One Of Shazam’s Earliest Foes Is DC’s Most Tragic Villain

One of Shazam’s earliest foes, Ibac, is also one of his most tragic. A twisted mirror of Shazam, Ibac has been a thorn in the side of the World’s Mightiest Mortal for years, and in 1973’s Shazam #4, in a story titled “Ibac the Cursed,” he has reformed but gets pressed back into service by the same demonic entities that gave him his powers so long ago.

While Black Adam and Doctor Sivana are usually seen as Shazam’s greatest foes, the rest of his rogue’s gallery is not to be discounted either. Ibac is another, and as mentioned earlier, he is a dark version of Shazam; he first appeared in 1942’s Captain Marvel Adventures #8, from Fawcett Comics. Just as the Shazam draws his powers from mythological heroes, with the first letter of each name spelling out the word “Shazam,” Ibac draws his powers from some of history’s most evil villains: Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun, and Caligula, which spells out “Ibac.” Born Stanley Printwhistle, he was a normal, run-of-the-mill crook who was defeated by Shazam. He sold his soul to the devil in exchange for powers to beat Shazam, but since Ibac has never defeated him, his soul is still his.

In 1973’s Shazam #4 by Denny O’Neill with art by Shazam co-creator C.C. Beck, Shazam runs into Stanley on the street. He tells Shazam he is reformed and now working an honest job as a custodian; he has not turned into Ibac in almost a decade. However, his “benefactors” have other plans for Stanley, and psychically influence him to say his magic word. Shazam has since turned back into Billy; Ibac tries to kidnap him, but Billy is able to transform. He and Ibac fight across the city, and Shazam has worn him down. Ibac’s benefactors, angered over their champion’s inability to beat Shazam, withdraw their powers. Printwhistle then returns to his ordinary life.

While the story was presented with all the whimsy of a classic, Golden Age Shazam adventure, there is a layer of darkness underneath. Printwhistle had tried so hard to put his days as Ibac behind him and was largely successful. Yet he was forced to transform back into his brutish villain by powers beyond his control. It happened once, and the story hints it could happen again. Another, darker twist is that if Ibac is ever successful in defeating Shazam, then his soul is forfeit to Satan. Ibac is a tragic villain, a man desperately trying to escape his past, but still at the mercy of it.

Ibac is one of Shazam’s oldest foes, a dark reflection of what Shazam stands for; he is also one of the most tragic. While his soul was never given to the Devil, he has still paid greatly for the bargain.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1387 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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