Black Adam: we discover his appearances in the world of video games

Black Adam

"Heroes don't kill people" - "I do": these two words are enough to sum up the philosophy of life of Black Adam, the DC Comics hero who is about to make his film debut. The character played by Dwayne Johnson has deep roots in the DC comics and videogame universe: on the occasion of the release of Black Adam next Thursday 20 October, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, we decided to explore the story in this special of Black Adam and his appearances in the world of video games, from LEGO titles to the Injustice series to the landing on Multiversus.

The origins of Black Adam are a story of revenge and a thirst for power and for this reason it is to always considered a dark character in the DC universe. At the cinema, however, we will see him in a role that we do not yet know. He owes his powers to the Wizard Shazam, just like the hero "Shazam" proper, the Billy Batson played by Zachary Levi (not to be confused hereinafter with the Wizard) but the genesis of his powers is very different. Black Adam was born in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Kahndaq, five thousand years ago. His true identity was that of Teth-Adam, a slave chosen by the Wizard Shazam to fight his oppressors. After his son sacrificed himself to save him, however, Teth-Adam embarked on a ruthless quest for revenge, which led to him being locked up for five millennia and only making his return in the 21st century.

His comics origins even see him kill his nephew, originally chosen by the Wizard Shazam as a champion against the forces of evil. This is because after an attempt to escape from those who had enslaved him, Adam is wounded and his nephew, pure of heart and ideal container for receiving the powers of lightning, asks the wizard to bestow the gift of him on his uncle as well. However, since he has lost his entire family, Adam wants to use his power to take revenge and does not let anyone stop him, so begins the story of one of the most iconic characters in the DC universe.

From the first appearance to the Lego titles

The LEGO version of Black Adam had a starring role only in Lego DC Supervillains The videogame story of Black Adam begins in 2011 when DC Universe Online, an MMO now free-to-play, is released where users can create their own custom superhero. Here we see him clashing with Green Lantern in the great battle between good and bad that starts the events of the game. Users could go on missions with Black Adam, but they couldn't take control of it. In 2012 he becomes a playable character in LEGO Batman 2 DC Superheroes for the first time. While not involved in the original story, Black Adam is a character available as part of the Villain Pack DLC. In LEGO Batman 3 Gotham and Beyond, however, it can be unlocked in the trophy room of the watchtower.

Black Adam has a more starring role in LEGO DC Super Villains, a 2018 game starring the antagonists most famous of the DC universe. Here an entire level is dedicated to the liberation and recruitment of the lightning warrior, held captive in a sarcophagus inside the Gotham History Museum. Joker and his companions succeed in their mission and with the help of their new ally they defeat Shazam and imprison him. The powers of this LEGO version of Black Adam are all related to lightning: he can launch electric orbs, use a beam to hit distant enemies and can hover in the air exploring the map and its surroundings. Finally, his powers are indispensable to activate the generators and other electrical puzzle mechanics scattered around the game world.

The Injustice series

Black Adam is one of the most iconic characters in the game. Injustice series The video games that have allowed his fans to take on the role of Black Adam at his peak are undoubtedly the two chapters of the Injustice series. These 2.5D fighting games were developed by NetherRealm Studios with the first, Injustice: Gods Among Us, making its debut in 2013. The Black Adam version of this game is great for stuning opponents and disrupting their combos. , but he himself fails to chain many consecutive attacks. His other specialty is zone control with skills designed to punish those who get too close or block the opponent in a corner. He even has an unblockable attack surrounding him with three balls of lightning, meant to be activated in the middle of a combo to distract and demoralize the opponent. His ultimate he is among the quickest to charge, but he can't deal much damage and it is advisable to use it to extend the duration of combos.

For the sequel, Injustice 2, NetherRealm rethought the role of Black Adam to make him a well-rounded character capable of handling longer combos and stage control. His naturally lightning-based ranged attack is considered by many experienced players to be one of the best openings for getting close to the opponent and starting the fight. When he blocks he is very tough and durable and has one of the easiest learning curves on the roster. His attacks make him a multipurpose character who, even after an initial debuff, has remained a player favorite. Black Adam just made his debut on the mobile version of Injustice 2. There, all of his abilities are ranged attacks that revolve around electricity manipulation and allow him to hit his enemies with relentless bursts of lightning. He is great against heroes who only have melee attacks, while playing as a team he has very effective synergies with his nemesis Shazam which allows him to heal himself more effectively.

Collaborations and upcoming releases

To celebrate the release of the Black Adam film, a skin for Fortnite could not be missing In view of the release of the film on October 20, in which he is played by Dwayne Johnson, the videogame version of Black Adam is being redone for look more like the American actor of Samoan origins. This is particularly seen in Injustice 2 Mobile, where he is very different from the cartoon version of the original video game and instead looks a lot like Johnson. Even in Fortnite, which is about to receive a celebratory skin for the launch of the film, Black Adam will have exactly the features of the former wrestler and the costume identical to that of the film.

Black Adam, however, seems to be really only at home in 2D fighting games. It has already been confirmed that the DC hero will make his debut in Multiversus, the Smash Bros.-style platform fighter developed by Player First Games. Here his look will return to being similar to that of the comics, but we do not yet know the details of his fighting style. He will be the fifth DC character to join the game after Harley Queen, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman - it will be interesting to see the interactions and synergies he can achieve in battle.

Black Adam will make his Multiversus debut during season 1 Black Adam is one of the most fascinating characters in the DC universe and his many versions made for the gaming world do justice to the concept created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck in 1945. Over the course of nearly 80 years of honored career, Black Adam has had several origin stories, roles and nemeses, but has always remained an icon of rebellion and defiance of the preconceived order.

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