Avengers #9

Oct 1964

Stan Lee, Don Heck

Story Name:

The Coming of the ... Wonder Man!

Synopsis

Avengers #9 synopsis by Kevin Hollander

Rating:

In issue #7, the Masters of Evil were sent into a space warp courtesy of Thor. Since that time, the trio have been trapped between the sixth and seventh dimensions. Baron Zemo's patience is at an end and demands that his partners work to escape their prison. The Enchantress recites the proper spell and returns them to Zemo's Amazon fortress. Zemo begins his next plan to kill Captain America.

Weeks later the Enchantress pays the bail for Simon Williams. He is a failed inventor, charged with embezzling his own company. His inventions were rendered obsolete by Tony Stark's work. The Enchantress offers him a chance to get back at Stark's “bodyguard” Iron Man . Williams reluctantly agrees. Zemo grants him ionic-based powers and names him “Wonder Man”. He then informs him that he will infiltrate the Avengers and destroy them from within. To ensure Williams' cooperation, Zemo informs him that his ionic powers will kill him if he does not receive a weekly injection of a special serum.

The Masters of Evil stage a robbery in which Wonder Man helps the Avengers defeat them. He is accepted into the Avengers, with some magical assistance from the Enchantress, under the premise that he has a terminal disease (which is technically true). The Avengers promise to use all their resources to find a cure.

A few days later, Wonder Man contacts the Avengers on a secured channel and tells them that he has been captured by Zemo. The Avengers arrive and are ambushed by the Masters of Evil and Wonder Man. When Zemo gains the advantage during the battle and plans to kill the Avengers, Wonder Man turns on his master and saves them. Zemo destroys their escape tunnel to prevent the Avengers from following them.

Wonder Man dies a hero’s death as his ionic power kills him without an injection of Zemo's serum.

Review / Commentaries

Avengers #9 Review by Kevin Hollander (February 15, 2010)

1st appearance of Wonder Man

Avengers #9 Review by Rob Johnson (December 29, 2011)

Hidden away in a couple of panels is the fact that Wonder Man also kidnapped Wasp to act as extra bait for the trap. This is expanded upon in the extra story in Avengers Classic #9. Simon Willians' essential backstory is established here:- Williams Industries couldn't compete with Tony Stark, he embezzled the companies funds, got caught, and the Masters of Evil paid his bail and turned him into Wonder Man. #52 will introduce Simon's brother Eric as the Grim Reaper out for revenge for Simon's death. Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17 will contribute to Simon's downfall when SM and Hawkeye damage Williams Industries during a fight. Flashbacks in Avengers v3 #23 and Avengers West Coast #65 will show Simon trying to live up to his father's expectations, and taking over the family business when his dad dies. They will also show Eric was the bad son. Wonder Man #25 will give Simon & Eric a different childhood, which doesn't mesh with the rest. Father is a drunk. Simon seeks his mother's approval. Eric burns down the house while they are teenagers, killing their parents. Wonder Man of course isn't dead, and he will eventually be revived in #151-153 and Annual #6. But he will feature in lots of stories before then. The process that created him will be used on Power man in #21. Ultron will use his brain patterns to animate the Vision in #57-58. Grim Reaper will have his preserved body in #102 and #107-108. And he will appear snatched from just before his 'death' as one of Kang's Legion of the Unliving in #131-132 and Giant-Size #3. Note that Rick Jones isn't in this issue, even though his Teen Brigade are.

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