Marvel’s new TV series, Wonder Man, has introduced one of the most powerful Marvel heroes of all time. Helmed by Andrew Guest and Destin Daniel Cretton, Wonder Man stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the down-on-his-luck actor Simon Williams. This series is very different to anything else we’ve seen in the MCU to date, much more character-driven and avoiding the usual CGI fight in the finale. In fact, Wonder Man carefully avoids exploring Simon’s powers at all; there isn’t even a proper origin, raising the possibility the MCU’s Wonder Man is a mutant.
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It isn’t really until the end of Wonder Man that we get a real idea of Simon’s power levels. We see just how explosive he can be when he literally trashes the Wonder Man set, and Damage Control subsequently discover his abilities are related to “ionic energy.” Incredibly, Simon actually manages to pull a jail-break in rescuing Trevor Slattery from a Supermax facility, flying through the concrete ceiling. With minimal evidence, then, how do his powers compare to the Avengers?
Wonder Man is Clearly an Avengers Level Superhuman
Wonder Man doesn’t give us much information about Simon’s ionic-energy-based powers. They seem to have triggered when he was just 13 years old, resulting in a flare of kinetic energy (possibly also heat) that caused his home to burn down; but he sustained no injuries, without even problems from smoke inhalation. The implication is that Simon has superhuman endurance, while his body isn’t dependent on oxygen to breathe. He shows no fear of bullets, and smashes through walls without any sign of his skin bruising. We’re immediately talking tougher than Captain America.
That isn’t the only area where Wonder Man shows himself as more powerful than Captain America. There are only a few action scenes in Wonder Man, but one shows Simon tossing thugs around effortlessly, demonstrating much greater physical strength than any MCU super-soldier. That brief fight already reveals that Wonder Man is stronger than almost any of the OG Avengers, with only Thor and the Hulk outclassing him. The key difference, of course, is that Simon lacks training.
Flight has traditionally been a more unusual power in the MCU, although less so during the Multiverse Saga. Simon appears to fly by building up a surge of kinetic energy beneath him, generating enough sheer force to smash his way through the ceiling of a Supermax facility designed to contain superhumans. The thrust levels are clearly comparable to those of Iron Man, and may actually exceed them.
The final power we see Simon use is the ability to generate devastating waves of kinetic energy, although it’s possible he can also project other forms of energy. These appear to be tied to his emotional state (thus comparable to Scarlet Witch), but we don’t really get a sense of their true power levels until Simon destroys the Wonder Man set. The explosion here is akin to those generated by Thor or Captain Marvel, immediately suggesting Simon is as powerful as even these titans.
How Powerful is Wonder Man in the Comics?
In the comics, Wonder Man is indeed one of the most powerful Marvel heroes of all. His ionic-based abilities mean he can propel himself in flight, teleport, and generate devastating energy blasts. In terms of sheer physical strength, he’s often been compared to the likes of Thor and even the Red Hulk (who he once beat in a fight). Wonder Man’s true potential was demonstrated during Brian Bendis’ Avengers run, when he became convinced the Avengers were a threat to peace on Earth. He attacked them, decking Thor in a surprise attack, and immediately proving powerful enough to challenge a full team of Avengers.
In this story, Wonder Man subsequently assembled a team of his own known as the Revengers. He attacked another squad of Avengers, tossing Luke Cage several miles away from the battle, and beating down Carol Danvers (then still Ms. Marvel, not yet Captain Marvel). He was not, however, able to defeat Iron Man; Stark had figured out how to contain Simon’s ionic form, and simply drew him into a containment unit, imprisoning him. Disturbingly, though, even Iron Man underestimated Simon’s abilities – because he was subsequently able to teleport out of a specially-contained cell of energy.
We don’t yet know whether the MCU’s Simon Williams is as powerful as his comic book counterpart. If he is, then he’s a man who could go toe-to-toe with Thor, who could tussle with the Sentry, or who could even land in some good blows against the Hulk. We can only hope Marvel greenlight Wonder Man Season 2 – and that it features a few more demonstrations of his power.
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