Question: Why is the character called Shazam instead of his original name, Captain Marvel? The character first appeared in DC comics in 1939 so, shouldn't the name belong to him and not the Marvel universe?
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Answer: Fawcett Comics originally published Captain Marvel, not DC. DC sued, claiming the character was too similar to Superman, and Fawcett stopped publication in 1953, and sold the rights to DC in 1972. But in the intervening period Marvel had started their own "Captain Marvel" character and got the trademark for it, as Fawcett's had expired. So while the character remained technically called Captain Marvel, DC used the trademark "Shazam" in marketing, and in 2011 renamed the character to Shazam officially, as people generally thought that was his name anyway.
Jon Sandys ★