Now that a Black Adam movie has been set in stone with a release date, what key comic books surrounding it might be worth speculating on? The high market value of Black Adam’s first appearance poses a challenge, so perhaps we can look to the possible antagonists. Outside of the obvious Captain Marvel/Shazam or the popular Green Lanterns, here are a few of the other likely antagonists and their keys.
FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOKOLIPS
With a kill count of two against the family of Black Adam, the Four Horsemen of the Apokolips might not be the most historic antagonists, but they are certainly one of the deadliest. The team is embodied by Azraeuz (death), Rogga (war), Yurd (famine), and Zorm (pestilence).
The first of the Horsemen to appear was the humanoid-crocodile Yurd in 52 #26 (2007). His history with Black Adam began when he disguised himself as Sobek and became a trusted companion to Black Adam’s brother-in-law Amon Tomaz/Osiris. When Osiris was wrought with guilt over killing the Persuader, he decided to give up his power, but his weakened human form provided Sobek with an opportunity to eat him.
The rest of the Horsemen first appeared just a few months later in 52 #38 (2007); in which they were created by the Science Squad to fight against Black Adam. The Four Horsemen mounted an attack on Black Adam’s Kahndaq; during which Zorm succeeded in infecting Black Adam’s wife, Isis, with deadly diseases that she ultimately succumbed to.
The only sale of note for 52 #26 is a CGC 9.8 sold in 2015 for $27.17. In the same month, a CGC 9.8 of 52 #38 sold for a similar $21.98. Raw copies are even more affordable at dollar bin price levels. Fairly affordable to collect the Four Horsemen of the Apokolips.
HAWKMAN
Prior rumors do put Hawkman at the top of the antagonist list. The pair had quite the clash in Black Adam: The Dark Age, specifically issue #3, when Hawkman tries to reason with Black Adam in his quest to gather the separate parts of the Amulet of Isis and ultimately resurrect Isis. Hawkman is indeed one of the few characters that can put up a fistfight against Black Adam. However, the Black Adam: The Dark Age story arc, although very epic, seems to be more suited for a sequel rather than an initial introduction of the character. Perhaps the plan is to focus on the ancient Egyptian connection of Prince Khufu and Teth-Adam.
The first Hawkman, Carter Hall, first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (1940), which may be out of the reach of many collectors at prices above the tens of thousands for CGC 3.0 and above. Fortunately, there exists a more affordable Katar Hol iteration and Silver Age Hawkman's first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #34 (1961). Although the volume of sales is relatively low, sales prices for this book are up year over year across every grade.
LADY BLAZE
A key player in Black Adam’s history isn’t just Shazam, but also the wizard's own daughter Blaze. Teth-Adam was originally favored by Shazam and deemed a worthy successor to his powers, but Blaze interfered by corrupting him with the desires of becoming the pharaoh of Egypt. This subsequently put him at odds with Shazam. Despite this key role in pushing Teth-Adam into the dark side, the roadblock to Blaze being an antagonist in a Black Adam movie is that Blaze’s influence on Teth-Adam’s morality was later retconned in recent comics.
Despite the uncertainty of this character role in Black Adam’s history, raw copies of her first appearance comic in Action Comics #655 (1990) sell for under the $2 level.
METAMORPHO
An ancient Egyptian named Ahk-Ton used the Orb of Ra, which was created by a radioactive meteorite, to control Metamorpho and gain power. He was subsequently defeated and was turned into Metamorpho. As his name might suggest, Metamorpho has the superpower of turning parts of his body into different elements/materials. The Orb of Ra is later found by the mercenary Rex Mason, who uses his powers for good including forming the Outsiders at points joining the Justice League. The first appearance of Metamorpho is The Brave and the Bold #57 (1965), which has seen rising sales prices rise in the last year; the highest of which is possible the CGC 8.0 grade which increased almost +50%.
KOBRA
Not to be confused with G.I. Joe’s Cobra Command, the Kobra here is the reason for Black Adam’s departure from the Justice Society of America. After being captured for his rampant string of terrorism, Kobra is put on trial for his crimes. Unfortunately for the side of justice, Kobra’s followers took a bunch of hostages and force a stalement. Unable to resolve the situation, the JSA allows Kobra to go free. This outcome doesn't sit well with Black Adam, so he ends up leaving the JSA. Overall, Kobra and his Strike Force Kobra team’s machinations could be an interesting foil to Black Adam’s brute strength. Kobra’s first appearance was in Kobra #1 (1976).
“…Left searching… a word stolen from my thoughts… a word stolen from my lips… the word. The word that shall set me free.” – Black Adam
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