It's A Good Thing They Had Dry Erase Markers!!

Uh-oh, Dr. Sivana is up to no good...

Now, you'd think that somewhere as important to the cosmos as the Rock Of Eternity might have, you know, a little security? A locked door? Need a password?

Nope.

See, I bet you didn't know that the "elders" who grant Billy Batson his SHAZAM powers are hanging around at the Rock Of Eternity, discussing "problems of the galactic universe."

Of course, we can't help but notice the similarities to Kid Eternity--Solomon, Hercules, et. al., just hanging around Eternity (or the Rock Of Eternity), just waiting for a child to say the magic word, so they can grant him their powers (or go down in person). I'd like to think that these similarities were behind DC's decision to retcon Kid Eternity onto Earth-S. We'll discuss this more in my Kid Eternity posts when we get to that point...

Anyway, Sivana waits until the wizard is asleep...

You know, if that's true, I'd seriously consider sleeping in my robe!

Still, that advice comes too late:

Geez, Sivana is pretty damn nasty!

He uses his hostage to force the elders to take their powers away from Captain Marvel...

And how does that process of depowering work? Actually, it's less complicated than you might think!

All you have to do is physically cross your name off a list?

Yup, as the Big Red Cheese finds out when trying to break a code!

D'oh!

And so the process continues, one name at a time, as Sivana toys with our hero like puling wings off a fly!

Next to go: strength!!

Ouch!

Next--stamina!

No!!

Next--power!!

That's just mean!

Next--courage!

Finally, speed!

Ah, but Sivana forgot something very important--the B!!

That is, the powers of Billy Batson!

Billy bonks Sivana...

...and gets Shazam's robe back!! So now it's time to get those powers back!

Wow, it's lucky Sivana didn't make them use permanent marker!!!

And so, with his powers fully restored...

...Sivana's plans are easily foiled.

So, it's as easy as crossing names off a chart, and then erasing those lines? Could someone write in new names on the chart, and grant him new powers? Time to start coming up with new acronyms!!

From Captain Marvel Adventres #144 (1953)

Manic Monday Triple Overtime--Sivana's Nobel Prize?!?

A big news update has come into WHIZ!!

Good question!

Well, it turns out that...

A process for making nutritious food from rocks?!? Hell, give him a truckload of Nobels!!

I wonder if Earth-S Nobel selectors were just easy...or maybe on Earth-1, Lex Luthor and T.O. Morrow have a shelfful of Nobels, too. And don't get me started on Doom!

Anyone, being awarded a Nobel is such an insult, Sivana decides to escape and re-establish his villainous bona fides!

Bold choice!!

Thaddeus develops the perfect weapon:

And it works!!

So it's time to launch the world-wide version!

Look, I'm sure Solomon was wise and all, but personally, I wouldn't put too much faith in his knowledge of re-wiring satellites and such.

But it seems to work!!

It even works on Sivana!

And the punch line?

The Nobel Committee--trolling super-villains for fun!!

From World's Finest Comics #273 ( 1981)

Manic Mary Marvel Day 5--The Quiz Answer, And What The Goddesses Do All Day!

Here, at long last, are the answers to our earlier quiz: which goddesses loan Mary Marvel their awesome powers of grace, beauty, etc?

Admit it--you missed a few. The A's throw everyone off, as they expect Aphrodite or Artemis or Athena...

As for what those goddesses do all day long? Well, Sivana has tricked Mary into wearing earrings that block the lightning bolt's power!

So she asks Selena, Hippolyta, et al, for a little extra oomph this time!

Proving once more, that science cannot stand up to the power of the gods!!

From Mary Marvel #1 (1945)

Manic Mary Marvel Day 3--Aim High, Sivana!!

Say, did you ever wonder what Thaddeus Sivana would ever do if he ever actually did beat any of the Marvel Family?

Wonder no more! Sivana has, through scientific trickeration, found a way to deprive Mary Marvel of her super-powers! So what does he do, with his goal finally accomplished?

Yes, the answer is, beat her with a flyswatter and make her do housework!

Yeah, Sivana is pretty much a loser...

From Mary Marvel #1 (1945)

Thaddeus Sivana--Cop Killer!!

It's a good day in Fawcett City...if you're EVIL!!

So, Sivana, genius scientist and would-be world conqueror, has free reign. So what does he choose to do so his special, no super-hero day?

WHAT!?!? 

But he's not just a cop-killer...he's a cop-torturer!!

Cold, Sivana. Cold.

Fortunately, Sivana forgot about the one Marvel he hadn't met yet:

Whew...

 An historical moment!!

 Um...how many bullets does that revolver hold?!?! (Oh, it's Sivana...he probably just invented a 9-shooter or something...)

So the Golden Age was a lot nastier than you thought. Thaddeus Sivana--straight outta Compton!!!

From Mary Marvel #1 (1945)