Black Adam, a spin-off of Shazam!, will be hitting theaters on October 21, 2022. In fact, Black Adam is the closest upcoming DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film, and the first to release since The Suicide Squad in 2021. Dwayne Johnson will star as the main anti-hero, Teth-Adam (a.k.a. Black Adam). Johnson has actually been attached to the character of Black Adam since 2014 when development of Shazam! first began. He was initially supposed to debut Black Adam in Shazam! alongside Zachary Levi’s Shazam.
However, the studio became concerned about having a hero and anti-hero in the same film. They also worried about cramming two big characters and, likewise, two big stars—Levi and Johnson—into the same movies, as well. Hence, they decided to make two separate films to allow for the proper development of each character. Despite having separate origin story films, the two are bound to meet onscreen in the future.
In the film, Black Adam is freed after spending 5,000 years in prison and is ready to utilize his powers in the name of justice. While Black Adam has a history of going back and forth between a villain and anti-hero, he is always the archnemesis of Shazam and the entire Shazam family. In order to understand what his entrance into the DCEU means, we’ll have to understand the extent of his powers and weaknesses.
What are Black Adam’s powers?
Black Adam makes the perfect arch-nemesis of Shazam because they both got their powers from the same source. As an ancient Egyptian, Teth-Adam was chosen by the wizard Shazam to be his successor. Every time he says “Shazam” he transforms into Mighty Adam and boasts similar powers to Shazam. The main difference is that Shazam was blessed with the power of six mostly Greek gods, while Black Adam was blessed with the power of the six Egyptian gods listed below.
Shu
The power Black Adam garners from Shu is what makes him immortal. He boasts never-ending stamina and an extremely high-level of durability. He can survive without eating, sleeping, or breathing, and boasts superhuman excellence in all physical activities.
Horus
From the god Horus, Black Adam draws extreme swiftness. Black Adam can travel at superhuman speeds on both Earth and in space, whether running or flying. On Earth, he can travel as fast as Mach 500, essentially meaning he can run 500x faster than the speed of sound.
Amon
Black Adam draws his superhuman strength from the god Amon. He can bend steel with his bare hands, lift up to 100,000 tons, and produce shockwaves by just clapping his hands. His strength is at least on par with that of Superman and Shazam, but may even actually exceed it.
Zehuti
Black Adam also boasts the wisdom of Zehuti which gives a level of superhuman intellect. Black Adam has access to a huge expanse of facts and knowledge, can speak or understand nearly every language, and receives guidance and advice from Zehuti.
Aten
It is Aten’s power that fuels the magic lightning bolt that Adam utilizes to transform. Additionally, it also further enhances his superhuman powers to God-like levels. Black Adam can also use his lightning bolt as a weapon or for interdimensional travel or time travel. It also provides resistance to the vast majority of magic spells.
Mehen
Black Adam also has the courage of the Mehen, which gives him great strength of mind. This gives him inner strength, perseverance, willpower, and extreme self-discipline. He virtually does not feel fear and, as a result, never backs down from a challenge. Essentially, if his physical power ever waned, he has inner strength to draw from that could keep him going.
Greek or Egyptian?
Black Adam initially started out deriving his power from the Egyptian gods. However, some comic book versions have him drawing from the Greek deities, same as Shazam. In those versions, his powers are identical to Shazam’s and they draw power from the same six deities. Despite switching between these power sources, it seems the film will be sticking to his original storyline and utilizing the Egyptian pantheon.
What are Black Adam’s weaknesses?
Black Adam’s phenomenal powers make him one of the fiercest forces in the DC universe. He truly has it all—immortality, strength, speed, intellect, trans-dimensional travel, and courage. Essentially, he has a similar level of power as Superman, but has less restraint, making him extremely dangerous. Despite this high level of power, though, Black Adam does still have weaknesses.
Black Adam’s primary weaknesses are magic, thunderbolts, and his alter-ego. As said above, Black Adam’s thunderbolt makes him immune to some magic, but not all of it. Black Adam could potentially be taken out by the most powerful of magic. Additionally, though lightning is synonymous with his identity and can be used to his advantage, it can also be used against him. Lightning attacks can weaken or hurt Black Adam, which is why Shazam proves a formidable foe.
Lastly, Black Adam’s biggest weakness is probably Theth-Adam. When he is not transformed into Black Adam, Theth-Adam is a simple mortal with no superhuman abilities. If he is somehow prevented from transforming or caught by surprise, he could be easily taken out in his mortal alter-ego form.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
