However, Black Adam was revived as a recurring character after DC Comics first licensed and then acquired the Fawcett characters and began publishing Shazam (formerly Captain Marvel) Family stories under the title Shazam! in the 1970s. As originally depicted, Black Adam was a corrupted, ancient Egyptian predecessor of Captain Marvel, who fought his way to modern times to challenge the hero and his Marvel Family associates. Since the turn of the 21st century, however, Black Adam has been re-defined by DC Comics writers Jerry Ordway, Geoff Johns, and David S. Goyer as a corrupted antihero attempting to clear his name and reputation.

Black Adam V Superman: Dawn of Justice 2 Superman is seen as being synonymous with the highest level of power in the DC Universe; the list of characters able to defeat him in 1-v-1 combat is incredibly short. Nonetheless, two figures that often occupy that list are Black Adam, and his heroic nemesis Shazam.This is because of their relatively similar power sets to Superman, but also due to the fact that their powers are based in magic – a commonly cited weakness of Superman. Certainly, especially considering his aggressive, relentless nature, Black Adam is among the top challengers for the title of Superman’s most worthy opponent. However, if the off-hand remarks by Batman and Green Arrow in Justice League #73 are to be taken at face value, even DC’s heroes consider Superman to be unequivocally more powerful. In the issue, Black Adam has been possessed by an ancient Lord of Chaos named Xanadoth, who uses his body to wreak havoc upon the Justice League. This leads to a joint meeting between the main Justice League and their magic-based counterparts in the Justice League Dark, as they try to figure out how to counter this new threat.

Featured roles in such comic book series as Justice Society of America (JSA), Villains United, Infinite Crisis, and 52 have elevated the character’s prominence in the DC Universe. In 2009, Black Adam was ranked as IGN’s 16th-greatest comic book villain of all time. The character will make his cinematic debut in 2022’s Black Adam portrayed by Dwayne Johnson set in the DC Extended Universe.