Shaggy and Velma‘s iconic catchphrases from the Scooby-Doo! franchise secretly have another meaning that fans never knew about. For decades, the Mystery Inc. gang have had their own unique phrases to help them stand apart from their friends whenever certain situations would arise. Whenever Scooby-Doo would find himself in danger, he’s utter out a cowardly “Ruh-ro.” Daphne would shout, “Jeepers” in surprise whenever something shocking would occur. Even Fred has finally gotten his own saying where he tells the gang to “Hold the Phone.” However, Shaggy and Velma’s catchphrases, “Zoinks” and “Jinkies,” have stood out as some of the most iconic catchphrases ever. What fans didn’t know though is that they have a secret rooted in the Shazam universe.
In Scooby-Doo: Team-Up #16 by Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela, the gang find themselves on a mission to discover where the Shazam Family has disappeared to after learning that they’re missing. However, due to the fact that they’re ordinary teens risking their lives to find the heroes, Shaggy and Velma are given powers similar to Shazam’s to aid them on their quest from the Wizard named Mamaragan who gave Billy Batson his abilities. However, instead of speaking the name Shazam to transform, they instead utter their signature catchphrases to turn them into Shaggy Marvel and Velma Marvel. At first it may seem random to use their iconic phrases to turn them into heroes, but Mamaragan later explains to them that the sayings have a secret meaning that allows them to transform.
Jinkies and Zoinks Are Actually Acronyms That Give Shaggy and Velma Powers
Just like Shazam, the phrases “Jinkies” and “Zoinks” are acronyms composed of different gods of varying mythologies that transform Shaggy and Velma into their heroic alter egos. Shaggy’s powers are revealed to be derived from the gods Zeus, Odin, Icarus, Neptune, Kronos and Sisyphus. Meanwhile, Velma’s abilities come from Juno, Isis, Nemesis, Kali, Ishtar, Electra and Sybil. It’s an interesting way to add depth to what many people believed to be silly catchphrases. The fact that they can imbue Shaggy and Velma with Shazam’s powerful abilities when given to them by Mamaragan makes them stronger than fans ever knew.
Shaggy and Velma’s God Ties Reveal Hidden Secrets About Them
What’s fascinating, though, is which gods are assigned to which character for their transformative phrases. Mamaragan spells out what each god or goddess is associated with to give readers an idea of their powers. Some of these gods make sense for Shaggy and Velma. For example, Velma is tied to Nemesis, the God of Justice, which perfectly mirrors her love for mystery solving to put a stop to criminal activity knowing that every ghost they face is really someone under a mask. Meanwhile, Shaggy’s tie to Icarus, God of Flight, can be seen as an example of his constant decision to flee in the face of a monster, taking flight instead of fighting. However, there are some abilities that suggest there are personality traits about them that they don’t know about. Shaggy has emphasized persistence in his heroic form while Velma is able to use magic. This hints that perhaps there are some things about themselves that they haven’t figured out yet but could discover in the future.
It’s amazing to see just how much these catchphrases play a meaningful role for Shaggy and Velma after years of just being silly little phrases. While this doesn’t mean that they can turn into these heroes whenever since the wizard takes their powers away after the Shazam family is found, it’s still interesting to see how these gods tie to their characters. It’s a stunning revelation for fans of the Scooby-Doo! franchise and proof that Shaggy and Velma‘s catchphrases are more than just something they say out of habit.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
