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Shazam: Little Billy Batson Wish Fulfillment Embodied More than anything, Captain Marvel's (or Shazam's, to use the name of his most recent incarnation) story can be described as the ultimate tale of wish fulfillment. After losing his parents to a mysterious accident while they were on an archaeological dig, homeless orphan Billy Batson was lead into an eerie underground chamber filled with statues of the "seven deadly enemies of man," where he met the ancient wizard Shazam, who granted Billy incredible powers which were bestowed by a bolt if lightning whenever Billy spoke the wizard's name. As a result of this, the teenage Billy took the form of the full-grown and adult Captain Marvel every time he invoked these powers. Captain Marvel's story is about growing up, realizing the responsibility that comes with adulthood, and trying hard not to lose your innocence in the face of a jaded and harsh world.

Billy (Peter Billingsley) is shocked to discover that his father (Edward Herrmann) mother Sally (Catherine Hicks) are getting divorced. Torn away from his beloved New York City, Billy is relocated to Arizona along with her mother’s childhood sweetheart, Mike (Paul LeMat) whom she has reconnected with.

To make things worse, upon arriving in Death Valley for a vacation before their move, Billy stumbles upon a crime scene and becomes enmeshed in a life or death struggle with a mysterious man who is stalking the family.

Peter Billingsley is easily the star of the show. It’s a lot for any actor to handle, much less a child actor, and Billingsley plays everything right. Catherine Hicks is also notable as Billingsley’s mother. Before Child’s Play, Hicks was playing a mother doing everything possible to protect her child from murderous danger. She’s a very capable actress, and doesn...