'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After almost a decade of developmental hell, DCEU has finally managed to bring DC's beloved character Black Adam to the big screen, with actor Dwyane Johnson playing the titular role in the live-action film.
While the DC character's origins have changed for the DCEU movie, his allegiance remains a mystery to most fans. Many questioned whether Black Adam was a good or bad guy on a quest to seek vengeance. Let's discuss whether Adam can be called a superhero, a supervillain, or an antihero.
Comic origins of Black Adam explored
Created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck, Black Adam was first introduced in DC's The Marvel Family #1 in December 1945. He is an ancient Egyptian whose real name is Teth-Adam. He was chosen by the wizard Shazam to be his champion and free the city of Kahndaq from foreign rule and oppression.
Trending
After gaining the wizard's power, Black Adam defeated the oppressive regime, only to succumb to the power given to him and get corrupted. As he proved ruthless and not the kindhearted hero that Shazam wished him to be, the wizard wanted to strip Teth-Adam of his power.
However, unable to strip Adam of power, Shazam cast him to the farthest star. Afterward, Teth-Adam traveled for 5000 years to come back and defeat the wizard once and for all. In the meantime, Shazam chose Billy Baston as his new champion.
Is Black Adam a good guy?
The origin of this DC character is pretty dark, often portraying Adam as more of a supervillain than an anti-hero. However, over the years, there have been many iterations of his origin story.
From killing his nephew and seizing his powers for himself to getting the wizard's powers from his son, DC has taken the liberty to alter Adam's origin story with minute details. While the comics have majorly portrayed him as more of a supervillain and sometimes as an anti-hero, there have been instances in the comics where Adam is portrayed as doing a good deed.
In the recent DCEU movie, the character is shown as a pure anti-hero. From saving his fellow Kahndaqis to fighting the Justice Society, Adam went on to fight alongside other DC superheroes to defeat Sabbac.
Does this act prove him to be a superhero? Well, not really. Since the character never fully accepts the Justice Society and is still against them.
Is Black Adam a bad guy?
From the character's origins to his motives in the DC comics, the ancient Egyptian has been a bad guy throughout. While the character might not be evil in nature, he is violent, and his stories work best as a villain in the DC universe.
Given his dark origins and violent nature, the character did join Justice League at some point in the comics. Furthermore, over the last decade, Adam has been portrayed as an anti-hero with a sense of justice. He often worked with other DC superheroes, helping them save lives, which goes against his origins of being a strict villain.
Final thoughts on whether Black Adam is a villain or a hero
The answer to this question is surely a complicated one. While we've seen Adam do both good and bad, recent developments in the comics are making him an anti-hero.
Furthermore, with DCEU altering the ancient Egyptian's dark origins, the creators want to portray this character as more of an anti-hero rather than a pure villain.
