Hill Billy Marvel

HILL BILLY MARVEL

Real Name: Billy Batson

Class: Human magic-user

Occupation: Superhero, country western singer

Group Affiliation: Marvel Family

Known Relatives: Zebediah Batson (father)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Nashville, Tennessee, Earth-S

First Appearance: Whiz Comics (Fawcett) #21 (September, 1941)

Powers: When Billy Batson spoke the name of the wizard Shazam he was transformed by a bolt of magic lightning into Hill Billy Marvel. As Hill Billy Marvel he possessed the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury. Saying Shazam again turned him back into Billy Batson.

History: (Whiz Comics (Fawcett) #21) - The wizard Shazam chose Billy Batson as his champion, and by saying the wizard's name Billy transformed into Captain Marvel. Billy worked at radio station WHIZ when he met three other young men named Billy Batson, who went by the nicknames Fat Batson, Hill Billy Batson and Tall Batson. They were members of the Billy Batson Fan Club, and were eager to meet their famous namesake. Billy shared his secret about being Captain Marvel. The other Billys wondered if they’d have Captain Marvel powers if they said the magic word, but Captain Marvel warned them that great power was nothing to play around with. He gave them a thrill by taking them along to capture a gang of criminals who’d robbed the post office. Captain Marvel’s arch-nemesis Sivana recruited three other foes of Marvel, Biggy Brix, Captain Death and Herr Geyer to form the Vengeful Four. Sivana revealed that Captain Marvel’s secret identity was Billy Batson, and sent his men out to scour hotel registries so they could find and abduct Billy. The villains kidnapped Tall Billy, Fat Billy and Hill Billy, but failed to find their actual target. When Sivana learned that the Billys were friends with his nemesis he sent a ransom note to radio station WHIZ, demanding Billy show up at an abandoned saw-mill or his friends would be killed. Billy knew it was a trap, but had no choice, and when he arrived the Vengeful Four knocked him out and gagged him so he couldn’t say Shazam. Sivana tied all the Billys to a log and started up the saw, gloating that he was leaving them to their doom. As they inched closer to the saw Billy managed to use it to cut through his gag, but when he said Shazam the sound of his voice was drowned out. He asked his new friends for help, and when they all said the word Shazam they were given the powers of Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel and his new Lieutenant Marvels Fat Marvel, Hill Billy Marvel and Tall Marvel spotted the Vengeful Four flying off in Sivanas plane and crashed through it, with the Vengeful Four seemingly perishing in the crash. Billy’s friends were overjoyed at being able to team up with their hero.

(Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #4) - The Lieutenant Marvels visited Billy Batson, excited for his next broadcast. Sivana, with his daughter Beautia in tow, was stalking Billy, and ordered his thugs to run him down with a car. Billy spotted them in time to change into Captain Marvel and thrash the goons. Billy did a broadcast on WHIZ about the near hit-and-run and how he was saved by Captain Marvel. Sterling Morris was thrilled by the broadcast, but was worried that Sivana would go after Billy again. Sivana told his goons to kidnap Billy Batson, and Beautia spoke up, saying her dad should just leave Billy alone. He blew her off, saying Billy stood in his way as ruler of the universe. His thugs kidnapped the Lieutenant Marvels, but Captain Marvel managed to trail the crooks back to Sivana’s hideout. Sivana tied up the Lieutenants and put them under a bladed pendulum death trap. Marvel burst on the scene and his Lieutenants said Shazam! turning into Marvels. They thrashed Sivana’s gang while Sivana fled, and found Beautia tied up in a closet. She said her father had turned against her because she questioned his methods, and warned them Sivana was going to blow up the hideout. The Marvels flew her to safety as the hideout blew up. The explosion was extensive, and Beautia wept, fearing her father had blown himself up, but Captain Marvel comforted her, saying Sivana was far too devious to die by his own hand.

(Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #71) - Worldwide Captain Marvel Day was announced, and Captain Marvel was invited to appear in Washington, D.C., Paris, France, Moscow, Russia and Chungking, China. The only problem was that the appearances were slated at the same time, so Captain Marvel visited his Lieutenants Hill Billy Marvel, Tall Marvel and Fat Marvel, asking them to fill-in at three of the locations. Sivana was outraged that Captain Marvel was being celebrated by the world, and knowing he could only be at one of the four main celebrations he determined to wreck them all using his Instantaneous Rocket Ship. He showed up in Washington, deflating a Captain Marvel balloon that threatened to smother the crowd underneath. Fat Marvel flung the balloon away, but before he could get his hands on Sivana, the mad scientist was off. Sivana used a blowtorch on the Eiffel Tower to bring it down, but Hill Billy Marvel chased him off. In Moscow he threw a bomb into the crowd, which was caught and defused by Tall Marvel. In China Sivana hid inside a dragon float and released poison gas, but was foiled by Captain Marvel. Marvel told him how he could be in four places at once, and tore out the motor on Sivana’s Instantaneous Rocket Ship. He had an auxiliary motor and flew off, but was caught in international waters by Captain Marvel. They’d crossed the International Date Line, and Captain Marvel was amused that he’d caught Sivana on a Tuesday for crimes he committed on Wednesday. Sivana said he never wanted to think about time again and just wanted to go to jail

Comments: Created by an unnamed writer & C.C. Beck.

Hill Billy Marvel was originally published by Fawcett Comics, which DC obtained the rights to in 1972.

Hill Billy Marvel received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #14 under the Marvel Family entry.

Hill Billy Marvel's appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #4 was reprinted in Shazam! Archives #4, Captain Marvel Adventures (Fawcett) #71 was reprinted in Shazam! I #8, Whiz Comics (Fawcett) #21 was reprinted in Shazam! Archives #3.