Seven Deadly Enemies of Man
Seven powerful demons, based upon the seven deadly sins enumerated in Christianity, who can take control of both humans and superheroes. The Sins were captured by the wizard Shazam many years ago, and encased in seven mockingly cartoon-like stone statues. The seven statues housing each demon are on display in Shazam's underground lair in the subway in the original comics, and in the Rock of Eternity in the modern comics. The demons have escaped their prisons several times to cause havoc, usually freed by another villain. In one story King Kull releases them, planning to make Sin bombs which cause people to commit sins by affecting their minds and destroy the world. Cap follows King Kull to his Evil Olympus and turns to Billy Batson to get through the alarm systems. As he runs out to transform and capture the Sins, his feet catches on a loose bomb, causing him to fall and hit his head on the floor. A Sin seizes him to stop him speaking, and Kull says he will use the ray that restored the Sins to turn Billy to stone, but Billy kicks the gun away and bites the Sin's hand so it releases his mouth, enabling him to summon Captain Marvel. Kull is defeated and the Sins again imprisoned in stone. In the original Fawcett stories and most other versions, the Seven Sins were "censored" to an extent in keeping with 1940s standards, identified as the "Seven Deadly Enemies of Man" and including Pride, Envy, Greed, Hatred, Laziness, Selfishness, and Injustice among their ranks.
Most post-2000 appearances of the Seven Deadly Sins identify them by their traditional theological versions (Pride, Envy, Greed, Anger, Sloth, Gluttony, and Lust). When the Spectre destroyed the Rock of Eternity and killed Shazam the Sins were released. When the Rock was rebuilt the Sins were again captured, although they try to torment Marvel, and they are implied to have caused trouble at a full moon. It is claimed that Pride is the most rude and dangerous.
Read more about this topic: List Of Marvel Family Enemies
Famous quotes containing the words deadly, enemies and/or man:
“Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)
“I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“When a Man is in a serious Mood, and ponders upon his own Make, with a Retrospect to the Actions of his Life, and the many fatal Miscarriages in it, which he owes to ungoverned Passions, he is then apt to say to himself, That Experience has guarded him against such Errors for the future: But Nature often recurs in Spite of his best Resolutions, and it is to the very End of our Days a Struggle between our Reason and our Temper, which shall have the Empire over us.”
—Richard Steele (1672–1729)