Panel Vision - Shazam! Easter Eggs Explained

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So, Shazam is upon us and, for a change of pace, DC’s new blockbuster seems to be doing really well.  That’s not a huge shake-up to be fair as Aquaman and Wonder Woman both found a major audience and received overall positive reviews, it largely just feels like Shazam’s place as the third success under DC’s belt has finally marked the company exiting the shadows and making good movies for a change.  A big part of that change has been a shift in approach to the idea of continuity.  

Previously DC films were all about crafting a meticulous extended universe of inter-connected plot points and characters.  More recently that particular wrinkle has taken a serious backseat to things like good characters and fun action, which is absolutely for the best.  However, it’s not as if the DC films are completely devoid of Easter Eggs, shocking cameos, or post-credit scene teases and Shazam was no exception.  As such, I’ve put together this list of 5 shocking appearances in Shazam. 

MR. MIND

If you saw Shazam this little guy should look at least somewhat familiar as he appeared both as a prisoner in the anti-chamber of the Rock of Eternity and in the film’s first post-credits scene visiting Doctor Sivana in his cell.  This is Mr. Mind, a talking brain worm from the planet Venus.  Mr. Mind is one of Shazam’s greatest enemies if not his outright arch-foe, having fought the entire Shazam family multiple times and formed and even forming the Monster Society of Evil, a team of supervillains dedicated to destroying Shazam.  

He’s an alien conqueror with the power to crawl into people’s brains and manipulate their actions, communicating via a radio around his neck, also he needs glasses because these comics were written for children and it absolutely shows.  Honestly, I’m kind of amazed Mr. Mind made it into the final film let alone getting such a build up for a sequel but I’m incredibly pleased he did as he has a real habit of turning into a giant evil butterfly for final confrontations and that’s something I really want to see. 

BLACK ADAM

Aside from Sivana and Mr. Mind, Black Adam is one of Shazam’s most formidable and well-known enemies.  As such, it’s no surprise that he ended up getting a small cameo in Shazam, especially given his origin.  He’s basically the dark, anti-hero version of Shazam in that he was a champion for good in ancient North Africa before his family was murdered.  He used his powers to exact vengeance on the killer and so became one of those heroes that kills bad guys to make a point.  

The movie version of Black Adam actually seems a tad more villainous than this as, according to the story of the fallen champion told by the old wizard Shazam, he set free the 7 Deadly Sins on the Earth wiping out whole peoples and civilizations.  DC/WB has been desperate to make a Black Adam film for a long while now, even getting The Rock under contract to play the role well before the Shazam movie even had a star.  As such his cameo is no surprise but it is a little bizarre they’ve upped his evil factor given his role as an anti-hero was the crux of his popularity in the mid-2000s. 

CROCODILE-MEN

This was such an incredibly shocking and deep cut cameo I could barely find a good image for this entry.  So if you don’t remember these guys because their appearance was incredibly brief, during Shazam’s climax Shazam and his family are rushing through the Rock of Eternity and stumble upon an array of doors.  Opening several doors at random, the biggest of them opens to a room where a trio of suit-wearing men with crocodile heads are playing cards and immediately try to attack our heroes.  

These are the Crocodile-Men, somewhat obscure Shazam villains from forever ago who tend to pop up sporadically as fun B and C level antagonists.  They’ve never really had a concrete leader, usually working as goons for the likes of Mr. Mind, but their presence has made crocodile people one of the core recurring visuals this series likes to blindside fans with. 

HOPPY THE MARVEL BUNNY

Another blink and you’ll miss it deep cut but one I actually don’t think is any kind of set-up or pay-off.  During one of the scenes around Billy’s foster home, the youngest child Darla can be seen to have a pink plushy rabbit designed to look exactly like Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny.  Hoppy is a somewhat bizarre aspect of the Shazam family, dating back to the time Shazam was called Captain Marvel (hence Hoppy being the Marvel Bunny.)  

He’s an anthropomorphic pink rabbit who wears a Shazam costume and has all of Shazam’s powers and sapient intelligence.  He’s sort of like if Bugs Bunny was a superhero and is thoroughly bizarre, kind of a precursor to the various super pets that would eventually populate the DCU like Krypto or Ace, the Bat-Hound.  I doubt Hoppy was there for anything more than a cute fan shout out, though if they did bring him to life in a sequel as like a visual gag it’s not as if he’d be any weirder than Rocket Raccoon. 

IBIS THE INVINCIBLE

This isn’t the strangest Easter egg of the list but it is definitely the most surprising given what a D-list character Ibis the Invincible is.  He’s a magician with a uniquely Egyptian magic wand who was one of several characters created by Fawcett Comics back in the ‘40s.  When Fawcett went bankrupt and was purchased by DC in the ‘70s to acquire the Shazam rights they also got the rights to the likes of Ibis along with folks like Bulleteer and Spysmasher and all manner of other heroes you’ve never heard of because they were more obscure than Shazam and even less integrated.  

As such, when the Ibis stick, his magic wand, made a surprise appearance in the Rock of Eternity’s anti-chamber my jaw hit the floor.  I highly doubt we’ll be seeing an Ibis movie any time soon and it’s also pretty unlikely they’ll have him as a supporting hero in Shazam 2 given the size of the Shazamily in this movie but still, I salute whatever props department guy slipped that in there. 

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