Who is Wonder Man? Marvel's discontinued hero revealed

As part of Marvel’s new TV shows, the lesser-known Wonder Man will be getting his own series.

In the midst of excitement Daredevil: Reborn, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-ManAnd Marvel ZombiesThe name Wonder Man may have escaped a few people’s minds.

But there’s more to this hero than meets the eye, and new television show inside Marvel’s upcoming roster It might prove to be the most meta yet.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wonder Man’s comic book origins and his new show.

Who is Wonder Man?

Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man) first appeared in Marvel Comics during The Avengers #9 and initially started out as a supervillain fighting the Avengers.

The comic was published in October 1964 and introduced Wonder Man as the only comic book antagonist to die in the same issue.

Wonder Man was initially dismissed after its debut because marvel comics She was sued for her resemblance to DC’s Wonder Woman.

In 1978, Stan Lee said: “You know, years ago we brought out Wonder Man and (DC Comics) sued us for having Wonder Woman and… so I said okay, I’m going to kill Wonder Man. And suddenly they had Power Girl (after Marvel introduced Power Man). Oh boy. How unfair.”

However, he returned four years later when the Avengers revealed that they had electronically recorded his mind on a computer.

He did not fully return until The Avengers #102 in 1972, making a cameo while in a coma. He was brought back to life by Kang in Avengers #131-132 and once again by Black Talon in #152.

He would not be fully revived until The Avengers Annual #6, where he was brought back by the Living Laser.

By The Avengers #106, Wonder Man has become fully aware and joins the superhero team as a full-time hero. Most importantly, Wonder Man was good friends with the X-Men’s the Beast, and the two would go to town together. (Both characters remained friends even after leaving the Avengers.)

The character later became a founding member of West Coast Avengers, a miniseries spinoff. He came and went from the original Avengers group over the years, finally getting his own eponymous comic in 1986.

It’s important to note that Wonder Man left the Avengers in 1981 to use his power and become a stuntman and actor!

Wonder Man’s origins explained

Wonder Man is the alias of Sanford Williams’ wealthy son, Simon Williams, who was transformed into a superhuman after being released from prison by the villain Baron Heinrich Zemo.

Like Tony Stark, Simon inherited his father’s company, Williams Innovations, when he died. But competing against Stark Industries was a difficult task, and Simon saw his company’s profits collapse.

His brother Eric claimed that Simon had embezzled funds from the company to invest in other ventures, but he was later caught and arrested for doing so.

Blaming Stark for his downfall, Simon accepts Baron Zemo’s help on the condition that he infiltrate the Avengers.

When he accepts, Simon is transformed into a superhuman human with chemical and radiation treatments. This gave him incredible strength, durability, speed and reflexes. (His power level has even been compared to those of Thor and Sentry.) Of course, Zemo’s plan failed when Simon’s conscience made him reluctant to betray the Avengers.

Over the years, he would also develop abilities in regeneration, the ability to survive without air, food and water, and energy projection.

But the most interesting aspect of Wonder Man is his canon status as a talented stuntman and actor, and this looks set to come into play in the upcoming Marvel show. (Keep reading for more on this!)

What is the Wonder Man Marvel show all about?

Wonder Man will launch his self-titled TV show in December 2025, which will star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams/Wonder Man.

The character was originally set for him. MCU Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, played by Nathan Fillion. However, his scenes were later cut from the final film.

The Marvel TV show will follow Simon Williams as an actor and stuntman who gains superhuman abilities and later transforms into Wonder Man. A teaser for Marvel’s 2025 releases was released in October 2024, including a preview of Wonder Man.