A supporting
character first published by
Fawcett Comics.
Uncle Marvel
first appeared in
Wow Comics #5.
Mary Batson was the sister of Billy Batson and both shared a
secret. When either of the two siblings said the word "Shazam!" they
were transformed into superpowered beings. Billy was called in his
super-powered form Captain Marvel and Mary was called Mary Marvel. The
two had many adventures and those adventures Mary recorded in a book
she called her Ledger of Good Deeds.
Unfortunately, Mary lost the Ledger of Good Deeds and it was discovered
by an elderly but spry old man with last name of Dudley. Dudley was
not the most honest of men and after reading the Ledger and discovering
all of the secrets of the Marvel Family, Dudley decided to get in on the
act himself.
He approached Mary Batson and introduced himself as her Uncle Dudley
from California. He explained that he to possessed super powers like
the rest of the Marvel Family. He and Mary then shouted Shazam! and
when the lightning flash cleared, Dudley stood there in costume, calling
himself Uncle Marvel. Dudley had created a set of tear away clothes and
torn them off to reveal the costume beneath.
Uncle Marvel possessed no super powers, but never let on that he didn't.
He would beg off super-human feats by explaining that his Shazam-bago
was kicking up and that he would love to, but just not today. He did
attempt to fly once using a rocket pack, but it proved too dangerous so
Dudley retired the pack.
The other members of the Marvel Family put up with Uncle Marvel, because
he started a company to help others from the moneies given to the Marvel
Family by those they helped. This act of charity and goodwill won
Uncle Marvel a place in the Marvel Family.
Dudley did have an actual niece who became a friend of Mary Marvel's.
She occasionally would dress in a costume similar to Mary's and call
herself Freckles Marvel, though she never claimed to have super-powers.