Shazam!

For a brief period of time , the bomber recognize as Captain Marvel was so popular , he even outsold Superman . Though the primary audience for Captain Marvel was young Americans , the hero’scry of the magical word"Shazam!“was heard across the Atlantic in the United Kingdom – leading the British to develop theirownsolution when the rights to the fictitious character came to an end .

In England , writer Mick Anglo created an English reading of the case . get laid asMarvelman , the character was Captain Marvel in all but name , with nigh - selfsame king , origins , and secret identity . The black and white adventures of Marvelman   were adored by   readers for a full stop of time before fading into obscureness . Twenty years later , writer Alan Moore repair the character … but took him in a completely different direction .

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Far from the pure - hearted kid Mick Anglo had created , Moore ’s Marvelman ( later renamed Miracleman to avoid issues with Marvel Comics ) ended up conquering his Earth . Beginning in 1982 , the Miracleman reboot introduce readers to a middle - aged Miracleman who had lost his powers and memories of being a hero . His animation as Michael Moran is shatter when terrorist go for him surety lead him to unintentionally say the phrase which transform him into his alter ego . Despite find his powers and memories , life only becomes more difficult for Michael .

As Miracleman becomes an independent personality , the distance between him and his married woman Liz grows . After vote down his villainous former buddy , Kid Marvelman , he learns the truth of his descent . All of the original adventures from the fifties and sixties that he thought he had gone on were retention implant by his arch - nemesis and creator , Dr. Gargunza .

When Dr. Gargunza kidnaps Liz , Miracleman does n’t waffle to pour down   the man who made him .   The death of Gargunza end up separating Miracleman and Michael even further until the hero consecrate to never become Michael again .

Miracleman in Marvel Comics

Eventually , Miracleman discovers his distaff counterpart Lady Miracleman . The two are push to do conflict with a revitalized Kid Miracleman who   wholly destroys London . Though Miracleman wins in the end , the psychic trauma of killing his former Quaker and see the carnage he had inflicted upon the world nearly breaks him . Together with Lady Miracleman and a handful of other superpowered beings ,   he apply the pandemonium of Kid Miracleman ’s violent disorder as an excuse to conquer the globe .   His   absolute formula lead to what appears like a utopia but leaves no room for humanity to make up one’s mind   their own destiny . Moore ’s run end with Liz turning down an offer to join Miracleman in ruling Earth .

After Moore leave the book , committal to writing duties went toNeil Gaimanbefore its publishing firm , Eclipse Comics , filed for failure . Gaiman ’s run infamously ended on a cliffhanger that has not been conclude to this day . After Eclipse filed for bankruptcy , the character live in a sound white-haired expanse . It was notice in 2009 that Mick Anglo actually held the rights all along . His estatesold them off to Marvelthat same year , where the Moore rivulet was reprinted without his name on it , upon   the writer ’s postulation .

Moore ’s reinvention of Miracleman ended up give a immense influence on the comics manufacture . Darker and more serious superhero story became the norm during this period and Miracleman certainly had something to do with that drift . The questions about Miracleman ’s humanity and whether the guild he created was a dystopia or a utopia , were questions that superhero tale   had n’t in earnest engaged with until that point . One of the most interesting aspects of Miracleman is how it recontextualized Captain Marvel and his mythos . Mooreshowed reader the trauma that would come from being a kid superhero . Unlike Billy Batson , Miracleman and Kid Miracleman are so transform by their time as heroes that they altogether abandon their humanity . Much like manyevil versions of Superman , without humanity , Miracleman watch himself as above everyone and everything . This is why Moore ends his run with Liz pass up Miracleman ’s fling , she ’s rejecting his want of humanity .

It’s Captain Marvel! Er, Marvel Man! Actually, it’s Miracle! Make that Miracle Man!

Though his later body of work such asWatchmenmight be more famous , Moore ’s work onMiraclemanchanged the comic industry by expanding the sort of story superhero strip could separate .

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Miracleman sitting and looking contemplative

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Shazam!