Today's the birthday of the World's Wickedest Scientist...Thaddeus Bodog Sivana. Fawcett Comics' entry in the pantheon of evil, bald geniuses, concocted his first scheme in Whiz Comics #2 (Feb, 1940). Sivana, the creation of Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, was a hammier version of DC's Luthor. That said, he appeared in print several months before Superman's adversary. The would be ruler of the universe squared off often against Parker and Beck's smash hit, hero Captain Marvel. Sivana figured out Billy Batson's alter ego, which gave him a slight edge in their battles. But, ultimately the good Captain would foil all of his over the top plans.
However, one foe neither Sivana or Captain Marvel could vanquish, was DC Comics itself. DC believed that Fawcett had ripped off Superman. And, when Cap's sales began to eclipse the Man of Steel's, a team of lawyers engaged in an epic court battle. Eventually, DC stood triumphant, and in the 1970's bought the rights to produce Captain Marvel adventures themselves. This series, called Shazam (in a great bit of irony, DC could not entitle the book Captain Marvel, due to Marvel's using the name in the meantime), established that Sivana, Cap, and the other Fawcett characters were trapped in a substance called suspendium. Now free, this allowed them to still maintain their original ages. Soon after, the Fawcett properties were assigned the world Earth- S, in the DC mutiverse. And, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, they are all a part of the mainstream continuity.
Sivana, has led an interesting life. He has four children: The stunning Beautia, the Adonis like Magnificus, the conniving Georgia, and chip off the block Junior. He resided on Venus, and won the Nobel Prize for physics (after Captain Marvel submitted some his more peaceful inventions for consideration). Recently, he has run both his own corporation, and an incarnation of the Fearsome Five.
But, for me, his most vile act was giving Captain Marvel the nickname- The Big Red Cheese!
On the 27th, a big hand for a LITTLE man...
However, one foe neither Sivana or Captain Marvel could vanquish, was DC Comics itself. DC believed that Fawcett had ripped off Superman. And, when Cap's sales began to eclipse the Man of Steel's, a team of lawyers engaged in an epic court battle. Eventually, DC stood triumphant, and in the 1970's bought the rights to produce Captain Marvel adventures themselves. This series, called Shazam (in a great bit of irony, DC could not entitle the book Captain Marvel, due to Marvel's using the name in the meantime), established that Sivana, Cap, and the other Fawcett characters were trapped in a substance called suspendium. Now free, this allowed them to still maintain their original ages. Soon after, the Fawcett properties were assigned the world Earth- S, in the DC mutiverse. And, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, they are all a part of the mainstream continuity.
Sivana, has led an interesting life. He has four children: The stunning Beautia, the Adonis like Magnificus, the conniving Georgia, and chip off the block Junior. He resided on Venus, and won the Nobel Prize for physics (after Captain Marvel submitted some his more peaceful inventions for consideration). Recently, he has run both his own corporation, and an incarnation of the Fearsome Five.
But, for me, his most vile act was giving Captain Marvel the nickname- The Big Red Cheese!
On the 27th, a big hand for a LITTLE man...
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