Marvel’s Wonder Man: A Timeline of the Iconic Ionic Hero
Here's how Wonder Man went from Tony Stark rival to Hollywood actor on the pages of Marvel comics.
This article appears in the new issue of DEN OF GEEK magazine. You can read all of our magazine stories here.
“For now they kill me with a living death.” – King Richard III, William Shakespeare.
Death and rebirth have been the only constants in the ever-shifting life of Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonder Man. Long before Marvel Comics killed Dark Phoenix or Captain Marvel, Wonder Man was offed in the Silver Age pages of The Avengers and brought back in the Bronze Age. And then killed again. And brought back again. And… well, you get the idea.
To show you how Simon went from a dead corporate supervillain to a living showbiz superhero, we’ve enlisted comic book luminaries Steve Englehart and David Michelinie, along with Andrew Guest, showrunner of Marvel’s Wonder Man on Disney+, to narrate this timeline of Wonder Man milestones.
1964: The Avengers #9
Simon Williams, who undergoes an ionic energy procedure to gain superpowers from Baron Zemo, debuts as a vengeful competitor of Tony Stark. Williams fights back and dies in battle alongside the Avengers.
Showrunner Andrew Guest on the real-life origin of TV’s Wonder Man: “Destin Daniel Cretton turned to his producing partner Jonathan Schwartz and said, ‘We should do a show where Trevor Slattery goes to Hollywood.’ But there was a competing project where Stephen Broussard and Brian Gay were doing a Wonder Man series set there. At a certain point, they were like, ‘Well, maybe it’s the same show!'”
1975-1976: The Avengers #131-151
At first, Wonder Man only returns as a zombified member of the Legion of the Unliving. Twenty issues later, he finally makes his long-standing return to life, switching to the side of good by eventually joining the Avengers.
Writer Steve Englehart: “I was intrigued by the idea of a guy who had been dead and who, when he came back to life, knew it. Bringing back Wonder Man was just something I wanted to explore; I wasn’t told to do it.”
Showrunner Andrew Guest on Wonder Man’s complex comic book history: “We made every effort to make this a no-homework show. If somebody has never seen another piece of Marvel material in their lives, you don’t need that to start caring about these characters.”
1979: The Avengers #181
Struggling to acclimate to the Avengers lifestyle, Simon tells his burgeoning bestie Beast that he wants to become an actor. This opens up a new chapter for Wonder Man, one that still defines him to this day.
Writer David Michelinie: “He wasn’t the kind who goes around looking for bad guys to fight, so he needed something else to pursue. I thought a struggling actor would be more realistic and believable than an instant Oscar-winning superstar. It would also be more fun to write—and, I hoped, to read.”
1984-2025: West Coast Avengers, Force Works, and More
An established actor and Avenger in the ‘80s, the specter of death claims Simon yet again in the ‘90s. Luckily, he’s resurrected within the same decade and hasn’t died again… yet!
Writer Steve Englehart: “Editor Mark Gruenwald and I designed Wonder Man’s red and green costume, with the ‘W’ and ‘M,’ and we both thought it was fantastic.”
Showrunner Andrew Guest on the MCU Wonder Man’s look: “This was an opportunity where Brad Winderbaum [Wonder Man EP and Marvel development exec] was particularly excited to do an old version of this character’s costume. Every time they’ve done a project, they have to reimagine it, but this time it’s his real comic book look.”
2026: Marvel Studios’ Wonder Man
Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mayeen II) lives in an MCU where Wonder Man is the struggling actor’s favorite film from the 1980s. Now the property is getting a big Hollywood remake, and auditioning alongside Simon is the former “Mandarin,” Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley).
Showrunner Andrew Guest on Simon and Trevor: “Midnight Cowboy was one of the first things that occurred to me when I thought about these two characters because I wanted them to feel like outsiders, and I love that relationship.”
Wonder Man premieres Tuesday, January 27 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.
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