A YJA Moment - The Magic of Shazam

Magic. As one of the emanations of the Source, it is one of the most feared if not misunderstood forces in the universe. For with it, even mortal men and women can slay the gods and become gods themselves. In almost every age across the entire universe, individuals have sought to master the forces of the occult, creating objects that they hoped would grant them endless power. The Books of Magic. The Darkhold, The Starheart. The Necronomicon.

However, none of them is as powerful or integral as the Rock of Eternity. Its creators are a mystery but few would doubt the utility of the Rock. It maintains the even flow of magic, purifying it of impurities and absorbing the spikes caused by careless rituals. It also serves as a magical prison, holding all those entities that should not and cannot be allowed to wander reality.

Maintaining the Rock is an individual known as the Guardian of Magic, or simply "The Wizard". Since its creation the Guardian has overseen the Rock and protected it from attempts to destroy or usurp is power over magic. It's easy to confuse the role of Guardian of Magic and its Champion with the Sorcerer Supreme. The Sorcerer Supreme defends Earth from magical threats, while the Guardian protects all of the magic across the universe. Both are independent of each other but both are intertwined by their roles

The title of Guardian of Magic was first assumed by the great will-worker Agamotto, creator of many mystical artifacts and one of the founders of the modern mystic arts. At the height of his power, he discovered the Rock of Eternity and seeing the need to protect it from those who would abuse such power, took up its defense and maintenance.

The second guardian was known as The Champion. Instead of casting spells, the Champion had gained his power by traveling the ancient world and interacting with the gods. By overcoming their trials, he gained some of their power such as great, strength, speed, and wisdom. When Agamotto grew weary of his tenure as Guardian, he gave it to the Champion who took on the name of Shazam.

The Wizard Shazam did not have magical powers like Agamotto and thus was limited in the scope of his travels, lest someone take advantage of his absence from the Rock. So he sought to find a new Champion that he could bestow some of his power into and become his agent in the material realms.

His first choice Teth-Adam abused his power, seeking to become a ruler of Khandaq. The Wizard imprisoned "Black Adam" in a tomb for his hubris and was so disgusted by his mistake that he did not choose another Champion until the modern-day.

It took the kindness of young Billy Batson and Mary Bromfield in order for the Wizard to once again bestow the powers of the Champion to mortals. They would help the material world as Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel respectively.

Recently the Wizard Shazam has given up his role as Guardian, passing it on to the young Batson. The new Wizard Marvel has his sister Mary as the new Captain Marvel, the champion of magic. In turn, Mary has granted the power of Shazam to a new generation, the young metahuman Kamala Khan, allowing her to become Ms. Marvel.