Marvel Premiere #55 (1980): Wonder Man

David Michelinie and Bob Layton take a break from Iron Man to write a one-off in which Wonder Man is cast as kind of a corporate tycoon.  I totally forgot that he had this in his past—back when he was Simon Williams, he was the head of rival company to Stark Industries.

It’s a really fun issue that starts with Wonder Man doing some stealth work breaking into his old company because they seem to be up to no good (they’ve been taken over by The Maggia).  Here’s him breaking in:

After that, there’s hallways with gas traps.  That’s always fun to watch.  Then later in the issue, he has to break into another facility, so it’s pretty much the same thing, followed by a big battle with a Dreadnought that blows through walls and floor.  Fun, building-breaking chaos.  Luckily, I don’t really get tired of heroes creeping around through obstacles.  And it’s pretty rare to see Wonder Man acting like a spy.

Ron Wilson is a great artist for this—he’s kind of like Mike Zeck, only his characters aren’t quite so overmuscled and he’s capable of drawing other body types as well.

Also worth noting: A store called “Shooter Shoes!” That counts as a creator appearance!


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