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The Black Adam movie marks the character's first live-action appearance. The debut of the Rock's DC movie makes this the best time to get acquainted or reacquainted with the complex anti-hero. Black Adam, also known as Teth-Adam, has fought alongside the Justice Society of America as well as against them.
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Thousands of years before Billy Batson was ever born, Teth-Adam was an Egyptian prince. Unlike Billy Batson who gets his powers from the wizard Shazam by saying his name, Teth-Adam receives his powers from several Egyptian gods, despite saying the wizard's name. Adam was exiled by the wizard after watching the power corrupt him.
Below, we explore 10 of the best adventures that Black Adam has embarked upon since his return.
10 best DC comics featuring Black Adam
1) Black Adam: The Dark Age
The Dark Age shows the kind of love Teth-Adam has for his one true love, Adrianna Tomaz (Isis). Written by Peter Tomasi and illustrated by Doug Mahnke, this Black Adam comic follows the events of WWIII. Adam travels across Europe, overwhelmed with grief, to resurrect his love Isis.
Meanwhile, the heroes of the world try to apprehend this godlike being. They want him to answer for his crimes in WWIII, but all Adam wants is to revive Isis. He does so by bringing her corpse to a Lazarus pit. This six-issue miniseries cemented the character as a longterm villain in the DCU.
2) JSA: Black Vengeance
Black Vengeance is an iconic Justice Society of America story that takes place between JSA Vol 1 #68-75. The Spectre is not tethered to a mortal host and rampages through Shiruta, Khandaq's capital city. The Spectre ends up draining Teth-Adam of his powers. Adam then receives help from Atom Smasher to regain his powers and subdue the Spectre.
Sadly, immediately after regaining his powers, Adam rejects help from the JSA and kicks them out of Khandaq. Since Atom Smasher is confirmed to appear in the Black Adam movie, it may very well lay the foundation for the kinship that is seen in this story.
3) JSA: Savage Times
Written by Geoff Johns and David S. Goyer, Savage Times follows Shazam, Hawk Girl, and Mr. Terrific as they travel back in time to confront the immortal Vandal Savage and Teth-Adam. This story shows how daunting of a villain Black Adam can be while simultaneously showcasing his skills truimph over Shazam's (Captain Marvel at the time) with the same powerset.
In this story, longtime fans got to see Captain Marvel and Black Adam fight side-by-side. This story is great to read before the release of the movie because it gives valuable insight into Adam's life in Ancient Egypt and his relationship with Hawkman and Hawkgirl, which is certain to be explored in the upcoming DCEU movie.
4) JSA: Black Reign
A story that highlights Adam's anti-hero nature, Black Reign sees him take charge of a team comprising former Justice Society of America members and other anti-heroes. The team boasts members like Atom Smasher and Hawkman. Geoff Johns wrote Black Reign and showed fans how Adam handles dictators that try to invade his home, Khandaq.
Adam formed his team, Black Reign, and quickly took back Khandaq from a military dictator named Asim Muhunnad. Shortly after, Dark Reign squared off against the JSA for control of Khandaq. This story was recently re-released in trade paperback by DC. So, now is the time to dive in.
5) Black Adam (2022)
This is the newest addition to the Black Adam series. When Teth-Adam is infected with a plague that eats away at his immortality, he has to choose a successor. Already revealed to die in Black Adam #3 after succumbing to the virus, Adam's descendant Malik steps up to fill his shoes. When Malik receives his magical birthright, he becomes Bolt.
Written by Christopher Priest and illustrated by Rafa Sandoval, the 12-issue miniseries may be a vital read for fans. It can introduce a character who may just be present in the upcoming Dwayne Johnson movie, or it may just showcase how devious the Khandaq ruler can be.
Simply put, nobody ever stays dead in comics and Adam may be using his descendant as a vessel to hold his powers until he returns to the land of the living. Issue #1 is on sale now.
6) 52
Right off the heels of Infinite Crisis, DC released a weekly series for the span of a year that showed the DCU in its aftermath. Fans got to see what the DCU was like for a year without the trinity (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman). Written by leading comic book writers in the industry like Grant Morrison, Paul Rucka, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, and more, it had one story featuring Black Adam.
Quite importantly, it introduced Adam to the love of his life, Isis. Black Adam planned an elaborate attack against the United States in order to protect his country of Khandaq. However, Isis showed him a peaceful path that better aided his people. Unfortunately, Adam would eventually get his war in the WWIII miniseries.
7) The Power of Shazam!
Some might recommend reading the very first comic with Billy Batson which stars Adam. However, it's better to check out the 1994 graphic novel The Power of Shazam as it's a retelling of Billy's origin as Captain Marvel and examines Adam and his motives further.
Billy Batson's parents are archaeologists conducting a dig in Egypt alongside their business partner Theo Adam. After uncovering the treasure they were after, Theo murders the two of them, leaving Billy and his sister orphaned. The treasure unleases the essence of Teth-Adam.
The comic has a more streamlined origin and it is worth reading before the Dwayne Johnson movie debuts.
8) World War III
Following Adam's storyline in 52, Keith Champagne tied up loose ends in this four-issue miniseries. After the death of Adam's family, the anti-hero goes on a rampage across the DCU that can only be stopped by superheroes joining together. This truly shows the might and power of Black Adam, and the comic shouldn't be missed if you want to see an all-powerful villain off their leash.
9) Infinite Crisis: Villains United
Written by Gail Simone written and illustrated by Dale Eaglesham, Villains United leads up to the events of Infinite Crisis. This six-issue miniseries shows a new iteration of the Secret Six consisting of Lex Luthor, Talia al Ghul, Slade Wilson, Noah Kuttler, and Black Adam. Villains United is one of the first times Adam operates alongside other supervillains since he typically works alone.
This is a great story, as most that are penned by Gail Simone are, and really shows how Adam is usually out for himself even on a team. Not only is this story important to read for fans of the anti-villain, but it also leads up to DC Comics' Infinite Crisis.
10) Black Adam and Isis
Some of the best Justice Society of America stories were written by Geoff Johns, and this story, Black Adam and Isis, marks the end of his tenure with the world's first superhero team.
Told in Justice Society of America #23-28, Adam creates his own "Marvel Family" by stealing power from the Rock of Eternity. This prompts the first superhero team to confront their classic foe and end his chaos.
Black Adam #1 by Christopher Priest and Rafa Sandoval is in your local comic book store now. Grab one of the seven variant covers (or all) for yourself before the movie debuts.
