As stated above, the entities form which Adam receives his powers have been altered to darker beings. When Adam says the word Shazam, he is granted powers and abilities by these evil beings, though each aspect comes at a price. Here's a listing of said entities and their respective contributions to his power in relation to the word Shazam,

S

For the Forbidden knowledge of Stolas. Primarily a psychological and intellectual boon, this grants Adam access to a vast internal catalogue of linguistic, historical, and arcane knowledge. However, Stolas will often whisper to Adam, sometimes unintelligent, mad ravings, other times horrific arcane secrets one is better off not knowing. Adam cannot control when this will happen, except by reverting to his mortal form.

H

For the pride of Hades. Mostly a psychological boon, this aspect of power allows Adam the confidence and surety of the King of the Underworld, even in the face of insurmountable odds. However, with this pride and confidence comes egotism and megalomania, which are present in Adam's personality, but are amplified when transformed.

A

For the destructive power of Abaddon. This aspect is what allows Adam to perform feats of horrifyingly superhuman strength. The counter to this is Adam cannot keep his strength in check. Doors are pulled form hinges instead of opened casually, glasses break in his hands, and physical interaction with any human he doesn't wish to maim or kill is nearly impossible while in his transformed state.

Z

For the swiftness of Ziz. This aspect of power not only allows Adam to fly, but also to move at superhuman speeds, and to react inhumanly fast. Because of the cruse associated with this aspect of his power, each time Adam transforms, his mortal form ages considerably, ensuring that eventually Adam will be fully in Mephistopheles' service, or will simply wither away of old age.

A

For the rage of Aeshma. Calling on the undying fury of the demon of wrath, Adam is capable of shrugging off powerful blows through force of his rage alone, as well as healing swiftly any damage that manages to harm him. Using this aspect of his power, he is able to self-sustain, and will never tire or require sleep. The cost of this power is high, however, as Adam can lose control of himself entirely when transformed, entering a rage-fueled sort of fugue state. Even when not in this state, when transformed, Adam is prone to violent outbursts of temper and terrible mood swings.

M

For the power of Mephistopheles. This aspect represents the contract of Mephistopheles, and binds the rest of the aspects of Adam's power (as well as the curses that come with them) together. It fuels the eldritch crimson lightning which transforms him, as well as augmenting his other abilities. Perhaps the greatest curse of all, this aspect of his power ensures that, should Mephistopheles command something, Adam will obey once transformed. For instance, if Mephistopheles commanded the death of a specific person, as soon as Adam transformed, he would feel strongly compelled to carry out the task. This compulsion can be resisted, but only at the cost of great mental taxation, and intense physical pain.

May 10th, 1979: Theodore Steven Kord is born.

1987: A nine-year-old Ted Kord begins pestering the scientists at his father's company, Kord Omniversal Research and Designs.

1990: A twelve-year-old Ted Kord hacks into the Department of Defense's computer network out of boredom.

1991: Ted attends college, where he meets Professor of Archaeology and part-time superhero Dan Garrett. The two strike up a friendship of sorts and Ted joins Garrett on numerous globe-trotting adventures.

1995: Ted graduates with degrees in Physics, Theoretical Mathematics and just for funsies, English Literature.

1996: Ted barely manages an escape from the clutches of his uncle Jarvis Kord, who had taken over the company in his father's absence and is using its technology in a bid for world domination. He enlists the help of his mentor Dan Garrett for one final battle. Both Dan Garrett and Jarvis Kord are killed in the resulting fight, but not before Dan entrusts Ted Kord with his mystical artifact called The Scarab and encourages him to take on the Blue Beetle name in order to do good in the world.

1997: After turning eighteen, Ted Kord officially takes control of Kord Omniversal but delegates most of the work to others.

2000: After four years of rigorous study and training, Ted Kord debuts as the new Blue Beetle by stopping the gang of bank robbers known as the Madmen. Later that same year the Dominators attack Earth and Ted, as Blue Beetle, attempts to protect his current home of Chicago to small success. In the wake of this attack Ted begins a more serious study of alien technologies, not only the tech he was able to salvage from the invasion but also The Scarab.

2000-2002: Blue Beetle intensifies his fight against the criminal elements of Chicago. He becomes a dreaded figure not so much for any real terror he inflicts, but because of his effectiveness and annoying personality. A mad scientist by the name of Enigma teams up with the Chicago outfit in order to take Blue Beetle down using various gadgets, mutated henchman and deathtraps but all of these fail.

2003: Genius inventor and murderous egomaniac Conrad Carapax, a former foe of Dan Garrett, tears through Chicago in a nearly invulnerable powered exo-skeleton. The battle to defeat him is long and difficult but Ted succeeds. Horrifically injured from the battle, Carapax defiantly downloads his mind into the robotic suit rather than allow the Blue Beetle to give him medical aid.

2004: Ted is inducted into the Justice League.

2007 Several employees of Kord Omniversal including former bodyguard Arnold Daniel Beck A.K.A. Overthrow, mutated former factory foreman Curt Calhoun A.K.A. Promethium Man and burn victim and former pyrotechnic researcher Lyle Barnes A.K.A. Firefist team up to destroy K.O.R.D Inc and kill Ted Kord. Ted is able to stop them as Blue Beetle, but the incident prompts him to take a more active hand in his business.

2017: present day