Shazam vs. Black Adam: Who Would Win?
With the release of the critically acclaimed film Black Adam, we learned that there was about to be a significant change in the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe, at least according to Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson. Both Black Adam and Shazam are two of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, and they both got their powers after being blessed by the council of wizards. While their powers are mostly similar with no apparent limits, one would wonder who would win in a fight between these two rivals.
Black Adam is stronger than Shazam and would win in a fight against him. Black Adam is stronger, more powerful, more durable, wiser, and a better combatant than Shazam. Black Adam also has much better control over his powers and a lot more experience in combat than Shazam. He would also never hold back in a fight which allows him to access far more powers and makes him significantly more lethal than Shazam can hope to be.
This article will investigate who between Shazam and Black Adam is the more powerful one and likely to win in a fight by comparing their powers and abilities. So, if this sounds like something you’d be interested in finding out, make sure to read on till the end. This will certainly be an insightful read!
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to reflect the current state of the DC Comics universe and to bring you the latest information regarding the power levels of both characters in question.
Strength
Shazam gets his immense god-like strength from the demigod Hercules who is widely known for his numerous feats of strength. By invoking Hercules’s power, Shazam can lift over 100 tons. At one point in time, he could also juggle planets, but his powers were reduced, and nowadays, he could still probably juggle meteors.
Shazam’s incredible strength has seen him perform some extraordinary feats of strength, including knocking out Superman with one blow, stalemating Superman in an arm wrestle, and overpowering Wonder Woman. This means Shazam is one of the strongest beings in the DC Universe since he’s able to keep up with these powerhouses.
By comparison, Black Adam gets his otherworldly strength from Amon, one of the most powerful of all Egyptian gods. This allows him to lift close to 100,000 tons without much effort. It’s believed his flesh and bone are about thrice as dense as a normal human’s, which also contributes to his god-like strength.
Black Adam is famously referred to as the strongest super-powered being on Earth. Black Adam has performed some extreme feats to back up this claim. These include defeating the entire Shazam family, battling the entire Justice Society of America, and keeping up with the supremely strong Superman.
At first glance, one would say neither Shazam nor Black Adam is stronger. However, I’m inclined to believe that Black Adam is stronger because he gets his superhuman strength from one of the most powerful Egyptian gods, while Shazam gets his from a demigod. For this reason, Black Adam is the victor in this round.
Point: Shazam (0:1) Black Adam
Speed
Shazam boasts superhuman speed that was granted to him by the Roman god of speed, Mercury. What makes Shazam’s speed all the more exciting is the fact that he can also channel Zeus’ powers to bolster his speed.
While most of us know Shazam is fast enough to keep up with the likes of Superman in a fight, he can also run and fly at speeds greater than the speed of light. This makes him one of the fastest DC characters of all time.
Black Adam can also hold his own when it comes to speed. He got this speed from the Egyptian god Horus, who also blessed him with the ability to fly. Black Adam can channel Horus’ speed to fly and move at speeds exceeding Mach 10, while in space, he’s been documented as flying faster than the speed of light.
Black Adam isn’t nearly as fast as the Flash, but during a race, he was shown to be moving at speeds exceeding Mach 500 while the Scarlet Speedster was siphoning his speed.
Shazam wins this round because, in theory, he can combine the power of Zeus and Mercury to achieve hyper-speed, which would make him faster than the Flash and, by extension, Black Adam.
Point: Shazam (1:1) Black Adam
Combat
The Courage of Achilles grants Shazam his indomitable will and bravery, making him an incredibly formidable opponent. However, there’s another interesting aspect of this power. It also grants him impressive combat skills allowing him to go toe-to-toe with some of DC’s best fighters, including Wonder Woman and Superman.
These fighting skills have come in handy on several occasions when he’s fighting villains who can match his strength and, therefore, needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat to defeat them.
Black Adam is a master hand-to-hand combatant and an extremely skilled fighter. Even without his superhuman abilities, Black Adam has displayed immense prowess in the art of combat since he’s a master of the martial arts form called Dhiritishastra.
This was evident when Batman tried to depose him from the throne of Khandaq. To make the fight fair, Black Adam transformed into his human form of Teth Adam and challenged the Caped Crusader to combat. We all know how much of an accomplished combatant Batman is, but he was shocked when Teth Adam fought him to a standstill. Eventually, Batman remarks that Adam is as good a fighter as he is.
Black Adam is the winner in this round. He’s a better combatant than Shazam, and additionally, he has vastly more experience than young Billy Batson.
Point: Shazam (1:2) Black Adam
Invulnerability
Shazam is one of the most indestructible forces in the entire DC Universe, thanks to the Courage of Achilles, which grants him superhuman invulnerability. Conventional weapons do not affect Shazam; only the universe’s most powerful beings can topple him. He’s so invulnerable to physical damage that he was able to tank hits from an enraged Superman, which is no mean feat.
Black Adam is also quite invulnerable, thanks to the Courage of Mehen. Conventional weapons like guns and missiles do not affect whatsoever on him. Only an injury that is so great it dispersed most of his bodily molecules would be enough to cause Black Adam’s physical death.
Arguably, both Shazam and Black Adam are equally as invulnerable as each other. However, in my opinion, the differing source of their powers of invulnerability would make one of them more invulnerable to physical damage.
Shazam gets his power of invulnerability from the demigod Achilles while Black Adam gets him from Mehen, a deity. So, it only makes sense that Black Adam is a bit more invulnerable than Shazam.
Point: Shazam (1:3) Black Adam
Wisdom
Thanks to the Wisdom of Solomon, Shazam is one of the most intellectually-empowered beings in the DC Universe. Solomon was a biblical king known best for his immense wisdom. Thanks to the blessing of Solomon, Shazam has instant access to an incredible pool of knowledge. It also grants him clairvoyance, perfect memory, divine grace, and a great understanding of war tactics.
By comparison, Black Adam possesses the Wisdom of Zehuti. Zehuti is the Egyptian god of wisdom and intelligence. Thanks to Zehuti’s blessing, Black Adam has access to vast knowledge. It also grants him hypnosis and clairvoyance, allowing him to turn disadvantages into advantages.
While this round might seem like a draw, I think Black Adam has the edge. For starters, Black Adam gets his wisdom from an actual god of wisdom, while Shazam gets his from Solomon, a normal man blessed with wisdom. Additionally, Shazam is just a child (Billy Batson) and is bound to think and act like a kid.
Point: Shazam (1:4) Black Adam
Shazam vs. Black Adam: Who Wins?
For the most part, Shazam and Black Adam have similar powers since they were blessed with these superhuman abilities by the council of wizards. However, in a fight, Black Adam would be the likely victor. Don’t get me wrong. The fight would be close. Still, Black Adam would win on account of being arguably stronger, more invulnerable to physical harm, wiser, and a better combatant with more experience.
Who do you think would win in this fight? Let us know in the comments!
