WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Shazam! #10, by Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, Scott Kolins and Michael Atiyeh, on sale now.

Over the course of the past decade, the DC Universe has been drastically rewritten, with the events of Flashpoint leading to a reboot of the publisher's line called the New 52. More familiar elements of continuity were later restored during the DC Rebirth era. However, the recently concluded event Doomsday Clock revealed that the true culprit behind those revisions to reality was Doctor Manhattan. Now, writer Geoff Johns has revealed one of the DCU's most powerful villains is also one of the few characters aware of the changes.

Johns indicated Superboy-Prime -- who was absent during the entire New 52 era and at the start of DC Rebirth -- has been observing the DCU's continuity changes all along from afar. And with Shazam #10 revealing Superboy-Prime was alive and imprisoned deep within the Monsterlands, the twisted Kryptonian teenager has since taken a strong disliking to Billy Batson and the rest of the Shazam Family. With the all recent changes in the DCU, Johns felt the time was ripe for Superboy-Prime's return after a nine-year absence.

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"It felt like the right time to bring Prime back, after everything that’s gone through with the DC Universe," explained Johns in an interview with Newsarama. "He’s witnessed it all from outside.”

Earth-Prime is a facsimile of the real world, where the majority of the DCU heroes and villains exist as comic book characters. Prime discovered he possessed the immense powers and abilities of his favorite superhero Superman before descending into villainy during Infinite Crisis. Since then, the character has served as a recurring antagonist, aware of the comic origins of his opponents and allies while providing a threat for the entire DCU.

With the Shazam Family set for a showdown against Superboy-Prime soon, the villain is about to make a thunderous, full debut in the DC Rebirth era.

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