Wonder Man made his debut in The Avengers #9 in October 1964, a product of the legendary creative team of writer Stan Lee, scripter Don Heck, and penciler Jack Kirby. His creation was a notable experiment for the Silver Age. At a time when most villains were recurring threats, Wonder Man was conceived as a one-off character, designed to infiltrate the Avengers and die a heroic, redemptive death within a single issue. This tragic arc was unique and resonated with readers, but his death was, for a time, considered permanent. His visual design, particularly his original green and red costume, was distinct and somewhat garish, a hallmark of the era's villain aesthetics. The name “Wonder Man” itself was a bold choice, as it directly challenged DC Comics' “Wonder Woman,” though the characters bear no resemblance. For over a decade, Simon Williams remained deceased in the comics, a rare example of a character death that stuck. However, his legacy persisted through the Vision, who was introduced in The Avengers #57 (1968). The revelation that Vision's mind was based on Wonder Man's brain patterns kept the character relevant. This connection ultimately provided the narrative justification for his full-fledged resurrection in The Avengers #151 (1976), where he was brought back and slowly integrated into the team he was once meant to destroy. His subsequent evolution into a Hollywood movie star and a core member of the West Coast Avengers in the 1980s, under writers like Roger Stern and Steve Englehart, cemented his status as a complex and enduring Marvel hero.
Simon Williams was born into wealth and privilege as the younger son of Sanford Williams, founder of the successful munitions company, Williams Innovations. While his older brother, Eric, was rebellious and considered the black sheep, Simon was the dutiful son, dedicated to the family business. However, upon his father's death, Simon inherited a company struggling to compete with the juggernaut of Stark Industries. Lacking his father's inventive genius and business acumen, Simon made a series of poor decisions, eventually turning to illegal means, embezzling funds from his own company in a desperate attempt to keep it afloat. His crimes were discovered, and Simon was arrested, blaming Tony Stark for all his misfortunes. While out on bail and disgraced, Simon was contacted by the original Baron Zemo, leader of the first Masters of Evil. Zemo offered Simon a chance for revenge on Tony Stark and the Avengers. He paid Simon's bail and subjected him to a radical experimental “ionic ray” treatment. The procedure bombarded Simon's body with massive doses of ionic energy, transforming him into a being of incredible power. Zemo christened him “Wonder Man” and laid out his plan: Wonder Man would pretend to be a new hero, gain the Avengers' trust, and then betray them at a critical moment. To ensure his compliance, Zemo revealed a cruel twist: the ionic energy treatment was fatal. Without regular doses of a serum only Zemo possessed, Simon would die within a week. Trapped and desperate, Simon agreed. He staged a public battle with the Masters of Evil, “defeating” them to earn the Avengers' praise and an invitation to join. However, during his time with the heroes, he was struck by their nobility and selflessness, particularly that of Captain America. When Zemo ordered him to spring the trap, Simon's conscience got the better of him. He defied Zemo and helped the Avengers defeat the Masters of Evil, saving them at the cost of his own life as the ionic poisoning seemingly consumed him. His body was placed in a state of suspended animation, and the Avengers mourned the man who died a hero. For years, Simon existed in this comatose state, his mind a silent recording. It was during this period that the villainous robot Ultron stole a copy of Simon's brain patterns to serve as the emotional matrix for his new synthezoid creation, the Vision. Later, Simon's body was stolen by his now-villainous brother, Eric, who had become the Grim Reaper. The Grim Reaper attempted several times to place the Vision's mind into Simon's body, believing it was the only way to truly “revive” his brother. These attempts failed, but Simon was eventually and truly resurrected through a combination of voodoo magic and technology, returning to a world that had moved on. He struggled with psychological trauma and a deep-seated fear of dying again, but with the help of his new “brother” the Vision and his friends in the Avengers, he finally found his place as a true and lasting hero.
As of the current timeline, Simon Williams, also known as Wonder Man, has not yet made his official debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His existence, however, has been confirmed through easter eggs and the announcement of a dedicated Disney+ series. The first hint of his presence was in a collection of deleted scenes and on-set photos from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). These materials showed a series of movie posters outside a theater, all starring an actor named Simon Williams, portrayed by Nathan Fillion. The posters were for fictional films, including a biopic of Tony Stark titled Tony Stark, a rom-com called Oh, Rebecca!, and a fantasy film titled Arkon. This established the MCU's initial concept for Simon Williams as a well-known actor within the universe, a nod to his comic book career path but positioning it as his primary identity from the start. The character is slated to be formally introduced in the upcoming Disney+ series, Wonder Man. Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been cast in the lead role of Simon Williams. The series is being developed as a Hollywood satire, suggesting it will heavily lean into Simon's life as a celebrity who also happens to gain superpowers. His in-universe origin story within the MCU remains unrevealed. However, key divergences from the comic canon are almost certain. The foundational element of his brain patterns being used for the Vision is not possible in the MCU, as the cinematic Vision's consciousness was a unique amalgamation of the Mind Stone, Tony Stark's J.A.R.V.I.S. A.I., and Ultron's programming, with no connection to a human mind. Furthermore, his comic book origin as a rival industrialist to Stark Industries is less likely, given the MCU's focus on his acting career. It is more probable that his powers will be gained through a Hollywood-related accident, a failed stunt, or a scientific experiment he becomes involved in, perhaps as part of the fallout from the proliferation of super-soldiers and other powered individuals in the post-`Endgame` world. The MCU's Wonder Man appears poised to explore themes of fame, identity, and the commercialization of heroism in a way that is distinct from his comic book counterpart's journey of redemption and self-discovery.
Simon Williams' physiology was fundamentally and permanently altered by Baron Zemo's ionic ray bombardment. He is no longer a human being of flesh and blood but is a living construct of pure, solidified ionic energy. This state grants him a vast array of powers and makes him one of the most physically formidable beings on Earth.
Simon's personality has undergone a dramatic evolution. Initially, he was a bitter, insecure, and guilt-ridden man, easily manipulated by Zemo. After his resurrection, he was timid and plagued by self-doubt and fear. However, upon joining the West Coast Avengers and finding success as an actor, he developed a much more confident, outgoing, and sometimes arrogant persona. He is famously the best friend of Hank McCoy, with whom he shares a jovial, fun-loving dynamic. Beneath the Hollywood bravado, however, Simon is deeply loyal, compassionate, and romantic. His love for the Scarlet Witch is one of his defining traits, as is his brotherly bond with the Vision. He can also be deeply principled, sometimes to a fault, as demonstrated when his belief that the Avengers caused more harm than good led him to form the “Revengers” to oppose them.
Wonder Man's abilities and personality in the MCU are largely speculative, based on the confirmed premise of his upcoming series.
This sprawling cosmic epic was one of the first major storylines following Wonder Man's official return to the Avengers. Simon, still grappling with his resurrection and immense power, found himself fighting alongside the team against the god-like being Michael Korvac. His raw power made him an essential heavy-hitter in the conflict. The saga culminated in a devastating battle where nearly every Avenger, including Wonder Man, was killed by Korvac. They were subsequently resurrected by a remorseful Korvac before he faded from existence. For Simon, this experience was deeply traumatic, reinforcing his “death-and-rebirth” cycle and solidifying his commitment to the Avengers' cause.
This is arguably the most critical storyline for defining the relationships between Wonder Man, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch. In this arc, Vision is abducted by a multinational espionage conglomerate and brutally dismantled. He is eventually reassembled by Hank Pym, but his synthetic skin is now chalk-white, and more importantly, Simon Williams refuses to allow his brain patterns to be used again to restore Vision's personality. Simon's rationale was complex—partly out of a desire to reclaim his own identity and partly out of a selfish hope that an emotionless Vision would drive Wanda into his arms. This decision had catastrophic consequences, effectively killing the Vision Wanda knew and loved, sending her into a downward spiral of grief that would eventually lead to Avengers Disassembled. It is a defining moment of moral ambiguity for Simon.
This event saw a mentally shattered Scarlet Witch use her reality-warping powers to attack the Avengers from within. During the chaos, a magically-induced, rampaging She-Hulk targets the Avengers Mansion. Wonder Man intercepts her, engaging her in a brutal fight to protect his friends. Despite his immense power, he is overwhelmed and torn in half by the enraged She-Hulk, “dying” in a horrific fashion. His last words were a confession of his love for Wanda. Because of his ionic nature, this death was not permanent. He later reappeared, his energy having been siphoned by a villain and eventually coalescing around the Scarlet Witch on Genosha, proving once again the indestructible nature of both his body and his connection to Wanda.
After the Siege of Asgard, Captain America (Steve Rogers) offered Wonder Man a spot on his new core Avengers roster. To everyone's shock, Simon vehemently refused. He had come to the conclusion that the Avengers were a flawed concept, whose constant battles and internal conflicts (like Civil War) were a net negative for the world. He adopted a stance of pacifism, which soon curdled into aggressive activism. He formed his own team, the Revengers, and launched a full-scale assault on Avengers Mansion with the stated goal of shutting the team down for good. He was ultimately defeated and imprisoned, representing a profound ideological break with the very family he had fought and died for.
The Ultimate Universe version of Wonder Man was vastly different. Simon Williams was a bodybuilder who was part of a project to replicate the Super-Soldier Serum. He gained immense strength but suffered from severe mental instability. He was recruited into the “West Coast Ultimates,” a less-than-official team, but his tenure was short and unremarkable. This version lacked the depth, ionic powers, and core relationships of his Earth-616 counterpart.
In the zombie-infested reality, Wonder Man became one of the infected. He was part of the zombie horde that attacked Doctor Doom's castle and later confronted the Silver Surfer. Like the other zombies, he was driven by an insatiable hunger and retained his intelligence and powers, making him a terrifying threat.
This animated series provided a highly faithful adaptation of Wonder Man's classic origin story. He is introduced as Simon Williams, a scientist whose company is ruined by Tony Stark. He is empowered by Baron Zemo and the Enchantress and sent to infiltrate the Avengers, only to have a change of heart and sacrifice himself to save them. His consciousness is later shown to exist within the Vision, who is created by Ultron, perfectly capturing the core elements of his foundational comic book arc.