Shazam Outsold Superman Until Lawsuit

In 1939, Fawcett Comics debuted Billy Batson's superhero alter ego, then called Captain Marvel (now known as Shazam), whose titles became some of the world's bestselling comics and sometimes outsold Superman. Detective Comics, Inc., the company that became DC, argued that Captain Marvel copied Superman and took Fawcett to court. The lawsuit lasted more than a decade and ended with National Comics Publications prevailing, forcing Fawcett to stop publishing the hero. In 1972, DC licensed the Marvel Family and reintroduced Captain Marvel in Shazam! #1.

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