The Shazam! segments followed teenager Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego, Captain Marvel, comic book and movie serial stars since the late 1930's. The title was actually an acronym for the Greek gods Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, all of whom endowed Billy with his super powers of flight, speed, and strength, and with whom Billy would discuss various dilemmas.
Each week, Billy and his elderly friend and advisor, the aptly-named Mentor, drove around in a van, taking the law into their own hands and making the world a better place.
When trouble was nigh, a light flashed on the dashboard of the vehicle, and the gods would appear to Billy to discuss the situation. When Billy exclaimed �Shazam!,� he was instantly transformed into the crime fighting superhero Captain Marvel, complete with cape, red tights, and a yellow bolt of lightning across his chest.
After righting whatever was wrong, Captain Marvel returned to his normal teenage form, at which point he and Mentor would discuss the moral and/or ethical lesson they had learned.
The Isis segments featured high school teacher Andrea Thomas, who discovered an ancient Egyptian amulet while on an archaeological expedition. Through the amulet, Andrea was given super strength, super speed, the power of flight, and a form of telekinesis. Like Billy Batson before her, Andrea literally transformed into a new superhero, the inimitable Isis. Also like her male counterpart, the heroine received her powers from an ancient legendary source, the Egyptian goddess Isis, by intoning the magic words, "Oh mighty Isis!"
Andrea used these newfound powers to right wrongs and defend the helpless and downtrodden. Joining her on the show were pet crow Tut, fellow teacher Rick Mason, and students Renee Carroll and Cindy Lee. Somehow, the other humans never managed to figure out her secret identity.
It is interesting to me that the choices for characters of cartoons have so much to do with our religion. They have �superhero� powers like being able to see through walls, or breathe in water. There were also many with familiar type personas. Catwoman and Batman for example. From the plant world we had Poison Ivy. In fact all of the superheroes were somewhat based upon the elements. I bet you could correspond them without having to think about it. Aquaman would be water, Superman would be air (he flew and used breath to freeze things),Batman would be earth, and so on.
Wonder woman came to us from a Goddess type society, her mother was the queen if you are too young to remember, According to Ms. Wonder�s comic book mythology, there was an all-woman island named Themyscira, populated by a group of Amazon lovelies who had fled there around 200 B.C. to escape male domination by ancient Greeks and Romans. There on the island, the ladies found a mineral called �Feminum,� which had magical powers. It could be mined, incorporated into metal or fiber, and then pounded�depending on your accessory whim�into things like belts or bracelets. The bracelets could deflect bullets, the tiara could be hurled like a boomerang, and when Ms. Wonder wrapped her golden lasso around someone, that someone told the absolute truth whether he wanted to or not. Wonder woman was a strong Goddess like figure, she flew (of course she had to do it in a invisible jet) her cover name was Diana Prince. One of the more common quotes she used was "Great Hera".
While I don�t really care for the fact that Isis was presented in such a make believe type way I have to say at least she was out there for us to know of her existence. It is disheartening for me to see so much magic gone out of the world of children today. In many ways the world has grown more accepting today, but rarely do children get to experience the fantasy of the Gods/Goddesses in such a way.
