Editing Wizard Shazam (section)

==== Post-Crisis origin and early history ====
[[File:Shazam (Alex Ross).jpg|thumb|Rendition of the Jebediah incarnation of the Wizard. Art by Alex Ross.]]
In a story written by [[E. Nelson Bridwell]] for ''World's Finest Comics'' #262 ([[cover date]] April/May 1980), his gave him a backstory in which he was a young [[shepherd]] who becomes the '''Champion''', one of the world's first superheroes in ancient [[Canaan]], over 5,000 years ago. By speaking the magic word "VLAREM!" (an anagram of "Marvel"). This background is later explored further in the ''Power of Shazam!'' series, in which detailed during his tenure as a Champion,  At one point, the Champion is seduced by a [[demon]]ess disguised as a beautiful woman, and the two of them conceive two half-demon offspring, [[Blaze and Satanus]], much to the displeasure of the gods. The Champion later creates the [[Rock of Eternity]] from two large rock formations&nbsp;– one from [[Heaven]] and one from [[Hell]]&nbsp;– to hold the [[Three Faces of Evil]], a [[European dragon|dragon]]-like demon whose mother is the same demoness as the one who bore his children, captive. Shazam also later trapped demons of the [[Seven Deadly Enemies of Man|Seven Deadly Sins]] in statues of themselves and imprisoned them at the Rock of Eternity.

Many centuries later, the Champion, now going by the name of "Shazam", feels the need to pass along his powers to a successor. He selects the [[pharaoh]]'s son Teth-Adam to receive the power to become the superpowered Mighty Adam by speaking the word "SHAZAM!" However, Blaze interferes with this succession and Adam is given powers from the Egyptian deities instead. As her mother did, Shazam's daughter Blaze takes on the form of a beautiful woman and seduces Adam, convincing him to kill the pharaoh and take over the kingdom. An angry Shazam draws Mighty-Adam's powers out of him and into a large jeweled [[Dung beetle#Scarab in ancient Egypt|scarab]], thereby killing Adam as he ages to death. Shazam then seals his remains and the amulet in a tomb. A wicked reincarnation of Teth-Adam named Theo Adam would steal the scarab many centuries later and use the power of Shazam to become Black Adam. Shazam was upset by this and did not consider passing on his powers for millennia.
The wizard resurfaces as an aide on the 1940 Malcolm Expedition, one of many [[archaeology|archaeological]] expeditions into the tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt. The [[Sarcophagus|sarcophagi]] of [[Ibis the Invincible]] and his mate [[Princess Taia]] are uncovered and brought to the United States. Shazam follows the sarcophagi. Once they are on display at the [[Fawcett City]] [[Museum]], Shazam uses ancient spells to resurrect Ibis. Ibis then joins [[Bulletman and Bulletgirl|Bulletman]], [[Spy Smasher]], [[Minute-Man]], and others to fight evil during the [[World War II]] era. In 1955, a thug knocks a weakened Shazam across the head with a [[crowbar (tool)|crowbar]] and causes him to lose his memory. A clueless Shazam wanders around Fawcett for the next forty years until C.C. Batson, a young man Shazam had met on the Malcolm Expedition, recognizes the old man and brings him to the museum to restore his memory. Shazam feels that he has truly found his successor in the upstanding Batson, but before he can act on this, a possessed Theo Adam murders Batson and his wife Marilyn for the magic amulet. He therefore decides to enlist C.C. Batson's young son, Billy, as the successor to his power.