Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 ahead!
Summary
Amanda Waller’s takeover of theDC Universeis in full swing, taking her agents all the way to theShazamFamily and their magical hideout, the Rock of Eternity. While the Rock is normally a labyrinthine maze, a glimpse at its contents when organized reveals a trove of artifacts to rival the Batcave’s legendary collection — but containing even more power.
Absolute Power: Task Force VII#1 by Leah Williams and Caitlin Yarsky reveals that Billy and Mary havefled to the Rock of Eternityin the face of Amanda Waller’s assault on the superhero community in the massive, line-wideAbsolute Powerevent. When they arrive, it turns out their bureaucracy-loving dinosaur (yes, really)has organized the Rock’s “Chamber of Souvenirs” into a collection resembling the Batcave’s trophy room.
When Billy and Mary explain that they’ve come in search of magical weaponry,Mr. Dinosaur knows just where the heavy artillery is housed— but they are unfortunately interrupted by the arrival of Last Son, Waller’s Superman-esque Amazo robot. Despite Mary and Billy’s defeat at Last Son’s hands, Mr. Dinosaur’s offer of a specific weapon for this occasion does suggest that the Shazam Family possesses a magical weapon powerful enough to stop the events ofAbsolute Powerin their tracks.
TheTask Force VIIminiseries is connected to the events of the main event series,Absolute Power,by Mark Waid and Dan More.Absolute Power#1 is available now from DC Comics.
Shazam’s Updated Magic Leads Him to a Movie Homage So Perfect, You’ll Miss the DCEU
Shazam’s no stranger to deep, dark tunnels, from the comics to screen, and in a new story, Billy Batson finds himself in a subway - again.
The Champion of Shazam Now Has His Own Batcave
And Its Secrets Rival Batman’s
There are few locations more famous in the DCU than the Batcave, and specifically its extensive and jaw-dropping trophy room, containing memorabiliafrom all of Batman’s adventures. Items such as the Giant Penny and T. Rex statue have since become DC icons in their own right, and the vast collection of tools present for Batman to draw upon only adds to his reputation for being overly prepared for anything.Batman has a habit of hanging onto the weapons and gadgetry of his enemies as well, meaningthe Batcave is also one of DC’s greatest armories.
The Shazam Family is definitely sitting on a stack of magic strong enough to make or break the DC Universe— somewhere in the Rock of Eternity’s deep, dark depths.
However,the Batcave has nothing on the sheer destructive power housed within the Rock of Eternity. As the nexus of all magic in the DCU, the Rock has access to the greatest magical arsenal across all time and space; for example,the Heart of Eternium, a stone that can grant any wish the bearer desires, is just one of the many treasures hidden within the Rock. It’s bad enough that the Joker nearly used the Heart to drown the universe in madness inBatman/Superman: World’s Finest#25 by Mark Waid and Steve Pugh - but now it and the rest of the Rock’s secrets have been cataloged for easy access.
Shazam’s Rock of Eternity Is Better Off as a Secret
But Could Shazam Have Saved the DCU?
Alas, Mr. Dinosaur’s careful cataloging is trashed in the fight with Last Son — although that’s probably a good thing. With Black Adam, Billy, and Mary captured at the end ofAbsolute Power: Task Force VII#1, there would have been no one left to prevent Waller from plundering the Rock’s many secrets if the collection had stayed intact. TheShazamFamily is definitely sitting on a stack of magic strong enough to make or break theDC Universe—somewhere in the Rock of Eternity’s deep, dark depths.
Shazam
Originally known as Captain Marvel, the magical champion Shazam is a DC Comics superhero who gains his powers from various mythological figures: Solomon’s wisdom, Hercules' strength, Atlas' stamina, Zeus' power, Achilles' courage, and Mercury’s speed. When child Billy Batson utters the phrase “Shazam,” he transforms into an adult superhero with these combined abilities. Shazam fights villains alongside the Marvel Family, embodying the ideals of heroism, justice, and magic in the DC Universe.
