The Wisdom of Solomon is the most misunderstood ability possessed by Billy Batson and the other wielders of the power of Shazam. Different writers have depicted Solomon’s Wisdom as everything from enhanced common sense to a photographic memory and gift for languages. Yet the Captain still shows signs of being a boy in a man’s body despite supposedly being the wisest of all mortals.
Shazam! #8 by Mark Waid and Goran Sudžuka offers an explanation. The comic opens with Billy dealing with the aftermath of the previous issue and a fight with Black Adam. The battle destroyed the home shared by Billy and his foster family. This prompts Billy to ponder why he didn’t think to move the fight elsewhere.
Shazam’s Wisdom of Solomon Needs to be Focused
The simple answer is that the Wisdom of Solomon is just like the rest of the powers of Shazam. It is not a constant thing that is always on. Billy Batson has to actively make a choice to use it. The Wisdom of Solomon also does not warn Billy away from foolish behavior. It merely guides him towards solutions when he thinks about a problem.
There is a good deal of sense to this. Billy has to make an active choice to use his other powers, moving at normal velocities until he needs the Speed of Mercury. There is no real reason why the Wisdom of Solomon should function any differently than all the other powers of Shazam.
This is made clear later in the comic when Billy is pondering how to deal with an alien invasion. Once he calls upon the power of Shazam and applies his mind to solving the problem, he comes up with the perfect plan to save the day. This neatly explains every instance where the Captain seemed less than wise. It also prevents the Big Red Cheese from seeming too overpowered.
Shazam #8 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
