10 Shazam Team-Ups That Prove He is More Than Superman’s Equal

Created by Otto Binder and CC Beck to serve as Fawcett Comics’ magical counterpart to Superman, Shazam has become one of the most wholesome superheroes since the Golden Age. Having existed in the DCU since the 1970s, the hero has teamed up with a wide variety of the publisher’s best characters, from street-level vigilantes to Superman himself.

Shazam is often held up to Superman, with many of the two heroes’ fans speculating as to who would prevail in a no-holes-barred fight. In truth, both heroes have a great deal in common with one another, and some of the Big Red Cheese’s team-ups can attest to this. Whether it’s their shared moral compass, wholesome personalities or top-tier strength levels, a good pairing of superheroes can bring out the best. And these crossover comics are among Shazam’s best, proving he’s on Superman’s level, whether Billy Batson believes it or not.

10 Shazam & Starman in “Thunder and Stars” (1998)

Jerry Ordway, James Robinson, Pete Krause, Dick Giordano, Tony Harris and Wade von Grawbadger

During the 1990s, Shazam and Starman stood out among the best comics in print and, in 1998, this was cemented through their first crossover: “Thunder and Stars.” The story follows the arrival of a Golden Age hero, Bulletman, to Fawcett City, where he seeks the aid of his old friend, Starman, after it’s revealed he conspired with Nazis. With the Captain dispatched to bring him in, the hero’s fugitive status forces a confrontation between the heroes.

“Thunder and Stars” stands out as both a nice reprieve from the gritty nature of ’90s comics and a look back at a fairly obscure chapter in DC history. The story follows the Captain as he takes on a role often shared by Superman, working to bring down a perceived enemy of the United States. Here, it’s shown that, much like his Kryptonian counterpart, the Champion is patriotic but also compassionate, and just wants to do what’s right.

9 Shazam & The JSA in “Stealing Thunder” (2002)

David S. Goyer, Geoff Johns, Leonard Kirk, Keith Giffen, Keith Champagne, Al Milgrom and Rags Morales

When the JSA relaunched in their own title, they were joined by Captain Marvel in their fight against the Ultra-Humanite. In the story “Stealing Thunder,” the team become fugitives as the villain finally succeeds in taking over the planet, turning Earth’s heroes into his own secret police. Holed up in a secret hideout beneath the surface, the Society is split, with Sandman and Wildcat imprisoned by the villain as the others assess the situation.

“Stealing Thunder” is a story that establishes that Shazam is for the JSA what Superman is for the Justice League, even sending the former against the latter’s original enemy. The tale works both as a great dystopian thriller, and a fun case of the villain winning, as half the JSA are taken captive and plot their escape, as the others plan liberation.

8 Shazam & Superman in “Day of Vengeance” (2005)

Bill Willingham, Judd Winick, Ian Churchill, Justiniano, Ron Randall and Walden Wong

Day of Vengeance begins when Superman is possessed by Eclipso, turning his Kryptonian body into a weapon for evil. In response, Shazam steps up to try and stop the villain, hoping to get the Man of Steel back to his normal self. However, as the demonic foe’s strength gains, it forces a crisis upon the magic heroes of the Justice League, bringing everyone from Blue Devil to Detective Chimp into play.

With Freddie Freeman stepping into the role of Shazam, this story didn’t just show how the Big Red Cheese is the guy the heroes turn to without Superman, it also opened a new chapter for the hero. The best part of the story comes from the initial bout between the two heroes, with Eclipso preying on Captain Marvel’s decency — and the hero engages in one of his most epic fights of all time.

7 Shazam & The Flash in “Magic Words” (2000)

Brian Augustyn, Mark Waid, Paul Pelletier and Doug Hazlewood

The Flash #162 revolves around a plot orchestrated by Felix Faust to use a television signal to brainwash America back into the dark ages. After rescuing an out-of-control plane, Captain Marvel meets up with Shazam, and the pair race to find Faust’s location, so they can prevent him from toppling society — one of the villain’s best schemes.

The Flash’s team-up with Shazam is reminiscent of the upbeat dynamic often held between Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, with both heroes’ personalities meshing incredibly well. It also shows Shazam competing with Superman in one key respect: speed. As Wally West races through the city, the Captain pulls off the impressive feat of catching up with the Scarlet Speedster, and aiding him in his mission.

6 Shazam & Batman in “World’s Finest” (2020)

Jeff Loveness and Brandon Peterson

Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham’s run on Shazam primarily followed the hero’s romp through the Magic Lands. In issue twelve, however, readers got a fun surprise when Earth’s Mightiest Mortal made his way to Gotham City, where he got tangled up in a Scarecrow plot against Batman. Infected by the villain’s fear toxin, he is immobilized by his fears as Batman steps in, but soon overcomes the terror and steps up to aid the Caped Crusader.

The aptly-named “World’s Finest” story sees Shazam fly out to Gotham to impress Freddie Freeman, but also sheds light on how much learning Billy Batson still has to do. The story shows that, with a little more experience, the Captain could be a great contender for a full-time Batman partnership, and features a touching interaction between the pair.

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5 Shazam & The Justice League in “Justice League International” (1987)

JM DeMatteis, Keith Giffen and Kevin Maguire

In the aftermath of Crisis On Infinite Earths, the Justice League was reconstituted by Batman, bringing on the likes of Guy Gardner, Doctor Fate, Mister Miracle and Shazam. Although the series had some fun and compelling arcs, it was held together by the team dynamic, with the Captain often working as a wholesome foil to the Green Lantern’s loudmouthed personality.

In the aftermath of Superman leaving the Justice League, it’s clear that the idea was for Shazam to fill his shoes, both as the team’s mightiest hero and its wholesome moral compass. However, through Guy Gardner’s incessant teasing and Batman’s abrasive leadership, the team-up wasn’t meant to be, and the Captain soon departed.

4 Shazam & Superman in “With One Magic Word” (1984)

Roy Thomas, Julius Schwartz and Gil Kane

Shortly after making his way to the DCU, Shazam enjoyed one of his first ever team-ups with Superman in the pages of DC Comics Presents Annual #3. Here, Doctor Sivana steals the power of the gods, and targets both Earth-Prime Kal-El and his Earth-2 counterpart — and, of course, Shazam himself.

“With One Magic Word” reminds readers of Superman’s vulnerability to magic, but also gives Shazam a great moment when he delivers a knock-out punch so hard it awakens a comatose Wizard. For people who want to see how well the pair work together — as well as the threat the power of Shazam can pose — this is the ideal story.

3 Shazam & Superman in “First Thunder” (2006)

Judd Winick and Josh Middleton

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder follows the team-up between the Man of Tomorrow and Earth’s Mightiest Mortal to take on an alliance between their two arch-nemeses: Lex Luthor and Doctor Sivana. After foiling an attempt by a cult to rob a Fawcett City Museum, the heroes take on the emergence of demonic creatures, and work to bring down their enemies.

First Thunder does a great job of establishing the fact that Superman and Shazam are, in essence, the same brand of hero, even if one is magical and the other based on science fiction. Working alongside one another, their wholesome values and shared Golden Age origins prevail in a story that shows them to be true equals, both in the eyes of one another and the readers.

2 Superman vs Shazam (1984)

Gerry Conway, Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano

Superman vs Shazam begins when Black Adam and Karmang the Sorcerer form an alliance to beat their adversaries. Using magic to disguise Adam as Superman and Shazam to trick the respective heroes into believing they were attacked by the other, the pair spark the feud between the pair. As two of comics’ strongest heroes fight it out, Supergirl and Mary Marvel put their heads together to try and figure out what’s actually going on.

There are few better ways of establishing Shazam as Superman’s equal than pitting them together in a direct head-to-head grudge match. The graphic novel proved that Captain Marvel could hold his own against the Man of Steel in a fight, courtesy of his magical powers. The story also showed how the pair are of similar disposition, but both willing to work side-by-side when clearer heads prevail.

1 Shazam & The DC Universe in “Kingdom Come” (1996)

Mark Waid and Alex Ross

Kingdom Come takes place in a future of the DCU where Clark Kent has retired as Superman, leaving the world to a new generation of reckless antiheroes. When catastrophe strikes, the Man of Steel comes back, reforming the Justice League and giving meta humans a choice to join him and reign in the antiheroes or be locked up with them. It’s soon revealed that Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom are keeping a mind-controlled Billy Batson under their control. When he’s freed, he battles Kal-El, only to give his life in an attempt to save his friends from a nuclear bomb.

Shazam’s role in Kingdom Come showed that, despite his trauma from being held prisoner, he was a true hero at heart, one who made the ultimate sacrifice to save others. His death motivated Superman, despite having fought the Captain, to go to the United Nations to try and bring about a lasting peace. While not a story dedicated to the Big Red Cheese, Waid and Ross’ story remains one of his finest hours.