Pitching A Fit!

It has been awhile, but after some modem problems, we’re back. Before I return to my huge stack of Top 10 lists, I must digress. In my second post I mentioned a Shazam pitch I had done. Now, while I have developed tons of ideas for comic properties, I’ve only actually made two pitches. The first was an Arsenal series, the other a book called, “The Challenge of Shazam”. I bring this up now, because I was listening to a recent Word Balloon podcast (my favorite cast, by the way). There was an interview with Art & Franco, the guys behind Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam. This is a delightful series, and I really do recommend it (plus, I was blown away at the new artistic direction Mike Norton brought on in the latest issue). That said, there was a part in the interview that made me want to throw my iphone out my car window (more about that in a bit).

My pitch for Shazam was obviously rejected. You’ll never see it grace store shelves, at least not by me. In my pitch I outlined several major storylines the series would pursue. At last count, three central concepts from the pitch have made their way into actual DC comics. First: The idea of a powerless hero competing against the gods that comprise the Shazam powers, in order to regain those abilities. Second: The introduction of a new Spy Smasher, whose status trumps that of all other DC secret agents. Third: The transition of Freddy Freeman into Black Adam Jr.

Let’s take these point by point. The Trials of Shazam mini series covered a similar quest to regain power (although in that story it is Freddy, and not Billy undergoing the trials). The battles play out differently, because here the gods themselves engage in the combat (in mine they are represented by hand-picked champions)… A new Spy Smasher was introduced in Birds of Prey #100. My character was male (the grandson of the original Alan Armstrong). The one that saw print was female (Katarina Armstrong, perhaps the original’s granddaughter). Both versions are at the top of the intelligence agency food chain, and both are armed with multiple credentials… Finally, in the latest issue of Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, Freddy Freeman sides with Theo Adam, and becomes Black Adam Jr.

Now, let me be crystal clear. I don’t think for a millisecond that Judd Winick, Gail Simone, or Art & Franco “ripped me off”, or know a damn thing about my pitch. My frustration came in when I heard a quote from the Word Balloon interview (I told you I’d get back to it). Art & Franco recall telling Dan Didio about their idea to turn Freddy into Black Adam Jr. He was so impressed with the concept he said, “Whoa, that’s never been done before. I like the way you guys think big”.

You see, my ideas were rejected several years ago. I understood. I am a novice to the field. But, when I see these concepts see print (in one form or another), I feel that grants my instincts an amount of merit. I don’t think everything I wrote was gold (and some bits are a little overwrought). But, damn it- I was onto something.

Rather than continuing to rant, I will lay out my case by posting the relevant parts of my original pitch (the rest are issue by issue breakdowns). To put this in context, this was written in 2005. It was right after The Day of Vengeance mini series, but before the follow up Day of Vengeance Special (which put the kibosh on all of my plans for the Rock of Eternity and the Lords of Chaos and Order- since the special killed them all off).

Enjoy (or try to)…

The Challenge of Shazam (2005)

By John Conlon

The Proposal: When DC brought Captain Marvel, and the other Fawcett characters, into their pantheon, they ignited a renewed interest in C.C. Beck’s charming creations. Growing up in the 1970’s, I couldn’t help but feel the thunder, as a burst of new Shazam comics and merchandise came my way. Millions of children (donned perhaps in their Shazam PJs) watched the Big Red Cheese’s Saturday morning shows (both live action and animated). That is, when they were not choosing between a host of Shazam products ranging from Mego action figures to View Master reels. Or, maybe, slurpee cups and flower pots (yep, flower pots). This was all new to us, but old hat to our parents. They could play with Mary Marvel paper dolls, and go to the theatre to watch the Captain Marvel serial back in the 40’s. Golly, even sitcom star Gomer Pyle carried the torch by belting out an occasional, “Shazam”.

A number of talented creators continued to forward the good Captain’s adventures (Don Newton and Jerry Ordway stand out for me), however, there is little doubt that in the 2000’s the Marvel’s have lost a bit of their luster. But, if lightning can strike twice, why not three times? I truly believe that DC can once again super charge this proud franchise. It’ll just take three magic words…

W= Wonder! A boy gains wizard-like powers, and uses them to fight against the forces of dark magic. Sorry, J.K. – C.C. got there first. Still, Ms. Rowling’s success has shown millions (and millions) that the combo of little kids and magic adventure never goes out of style. Our new series, “The Challenge of Shazam”, would downplay some of the original run’s whimsy in favor of ratcheting up the scope, scale, and sheer spectacle that is Billy Batson’s surroundings. We’ll explore new dimensions, push the boundaries of science to the breaking point, and fully map out the Rock…make that Realm of Eternity.

C= Chills! Every fairy tale has a wicked witch. Kids beg to hear ghost stories around the campfire. Students compete to have the scariest Halloween costume at school. So, I don’t think its taboo to infuse some dark, and even disturbing elements into “Shazam”. The goal is not to gross out purists, but really shake readers to the core with threats both external and internal. And, in doing so, show just how great a beacon of light Billy Batson really is.

E= Epic! Tournaments of heroes. Wars between the forces of Chaos and Order for control of all reality. The end of innocence. Betrayal and double crosses. Scary, slimy, super beasts. New roles for old heroes. New heroes in old roles. Espionage, romance, genies, and yes, a certain Bunny. All played out against a central theme- are the Marvels truly a Family?

The Pitch: Following the events of the recent mini series “Day of Vengeance”, the Wizard Shazam is dead. But, there is no time to mourn. His home, the Rock of Eternity, has been torn asunder. Now, the Seven Deadly Sins of Man, that were trapped within have achieved freedom. And, to make matters worse, the pathways to all of time and space, once held at bay by the Rock, have been ripped wide open. This Rift Of Eternity poses the greatest threat to ever face the Lords Of Order. Their opposite number, the Lords Of Chaos, are poised to gain control of the Rift, and seek to hasten its deterioration. If successful, Chaos will spread throughout every corner of reality- instantaneously.

Enter the Marvel Family? Not so fast! Though tapped by the Lords Of Order to help secure the Rift, they have been fractured as well. Technically an adult after passing his 18^th birthday, Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy Freeman) begins to question his role as the 16-year-old Billy Batson’s “kid” partner. Mary Marvel (Mary Batson Bromfield) is close to hanging up her cape forever following the deaths of her teammates (see Formerly Known as the Justice League) Blue Beetle, Sue Dibny, and turncoat Max Lord. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) is driven to distraction trying to discover how the Marvel Family can magically transform, despite the Wizard’s murder.

The first arc will follow all of these plot points, and result in Billy finding an amnesiac man that reminds him of a younger Shazam. This being, called Jebeidah (Shazam’s original name), claims to be subconsciously giving off magical energy to the trio when his former name is invoked. As Jebeidah seemingly reclaims more of his faculties, he begins to send Captain Marvel on tasks that arise suspicion in Billy. Billy confronts the wizard, and learns that “he” is actually Shazam’s daughter Blaze in disguise. Blaze hopes to use Captain Marvel for her own purposes. Although Blaze does not actually control the magic lightning, she can direct it. She chokes off the flow of its energy to our champions, while Billy is in his mortal form, and Freddy and Mary are in their heroic guises. Billy warns them to not transform back to normal, or they’ll cease to be metahumans.

With this setup in play, the following arcs will consist of four, interweaving, storylines:

1) Tournament of Thunder- Billy hatches an incredible plan to restore his abilities. He sets off on a worlds spanning odyssey to find each of the “gods” that contribute to the Marvels’ power set (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury). He petitions these legends to give him their powers directly, so he can bypass Blaze. They decree that Billy must compete in a series of challenges if he’s to secure his prize. All of the “gods” will select a champion that Billy must defeat in order to win their favor (for example Mercury may pit him in a race against Jay Garrick, or Zeus could have him take on his daughter, Wonder Girl). This tournament will be a grand romp, filled with action, guest stars, and cement Captain Marvel’s place among his DC peers.

2) Dark Son Rising- Freddy ignores Billy’s pleas to remain Captain Marvel Jr., when he is made an offer he can’t refuse. But, boy should he. STAR Labs have developed a risky procedure that may repair Freddy’s crippled leg. To perform the surgery, he must relinquish his invulnerability, and revert to his mortal form. Sadly, his leg suffers an infection in the operation, requiring an amputation below the knee (I know this sounds rather harsh, and a bit melodramatic, but I feel this more pronounced handicap will serve future storylines well). Awash with self-loathing, Freddy hits rock bottom. There to pickup the pieces is Armstrong Evans, the new Spy Smasher.

This Spy Smasher (the grandson of the original) is the leader of an internal affairs agency called the Jurisdiction. The Jurisdiction runs oversight on all other DC intelligence networks (CBI, Checkmate, Task Force X, etc.). With his unique credentials, Evans, is well aware of Black Adam’s new role as leader of Kahndaq. Spy Smasher is unwilling to take the JSA’s word that Teth has changed his ways. So, he recruits Freddy to infiltrate Kahndaq, and keep tabs on the rogue dictator. His hope is that Freddy will fill the vacuum left by Atom Smasher, and become Adam’s right hand man and confidant. But, when Black Adam and Freeman truly do form a bond, Freddy sides with his former enemy. This leads to a startling new pact. Black Adam, unaffected by the Wizard’s passing (since his powers come from a different array of gods), gives a portion of his magic to Freddy. This not only heals Freeman, but also transforms him into Kahndaq’s new chief enforcer…a Black Adam Jr.

3) Whiz Kid- Mary is trapped as Mary Marvel, so she can no longer hide from her emotional turmoil. She is forced to operate as a hero 24/7, picking up the slack in Billy and Freddy’s absence. This works on her psyche, hardening her. And, then there is the question of the silver haired young man that is shadowing her every step.

The enigmatic stranger is the new Lt. Marvel, AKA Aaron Freeman, Mary and Freddy’s son from a future reality (based in small part on the Kingdom Come character the Whiz). Aaron, a mutant, was born with the magic energy flowing through his veins. After he emerges from a ripple in the Rift of Eternity, he becomes stranded in our time. Operating under the alias of Mac King (named in honor of Captain Marvel Jr.’s classic artist Mac Raboy, and Jr.’s biggest fan- Elvis), he secretly aids Mary. The question is, can he also reconcile his future parents?

4) The Times That War Forgot- As time and space exceed their breaking point, due to the Rift’s continued expansion, bizarre facets of every era bleed into one another. Chaos has been achieved. Leading their armies is a twisted new foe- Sintrigue (think sin and intrigue). Magnificus Sivanna, (the Adonis like son of Captain Marvel’s archenemy), has become the host vessel for all of the Seven Deadly Sins of Man. With this immense power at his disposal, Sintrigue has established despotic beachheads on every plain of existence. Can the Marvel Family pull together, and spearhead a full-scale war on such a vast battlefield? Or, have their internal divisions doomed us all?