Black Adam’s Replacement Reveals His Superhero Name

Teth-Adam chooses his descendant Malik White as a successor to assume control of his lightning powers and guide Khandaq to a bright future, giving him the name White Adam as a symbol of this responsibility.

Malik's sudden ascension to superhero and diplomatic stardom occurs in Black Adam #2. A dying Theo Teth-Adam is infected with a plague that is slowly turning his body into a charred, black mess, and the origins of this disease may be tied to an imposter Darkseid that he battled in flashback scenes in Black Adam #1. Summoning the last of his strength, Black Adam demands that Malik take his ring and utter the magic word "Shazam." After Malik refuses, one of Black Adam's doctors shoots Malik, leaving him with no choice but to follow orders. In an instant, Malik is surrounded by lightning and dressed in a white costume emblazoned with a lightning bolt. "Behold -- my successor, my redeemer," Black Adam says. " From this day forward, now begins the new legacy of White Adam."

Malik, for his part, isn't impressed with his outfit, exclaiming that he's "dressed like a male stripper." After Black Adam tries to explain the rationale behind the White Adam costume and name, pointing out that he hopes for his successor to redeem his violent legacy, Malik mutters, "This 'black = bad, white = good' crap -- you do realize we don't do that anymore."

Despite his skeptical words, Malik does use his powers to teleport Black Adam to a hospital in an attempt to save his distant ancestor's life. Unfortunately, they arrive too late, and the nurse tells him that Black Adam is dead -- leaving the young, fast-talking Malik with a heavy weight on his shoulders as he muses over the massive shoes he's meant to fill.

Future issues of Black Adam have put Malik on the cover and hinted that the death of the series' titular character is only temporary. A plot synopsis for the Black Adam series reads, "Haunted by the specter of centuries of dark deeds, Black Adam transfers his powers to a worthy successor who will redeem Adam's legacy and defend their ancestral homeland of Kahndaq, only to subsequently become mystically 'handcuffed' to him when Adam's plague is arrested, giving birth to perhaps the most volatile and dysfunctional super-team in DC history!"

Black Adam #2 comes from writer Christopher Priest, illustrator Rafa Sandoval, colorist Matt Herms, letterer Willie Schubert, cover artist Irvin Rodriguez and variant cover artists Sandoval, Herms, Brandon Peterson, Imone Di Meo and Rafael Sarmento. The issue is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC

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