddeus Sivana and Billy Batson[src]
Arriving at the scene, Thaddeus Sivana called out Billy Batson for being a coward for jeopardizing the lives of everyone at this event, and demanded he showed himself. Although his family warned against this, he replied that he needed to protect the ones most important to him and confronted Sivana as Shazam.
Unfortunately, their fight was cut short as Sivana unleashed the Sins to round his siblings and used them as hostages to force Billy to surrender his powers. As Sivana recalled the Sins, Shazam remembered the wizard telling him to fill the thrones of their "brothers and sisters". Seizing the staff and repelling Sivana with it, Shazam tells his siblings to take hold, and say his name. After saying "Billy", he tells them to say "Shazam" instead. By saying "Shazam", a burst of lightning appears. Like Billy, Freddy, Mary, Darla, Eugene and Pedro have all now gained the powers of Shazam. Seeing that Sivana is in disbelief, Shazam breaks the staff, leaving Sivana unable to steal the Wizard's powers. The newborn superheroes proceeded to face off against six of the Sins, all beginning to experiment with their new powers, with the far older and more experienced sins holding the advantage, but barely.
Billy with his powered up foster siblings
Meanwhile, Sivana and Billy have their second fight, racing through the city to try and best one another. In a brief pause during their duel, Sivana began threatening Shazam and claiming it would take more than a group of juveniles to save him. However, Shazam playfully ignored him and taunted him for monologuing before lunging at him. They unleashed discharges of energy upon each other, but they were too evenly matched. Realizing this, Shazam had a split-second to contemplate his next move, but it was all his adversary needed to seize him in a chokehold and rocket into the air with him. However, this move would not work a second time: unintimidated, Shazam grabbed his face and the two struggled. Ultimately unable to best Sivana in close combat, he was thrown onto a roof.
Billy takes note that his foster siblings are only facing six of the sins, and mentions the last remaining Sin possessing Sivana's body, the only one still giving him any power: Envy. Insulting Envy, the Sin emerges from Sivana's body, leaving Sivana completely mortal and holding on for dear life on the edge of the building. Envy attacks Billy, but Billy uses the word Shazam to vaporize Envy into mist, before saying the word again to quickly save a falling Sivana. Billy brings Sivana back to the carnival, and precedes to pull out the Eye of Sin, sucking back in all of the Sins. The Eye then seemingly began tempting Billy with his deepest desire but he reveals he was merely teasing his siblings, having the common sense not to put a demon ball in his eye. Around them, the crowd cheered.[1]
Aftermath[]
Billy inviting Superman to lunch with Freddy
- "Primitive symbols. You walking, talking monkeys with your cave drawings. You assume there's only one way to gain magic. No, no, no. There are more ways than a mind can imagine."
"What in God's name..."
"I made the Gods, doctor, not the other way around. Oh, what fun we're going to have together. The Seven Realms are about to be ours." - ―Mister Mind and Thaddeus Sivana[src]
Soon after the campaign ended in failure, Billy and the others returned to the Rock of Eternity to return the Eye and the Sins. Freddy pointed out to Billy that they now had a superhero lair, leaving Darla confused. The battle had a profound effect on Billy, who finally felt like he had found a home, with the Vasquez' and his foster siblings, calling all hands on deck over dinner. The next day, Billy came to the school cafeteria as Shazam while Mary, Eugene, Pedro and Darla changed their lunch schedules to eat with Freddy and Billy. As Shazam, he impressed the other school kids, telling them that Freddy taught him everything he knows. He also told Freddy he invited a friend. Looking over, Freddy saw Superman standing right next to him, and is shocked that the Man of Steel is actually there.
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Sivana meeting Mister Mind in his jail cell
Meanwhile, Thaddeus Sivana was sent to Rock Falls Penitentiary. Enraged by his recent failures, he spent his time madly scribbling symbols in fruitless attempts to reenter the Rock of Eternity. As he cried out in rage after another futilely drawn runic pattern, a creature he had unwittingly freed near the beginning of his campaign named Mister Mind arrived in his cell and told him of the pillars of evil that would come together, assuring him that the seven realms of magic would be under their control.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Shazam!
- ↑ Glass, Calliope (2016). Shazam! The Junior Novel. Harper Collins.