Fictional character biography
Simon Williams is the son of rich industrialist Sanford Williams, owner of Williams Innovations. Simon inherits the munitions factory after his father's death, but the company's profits fall due to its biggest competitor Tony Stark and his company Stark Industries. On the advice of his brother Eric, Simon tries to embezzle funds from his company, but is caught and incarcerated. Simon, desperate and blaming Stark for his predicament, accepts an offer from Heinrich Zemo. Enchantress pays his bail, so Simon agrees to become a pawn in Zemo's plan to infiltrate the Avengers. As a result, Simon is transformed into an ion-powered superhuman. His powers are tested, and he is shown to have great superhuman strength and durability, even defeating the Executioner. Called Wonder Man by Zemo, he is sent to meet and join the Avengers, with instructions to betray them at a critical moment so that Zemo's Masters of Evil can destroy the Avengers. Zemo ensures Wonder Man's loyalty by advising him that as a result of the treatment his body now requires periodic doses of a serum to survive—a serum that only Zemo can provide. The Avengers are lured into a trap and captured. The plan fails when Wonder Man decides to save the Avengers and aid them against Zemo, apparently at the cost of his own life. Hank Pym records Wonder Man's brain patterns in the hope that he can eventually be revived.[8] Unbeknownst to the Avengers, Wonder Man has entered a catatonic state rather than dying. Eric Williams becomes distraught over the apparent death of his sibling and, blaming the Avengers, assumes the identity of the Grim Reaper in an effort to destroy them.[9]
Wonder Man remains in suspended animation for years, and it is during this period that Ultron, the evil robot creation of Hank Pym, steals his recorded brain patterns for use as a template for the synthezoid Vision.[10] Additionally, Wonder Man is briefly revived by Kang the Conqueror to battle the Avengers as part of his Legion of the Unliving,[11][12] and later "resurrected" as a zombie by Black Talon and the Grim Reaper to attack the Avengers.[13] Wonder Man is fully restored to life by the Living Laser and joins the Avengers in a full-time capacity.[14][15] Wonder Man is later revealed to have become a being of ionic energy.
For several months after his resurrection, Wonder Man suffers from slight claustrophobia and a fear of dying in battle, as he did once before. He finally overcomes his fear of death during a battle with Korvac.[17] Developing an interest in acting, Wonder Man stars in minor roles before moving to Hollywood, where fellow Avenger Hercules uses his contacts to establish Wonder Man's career.[18] Wonder Man also works for a time as a stuntman, an ideal vocation since he is invulnerable to virtually all conventional weapons.[19]
Wonder Man helps form the West Coast Avengers,[20] and with his newfound confidence he becomes arrogant. He develops a serious rivalry with Iron Man, but sees the error of his ways after a brutal battle with the Abomination.[21] Wonder Man eventually accepts Vision as his "brother", but there is a setback when Vision is dismantled and rebuilt as an emotionless machine by a global conglomerate. The Scarlet Witch—Vision's wife—asks Wonder Man to provide his brainwaves once again to rebuild the foundational personality matrix of the original Vision, but Wonder Man refuses, having feelings for her himself.[22]
When Avengers West Coast disbands after a dispute, Wonder Man becomes a founding member of its successor group Force Works. However, he is disintegrated in an explosion during their first mission.[23] Many months later, the Scarlet Witch accidentally resurrects Wonder Man in an ionic form.[24] Several months later, the Scarlet Witch is able to fully revive Wonder Man and he now exists in an independent, more human form.[25]
Wonder Man is blackmailed into working for S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Civil War storyline. Due to charges of misappropriation of funds in his non-profit organization, Wonder Man is pressured to work for the pro-registration side. In addition to capturing renegade vigilantes and criminals, Wonder Man creates televised messages to educate the public and yet-unregistered superhumans about the specifics of the Registration Act.[26] Wonder Man later joins the Mighty Avengers.[27]
Following the events of Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn creates a new team of Avengers, effectively forcing Wonder Man into retirement. He later appears on television, where he laments his tenure as an Avenger. He claims that his efforts were a waste of time, and that using violence to uphold justice has caused nothing but heartache and death. Wonder Man ends his speech by admitting that having Osborn in charge is exactly what the country deserves.[28] Wonder Man joins the Lethal Legion, which is opposed to Osborn, to keep the group from hurting civilians.[29]
During the Heroic Age storyline, Simon is approached by Captain America to join the new team of Avengers. Simon refuses stating that the Avengers have caused more problems than they have solved and implies as Captain America leaves that he will make sure his old allies realize the mistake they are making. Simon is also mentioned as having been in jail until Steve bailed him out.[30] After learning that Captain America had disregarded his advice, Wonder Man attacks the new team causing some damage to their base before inexplicably disappearing.[31] Thor and Iron Man later contact him to try and reason with him, but Simon refuses to listen to their arguments, stating that the dead heroes that have resulted from the Avengers working together should be a clear sign that the concept is doomed, departing as Thor and Iron Man try to argue that all heroes are aware of the risks when they begin. Significantly, Iron Man notes that Simon is 'leaking' ionic energy, suggesting that his current mental condition may relate to his powers rather than being simply a matter of choice.[32]
Wonder Man assembles the Revengers to stop the Avengers, believing they have done more harm than good. He blames them for Ultron's existence, the damage caused by Scarlet Witch and Hulk, the Civil War, and Osborn's Dark Avengers. His team defeats the New Avengers before moving on to attack Avengers Tower,[33] stating that the tower will be destroyed unless the Avengers disband. The Avengers manage to defeat the Revengers, with Iron Man trapping Wonder Man in a prison designed to contain his energy. However, the Revengers' efforts have successfully spread doubt about the merits of the Avengers as a concept.[34]
Wonder Man later escapes prison and visits Captain America, telling him that he regrets his past actions and is trying to redeem himself. Before he can accept help from the Avengers, Wonder Man is attacked by the Red Hulk. He manages to take him down and looks at Avengers Tower, claiming that he will "earn his way back".[35]
At Wasp's urging, Simon joins the Avengers Unity Squad. During conversations with Wasp and Sunfire, he makes it clear has no intentions of fighting, and only wants to help use his PR skills to win over skeptical citizens.[36] He and the Scarlet Witch rekindle their relationship. During a confrontation with the Celestial Executioner, Wonder Man allows Rogue to absorb him to give her the power to oppose the Celestial.[37] Wonder Man's essence remains in Rogue after Scarlet Witch expels the other absorbed powers from her,[38] leaving Rogue with Wonder Man's powers.[39]
When the Avengers Unity Squad travels to Counter-Earth to find Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, Rogue is captured by the High Evolutionary's right-hand man Master Scientist, who removes Wonder Man's consciousness from her body.[40]
