Wonder Man is a superhero in the Marvel Universe, as well as a popular actor in his civilian life.
The character (whose civilian identity is Simon Williams, who also acted as an actor in his public life) debuted in the USA in "The Avengers" # 9 ( Bloch Editores, March 1976), an ally of the first Baron Zemo. Simon Williams was serving time for embezzlement when he was released and he was given ionic superpowers by Baron Zemo. He agreed to join the avengers as Magnum and lure them into a trap made by Baron Zemo, but had a rebellion of conscience and apparently died saving the heroes. In fact, Simon's powers put him in a vegetative state in which he could heal. He lived to be one of the most popular members of the Avengers. Their powers are speed, stamina and durability superior to that of normal people. It can also design, absorb and control ionic energy. This character appears in the cartoon The Avengers: United They Stand, and a "being of energy" version of the character appears as a villain in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Transcendent Superhuman Physiology
- Ionic Energy Form: The tissue and bones of his entire body have been augmented in strength and to a certain extent supplanted by Pym Particle charged iota in the "ionic ray" bombardment procedure. Despite Wonder Man's statements that he is composed of "ionic energy,". Since his last revival, his physiology has changed a great deal and it's not clear if his external form is ionic energy or flesh. He stated during an incident in which all the living things in New York had been morphed into symbiotes that he was an ion being and not flesh and blood. This was the prime reason he himself had not been infected. He does not house blood in his body and cannot impregnate women, there is also the fact that when touching Rogue his whole body was absorbed, an indication that he is composed of energy/power.
- Superhuman Strength: Williams possesses vast superhuman strength, the limits of which aren't known, but he can lift in excess of 100 tons. Wonder Man was considered to have a Sentry-level strength, was referred as one of the most powerful humans on Earth, and was regarged more than once as one of the strongest men on Earth. Simon has also been compared to Thor numerous times. However, given that Thor and the Sentry usually hold back, it should be taken into consideration.
- Leaping (latent): His strength extends into his legs, as he is capable of superhuman leaps covering several hundred feet in long strides. In his solo series, while his jetpack was being repaired, Simon needed a way to get around town that was faster, and cheaper, than a taxi. He thought about the Hulk's method of transportation and realized that, while he cannot leap as far as the Hulk, he can get around much faster than walking.
- Strength Combat
- Power Fists
- Superhuman Speed: He can run and move and react at speeds that are beyond the physical limits of the finest human athlete. Easily able to close the distance between himself, a trained assassin and her target from the street to the local restaurant she was with lightning pace.
- Superhuman Stamina: Williams' ionic body grants him unlimited stamina and is therefore immune to fatigue.
- Invulnerability: His bodily tissues are much harder due to being ionized organic matter instead of normal flesh and far more resistant to physical injury than the bodily tissues of a normal human. Williams is highly resistant to penetration wounds, even from high-caliber machine gun shells. He can also withstand tremendous impact forces such as falling from great heights, being repeatedly struck by superhumanly strong opponents or breaching planetary orbit and making re-entry without being hurt. Also showcasing high resistance to extreme changes in temperatures.
- Superhuman Agility: His agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Williams' reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Senses: Simons' powers attune him to a higher observational field than the typical human being. With further practice from Hank and Nadia, he was taught to feel and sense the ambient energy; physical, radiological or otherwise. And interact with it through sheer focus.
- Superhuman Hearing: His hearing has been enhanced to a superhuman degree.
- Energy Vision: Williams can see beyond the usual spectrum visible to the human eye.
- Flight: He originally required the use of a sophisticated and advanced rocket pack attached to his costume to fly. However, following his resurrection and metamorphosis Williams is now able to fly through the air at great speeds, the exact limit of which isn't known. He could originally fly at subsonic speeds. After his metamorphosis Williams can fly at speeds in excess of 700 mph.
- Immortality: Williams is functionally immortal. Because of the ionic energy that empowers him, he no longer ages and is immune to disease and infection. This same energy sustains Williams' physical vitality far more efficiently than the biochemical process that sustain ordinary human life.
- Self-Sustenance As a result of his transformation he no longer requires food, sleep, water or oxygen to survive. Simon is now a fully energized entity who can sustain himself indefinitely without nourishment, easily able to live outside habitable planet orbit.
- Ionic Regenerative Healing: Williams' ionic form can heal itself from gunshot wounds, surgery, and even severed limbs. This allowed him to constantly survive death more often. This may be so because he has no bones, blood or organs; he is a being of pure ionic energy, allowing him to reform after any injury.
- Energy Manipulation (latent): In his energy form, Williams learned he had the ability to emit ionic energy blasts of devastating force from his hands and eyes. This was shown before his death at the hands of the Kree Empire, Since his resurrection he has done so somewhat rarely.
- Solid Energy Constructs: Over time Williams would learn he could tangibilize his internal energy solid forms, using his powers to fashion a protective force energy bubble to defend against attacks.
- Electromagnetic Manipulation: Williams, under instruction by Wasp and Beast, learned he could sense, siphon and/or disperse lingering radial fields by using the unique properties of his ionic energy to interact with the EM Fields or any form of energy in the world if he so chooses.
- Energy Beam Emission
- Ionic Manipulation
- Bio-Particle Manipulation
- Powers via Energy
- Shapeshifting (latent): As a being of raw energy, Simon's physical form is purely subjective. What shape or form he takes is ruled by conscious thought as much as the Id and Ego. Once turning the hand the soul of his dead brother gave him into an organic sickle, then taking on the physical form of a ferocious demon to battle the assembled villains under Mephisto.
- Size Alteration (latent): Another power his energy form granted him is the ability to alter his size, becoming even larger and (possibly) stronger than his adversary Goliath. He hasn't displayed this power since his resurrection, save the time while his energy form was tethered to Wanda as they battled Morgan Le Fay.
- Power Recycling (latent): When his energy form was inexplicably destabilized by his own guilt and self-doubt, Simon's powers were left unstable. As an effect he accidentally let off a massive ionic discharge giving friends and neighbors similar powers he may potentially possess. These abilities were either temporary or he could recall them back at will, the affected went on to form a short-lived super hero team called The Crazy Eight.
- Teleportation (latent): In later comics, Simon has shown to be able to warp between unknown distances by sheer will alone. Once teleporting out of a containment bubble created by Stark and Hank. And again when after he fought and bested Thaddeus Ross as the Red Hulk outside Avengers Tower.
- Energy Power Link
- Superhuman Strength: Williams possesses vast superhuman strength, the limits of which aren't known, but he can lift in excess of 100 tons. Wonder Man was considered to have a Sentry-level strength, was referred as one of the most powerful humans on Earth, and was regarged more than once as one of the strongest men on Earth. Simon has also been compared to Thor numerous times. However, given that Thor and the Sentry usually hold back, it should be taken into consideration.
- Ionic Energy Form: The tissue and bones of his entire body have been augmented in strength and to a certain extent supplanted by Pym Particle charged iota in the "ionic ray" bombardment procedure. Despite Wonder Man's statements that he is composed of "ionic energy,". Since his last revival, his physiology has changed a great deal and it's not clear if his external form is ionic energy or flesh. He stated during an incident in which all the living things in New York had been morphed into symbiotes that he was an ion being and not flesh and blood. This was the prime reason he himself had not been infected. He does not house blood in his body and cannot impregnate women, there is also the fact that when touching Rogue his whole body was absorbed, an indication that he is composed of energy/power.
Abilities[]
- Gifted Intellect: Williams has a gifted intellect.
- Actor: He is good actor whose talents earned him a spot on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. His acting gives him a strong edge in undercover work.
- Stuntman: Before he was an actor, Williams was an expert stuntman who worked in many big action movies.
- Expert Combatant: Williams is a skilled unarmed combatant with training under Captain America in Aikido.
Weaknesses[]
- Energy Weaponry: As he is an ionic energy being, Williams is susceptible to attacks that disrupt his unique energy pattern. Dispersion would be hazardous, as he might not be able to reform without further assistance from the Scarlet Witch. During the Kang Dynasty however, he was dispersed by one of Kang's weapons and was plenty capable of reforming himself on his own after traveling a great distance to avoid being discovered alive and making a grand escape, so this is unlikely. Williams can however, be rendered unconscious and it is possible for him to be injured.
- Mental Illness: He has shown some mental breakdowns that lead to him attacking the Avengers multiple times after he began to believe that everything bad was caused by the team.
- Anionics: uniquely charged items fueled by his own energies opposite signature can cause lasting damage even to his invulnerable energy state.
- Ionic Lock: A weapon of last resort Madame Masque had devised as a deterrent which has one of two effects on beings touched by ionic energies. Without the Intensifier device it only seals a their abilities reducing them to normal for a time, while with the Intensifier it causes their energies to drain away at an accelerated rate. Causing those effected to eventually dissipate into nothing.
- Extreme Pacifism: Ever since recovering from his latest breakdown, Simon has refused to resort to violence even when absolutely necessary. This makes him virtually useless in combat.
