The power of Shazam

Freddy Freeman was fishing trip with his grandfather like he always did, however when he was doing it him and his grandfather were both attacked by the villain known as Captain Nazi that was having a fight with Captain Marvel and his sidekick and sister, Mary Marvel. Although Freddy was able to survive his grandfather didn't have the same luck and was murdered by a blow from Captain Nazi, at the same time Freddy was crippled by the same blow.

Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel has a reunion with the Wizard known as Shazam and asked him to restore the body of Freddy. The Wizard Shazam accepted and told Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel to share their powers with him. Captain Marvel shared a part of his power with Freddy, something that enabled him to become the hero known as Captain Marvel Jr, the only thing he needed was to say out loud "Captain Marvel".

Captain Marvel Jr. started to have adventures with the rest of the Marvel family in the place known as Fawcett City. The time passed and Freddy kept protecting his city and also the world with the help of his partners, Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Shazam.

CM3

Freddy decided to leave the codename of Captain Marvel Jr and become the hero known as "CM3". The change of name was because if he started to say his codename the magic lightning would strike him, take his powers away and leave him powerless against the enemies.

Teen Titans

Some time later another team of titans was created, however just like the originals this were all teens. The group was formed by a group of heroes that had something in common, an alien race named the Veil planted seeds inside of them giving them their powers, along them there was a de-aged atom because of the events of Zero Hour: crisis in time.

However because of this team's lack of popularity, in great part because they used new characters. DC decided to take care of that making a contest of who should be the new teen titan. The contest was originally won by Robin (Tim Drake) however the Batman writer thought that Tim shouldn't be in the titans so they requested that he wouldn't be included in the teen titans roster. After that Captain Marvel Jr. (Had changed back to his previous supername)

The first appearance of CM3 was when he helped the teen titans to save Supergirl and the half-alien being known as Fringe. The two of them were captured by the veil that wanted to wipe out everyone in the world with their alien blood.

After that the titan member Argent started a membership drive in an attempt to make the teen titans an stable team that wouldn't dissolve after the death of Joto (Hotspot later). A group of young heroes appeared for the audition in an attempt to join the teen titans, among them was Captain Marvel Jr who wanted to join the team because of their previous encounter.

The Veil found out about this and started an attack to the teen titans and the rest of the young heroes, a fight started and Captain Marvel Jr. proved what he could do, impressing everyone there after such great display of power and abilities. After that Captain Marvel Jr. and Fringe were offered membership by the Teen Titans.

Some time later it was revealed that Joto (hotspot) had survived and was alive, after finding this out the teen titans went on a mission to rescue him. After that the team broke up and everyone went in separate ways.

Some time later Captain Marvel Jr. would be captured along anyone else who had ever been a teen titan. After he was freed he helped everyone who had been a titan against the JLA and their allies in order to save Cyberion (Cyborg). In the fight he helped Wildebeest to fight Superman and tackled him, when the fight was over he apologised to Superman under Captain Marvel's request.

After that the five founding titans (Nightwing, Flash, Donna Troy, Arsenal and Tempest) decided to form a new titans group. Each one of them nominated another candidate for membership, Captain Marvel Jr. wasn't offered membership tough.

Some time later, Beast Boy decided to revive Teen Titans West under the new name of Titans L.A., along with Bushido, Matt Logan, Bumblebee, Flamebird, Beast Boy, Hero Cruz, Terra and Herald, Captain Marvel Jr. was a member, however the team didn't last.

Outsiders

Captain Marvel Jr. helped the outsiders to defeat the new Sabaac, he was offered membership but he declined.

However when the hero known as Indigo revealed that she was Brainiac 8.0 and she betrayed the team almost destroying the team with her death and Nightwing's leaving. Jade offered Captain Marvel Jr. again membership, this time he accepted however he was a very short member, after the events of Infinite Crisis he left the team because he thought it was too dark.

During Infinite Crisis, the Spectre murdered the Wizard Shazam and the power of Shazam went into flux causing Freddie Freeman and Mary Batson to lose their powers.

52

Captain Marvel Jr. makes several appearances in the weekly series named 52, some of them in the Black Adam storyline and later as a member of the teen titans. He helped Osiris to join the team, however he made him leave after it was shown on worldwide television that Osiris killed a man.

Trials of Shazam

When the wizard Shazam fell at the hands of the Spectre and the Rock of Eternity was destroyed, events were set in motion that would change the landscape of magic for good. When the wizard died Freddy’s powers were lost. The magic drew back upon itself to heal. In the time that elapsed, the Rock was rebuilt and Captain Marvel (Billy) took the Wizards place as keeper of the power, and protector of Magic. He intends to have Freddy take his place as his champion.

When we see Freddy again a year has passed. He has recently dropped out of College, and is dealing with the loss of his powers while keeping vigil for Mary. When she lost her powers, she was 3 miles above water. As he sits by her hospital bed he reflects on the last year dealing with his lost powers, and being unable to find Billy. Stating the name of the wizard Shazam, he is struck by a bolt of lightning and taken to the Rock of Eternity.

It is there that he meets Marvel, his old mentor, and keeper of the Power. Marvel explains what happened with his powers, and that an Acolyte is needed once more. Freddy, being next in the line of succession, is offered the chance to earn the power by performing Trials for the Lords of Magic.

He will no longer be Captain Marvel Junior; he will be the Champion of the power, Shazam, though he is notified that if he fails it will fall to another magical line, The Council of Merlin. Once Freddy has accepted he then heads to meet his guide on this journey, Zareb Babak.

It is Zareb who explains to Freddy the difference between the Lords of Magic, and the Gods of Olympus. His lesson is interrupted by the sudden assault of an Audiom Warbeast. After saving Zareb from the Warbeast he is granted a portion of the power, enough to fix his impairment and heads to begin his trials. Zareb takes Freddy to get covered, explaining that he needs the protection. It is done by a tattoo artist; Rachel Zallman, during the course of his covering he is grilled about his relationship with Billy. In the end Freddy must admit the truth, that he does resent Billy for the hand he played in making him a cripple and his grandfather’s death, but Billy made him a hero and he will always be grateful for that. It is only after the ordeal is finished, and they have left, does Zareb reveal that his first trial is complete. He has earned wisdom from the Lord of Magic, Solomon.

Freddy’s second trial is given by Achilles to earn him courage. He ends up tasked to help him keep a Hate Empath from entering our realm in the Middle East. It’s during this trial that the Council of Merlin’s representative, Sabina, makes herself known. She uses her Minions to keep them busy long enough to allow the demon to emerge. While Freddy held of the minions until they could be banished, Achilles rushed to face the Empath. Sabina manages to kill Achilles just as Freddy banishes her army. To finish the Empath off, Freddy is forced to revert to his mortal form and allow it eat him, before calling down the lightning to destroy it from within. That act of courage passes him through the trial, and earns him Achilles’ gift, the power of near-invulnerability. He also learns that the rules have truly changed, he does not have to speak the word to call the power, it is his to call at will. When he asks about the fate of Achilles, he is informed that old soldiers never die.

Freddy moves on to his next trial from the God of Strength, Hercules. He finds this newest lord of Magic in jail, having been tricked into causing the deaths of mortals. Hercules tasks him with the Trial of releasing him, but while he argues with Zareb about its possibility, Sabina breaks into jail and steals the power. Luckily the rules prevent her from getting all of it. Hercules summons the rest in the form of trail, and Freddy goes after Sabina. Using the fact he has greater power, having passed 2 trials, he manages to put Sabina on the back foot and she retreats.

His 3’rd trial somewhat of a failure, he only has half of the power, he heads to his 4th. This trial is to be given by the God of Stamina, Atlas. Yet when they arrive, they find that Sabina has already killed Atlas, and presumably stolen his power. Freddy must take his position holding up the world, and nearly cracks under the pressure. When he is relieved by Marvel he asks how many months has he been holding the world, and is informed its been merely 3 minutes. Marvel takes over holding the world, informing them he has 24 hours he can be away from the Rock of Eternity, and to find the next god in line.

That God is Apollo, currently living as a man. Apollo has no desire to take Atlas’ place, and for his trial forces Freddy into combat with him. In the end, Apollo realizes that he must take Atlas’ place, asking only that his family be cared for. As he readies to give Freddy his power, healing; which will heal the wounds he receives that Ares gift cannot prevent, he learns another bit of news. When Zareb and Freddy inform him that his family has been erased, he tasks Freddy with finding a replacement, gifting half of his power to Sabina until he does. This evens the playing field, and leaves both Sabina and Freddy racing to find the 6th god Mercury.

Sabina slaughters her way through the defenses Mercury has set up, Freddy and Zareb following. Mercury finally decides to show himself, fleeing from both and forcing them to try and find him. Freddy gathers heroes from the magical community, including Shadowpact and Zatanna to name a few, to help him though he and Marvel agree they won’t succeed in finding him. In the end Sabina manages to trick Mercury using his children, and manages to steal his powers as well. This leaves only the final and most powerful Lord of Magic, Zeus. It is revealed that the real reason that Freddy gathered those heroes was for what came next. Sabina could never overpower Zeus, nor coerce him into granting her the power, so she will attempt to force him using old magic. To do this she needs to sacrifice 1 Million souls, and he has gathered these other heroes to help him stop her.

He also reaches out to the Justice League for help as well. When Sabina arrives, with an army of demons granted by her ancestor Merlin, the forces of good Magic are there to oppose her. During the battle Freddy enacts the final part of his plan, allowing Sabina to force him back, so he can position her through the portal. It is revealed that Freddy knows 2 magical beings of such power going through will destroy it, and force the demons back home. There is also another outcome, he and Sabina will die, and the powers of Shazam will be lost. Freddy is willing to make the sacrifice, it is this willingness that causes him to pass the trials, and summons the final Lord of Magic. It is then that Zareb is revealed to be an avatar of Zeus, and grants Freddy the full powers of Shazam. Sabina is forced through the portal killing her instantly; therefore the demons are banished, leaving good magic the victor for the day. In the end, Freddy is poised to take up the mantle of Magical Guardian of Earth, as the new Shazam.

Powers

Super strength, super-stamina, superior wisdom, regeneration, near-invulnerability, super-speed and flight. Freddy transforms into Shazam by speaking the word, or simply willing the change to happen.

Freddy retains the entirety of the power of SHAZAM. Wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the courage of Achilles, the power of Zeus, the healing of Apollo, and the speed of Mercury.