Marvel Family - Black Marvel Family Members

Black Marvel Family Members

The Black Marvel Family, a variant of the Marvel Family concept with Captain Marvel's former archvillain Black Adam as the central focus, was introduced in the pages of the weekly DC comic book 52.

• Black Adam - An older Egyptian renegade protégé of the wizard Shazam, who was the first to be granted superpowers by the wizard. Adam eventually grew to abuse his power, and became a tyrant. Shazam returned to punish Adam with either exile to the furthest Star in the Universe (in the original Fawcett Comics) or death (in the modern DC Comics). He returns to Earth (or life) after Shazam appoints Captain Marvel his new successor, and was soon established as Captain Marvel's most powerful foe in physical abilities. He only made one Golden Age appearance, dying when turning back as he became his true age, making him a skeleton. However Sivana later used a machine to bring him back to life. In later DC continuity, Black Adam joined the Justice Society of America, claiming to have reformed after helping them against the new Injustice Society. Adam eventually turned on the Justice Society, wanting to be a hero on his own terms. He later forcefully overthrew the tyrannical government of his old homeland of Khandaq with several other superbeings despite the objections of the JSA, appointing himself ruler after the military dictator who ruled it formerly was killed. The JSA finally agreed to let him rule the country, if he remained in Khandaq. Adam was one of the main characters in DC's 52 weekly maxi-series, which followed his attempts to establish himself as a hero, which lead him to create a "Marvel Family" of his own, which included his superpowered wife Isis and his own "Captain Marvel Jr.", Osiris, the crippled brother of Isis with whom he shared his divine powers.

• Isis - The superheroine Isis was originally created for live-action television to star in Filmation's The Secrets of Isis TV show, a sister series for Filmation's adaptation of Shazam!. Isis teamed up with Captain Marvel on occasion in both television and comics, and briefly starred in a licensed DC comic book in the late 1970s. In 2006, DC Comics created a new, unrelated Isis and introduced her into the DC Universe. This Isis is the alter-ego of Adrianna Tomaz, originally a slave from Egypt offered to Black Adam by the terrorist group Intergang as a token to curry his favor. Although Adam dealt harshly with the slavers and kills one of them, Adrianna becomes Adam's love interest and made him a more merciful figure, and was granted a special amulet that allowed her to become the avatar of the Egyptian goddess. Adam later proposed with an amulet that once belonged to Cleopatra, and they were married by Captain Marvel. In Week 44 Isis was killed by diseases given to her by the Horseman Pestilence. At the end of the Black Adam: The Dark Age mini-series she was resurrected by Felix Faust. However, the ordeal of her death, and many months spent as a brainwashed slave, routinely abused by Faust, left her much colder and ruthless than before, making her even less merciful than her husband, and prepared to wipe out all life on Earth. Shazam takes her power and turns her into a statue.

• Osiris - The teenaged Osiris is Amon Tomaz, Adrianna's lost brother who was enslaved by Intergang while his sister, with the help of her husband, Black Adam, and the Question and Renee Montoya, searched for him. Eventually, Amon was rescued, only to be found permanently crippled by a savage beating from his slavers for attempting to escape, and was beyond being healed by Isis' powers. In response, Black Adam attempted another solution, by transferring a portion of his powers to Amon and telling the boy to say his name. When Amon did, he was immediately struck with magic lightning and became Osiris, similar to how Captain Marvel Jr. was granted his powers from Captain Marvel. After several months of adventuring, including a stint with the Teen Titans, Osiris was murdered by his trusted companion, Sobek the talking crocodile, revealed to be the Horseman of Famine, after deciding to turn back as he believed his power was evil and was causing misery to Khandaq. During the 2009-2010 crossover event Blackest Night, Osiris was resurrected alongside other heroes, and was later resurrected as a White Lantern, for the purpose of releasing Isis, for which he joins the New Titans.

• Sobek - Sobek is an intelligent humanoid crocodile, created and abandoned by the Sivanas, who befriends the Black Marvel family during the 52 maxi-series after escaping from his cage during a charity dinner the Black Marvels are having with Mrs Sivana. Despite his monstrous appearance, the character is portrayed as timid, meek, and good-natured. However, his appearance doesn't help the Black Marvel Family, as the media assumes a talking crocodile must be an evil monster. The fear and misunderstanding surrounding him, not to mention the more obvious talking animal aspect of his character, make him the Black Marvel Family's analogue to Tawky Tawny, a talking animal friend of the Marvel Family who, despite his appearance, was widely beloved and accepted. Sobek reveals a more horrifying side in 52 Week 43, when he convinced a distraught Osiris to change into his mortal form, then suddenly killed and devoured him. Sobek was revealed in Week 44 to be the Fourth Horseman, Famine. He appeared to have been killed by Black Adam both in self-defense and revenge, but reappears in the 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen mini-series.