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Shazam! Vol 1 26

"The Case of the Kidnapped Congress": Billy Batson is excited fresh off an inter-dimensional adventure with both the Justice League and the Justice Society, then finds a huge traffic jam, calling SHAZAM to look into it as Captain Marvel. When he flies ahead, he soon finds that Dr. Sivana has

There's the Capitol, all right! Sivana didn't move it an inch from its site -- but he brought it back 100 million years in time! Oh-Oh -- I didn't come a moment too soon! That Tyrannosaurus looks mighty hungry!
— Captain Marvel, having time-traveled after hearing a Shakespeare quote.

Shazam! #26 is an issue of the series Shazam! (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1976. It was published on August 9, 1976.

Synopsis for "The Case of the Kidnapped Congress"

Billy Batson is excited fresh off an inter-dimensional adventure with both the Justice League and the Justice Society, then finds a huge traffic jam, calling SHAZAM to look into it as Captain Marvel. When he flies ahead, he soon finds that Dr. Sivana has not only stolen the Brooklyn Bridge… he’s also left a huge sign where it was to taunt that he’s going to do similarly horrible crimes in Washington, DC! He soon heads to the Rock of Eternity to find Mary Batson, Freddy Freeman and even Uncle Dudley with a new mustache are assembled there. He lights the magic brazier and the Wizard Shazam appears and says that Dr. Sivana plans on destroying America city-by-city on a national tour and Billy (and, by extension, Captain Marvel) will need to stop him! Billy points out he does have a job, but Uncle Dudley says that he’s discussed things with Mr. Morris, who has lent them a TV van to film a series of specials about young people across America. What’s more, he’ll be driving them around. Shazam compares him to being Billy’s “Mentor,” like the famed teacher of King Odysseus. Further, he instructs Mary and Freddy to help carry the load around New York City until he returns, then shows him that he can use a red disc-shaped machine, the Eterni-Phone, to contact the Shazam Elders or himself when needed. The seven of them disappear and Billy notes that Dr. Sivana rather fits almost all of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man (except for Laziness.) The kids call SHAZAM and CAPTAIN MARVEL to become the Marvel Family and Captain Marvel soon flies off with Uncle Dudley to get to Station WHIZ. Mr. Morris tells Billy when he’s there that Miss Jameson and Whitey will help take care of his things and Billy and Dudley soon leave, waved off by their best friends in town

They soon arrive the next morning in the nation’s capitol and drive past the White House, the Capitol Building, and soon meet up with Chet Porter, a local reporter, and his son Rod, a Senate page. Chet heads in to cover a rather boring debate on a tax bill and Rod says he’s heard neither hide nor hair of the World’s Maddest Scientist. Billy points out he stole the entire Brooklyn Bridge, but when they turn around… the Capitol Building is gone entirely! Billy quickly calls SHAZAM and flies off to find the grounds are undisturbed and steps on top of the Washington Monument to get a good bearing. Captain Marvel tries to express this to the locals, but they are more than happy to hear that Congress is gone and further hope that Vice President Rockefeller was with them too. Dr. Sivana soon hijacks the airwaves, demanding that they make him Rightful Ruler of the Universe and turn all governmental authority to him or he’ll kill every member of Congress and implies he’s got $100,000,000 and that Captain Marvel has no idea how to stop him. Captain Marvel flies back to the van with Uncle Dudley and returns to being Billy to get advice from Hercules, Roman God of Strength. He asks how Sivana could’ve moved the whole Capitol Building, but Hercules merely quotes Shakespeare’s “Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides.” He calls SHAZAM to become Captain Marvel once more and figures out that Sivana has taken the Capitol Building 100,000,000 years into the past! He hangs off the Rock of Eternity to get to the prehistoric past, finding the Brooklyn Bridge nearby and replaces it over the East River. When he goes back, he quickly finds the Capitol Building and punches away a large green T-Rex deciding to eat members of Congress. Captain Marvel soon finds Chet and other Congressmen, but notes he can’t exactly fly them at ultra-light speed to get them home, so he instead returns to being Billy to sneak in to a basement window. However, when he does, he’s immediately caught by Yorgull, a caveman in the “employ” of Dr. Sivana, who grabs him by the mouth. Billy bites him hard on the finger and he calls SHAZAM to punch out Yorgull as Captain Marvel, then threatens Dr. Sivana to return the Capitol Building to 1976. Dr. Sivana angrily does so, but once they’re back in the modern age, he teleports himself away, saying he’s heading to Philadelphia next! Chet and Rod are reunited and Uncle Dudley is alack that they didn’t get any pictures from the prehistoric era… only to find that Rod sure did on a portable, battery-powered camera!

Appearing in "The Case of the Kidnapped Congress"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicle

  • Uncle Dudley's TV Van

Notes

Trivia

  • Beginning with this issue, Dudley wears a mustache in order to look like Mentor, character of the Shazam! TV Series; other elements were also incorporated due to the influence of the TV series, such as the van, the Eterni-phone and the fact that he and Billy are traveling.
  • When Capt. Marvel announces that the Capitol vanished when Congress was in session, American passersby were extremely happy with the situation, even hoping that Vice President Rockefeller was presiding!
  • When Capt. Marvel and Sivana were in the 100 millions years ago, the scientist explains that picked up Yorgull from a much later time period. As the caveman specie is not mentioned, we can assume that he is a Neanderthal, whose race has been extinct between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. The dinosaurs were extinct 65 millions years ago.
  • Hercule's quote from Shakespeare is from King Lear, Act 1, Scene 1.


See Also


Links and References