Who Is Black Adam? | Origin Story of Black Adam

Black Adam, as we all know is an anti-hero from DC Universe. This character was first introduced in Comics world in December 1945 and was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck. Today in this article we will cover few things like Who is black Adam? and Origin story of Black Adam.

Destruction of Homeland – Kahndaq

Before he became Black Adam, Teth-Adam was a slave on a planet known as ‘Kahndaq’. When his planet was taken over by the Seven Deadly Sins and war raved everywhere, Adam lost his entire family, everyone from his wife to his children. The only other person to survive was Teth-Adam’s nephew, Aman.

Even though Teth-Adam did not fall prey to death, he was severely injured as a result of all the destruction. When Adam found his nephew had survived this massacre, he tried to convince him to save himself and escape. Aman, the dutiful child that he was, refused to leave without the only family he had left. Their escape endeavour was ridden with difficulties, though Aman never wavered in his attempts.

Aman’s dedication and kindness came to the wizard, Shazam’s notice. Shazam, impressed by Aman’s bravery, intercepted the pair’s path and offered Aman the privilege of becoming his champion whom he would pass on his powers too. Aman decided to accept on the condition that Shazam would heal his uncle. Shazam explained that Aman could share the powers he gains with his family if he chose to do so.

Once Aman had agreed to become the wizard Shazam’s champion, he was able to heal his uncle, Adam, back to health. Aman, however, soon realized that his power did not come without its own responsibilities. Shazam explained that they would both need to return to their homeland – Kahndaq – and use their newly-acquired powers to save everyone and defeat the villains threatening the safety of their planet.

Origin: Gaining Power

With the mission clear in their minds, both Adam and Aman return to their home nation where suffering and pain still reign. Once back, the uncle and nephew began coming up with ways to rid their world of the dangers haunting them. Both of their opinions split and led to disagreement. On the one hand, Adam wanted to use their powers to attack the unjust rulers and rain vengeance upon them for all of their heinous crimes. On the other hand, kind, compassionate and considerate Aman wished to reason and find a way to bring peace to everyone.

Adam did not share this pacifist view with his nephew. There was doubt in his mind that this plan of Aman’s would not work and would lead to terrifying consequences. This is the moment when Adam decided to take matters into his own hands. For what he believed to be the greater good, Adam took the life of the only family he had and took all of Aman’s powers for himself.

With his newly improved powers, Adam sets off to fight the Seven Sins and free the people of his nation. Adam’s success in this endeavour is what earned him the title of Black Adam. As Black Adam, he defeated the Seven Sins, earning the well-deserved freedom of his nation. Power, however, did not suit Adam. It drove him to become greedy and want more. Adam attacked the Council of Eternity as a ploy to take their powers for his own. The wizard, Shazam however had learned of Black Adam’s actions and motives, which is what helped him put a seal over him and banish him forever.

Present Day

Despite being defeated many centuries ago in Ancient Egypt, Black Adam returned once again in the present day. The seal placed on Adam was taken off by a scientist known as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. Sivana wished to ask Black Adam to use his healing powers and prevent the deaths of his family. Black Adam, however, was not ecstatic when released from his imprisonment and slaughtered Sivana’s entire team in a fit of rage.

Sivana then brought Black Adam to New York City, where his family resided. After all these years, Black Adam was baffled by the state of the modern world. He frowned upon the corruption and other malicious practices present in everyday life. In an attempt to help the suffering people, Adam murdered a corrupt politician in cold blood, while also making a spectacle out of it. When this deed did not result in people hailing him as a hero and their saviour, Black Adam decided that his world had lost all hope.

Once he had formed this concrete idea in his mind, Black Adam decided that he would raze this world and form a new, better one from its pieces. To help him with this plan of his, Adam even awakened some of his old foes like the Seven Deadly Sins.

Black Adam vs. Shazam and Shazam Family

Black Adam was well-aware that his plan would never come to fruition as long as the champion of the wizard, Shazam, lived. Besides, for him, exacting revenge on the wizard for his centuries-long imprisonment would have been an added bonus.

As soon as he had caught wind of the new champion being in the city of Philadelphia, Adam immediately left to hunt him down. The champion proved to be much more difficult to catch than Black Adam had imagined. Black Adam though had years worth of anger to unleash upon the wizard’s champion and gave his everything to find him.

Though Adam did not have to look for long, for the champion himself – a teenager named Billy Batson – found Adam and tried talking him out of taking over the world. Adam was blinded by rage and attacked the boy and prevented him from saying the word that would allow his transformation into his superhero form. Batson was saved by his foster family, though this only doomed them because Adam realised what the new champion’s weakness was. Even though Billy Batson managed to get away, his family was kidnapped by Adam. In exchange for their freedom, Adam demanded Billy pass on the wizard’s power to him. Billy Batson used his cleverness to his advantage and tricked Adam by granting the powers to his family instead. Together, they managed to overpower Black Adam in the end.

Powers and Abilities

Black Adam possesses Divine Power, each power corresponding with an Ancient Egyptian God or Goddess. From the god of air, Shu, Adam gained enhanced stamina. He gained the ability to fly and enhanced agility from Horus, the god of the sky. From the king of Egyptian Gods, Amun, Adam received super-strength. From the goddess of learning, Zehuti, he gained wisdom and enhanced senses. The god Aten gave him electrokinesis while the god Mehun provided him with enhanced healing.

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