Marvel's Wonder Man Powers, Enemies & Essential Reading

When Disney announced a new Wonder Man series for Disney+, many recent fans scratched their heads in confusion. Other fans recalled Nathan Fillion's brief turn as the character in a deleted scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. To be fair, Wonder Man, otherwise known as Simon Williams, is a relatively trivial hero in the Marvel Universe. He hasn't starred in his own solo comic book series since 1994, and his appearances have been sporadic. Thankfully, Disney+ has a prime opportunity to prove why Simon Williams is worthy of his own series.

This guide invites you to explore Wonder Man's origin, powers, and important stories. Whether you're a new fan or a longtime reader, CBR is here to help you discover what makes Wonder Man just so wonderful.

Who is Wonder Man?

At age 22, Simon Williams became heir to his father's munitions company, pitting him in direct competition with the fast-rising Stark Industries. When the young CEO couldn't keep pace with Stark, he turned to money laundering and racketeering to stay afloat. Unfortunately, the board of directors caught wind of Williams' illegal activities and sent him to court. Simon bemoaned Stark Industries to the press, which inspired the villainous Baron Zemo to manipulate Simon's anger for his gain. Disgruntled and defeated, Simon flees with Zemo to his secret base in South America, hoping to find a new lease on life.

Naturally, Baron Zemo has a sinister plan up his sleeve and promises to grant Simon superpowers via an ionic radiation test. Plagued by his past failures as a CEO, Simon agrees to undergo the experiment, excited by Zemo's promise of power. To Simon's surprise, the test is a success, mutating his flesh and bones into pure ionic energy. Like a proud father, Zemo rechristens his lab experiment as Wonder Man, but there's a catch. As a show of gratitude, Baron Zemo demands Wonder Man destroy the Avengers--once and for all.

Bullets, buildings, and a blitz of baddies have little to no impact on Wonder Man's ionic form. Wonder Man's superpowered body grants him a wealth of strengths and abilities. His strength, stamina, and speed far surpass any of the Avengers, and he can leap great distances and fly at will. Offensive-wise, Wonder Man is a close-combat fighter, yet he has been known to shoot ionic beams from his hands and eyes, as well. Interestingly, he does not need to eat or sleep like other humans, as his physiology is far superior to humans. Additionally, Wonder Man's ionic physiology allows him to heal quickly during combat, making him a fierce warrior against enemies.

As a being of pure ionic energy, Wonder Man is indestructible; however, he has suffered defeat and 'death' in battle. The most common culprits behind his demise are energy weapons that disrupt and disperse Simon's ionic energy into the unknown. These weapons weaken Simon's physiology and render him powerless to reorganize his cells, forcing heroes like Scarlet Witch to reassemble his ionic form through dark magic. While a physical juggernaut in battle, Wonder Man can be knocked down and rendered unconscious, which leaves him vulnerable to attacks.

Essential Wonder Man Reading

From being an Avenger to acting in Hollywood, Wonder Man has traveled a unique road as a superhero. No matter how diverse his path has been, Simon's commitment to making the right decision follows him throughout his adventures. He is a character with a conscience, a hero who second-guesses if he's doing the right thing. Here are some of Wonder Man's most important stories that reflect his hero's journey.

Origin: Avengers #9

In 1964, Avengers #9 (by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Dick Ayres, and Stan Goldberg) establishes Wonder Man as a guilt-ridden hero willing to go to extraordinary lengths to clear his conscience. After standing trial for his corporate crimes, Simon falls prey to Baron Zemo's scheme to defeat the Avengers; however, as Zemo soon discovers, Wonder Man is no one's puppet. Rejecting the Baron's insidious plan, Wonder Man leads the Avengers to fight the Masters of Evil, and his change of heart gains Captain America's respect, leading to a long--albeit inconsistent--run with the Avengers.

Wonder Man's decision to side with the Avengers is fueled by his past guilt. Deep down, Simon does not forgive himself for embezzling money for financial gain. As a CEO, he welcomed shame on himself and his family. Now that he has ionic power, Simon worries that he'll fall into the same trap again. By betraying Zemo and siding with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Wonder Man takes his first step on the road to redemption.

Hollywood's Call: West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #1-5

Simon Williams, Wonder Man, posing with an award in Marvel Comics.

Throughout his career, Simon has shown a strong aversion to being called a 'hero.' No matter how hard he's tried, Simon's past failures as a corrupt CEO still follow him like a plague. In conversation with the Beast, one of his closest friends and allies, Simon confesses that he is an actor playing the part of an Avenger. Unwilling to continue this facade, Simon leaves the Avengers and sets his sights on Hollywood.

West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #1-5 (by Steve Englehart, Al Milgrom, Joe Sinnott, and Petra Scotese) showcases Simon's ascent to stardom as a Hollywood actor. Throwing off the mask of Wonder Man, Simon is free to explore a variety of new roles. He starts his journey as an indestructible stunt-man before finally working his way up to a major starring role. With his Hollywood star on the rise, Simon lands a spot on the Johnny Carson show. Instead of using his time to gain favorable publicity, Simon chooses to come clean about his past embezzlement charges, confessing his guilt to the viewing audience. With candor and grace, Johnny Carson forgives Simon on live TV, commending the star for his willingness to own up to his mistakes.

In Love: West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #42-45; Avengers Vol. 3 #11

Avengers #58 (by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and George Klein) reveals a life-altering truth that changes Wonder Man's life. In an attempt to create the perfect android, Ultron borrowed Simon's brain patterns and infused them into his finest creation: Vision. Although hesitant at first, Simon grew to accept Vision as his brother. After Vision and Scarlet Witch start a family together, Simon is quick to celebrate and support the loving couple. However, once the Vision falls into the hands of a villainous multinational corporation, Wonder Man's true feelings for Wanda come to light.

Instead of volunteering his brainwaves to help reprogram Vision to his former self, Simon refuses and drops a bombshell: He's in love with Wanda. With Vision out of the picture, Simon attempts to win her over, but Wanda is unsure and confused. The Wasp swoops in to support Simon's cause, reminding Wanda that the real reason she loved her husband is that the Vision's personality stemmed from Simon. Slowly but surely, the Scarlet Witch falls in love with Simon, realizing that it was Wonder Man--not Vision--whom she's loved all along.

Best Friends Forever: Avengers Two: Wonder Man and Beast #1-3

Throughout his adventures, Wonder Man has often found encouragement and support from Hank McCoy, better known as Beast. Back in Avengers #211, Beast was the voice of reason when Simon confessed that he was playing the part of a superhero. Beast reminds Simon of his perserverance under pressure, serving to give his teammate a pep talk on self-confidence. Unfortunately, Hank's advice was not enough to defeat Simon's insecurities, and the duo went their separate ways.

Thankfully, the friends reconnected in Avengers Two: Wonder Man and Beast #1-3 (by Roger Stern, Mark Bagley, Greg Adams, and Tom Smith). In this mini-series, Simon and Hank rekindle their friendship by answering the call to protect innocent lives and defend them from the threat of Lotus and It the Living Colossus. The mini-series is a fun nod to old Hollywood movies, but it's also surprisingly deep. After the fog of battle has faded, Simon still struggles with self-doubt and insecurity, believing he doesn't deserve the title of 'hero' anymore. Like a best friend, Beast steps in to encourage Simon, reminding him that if the rest of the world--and Hank--believe he's a hero, then he must be one after all. In response, Simon establishes the Second Chance Foundation, an organization for individuals like him to learn from their mistakes and turn their lives around.

CBR's Best Wonder Man Features

Harness your ionic energy and prepare to suit up for an in-depth look at Wonder Man. Flanked by CBR's team of writers, these features will give you an in-depth look at Simon Williams and prove why he's the most wonderful Marvel Comics superhero of all time.