SHAZAM!

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Billy Batson once again found himself in a familiar situation. He was running through the snow-covered streets of Chicago, taking random turns as his bullies chased him. The bullies in question were the Colson brothers, a nasty duo known for picking on the less fortunate kids at school. Following their previous encounters, Billy tried to avoid conflict and lay low at school, but when he saw the Colson brothers picking on a new student and a fellow orphan, he felt he had to intervene.

Billy knew that if he could just make it to the subway station he could easily lose them. So, he took a hard right turn down the alley between Herbert's Diner and Walgreen's, jumping over fences and dodging the trash bags lying on the ground. He weaved his way through the crowd of people making their way down the subway steps and jumped onto the handrail, sliding his way down. Once at the bottom, he took a quick look behind him only to see the Colson brothers rampaging their way down the subway steps. He turned and ran towards the closest waiting train and leaped on. It wasn't until Billy had the chance to catch his breath that he realized that the train was totally empty aside from himself. For such a busy city this was obviously bizarre. Billy, however, didn't dwell on this realization as he was just happy to be out of danger.

Before Billy could enjoy the peace and quiet for too long, the train launched forward, throwing Billy to the ground. Billy had taken the train for years, and never had he seen it move at this speed. The lights began to flicker and the air began to cool as the train continued to pick up speed. The lights then completely went out and all sound ceased. When the lights came back on, the train was stopped and the doors were all open. Billy cautiously peeked outside only to see a vast, dimly lit, cave system. Billy, being the curious and brave boy that he was, walked out and started to look around. The cave looked otherwordly. The walls appeared to sparkle and emanate a very faint glow. There was a thick fog or smoke hanging low to the ground which only added to the mysterious atmosphere.

As Billy rounded the first turn, he came upon a massive room with huge pillars on either side and statues of grotesque, other-worldly looking creatures with snarling teeth and massive horns. In the back of the room were seven chairs arranged in a semi-circle. Sitting in the center chair, all alone, was a very tall man in a robe holding a staff. Billy was in utter disbelief at the sight before him. Yet he kept his cool as the man got up and approached him. "Billy Batson," the man said. "I have been waiting for you for so long." Billy was terrified of the ancient-looking man and didn't know whether to trust him or not. "What is all of this?" Billy asked. "And how do you know my name?" "I have been searching for a worthy champion for centuries, Billy, and you have finally ended my search." The man then held out his staff as to Billy, gesturing him to take it. Billy grabbed the staff and examined it. "Say my name, Billy, and the power of the Gods will flow through you." Billy began to ask the man for his name but a voice in his head interrupted him. Billy looked up, and calmly said, "Shazam."

Author's Note: This story is loosely based on Kunti's interaction with the Sage Durvasa in the Mahabharata. Kunti befriends the sage whereas everyone else is afraid of him. The sage, because of her friendliness, tells her a mantra that will allow her to summon any god she wishes.

As soon as I read about this I thought about Shazam. If you aren't familiar with Shazam here is a summary of his character and origin: Shazam Origin. The story of Shazam is similar because he accesses his powers by saying the word "Shazam," much like how Kunti says a mantra for an ability. I basically retold the Shazam origin in my own words because it already is pretty similar to the interaction between Kunti and Durvasa. Shazam has always been one of my favorite comic book characters because his origin and powers are very unique. The movie is also quite entertaining and was definitely an inspiration for my retelling. The movie involves a very similar scene in which Billy stands up to some bullies and gets chased on to a train. I just used my own words and changed some small details. I would definitely love to continue telling this story but I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity to or not.

Source: Epified Mahabharata, Part B