History Characters / DCEUShazam

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* MirrorCharacter: He's a greater parallel to Billy Batson than Teth-Adam is. Both had unfortunate childhoods that compelled them to break the rules in order to get by, both were chosen to be champion at a young age and both [[spoiler: bestowed their powers onto family members. The main difference is that Billy was able to use the Staff of Shazam to empower his family members without having to lsoe his powers, but Hurut had no idea of this knowledge and gave up his poweres for his father...only to be killed off seconds later]].

** In ancient Kahndaq, the champion was empowered by Egyptian deities: Shu, Hershef, Amon, Zehuti, Anpu and Menthu.

* KillTheCutie: He was killed, which broke Teth-Adam and filled him with a hatred of humanity.

* MirrorCharacter: He's a greater parallel to Billy Batson than Teth-Adam is. Both had unfortunate childhoods that compelled them to break the rules in order to get by, both were chosen to be champion at a young age and both [[spoiler: bestowed their powers onto family members]].
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: The poor boy is practically cursed to suffer everytime he does something noble. Standing up for the slaves earned him a death sentence. Saving his father's life by bestowing his powers onto him left Hurut open to a sneak attack from an archer.
* SadlyMythtaken: In-universe. The Council of Wizards and the people of Kahndaq falsely assumed that Hurut and Black Adam were one and the same. This meant that Hurut's nobler qualities were eclipsed by his father's RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* HorribleJudgeofCharacter: He couldn't find a Champion for most of his life because his selection was based on "pure of heart", as well as an implied constant mental struggle against the Seven Deadly Sins and with being the last surviving member of the Council of Wizards. The sequel has him improve his outlook.

[[Characters/DCEUJusticeLeague Justice League]] ([[Characters/DCEUSuperman Superman]], [[Characters/DCEUBatman Batman]], [[Characters/DCEUWonderWoman Wonder Woman]], [[Characters/DCEUAquaman Aquaman]], [[Characters/DCEUTheFlash The Flash]], [[Characters/DCEUCyborg Cyborg]]) | Shazam ([[Characters/DCEUBillyBatson Billy Batson]]) | [[Characters/DCEUJusticeSociety Justice Society]] | [[Characters/DCEUOtherSuperheroes Other Superheroes]] -]]]]]

!!''[[ComicBook/BlackAdam Teth-Adam / Black Adam]]''
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ff_4svuwuaei3je.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:300:''"Kahndaq needed a hero... instead they got me."'']]
!!! '''Species:''' Empowered human
!!! '''Citizenship:''' Kahndaqi
!!! '''Portrayed By:''' Creator/DwayneJohnson, Benjamin Patterson (body double as Teth-Adam)
!!! '''Appearances:''' ''[[Film/Shazam2019 SHAZAM!]]'' (magical hologram) | ''Comicbook/BlackAdamTheJusticeSocietyFiles'' | ''Film/{{Black Adam|2022}}''

->''"I was a slave until I died. Then I was reborn a god. My son sacrificed his life to save me. Now, I kneel before no one."''

Teth-Adam was originally a slave from the ancient civilization of Kahndaq who gained the powers of SHAZAM. But unlike Billy Batson, Black Adam proceeded to use his powers for vengeance, leading the Council to imprison him in a tomb and raise their standards for future Champions. When Adrianna Tomaz investigated his tomb in the 21st Century, she would reawaken Black Adam.

* NinetiesAntiHero: An overly muscular man wearing a DarkerAndEdgier take on a superhero suit whose sense of justice was fuelled by the death of his loved ones. He feels no hesitation when it comes to killing villains, but has enough decency to hold back when it comes to heroes and innocents.
* AbdicateTheThrone: [[spoiler: After killing SABBAC, Adam sits on the throne that is seemingly meant for him... and then chooses to destroy it because he feels it would be "wrong" for him (and anyone else) to rule Kahndaq.]]
* ActorAllusion: Dwayne Johnson took his trademark Smoldering FascinatingEyebrow from ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' with him as Teth-Adam, and tries to charm a merchant into selling him an extra apple in a flashback from ''Comicbook/BlackAdamTheJusticeSocietyFiles''.
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Black Adam in the comics has stereotypically villainous features such as [[SinisterSchnoz a hook nose]], [[VillainousWidowsPeak widow's peak]], [[VillainousCheekbones high cheekbones]], [[PointyEars sharp-tipped ears]] and [[ThinChinOfSin a pointed chin]]. Here he's played by Dwayne Johnson, whose looks are very much of the GentleGiant variety.
* AdaptationalHairstyleChange: In the comics, Black Adam styles his dark hair in a buzz cut with a VillainousWidowsPeak, but here he is bald.
* AdaptationalHeroism: In the comics, Black Adam was unambiguously evil for quite a number of years before he started to develop any sense of compassion and even then he was far from a nice guy. Here he's shown to be a genuinely heroic figure despite what he believes about himself.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: [[spoiler:In the New 52 comics, he killed Aman to steal the entirety of his nephew’s power. Here his son (who acts in Aman’s role from the comics) was killed by an archer much to his father’s horror]].
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Normally [[AvertedTrope averted]] as Adam regularly employs his inhuman strength to its full potential and doesn't care about collateral damage. Things change after he [[spoiler: almost kills Amon while trying to stop Ishmael from killing him. It is then that Adam chooses to give up his powers and be put in stasis]].
* AlternateSelf: He has one on [[Characters/ArrowverseCriminalGroupsAndOrganizations Earth-Prime]] as Khem-Adam.
* AntiAntiChrist: In spite of his intimidating appearance and his reputation for unleashing chaos, Black Adam is instrumental in stopping a greater threat than himself and hailed as a savior by his people.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: [[spoiler:As it's later revealed, Black Adam was a substitute for his son Hurut, the original Champion who displayed a far more idealistic attitude towards heroism]].
* AntiVillain: His rampage in Kahndaq was horrifying enough that the Council of Wizards imprisoned him for it, and Adam himself admits that his actions were mostly motivated by vengeance. However, he only developed that violent streak due to the injustices he and many others endured at the hands of Kahndaq's tyrannical ruler, and his rampage was mainly targeted at said tyrant.
--> ''"Five thousand years ago, Kahndaq was a melting pot of cultures, wealth, power, and magic. Yet most of us had nothing, except for the chain around our necks."''
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He's hailed as a god-king by the people of Kahndaq for delivering justice. [[spoiler: Interestingly enough, Adam has no wish to be a ruler. When he sits on the throne of Kahndaq, he expresses distaste and blows the throne to pieces.]]
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: The movie concludes with Black Adam sitting on the throne of the Kandaqi king, casually raising his left hand as a MythologyGag to his signature pose in the comics. [[spoiler: Then Black Adam decides he's not interested in sitting on the seat of his oppressors and destroys the throne.]]
* BadassBoast: He's fond of dishing these out. The first two teasers end with Black Adam throwing his weight around.
--> ''"I give you my word -- '''no-one will ever stop me again'''."''
** When the Justice Society approach him:
-->'''Dr. Fate:''' You have two choices: kneel or die.\\
'''Black Adam:''' I was a slave until I died. Then I was reborn a god. I kneel before no one.\\
(later)\\
'''Hawkman:''' We're here to negotiate your peaceful surrender.\\
'''Black Adam:''' I'm not peaceful. Nor do I surrender.
** In TheStinger he tells Amanda Waller there's nobody on Earth who can stop him. When Waller says she'll just call beings from other planets who could, Adam tells her to [[BringIt send them all]].
* BadassCape: Black Adam's suit gains a cape upon choosing to be a hero.
* BadassNormal: [[spoiler: When depowered and gagged, Adam plows through a series of armed guards with nothing but muscle and determination.]]
* BaldOfAuthority: He is bald in this adaptation unlike in the comic. At the end of his film, Black Adam is given the choice to be Kahndaq's ruler, which he [[spoiler: rejects]].
* BaldHeadOfToughness: First, Black-Adam is played by The Rock, the very embodiment of this trope in Hollywood. Second, he is a PhysicalGod on roughly equal footing with Superman, at least according to his actor. Given both are capable of taking on four metahumans at once, that's a pretty accurate measurement of his strength.
* BirdsOfAFeather: Adam and Adrianna have numerous things in common, such as their unscrupulous view of justice, a murdered spouse and a headstrong son. While the two aren't confirmed to be lovers by the end of his debut film, the potential is definitely there.
* BlackCloak: While Wizard-Shazam wears bright red, his contemporaries wear various other colors and the Champions in Philadelphia all wear white, Black Adam wears a black mantle with a gold trim. It gets destroyed during his attack on Intergang, but it's eventually replaced with a cape.
* BlackKnight: Doctor Fate considers him fitting for this role in situations where clear good isn't effective enough.
* BlatantLies: Doctor Fate points out that Black Adam's attempt at sarcasm falls short and just makes him look dishonest. When Adam sends and Intergang agent flying to his death, Doctor Fate asks Adam if he interrogated the man first. Adam gives a suspiciously long pause, hears his victim hit the ground ''very'' hard, then tells Doctor Fate "[[NeverMyFault he didn't make it]]".
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: He is not without his valid points in his conflict with the Justice Society, as his lethal and merciless approach to fighting evildoers ends up being far more effective and helpful to the people of Kahndaq than anything the JSA has ever done. Hawkman even relents and encourages him to kill [[spoiler: SABBAC when he proves too strong to be merely subdued.]] At the same time, Adam is convinced by Carter to spare the life of an enemy so that he can extract information from him, and recognizes that this approach has its advantages.
* BroughtDownToBadass: [[spoiler:After almost killing Amon by accident, Black Adam finally relents and willingly depowers himself. At his own request he's gagged and put in stasis. But when SABBAC is unleashed and Doctor Fate wakes him up again, Teth-Adam charges through several armed guards like they were made of cardboard, all the while still gagged so that he can't call on his powers]].
* BulletCatch: Black Adam demonstrates his finesse by grabbing a bullet with his fingertips. Keep in mind that those blessed with the powers of Shazam are naturally resistant to gunfire.
* BullyHunter: In one of the teaser trailers, Black Adam says that he has a knack for destroying bullies. Throughout his own film, he kills and maims anyone who either picks a fight with him or threatens someone that can't fight back.
* ByronicHero: Black Adam is haunted by the memories of his family being killed and is consumed by anger. Nevertheless, he's inclined to fight on the side of justice, even if he doesn't give it the best image.
* {{Catchphrase}}: Amon tells Adam he should say ''"[[PreMortemOneLiner Tell them the Man in Black sent you]]"'' right before killing his enemies. It takes awhile for Black Adam to get it right.
* CivilizationDestroyer: As he grieved over his son's death and sought revenge, Adam unleashed a wave of exploive energy that decimated ancient Kahndaq. The Wizard states that millions died during his rampage.
* ColdHam: Black Adam's emotional range alternates between stoic and TranquilFury, but he manages to come across as melodramatic no matter what due to how seriously he takes himself.
* ColorCharacter: '''Black''' Adam.
* TheComicallySerious: Black Adam maintains a perpetually grim disposition despite being ignorant of the new world he finds himself in, which leads to several instances where he makes a fool of himself.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter:
** Whereas Billy is a young orphan who uses his powers for fun when he gains the powers of Shazam, Adam is a family man that uses his powers to destroy those who have wronged him. Billy gained his powers from an old man, while Adam gained his powers from his pre-adolescent son.
** Black Adam also contrasts Peacemaker. Both are brutal macho men with a DarkAndTroubledPast and gradually develop a conscience. But while Peacemaker was a garishly-dressed blowhard who disrespects his own allies and has a troubled relationship with his father, Black Adam wears a dull costume, rarely emotes and had a healthy relationship with his son.
* CreepyBlueEyes: Adam's normally dark eyes [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glow]] a light, electric blue when he overcharges or loses control of his powers, and the devastating power he wields makes such moments terrifying to all around him.
* CursedWithAwesome: He considers his powers a curse [[spoiler: due to gaining them from Hurut, who was depowered the moment he told his father the magic word that would empower him, leaving Hurut open to a sneak attack from an archer.]]
* TheCynic: Even before the death of his son broke him inside, Teth-Adam didn't put much faith in Hurut's ideals of freedom and liberation and believed them to be a lost cause. As he put it then, freedom was for the birds, not for hopeless slaves like him and his family.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to the Wizard and Billy Batson, Black Adam provides a stark contrast. He grew up in slavery, succumbed to his wrath once empowered and his costume looks charred and sinister rather than bright and shining like the outfits of other champions.
* DarkIsNotEvil: A brooding, violent demigod clad in black who nonetheless only poses a threat to those who need to be stopped.
* DeathGlare: Black Adam looks like he is staring into everyone's souls at [[Film/JumanjiTheNextLevel Smoldering Intensity levels]].
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: At least from his point of view, he ''IS'' a PhysicalGod, who was once a man that died as a slave. Unlike the current Champions, his powerset came entirely from gods rather than a mixture of gods and exceptional mortals.
* DestructiveSavior: His fights against evildoers through the streets of Kahndaq usually involve lots of destroyed buildings and other sorts of property damage, to which he shows little concern. On a more personal and lower-scale level, [[spoiler: he almost kills Amon while trying to save him from Ishmael and his goons. This is what convinces Adam that he can't be trusted to save anybody.]]
* {{Determinator}}: As the guards at ARGUS learned the hard way, [[spoiler: an unpowered and gagged Teth-Adam is a juggernaut in his own right when he wants to be. Not only he plows through multiple armed guards, he later swims shirtless through arctic waters all the way to the surface- and ''survives it''!]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: The Wizard Shazam projects a magical holographic vision of the past to Billy in ''Shazam!''. It shows the ancient champion who was chosen by the Council of Wizards (Black Adam) and the devastation he caused, albeit he's not named.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Upon being awakened, Black Adam murders the first person he sees with zero provocation. When he attractes the attention of several armed mercenaries, Black Adam massacres them all. Turns out there's a ''very'' good reason the Wizard sealed him away and imposed strict standards on potential successors. Additionally, his BulletCatch and ImmuneToBullets establish that he's StrongAndSkilled.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Adam had a wife and son back when he was a slave. The death of both is what made him so bitter and violent.
* EvilCostumeSwitch: Teth-Adam was originally shirtless, with the lightning emblem hanging akin to a giant pendant from a neck piece. When his son was killed, Adam's costume changed to a all-encompassing black bodysuit with dull metal accessories. Later inverted when Black Adam decides to become a hero, causing his costume to gain a cape and the metallic parts to turn gold.
* FamedInStory: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. [[spoiler: The exploits of the Champion of Kahndaq are common knowledge in the country during modern times and there is even a statue in his honor. However, it is later revealed that this legendary hero was not Teth-Adam, but his son Hurut. Adam's story of revenge and destruction is known only by him and later by Adrianna.]]
* FishOutOfTemporalWater: A few jokes are made about Adam struggling to acclimate to the 21st century. He's baffled by the existence of mirrors and he blows up a television because he assumed [[Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly Clint Eastwood was picking a fight with him]]. When he enters a room by blasting through a wall, Doctor Fate snarks that they must not have had any doorways back in his day (though Adam replies that they ''did'', implying that breaking through walls is just how Adam prefers to enter a room).
* FlashStep: In his initial fight with the Intergang thugs Adam flies with tremendous speed from one enemy to another in a manner that looks like he is teleporting across the scenery.
* FlyingBrick: He flies very fast and is very durable.
* {{Foil}}: To Carter Hall; they're both powerful warriors, but where Hawkman considers himself a hero, Adam rejects the notion that he is one. Carter uses his Nth metal weapons to fight, while Adam relies on his superpowers. Carter leads a team of heroes, while Adam can barely even cooperate with others, much less lead them. Most importantly, Carter sees the world in terms of good and evil and refuses to kill where he can avoid it; Adam, on the other hand, doesn't concern himself with such distinctions, destroying wrongdoers without mercy.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: A former slave who ended up becoming a Champion using his powers to rampage against the tyrannical regime of Kahndaq.
-->''"I was a slave until I died. Then I was reborn a god."''
* AGodAmI: Downplayed; Adam explicitly describes himself as a god to Hawkman, but he phrases it as a simple statement of fact rather than an arrogant boast or delusion of grandeur. Adam doesn't expect people to worship or even like him, [[spoiler:and given the chance to rule Kahndaq as a GodEmperor, he gives the matter due thought before deciding against it.]]
* TheGhost: Black Adam is only referenced through story in ''Shazam!'', specifically as the reason the wizards do not choose champions quite so carelessly. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the figure the Wizard alluded to was actually a composite of Teth-Adam and Hurut.]]
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Adam's eyes glow bright blue when he's charging up a storm.
* GoldColoredSuperiority: Once Black Adam chooses to be a hero his boots, belt and armwraps turn bright gold, with his emblem glowing brighter than before.
* GoodAllAlong: What the Wizard said about him back in ''SHAZAM!'' made it seem like Black Adam's awakening would be catastrophic for everyone. As it turns out, Black Adam ends up saving far more people than he endangers and he expresses no real urge to cause any trouble, provided everyone stays out of his way.
* GoodCostumeSwitch: [[spoiler: Black Adams appearance in the current day is largely black and the lightning bolt insignia is faded. He has not renounced the power for millenia, but recalls his powers with the Shazam call and placed in prison. He was then released by Dr. Fate to face Sabbac. When he calls out Shazam again, his costume has gains vibrant hold boots, belt and wrist cuffs, and his lightning bolt insignia has filled back in, signifying the evolution from an angry monster into a more heroic figure]].
* GoodIsNotNice: He waits for the Justice Society to arrive before sending two of his hostages plummeting to almost certain death. When Hawkman accuses him of attempted murder, Black Adam states that he was courteous enough to wait for them to arrive before endangering their lives because he was willing to give their non-lethal approach a try.
* GoodParents: In ''ComicBook/BlackAdamTheJusticeSocietyFiles'', he was shown as an understanding and protective father to his son, hoping for a better future for his family.
* HandwrapsOfAwesome: Unlike the Wizard, Billy or his siblings who all wear gold bands on their forearms, Black Adam wears metallic bandages. [[spoiler:They turn to gold once Adam decides to become a hero.]]
* HeroesFrontierStep: After being muzzled and put in stasis, Teth-Adam [[spoiler: is called on Doctor Fate to save the world. Adam then fights his way out of the bunker, all the while unable to transform into his powered form. He successfully makes it to the ocean and tears off his muzzle, only to black out from exhaustion and hypothermia. As he reaches the afterlife and sees his family, Teth-Adam tells them he can't die just yet because their people are counting on him]]. Through this incredible act of courage, determination and compassion, Black Adam is reborn with a more heroic outfit.
* HeroicBuild: Teth-Adam was quite muscular (albeit smaller than Dwayne Johnson) even before he became a champion, no doubt due to years of manual labor.
* HerosEvilPredecessor: Black Adam was the last person to wield the power of SHAZAM until Billy Batson was chosen. Unlike Billy, he used his powers to go on an all-out rampage. Downplayed in that he's not so much a villain as just violently intolerant of those who wrong him and the people he cares about.
* AHeroToHisHometown: Despite being seen as a dangerous threat to outsiders like Amanda Waller and the Justice Society, Teth-Adam is revered as a hero and a savior by the people of Kahndaq due to his fight against the Intergang. They loudly boo the superhero team and demonstrate support towards Adam.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: Black Adam draws the line at harming kids and innocent bystanders. He also warms up to the Tomaz family and respects Doctor Fate, despite not outwardly expressing so.
* HighAltitudeInterrogation: Two mooks receive this from Adam. And both would splat on the ground if Hawkman didn't follow him to catch them mid-fall. Black Adam defends this by stating that he only dropped his victims because he was certain Hawkman would catch them.
* HighVoltageDeath: His first kill in the movie has him lifting a hapless Intergang thug by the neck and brutally disintegrating his body by frying the man with his lightning powers.
* HopeBringer: Mostly an InvokedTrope by Amon, who wants to convince everyone in Kahndaq that Adam is their savior and that his arrival would bring hope and freedom to the country. He even inspires the populace to make the same gesture Hurut - a HopeBringer in his own right - made to the opressed slaves during Akh-Ton's reign. Adam eventually lives up to these expectations.
* HurtingHero: Very much so. He's been forced to witness everyone he loved murdered by a tyrannical regime and when he retaliated, he was deemed a monster and sealed away for millennia. With the memory of the worst day of his life fresh in his mind, it's only fitting that his rampage is accompanied by the song [[Music/TheRollingStones "Paint it Black"]].
* IdealistVsPragmatist:
** The crux of his belligerent relationship with the Justice Society (most notably with Hawkman) is the opposition between his anti-heroic willingness to get his hands dirty and kill evildoers and the JSA's straightforward insistence on not killing their enemies.
** It's not given much focus, but this trope comes up when Adam suggests that violence should be taught to Amon, which Adrianna refuses. He wants the boy to adapt quickly to the harsh nature of Kahndaq and the world while his mother wants him to live an innocent life and disapproves of Amon getting involved with anti-Intergang resistance.
* ImmuneToBullets: Upon his reawakening, several soldiers fire at him with machines guns. Black Adam is not even fazed. [[spoiler: This is of course averted in his depowered form, as he is shot by an A.R.G.U.S guard- though that barely slows him down.]]
-->'''Black Adam:''' ''[in ancient Kahndaqi]'' Your magic is weak.
* ImNotAHeroIm: Adam states multiple times through the movie that he is not a hero and has never claimed to be one. At the end of the movie he tries to become a truly heroic warrior, but only refers to himself as a "protector" of Kahndaq.
* InTheHood: His cloak covers his head and gives him CreepyShadowedUndereyes.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Black Adam is a stern and merciless figure who rejects the authority of others (often violently) and doesn't have much respect for other people's property, but beneath all that is a dedicated protector of his people, willing to, in his own way, be polite to those who haven't incurred his wrath. Also, despite his menacing exterior, he's reasonable and can be convinced to hear people out
* KnightInSourArmor: A PerpetualFrowner who thinks with his fists and has no tolerance for people who invade his turf. His brutal treatment of Intergang convinces the locals that he's on their side.
* KubrickStare: It's practically Adam's default expression. Given his past as a slave and his outfit including a hood when he was reawakened, it's pretty much a habit formed from circumstance.
* KryptoniteFactor: It is implied that Eternium is the only thing that can harm him, seeing an Eternium-laced rocket knocked him out cold, and punching the crown of Sabbac by accident grazes his knuckles.
* LeaveYourQuestTest: [[spoiler: After swimming through arctic waters and passing out from hypothermia, he ends up in an afterlife where he sees his wife and son again. Though he enjoys the moment as much as he can, Adam ultimately declines to stay with his family because he is needed to save the world from SABBAC.]]
* {{Leitmotif}}: [[https://youtu.be/f9ydfcm5UTM Black Adam's Theme]] brings with it the sense of danger and glory that's integral to his journey FromNobodyToNightmare.
* LightningBruiser: Black Adam is so fast that he can barely be seen, so durable that nothing short of eternium [[spoiler:or SABBAC]] can even slow him down, and he's so mighty that he can casually toss a grown man miles away.
* LightningCanDoAnything: He uses his lightning powers to cauterize his Eternium-laced wounds after a rocket with the substance strikes him.
* LightningFireJuxtaposition: His empowerment by the Council of Wizards granted him lightning magic, which is contrasted with Ishmael gaining domain over fire upon becoming SABBAC after being empowered by the ancient demons of Hell.
* LogicalWeakness: Adam's powers are activated when he says the word "SHAZAM". Therefore, as Amanda Waller and the Justice Society analyze, getting him to say the word would depower him. The JSA's strategy to defeat him is to make Adam do just that, [[spoiler: which he eventually does out of his full volition and without coercion.]]
* MadeOfIndestructium: He catches a rocket and suffers only mild injuries after it explodes in his hand.
* ManlyTears: Teth-Adam openly weeps when his loved ones are murdered.
* MosesArchetype: A man from the slave caste who was blessed by higher powers to liberate his people from a cruel regime, unleashing all kinds of chaos upon his oppressors.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: His first (and usually only) solution to enemy combatants is to destroy them, even when it's laughably obvious that they pose no threat to him. This is the major sticking point between Adam and [[ThouShaltNotKill Hawkman]], who is much more of a traditional hero. Hawkman and Doctor Fate both point out the downsides of this practice, as keeping prisoners alive to interrogate proves fruitful, which convinces Adam to at least ''try'' and adjust his approach.
* MusclesAreMeaningful: Being played by Dwayne Johnson, Adam is large and muscular and displays the biggest amount of strength in the movie. Unlike [[spoiler: the previous champion- his son Hurut-]], he already had a HeroicBuild even as a mortal and it is in this depowered state that he [[spoiler: plows through A.R.G.U.S guards with nothing but brute force.]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler: When Black Adam's reckless use of his power endangered Adrianna and Amon, he has a mild breakdown and finally allows Hawkman to take him into custody.]]
* NeckLift: Every trailer and promo clip shows him doing this, to the point where it's practically his SignatureMove.
* NoManShouldHaveThisPower: [[spoiler: The reason he decides to destroy the throne at the end. Though the Kahndaqi people would easily look up to him as a king, Adam believes the country should be self-sufficient and thus have no rulers of any kind. In his own words, it feels "wrong" for him to sit on the throne]].
* NominalHero: Upon being reawakened, Adam proceeds to become a thorn in the Intergang's side as he lays waste to many of the members. He is able to tell the helpless from the agressors, but fights out of rage rather than justice or heroism, and is initially unconcerned with Adrianna's resistance movement and desire to free Kahndaq. It's only much later that Adam chooses to become a protector of his people.
* NoSell: An Intergang grunt tries whacking Black Adam in the head with a metal rod. Adam doesn't even flinch, but the rod is bent from the impact.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Though Teth-Adam speaks Egyptian (before suddenly learning English, possibly thanks to Adrianna summoning him by reading hieroglyphics in the English language and Wisdom of Zehutil), he speaks with the Rock's natural American accent, which stands out due to every other Kahndaqi native speaking with Middle-Eastern-sounding inflections.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Upon reawakening in the present day, he kills several members of the Intergang organization not out of belief in Adrianna's cause, but pure rage. He initially refuses to have anything to do with her vendetta against the gang, but eventually grows closer to her and her son and becomes the hero she wanted him to be.
* NotSoStoic: Despite his typically serious and unexpressive demeanor, Black Adam is certainly capable of strong emotion; [[spoiler:he wept after his son was killed, and in the present day, his anger and concern at Amon's life being threatened drive him to lose control of his powers, just as he did when he accidentally levelled half of Kahndaq after taking his revenge for his son's murder.]]
* OneManArmy: Black Adam passes through Intergang's toughest without breaking a sweat.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: "I'm not peaceful, nor do I surrender". [[spoiler: He willingly surrenders without resistance after his actions nearly got Amon killed.]]
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: The death of his son caused Black Adam to become the person he is now.
* PapaWolf: Hurut was the most important person in Teth-Adam's life, and he was devastated upon witnessing his son's death.
* PerpetualFrowner: The vast majority of his screen time has him keep the same angry frown on his face, along with him speaking in a low and understated tone of voice. The closest he gets to smiling is when he sports a slight grin before fighting an enemy, [[spoiler: until he finds his family in the afterlife]].
* PersonOfMassDestruction: The Wizard claims millions have died at the height of his anger and quest for vengeance and, indeed, he destroyed a large swath of Kahndaq when killing Akh-Ton in revenge back in 2600 BCE.
* PetTheDog:
** As Adrianna points out, Black Adam's first instinct upon reawakening was to butcher the soldiers that were threatening her and Karim despite having no reason to help these total strangers.
** Likely out of parental instinct, Black Adam bonds with Amon almost instantly and is heavily invested in protecting the boy when Intergang go after him.
* PhysicalGod: Teth-Adam has powers of divine origin. He died, got revived by the Wizard as the first Champion and became the ruler of Kahndaq. His powers include {{Flight}}, SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, [[PsychoElectro generating lightning]] (which was always considered in mythology and folklore a divine ability), and NighInvulnerability.
* PowerIncontinence: When he's distressed, Black Adam can unleash explosive waves of lightning.
* RaceLift: Black Adam in the comics has West Asian heritage, hailing from a country near Egypt [[note]] Kahndaq is a fictional country located in the Sinai peninsula, which is also the Asian part of Egypt as it is a trans-continential country in the real world. [[/note]] Dwayne Johnson has Black Canadian, Samoan American, and a bit of Irish heritage, although he does not have any North African or West Asian ancestry at all. This take on Black Adam also has a darker skin tone than his comic book counterpart.
* RedBaron:
** The "mightiest of mortals", a moniker traditionally associated with Billy Batson.
** Amon says he should call himself "the man in black".
* RefusingParadise: Teth-Adam comes close to death after trying to swim through arctic waters. He finds himself in an afterlife that resembles his original time period where his wife and son await him with open arms. Adam savors the moment for all it's worth, then tells his family that he can't die just yet, because their home and the greater world need his help.
* RightfulKingReturns: [[spoiler: After SABBAC is unleashed on Earth and stands against the Justice Society to sit on the throne of Kahndaq, the tide is only turned when Adam chooses to regain his powers and uses them to destroy the demon and take his place in the throne that is seemingly meant for him. Then the trope is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] as Adam refuses to be a king and destroys the throne, ensuring no one would rule over Kahndaq again.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The murder of his family incurred the tremendous wrath of a newly-empowered Teth-Adam, who used his godly might to annilihate his oppressors without mercy, even destroying a large swath of Kahndaq in the process. He even ended up killing 6 of the 7 members of the Council of Wizards when they deemed him too dangerous to roam free, before finally being sealed away.
* SarcasmBlind: He doesn't understand some sarcastic remarks Kent makes towards him, and Kent has to spell it out for Adam- introducing him to the concept. He later attemps some sarcasm on his own, but it ends up being BlatantLies instead.
* SayMyName:
** Adrianna Tomaz unleashes Black Adam by standing in his tomb and shouting "Shazam!".
** Amanda Waller somehow figured out that his powers can be deactivated if he says the magic word.
** [[spoiler: Black Adam ultimately does say it to depower himself out of guilt for almost killing Amon. When Doctor Fate calls for his aid, Adam says it once more.]]
* SealedBadassInACan:
** He was kept dormant for 5000 years until Adrianna Tomaz summoned him due to being powerful enough to wipe out 6 wizards in battle.
** [[spoiler: He chooses to give up his powers and allows himself to be locked up after endangering Amon's life when trying to save him from Ishmael. He has to be muzzled so he won't say SHAZAM again and proves to be a force to be reckoned with even without his powers.]]
* ShadowArchetype: Black Adam is everything that his successor Billy Batson isn't; where Billy is goofy and well-meaning, reveling in the life of a superhero, Adam is stoic and doesn't consider himself a hero by any measure. Billy uses his powers for his amusement and the betterment of others, while Adam uses it to destroy those who have wronged him and harm others. The only qualities they do share are an underlying desire to do good and the source of their powers, but even then, Adam is very different; Billy was Shazam's choice to be a champion, while Adam [[spoiler:received his powers from his son, Hurut]], and where Billy takes action to protect the innocent, Adam prefers to punish the wicked.
* ShockwaveClap: Black Adam can generate intense blasts with a simple - almost ''gentle'' - clap.
* ShowyInvincibleHero: Black Adam's incredible power gets quite the showing in his first appearance, where he simply allows Intergang mooks to pelt him with bullets and missiles, seemingly just to see what they feel like, before completely ignoring the onslaught to annihilate his hapless attackers.
* SinisterSilhouettes: When Adrianna Tomaz awakens Black Adam, he's wearing a thick black cloak with a hood obscuring his face. He then demonstrates how dangerous he is by grabbing one of the soldiers flanking her and frying him to death, with the rest getting absolutely massacred in quick succession.
* SmugSuper: Adam's ego, like [[TheStoic all of his emotions]], is downplayed, but it's definitely there; he considers himself a PhysicalGod whom no one on Earth can equal, but the incredible power he wields (which came from ''actual'' gods) and the ease with which he destroys most of his enemies lend considerable credibility to this belief. Hawkman even agrees with him that nothing can truly stop Black Adam other than Adam himself.
* SoftSpokenSadist: Rage-filled powerhouse he may be, but Black Adam always speaks in a coarse whisper to highlight the fact he's dead inside.
* StockShonenRival: He has this kind of relationship with Hawkman at first and there are hints that he'll form a similar rivalry with [[spoiler: Superman. No word yet on how he'll interact with Billy Batson]].
* TheStoic: In his modern day appearance, Black Adam's expression seldom changes from a scowl, and he almost never raises his voice. His shows of emotion tend to be muted, if he shows any emotion at all.
* SuperheroesWearCapes: Black Adam embracing his heroic side is illustrated when he gains a cape.
* SuperSpeed: He reacts fast enough to catch a rocket with one hand.
* SuperStrength: He easily punches an airplane in mid-air while flying, causing the plane to crash. In another sequence he throws a man into the sea, hundreds of meters away.
* SuperToughness: Machine guns don't harm him, being thrown around and destroying buildings barely cause Black Adam to react. Only eternium can harm him and even then he'll try to walk it off.
* SurvivorsGuilt: Black Adam considers his powers a curse, because [[spoiler: when an empowered Hurut tried to bestow some of them onto him by telling his father the magic word, it caused Hurut to revert back to his non-powered form, which left him vulnerable to an archer's attack]]. It comes up again when [[spoiler: he lets out a burst of lightning which nearly killed Amon. Reminded of the people who suffer when he cuts loose, Black Adam finally decides to surrender.]]
* TakesTenToHold: On the receiving end of this ''twice'' by Doctor Fate, using a spell that made several copies with anywhere between three to six of which struggled to keep Adam restrained. For Fate's part, Adam was also visibly struggling to escape, and would have succeeded in both attempts had Atom Smasher not struck him down during the second try.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: When Black Adam allies with the Justice Society, he still maintains a very difficult personality around them, which is more pronounced in Hawkman's case. It's only after [[spoiler: returning from imprisonment to fight SABBAC]] that he cooperates better and more respectfully with the JSA.
* ThereWasADoor: At first, Teth-Adam has a tendency to break through walls when other means of travel are present, [[RuleOfFunny for some reason]]. Eventually, Kent asks him if there were doors back in his time after this keeps happening for a while- and Adam confirms it!
* TooMuchAlike: While neither will admit it, Black Adam and Hawkman are both brawlers at heart with a tough stance on injustice.
* TranquilFury: His default disposition. He always keeps an intense and angry scowl on his face and typically speaks in an understated tone of voice- even though he is burning with rage inside. This is better demonstrated when he stormed king Akh-Ton's chambers in order to kill him in revenge while displaying his usual stoic expression.
* {{Troll}}: As stern as he is, Black Adam does have an impish sense of humor. When he's holding two Intergang troops hostage, he waits for the Justice Society to get within reaching distance of him. Then he drops them and gives Hawkman a smug look. When Hawkman gets on his case for trying to kill them, Black Adam points out that he deliberately waited for them to arrive so they could save his hostages. It's clear he only acted with mercy because he knew it would agitate Hawkman.
* {{Ubermensch}}: After living as a slave and losing his son, Adam swore to never again kneel before another.
* TheUnchosenOne: As it turns out, Teth-Adam is [[spoiler: not the person that wizards chose to have the power of SHAZAM; his son Hurut was, but when the king tried to have their family targeted, Hurut transferred his powers to Teth-Adam in order to save his life and was subsequently killed, leading to Adam's RoaringRampageOfRevenge.]]
* TheUnfettered: Dwayne Johnson considers a defining trait of the character to be a lack of restraint.
* VillainKiller: He shows no mercy to those who harm others. It's the whole reason why Hawkman considers him a threat. It gets a DeconReconSwitch when Black Adam [[spoiler: kills Ishmael, who was counting on this so that he could get to Hell and be reborn as SABBAC, who was only thwarted when Black Adam killed him again.]]
* VillainOfAnotherStory: Until the time came when he resurfaced in his own film, his bad reputation was just something of a cautionary tale for the wizards when granting people super powers.
* VillainProtagonist: When Black Adam debuts, he makes it clear that he's not someone to trifle with and the only reason he hasn't harmed any innocents is because he hasn't any reason to. The people of Kahndaq don't seem to mind his roughness, as every action he takes is of benefit to them.
* WhenHeSmiles: Adam spends about 98% of his screentime scowling. When he does give a genuine smile [[spoiler: after seeing his wife and son in the afterlife]], it's glorious.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: After losing his family and gaining incredible power all within the same day, he went on a destructive power trip.
* WorfHadTheFlu: Black Adam holds no restraint against the Intergang paramilitary as [[PayEvilUntoEvil he identifies them as deserving no mercy]]. But there is a sense he recognizes the JSA as genuine heroes trying to do what is right, so his actions are more in self-defense and will knock them down while avoiding a killing blow.
* WorldsStrongestMan: Black Adam can take on four superheroes at once, which puts him in the same weight division as Superman. [[spoiler: Indeed, Amanda Waller has to rely on none other than the Man of Steel himself to keep Black Adam in check.]] As all 6 beings that make up his powerset are gods, he might be stronger than his current successors in Philadelphia.
* YankTheDogsChain: After Shiruta's death and his own fatal injury, it seemed like Teth-Adam might catch a break when Hurut saved his life by sharing his powers with his father. Unfortunately, the process caused Hurut to revert back to his non-powered form just long enough for the king's assassins to kill him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Billy Batson]]
-> Has [[Characters/DCEUBillyBatson his own page]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The New Champions]]
!!''The Shazam Family''
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aef706078d34584eca2cca02e3e29b47.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"What good's power if you got nobody to share it with?"'']]
!!! '''Species:''' Empowered humans
!!! '''Citizenship:''' Americans
!!! '''Played by:''' Creator/AdamBrody (Freddy Freeman) | Creator/MichelleBorth & Creator/GraceFulton[[note]]replacing Borth in ''Fury of the Gods''[[/note]] (Mary Bromfield) | Creator/RossButler (Eugene Choi) | D. J. Cotrona (Pedro Peña) | Creator/MeaganGood (Darla Dudley)
!!! '''Appearances:''' ''[[Film/Shazam2019 SHAZAM!]]'' | ''Film/ShazamFuryOfTheGods''

When forced by Dr. Sivana to surrender his powers with the Wizard's staff, Billy Batson/Shazam finds out he can instead use it to share his powers with his foster brothers and sisters, and turns them all into adult superheroes like himself, which allows them to battle Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins on more even ground.

->For tropes applying to individual characters and their normal personas, see [[Characters/DCEUPhiladelphia Philadelphia - Vasquez foster family]].
----

* ImmuneToBullets: Upon his reawakening, several soldiers fire at him with machines guns. Black Adam is not even fazed. [[spoiler: This is, of course, averted in his depowered form, as he is shot by an A.R.G.U.S guard- though that barely slows him down.]]

* MusclesAreMeaningful: Being played by Dwayne Johnson, Adam is large and muscular and displays the biggest amount of strength in the movie. Unlike previous champions like Billy or [[spoiler: Hurut]], he already had a HeroicBuild even as a mortal- and [[spoiler: plows though A.R.G.U.S guards even in his depowered state with nothing but brute strength.]]

* ImmuneToBullets: Upon his reawakening, several soldiers fire at him with machines guns. Black Adam is not even fazed.

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Though Teth-Adam speaks Egyptian (before suddenly learning English, possibly thanks to Adrianna summoning him by reading hieroglyphics in the English language), he speaks with the Rock's natural American accent, which stands out due to every other Kahndaqi native speaking with Middle-Eastern-sounding inflections.

* RaceLift: Black Adam in the comics has African and Middle-Eastern heritage, hailing from a country near Egypt. Dwayne Johnson has African-American, Polynesian, and a bit of Irish heritage, although he does not have Middle-Eastern ancestry. This take on Black Adam also has a darker skin tone than his comic book counterpart.

Individuals who have been gifted with the powers of Shazam (the wisdom of '''S'''olomon, the strength of '''H'''ercules, the stamina of '''A'''tlas, the power of '''Z'''eus, the courage of '''A'''chilles and the speed of '''M'''ercury).

* AncientGrome: The Wizard Shazam tells Billy that Zeus, Atlas, Achilles, Hercules, and Mercury are some of the beings providing him power. The first three are Greek figures, while the latter two are Roman figures (their Greek equivalents would be Heracles and Hermes).
** This wasn't always the case. Back in ancient Kahndaq, the champion was empowered by Egyptian deities: the stamina of Shu, the strength of Hershef, the power of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the speed of Anpu and the courage of Menthu.

* ClingyCostume: Implied. Nobody who has inherited the powers of SHAZAM has ever been seen removing any part of their costumes. Played for laughs when Billy Batson has to use the toilet and changes back into his normal self just because his regular clothes are more accessible.

[[Characters/DCEUJusticeLeague Justice League]] ([[Characters/DCEUSuperman Superman]], [[Characters/DCEUBatman Batman]], [[Characters/DCEUWonderWoman Wonder Woman]], [[Characters/DCEUAquaman Aquaman]], [[Characters/DCEUTheFlash The Flash]], [[Characters/DCEUCyborg Cyborg]]) | Shazam ([[Characters/DCEUBillyBatson Billy Batson]]) | [[Characters/DCEUOtherSuperheroes Other Superheroes]] -]]]]]

* NinetiesAntiHero: An overly muscular man wearing a DarkerAndEdgier take on a superhero suit whose sense of justice was fuelled by death of his loved ones. He feels no hesitation when it comes to killing villains, but has enough decency to hold back when it comes to heroes and innocents.

* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Normally [[AvertedTrope averted]] as Adam employs his inhuman strength to its full potential and doesn't care about collateral damage. Yet things change after he [[spoiler: almost kills Amon while trying to stop Ishmael from killing him. It is then that he chooses to give up his powers and be put in stasis]].

* AntiAntiChrist: In spite of his intimidating appearance and his reputation for unleashing chaos, Black Adam is instrumental in stopping a greater threat than himself.

* AntiVillain: His rampage in Kahndaq was horrifying enough that the Council of Wizards banished him from Earth for it, and Adam himself admits that his actions were mostly motivated by vengeance and a lust for power. However, he only developed that violent thirst for power due to the injustices he and many others endured at the hands of Kahndaq's ruling elite, and his rampage was mainly targeted at said corrupt figures.

** When Hawkman approaches him, Black Adam states that he's not peaceful and he doesn't surrender.

* BaldOfAuthority: He is bald in this adaptation unlike in the comic. At the end of his film, Black Adm is given the choice to be Kahndaq's ruler, which he [[spoiler: rejects]].
* BaldHeadOfToughness: First, Black-Adam is played by The Rock, the very embodiment of this trope in Hollywood. Second, he is a PhysicalGod on roughly equal footing with Superman, at least according to his actor. Most of the official promotional advertisements for the movie hype him as a serious challenge to the Justice League.

* CivilizationDestroyer: As he grived over his son's death and sought revenge, Adam unleashed a wave of exploive energy that decimated ancient Kahndaq. The Wizard states that millions died during his rampage.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to the Wizard and Billy Batson, Black Adam provides a stark contrast. He grew up in slavery, succumbed to his wrath once empowered and his costume looks charred and sinister rather than the bright and shining outfits of other champions.

* DestructiveSavior: His fights against evildoers through the streets of Kahndaq usually involve lots of destroyed buildings and other sorts of property damage, to which he shows little concern. On a more personal and lower-scale level, [[spoiler: he almost kills Amon while trying to save him from Ishmael and his goons.]]

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Adam had a wife and a son named Hurut back when he was a slave. The death of both is what made him so bitter and violent.

* HopeBringer: Mostly an InvokedTrope by Amon, who wants to convince everyone in Kahndaq that Adam is their savior and that his arrival would bring hope and freedom to the country. He even inspires the populace to make the same gesture Hurut- a HopeBringer on his own- made to the opressed slaves during Ahn-Kot's reign. Adam eventually lives up to these expectations.

** It's not given much focus, but this trope comes up when Adam suggests that violence should be taught to Amon, which Adrianna refuses. He wants the boy to adapt quickly to the harsh nature of Kahndaq and the world while his mother iswants him to live an innocent life and disapproves of him getting involved with anti-Intergang resistance.

-->'''Black Adam:''' ''[in ancient Egyptian]'' Your magic is weak.

* KubrickStare: It's practically Adam's default expression. Given his past as a slave and his outfit including a hood, it's pretty much a habit formed from circumstance.

* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Upon reawakening in the present day, he kills several members of the Intergang not out of belief in Adrianna's cause, but pure rage. He initially refuses to have anything to do with her vendetta against the gang, but eventually grows closer to her and her son and becomes the hero she wanted him to be.

* PhysicalGod: Teth-Adam has powers of divine origin. He died, got revived by the Wizard as the first Champion and became the ruler of Kahndaq. His powers include {{Flight}}, SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, [[PsychoElectro generating lightning]] (which was always considered in mythology and folklore a divine ability), and possibly, {{Immortality}}.

* GentleTouchVsFirmHand: It's not given much focus, but this trope comes up when Adam suggests that violence should be taught to Amon, which Adrianna refuses. He is the Firm Hand who wants the boy to adapt quickly to the harsh nature of Kahndaq and the world while his mother is the Gentle Touch that wants him to live a life as peaceful and innocent as he can.

* PersonOfMassDestruction: The Wizard claims millions have died at the height of his anger and quest for vengeance and, indeed, he destroyed a large swath of Kahndaq when killing Ahn-Kot back in 2600 BCE.

* ThereWasADoor: At first, Teth-Adam has a tendency to break through walls when other means of travel are present, [[RuleOfFunny for some reason]]. Eventually, someone asks him if there were doors back in his time after this keeps happening for a while.

* TranquilFury: His default disposition. He always keeps an intense and angry scowl on his face and typically speaks in a low tone of voice- even though he is burning with rage inside. This is better demonstrated when he stormed Anh-Kot's chambers in order to kill him in revenge while displaying his usual stoic expression.

* FlashStep: In his initial fight with the Intergang thugs Adam flies with tremendous speed from one enemy to another in a manner that looks like is teleporting across the scenery.

* LightningBruiser: Black Adam is so fast that he can barely be seen, so durable that nothing short of eternium [[spoiler:or Sabbac]] can even slow him down, and he's so mighty that he can casually toss a grown man miles away.

* MurderIsTheBestSolution: His first (and usually only) solution to enemy combatants is to destroy them, even when it's laughably obvious that they pose no threat to him. This is the major sticking point between Adam and [[ThouShaltNotKill Hawkman]], who is much more of a traditional hero.

* {{Ubermensch}}: After living as a slave and losing his son, Adam swore to never again kneel before another.
* TheUnfettered: Dwayne Johnson considers a defining trait of the character to be a lack of restraint.

* VillainProtagonist: When Black Adam debuts, he makes it clear that he's not someon to trifle with and the only reason he hasn't harmed any innocents is because he hasn't any reason to. The people of Kahndaq don't seem to mind his roughness, as every action he takes is of benefit to them.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: [[spoiler:In the New 52 comics, he killed Aman to steal the Entirety of his nephew’s power. Here his son (who acts in Aman’s role from the comics) was killed by an archer much to his father’s horror]].

* AntiHeroSubstitute: As it's later revealed, Black Adam was a substitute for his son Hurut, the original Champion who displayed a far more idealistic attitude towards heroism.

* GoMadFromTheIsolation: A DeletedScene reveals that upon becoming the sole remaining member of the Council, he has had to endure the taunts from the imprisoned Seven Deadly sins for ''centuries'', and may have suffered a breakdown of sorts resulting in his flawed judgement.

* SarcasmBlind: He doesn't understand some sarcastic remarks Carter makes towards him, and Kent has to spell it out for Adam- introducing him to the concept. He later attemps some sarcasm on his own, but it ends up being BlatantLies instead.

* HenshinHero: The transformation into the champion is invoked by shouting "SHAZAM!". Played for laughs with Billy Batson, who changes regardless of how he says it.

* AntiAntiChrist: In spite of his cruel reputation, Black Adam is instrumental in stopping a far greater threat than himself.

* MadeOfIndestructium: He holds a rocket that explodes in his hand and shows no scratches after getting caught in the explosion.

* SurvivorsGuilt: Black Adam considers his powers a curse, because [[spoiler: when an empowered Hurut tried to bestow some of them onto him by telling his father the magic word, it caused him to revert back to his non-powered form, which left him exposed to an archer]]. It comes up again when [[spoiler: he lets out a burst of lightning which nearly killed Amon. Reminded of the people who suffer when he cuts loose, Black Adam finally decides to surrender.]]

* VillainKiller: He shows no mercy to those who harm others. It's the whole reason why Hawkman considers him a threat.

* WorldsStrongestMan: Black Adam can take on four superheroes at once, which puts him in the same weight division as Superman. [[spoiler: Indeed, Amanda Waller has to rely on none other than the Man of Steel himself to keep Black Adam in check.]]

* WorldsStrongestMan: Black Adam can take on four superheroes at once, which puts him in the same weight division as Superman. [[Spoiler: Indeed, Amanda Waller has to rely on none other than the Man of Steel himself to keep Black Adam in check.]]

* SealedBadassInACan: He was kept dormant for 5000 years until Adrianna Tomaz summoned him due to being powerful enough to wipe out 6 wizards in battle.

* TokenEvilTeammate: When Black Adam allies with the Justice Society.

* WorldsStrongestMan: Black Adam can take on four superheroes at once, which puts him in the same weight division as Superman.

** In ancient times, he gifted the wrong type of person with the powers of Shazam, and had to deal with the destructive consequences.

* CompositeCharacter: With Aman from the New 52 continuity, who was chosen for the SHAZAM powers and shared them with Teth-Adam before he died.

** Also inverted: Black Adam in the comics is empowered by Hercules, whom the Rock had previously played. In the film, Teth-Adam is empowered by Egyptian gods.

** This wasn't always the case. Back when there were seven wizards, they used deities from Egyptian mythology to empower their champions, giving them the stamina of Shu, the strength of Hershef, the power of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the speed of Anpu and the courage of Menthu.

** The new generation (Billy Batson and the Marvel Family) wear suits that resemble the modern superhero outfit, specifically Superman. Mary's outfit has a skirt and Darla's outfit has trousers and sleeves. Their outfits would later become darker and more metallic, with Mary's in particular bearing some resemblance to Wonder Woman's.