Sergeant Marvel
Black Mary
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Real Identity: Mary Bromfield
Affiliations: The Team, Sentinels of Magic, and Furies
Appearances (Episodes): Odnu!, Nomed Esir!, Teg Ydaer!, Og Htrof Dna Reuqnoc!, Kaerb Ym Traeh!, Ebb Tide, and Death and Rebirth
Appearances (Comics): Yesterday's Children: Memory Six
Powers/Skills: Mystic Absorption, Flight, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Speed, and Impenetrability
Voiced By: Erika Ishii
In 2001, Mary was born. She was separated at birth from her twin brother Billy Batson. She was adopted right away by the Bromfields, a relatively well, off upper middle class family. Mary Bromfield became one of Billy Batson's best friends at school, along with Freddy and Kit Freeman. At some point, Batson and Bromfield learned of their relation. Between Team Year One and Team Year Two, Captain Marvel gave Bromfield one-third of his power. She took on the codename Sergeant Marvel. She joined the Team in Team Year Three and was assigned the designations A-07 and B-15. At or around age 11, Bromfield became infatuated with her powers and began doing things more appropriate to Sergeant's 18-year-old body than her true age. She spent more and more time as Sergeant Marvel until the point she essentially stopping being Mary Bromfield. Her family and friends were concerned for her. Bromfield promised to cut back but she always relapsed. Freeman and Batson convinced Mary Bromfield to stop using her powers. In Team Year Five, she left the Team.
In June Team Year Six, Bromfield attended Wally West's funeral. At some point, Bromfield became a protege of Zatanna as one of her Sentinels of Magic. Bromfield was able to use her connection to the power of Shazam to conjure magic by tapping into sources of mystic energy. She settled on tapping into the magic in Earth's ley lines. On February 23rd, Team Year Ten, Zatanna trained her Sentinels. On May 13th, 20:20 EDT, Zatanna held a training exercise in Manhattan for the Sentinels. They were tasked with catching Trogowogs. Bromfield touched the street and drew in magic then called on the Power of Zeus and blasted one. She called on the Speed of Mercury. A Trogowog ran out of control at super speed like a pinball. It fell over and Bromfield boxed it. She called on the Strength of Hercules to bend a light pole to get another. Zatanna advised them to have better awareness of their surroundings and graded them a B minus then set the Trogowogs through a portal. She told each Sentinel how to improve. For Bromfield, Zatanna told her to stop thinking like a superhero because magic was not just about giving or getting meta-abilities and suggested using her imagination when she tapped into Earth's leylines of other sources of mystic power.
They soon felt a mystic pulse set off by the arrival of a Lord of Chaos. Zatanna took the Sentinels to a carousel. Bromfield chose a tiger and referred to it as "Mr. Tawny." Zatanna cast a spell and they flew. Bromfield likened it to Mary Poppins and noted they could have just taken the subway. Zatanna asked where the fun would be in that. Khalid Nassour inquired what Zatanna meant about not thinking like a superhero. Bromfield told him she used to be one and was on a covert team so he would have never heard of her. They nearly collided with a Metropolis Elementary school bus. They landed in Harlem and entered Madame Xanadu's parlor. Zatanna introduced her proteges but Xanadu knew their names already. They soon learned they were now in New Orleans. At 22:43 CDT, they looked at Preservation Hall across the street. Bromfield thought the parlor looked like a tourist trap. Xanadu admitted it once was and explained her origins to them. As part of the spell, Bromfield finished her story and stated she became what she always longed to be: the greatest seer and medium on Earth.
Xanadu admitted she lost track of the mystic pulse but she could send them to the last known location of its locus. Zatanna paid her and they took a portal to a fine jewelry store. They discovered the mystically dissected corpse of Marvin Fargo. Bromfield thought it was a ritual killing but Nassour likened it more to an anatomy lesson. Klarion and Teekl arrived shortly after. Zatanna cast a barrier and told the Sentinels to pool their magic into her. Bromfield called on the Power of Zeus but it was not enough and Klarion shattered the barrier. To his surprise, Bromfield began to draw his energy then called on the Strength of Hercules and slugged him. Klarion exclaimed she could not handle his power and fired eye beams. Zatanna cast a portal in front of Bromfield and the beams passed through and exited a portal behind Klarion and hit himself. They were unable to neutralize Teekl and Klarion split into clones of himself who strangled all four of them. Before he could kill them, Klarion was summoned away by Child, the Lord of Chaos who just arrived on Earth.
On May 14th, 00:01 EDT, Zatanna and the Sentinels came to. Nassour used magic to heal them. Bromfield wondered why Klarion spared them. The Phantom Stranger appeared and told them the reason was a summons of pure chaos. Bromfield asked if he was for real and asked who he was. He only replied he was a stranger. Zatanna was fine with two Chaos Lords destroying each other but Stranger sent her to the battle so she could get perspective. Stranger assumed the Sentinels wanted to help her so he teleported them away to find suitable help. They arrived in the sanctum sanctorum of Jason Blood in London at 05:12 BST. Bromfield was drawn to three mystic objects but Blood told her not to touch any of them each time. She apologized. Stranger convinced Blood that his "friend" was needed for the current conflict. Blood transformed into the demon Etrigan. Etrigan could sense there was another of her inside herself. Bromfield stated she was nothing like him. Stranger, Etrigan and the Sentinels headed to Roanoke Island. The Sentinels saved Zatanna from drowning in the deluge of water brought about by Child and Klarion's battle.
At 03:20 EDT, Zatanna summoned an ankh portal while the Stranger and Blood went on a recruiting tour. The Sentinels soon realized they were in the Tower of Fate in Salem. At 03:22 EDT, Dr. Fate appeared and told Zatanna to take the children and leave. Zatanna refused and brought up the current situation. Fate already knew of Child and declined to intervene. Zatanna tried to convince him they needed to stop the fight before it reached its devastating outcome. Fate did not believe the children were ready and decided to rest them individually. Bromfield was teleported to a 16th Street subway station. A younger version of her tugged at her shirt. She saw a flash of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury but refused to say "Shazam." The young Bromfield implored her to say it and save her. Her leg was stuck in a track and a train was coming. Bromfield called on the Speed of Mercury and saved her. The young Mary was upset. Bromfield told her she promised to never say it again. The young Mary shouted "Shazam!" and transformed into Sergeant Marvel then stated she did not have what it takes.
Bromfield called on the Stamina of Atlas and took several punches from Sergeant. Sergeant told her she was not a hero or a sorceress. Bromfield called on the Courage of Achilles. Sergeant was incensed and grabbed her by the throat then told her to stop dabbling in half-measures. She threw Bromfield into a column and called her pathetic and afraid to be her true self or to become something new. Sergeant proclaimed she was beautiful, powerful and better and stronger than anyone and anything. A young Billy Batson appeared and reminded her she gave it up because she traded everything for power. Bromfield agreed with Batson and stated she had to stop but that did not mean she had to stop being a hero and she could use her connection to Sergeant to become a sorceress and be just as important and powerful as she ever was without abandoning her identity. Bromfield "absorbed" Sergeant into her palm. Batson cheered her on. Bromfield declared she was ready for the fight and entered a portal. All the Sentinels passed their tests but Fate was still adamant about non-intervention.
They were interrupted by the sound of a doorbell. Peering through one of Fate's portals, they learned Klarion was outside the Tower demanding to be let him. They watched in horror as Child's familiar Flaw brutally snapped Teekl's neck, killing her. At 05:21 EDT, Child easily destroyed the Tower but Zatanna drew up a golden defense spell just in time. Bromfield attempted to draw energy but discovered the local leylines were disrupted. She instead drew from Khalid Nassour and Traci Thurston without their consent then called on the Power of Zeus. Child was bored and left with Flaw. Nassour and Thurston confronted her but Bromfield insisted there wasn't time to ask and she was the only one conscious to fight. She apologized but asserted she needed to try to take a shot at Child. They understood but asked her not to do it again without asking first. Dr. Fate restored his costume but his Helmet was still cracked from a punch by Flaw. Zatanna also cast a spell to "refresh" her costume and the others to pristine order.
Fate opened an ankh portal and declared the hunt for Child had commenced. They arrived in Sydney at 19:47 AEST to the site of an active volcano at the base of a giant pillar of fire left behind by Child. Bromfield felt drawn to it but Fate stated it was time to leave. The others wanted to stay and help but Phantom Stranger appeared and informed them the Justice League, Outsiders, and every mystic champion he could recruit would respond to the disasters around the world. They went through a portal and arrived in Manhattan at 05:49 EDT. There was another pillar of fire but Bromfield was shocked by the gravity being reversed. Fate opened another pillar and arrived outside Poseidonis at 07:50 UTC-2. Bromfield noted the pillar there was even bigger than the one in Sydney. Fate opened a new portal and they arrived in Taipei at 17:51 NST. Bromfield was shocked at the sight of demons climbing out from the base of the pillar of fire there. Fate opened another portal and they arrived in Agra at 15:22 IST, amid a blizzard and another pillar of fire.
Fate opened a portal and they arrived in the North Pole outside Superman's Fortress of Solitude at 09:55 UTC. Zatanna and the Sentinels pooled their energy into Dr. Fate but even the powerful attack had no effect on Child. Child easily knocked Zatanna and the Sentinels out then trapped Fate in an ice construct resembling an arm and hand. At 10:00 UTC, Klarion, in possession of a Metropolis Elementary school bus, arrived and Zatanna convinced Dr. Fate to acquiesce to a temporary alliance. They boarded the bus and entered a wormhole. Klarion was insistent on securing a new feline familiar before taking on Child again. Bromfield asked if they were really going to trust Klarion was not going to stab them in the back. Klarion pointed out he could hear her. Zatanna admitted they had no choice but to trust him but should be ready for whatever he might do. Klarion clarified they were inside him and could hear everything. They arrived in Salem at 22:50 EDT, in front of the Old Salem Animal Shelter.
Zatanna and the Sentinels took turns picking cats up for adoption but Klarion hated each choice. Bromfield brought out a hairless cat. Klarion did not think they were even trying. A stray and Klarion took a liking to each other. He refused to simply name it Teekl and wanted something original. He chose "Teekl." Before Bromfield could comment, Zatanna stopped her. They went to the ruins of the Tower of Fate. Zatanna cast a glamour spell that kept her and the Sentinels invisible while Fate and Klarion fought Child. Child used their energy to create a pillar of fire but Bromfield drew from it. Zatanna coached her to do it slow but steady. As the pillar shrank, Child was distracted with the development. Nassour attacked it with a spell but it failed and Child took away the glamour. Zatanna cast a shield just in time. Luckily, Vandal Savage convinced the Lords of Order and Chaos to a new arrangement and the latter withdrew their support of Child. Child believed she still had more than enough power to kill them all and summoned fire rain.
Bromfield summoned the power of Zeus and blasted Flaw but it resisted and walked forward. Desperate, Bromfield drained the life force from everyone and everything around her. Thurston pleaded with Zatanna to make her stop. Flaw grabbed a rock and threw it at Bromfield's head, knocking her out. Thurston and her familiar Leroy noticed Flaw's flaw, and attacked it with bad luck magic. After Flaw disintegrated, Child was banished. Klarion made his exit. Fate admitted the children demonstrated great potential. On May 15th, 00:01 EDT, Fate and Bromfield put out the flames still burning. Zatanna took her aside and told her she was not going to be a rotating host for Dr. Fate. Bromfield was naturally upset about not being rewarded. Zatanna clarified it was not a reward and stated she was not ready. She explained Bromfield was too much like Nabu and Nabu needed hosts who could balance out his less humane impulses. Bromfield took offense. Zatanna meant Bromfield's attraction to power and not being careful about where that power comes from or whom it hurts when she took it or used it.
Bromfield felt she did what needed to be done so the cost was worth the result. Zatanna reiterated that was how Nabu thought, too. Fate overheard and inquired. Zatanna revealed her rotating host idea. Fate asked about Bromfield since she was powerful. Zatanna wanted to work with her more first. Bromfield was upset and demanded to be sent home to Fawcett City. Fate obliged her. At 00:16 CDT, Bromfield cried near a phone booth in an alley in Fawcett. The voice of Granny Goodness told her her so-called friends were jealous of her strength and grace and twice denied her power so she owed them nothing. Granny told her they only wanted to keep her down and turn her into nothing, to make themselves impressive in comparison. Granny declared there was no need to obey their rules and their structures. She implored Bromfield to say "the word." She did and said "Shazam." In late August, Mary Bromfield was considered for the Justice League Reserve System. In reality, Bromfield had joined Granny Goodness's team, the Furies, and took a new name, Black Mary. On September 17th, 00:00 UTC, on Apokolips, Granny introduced Black Mary and Supergirl to Darkseid as the next generation of Furies, set to take the fight to the heroes who "betrayed" them.