Marvel Introduces Its All-New Wonder Man, And It's a Villain No One Saw Coming

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WARNING: Spoilers for West Coast Avengers #7While Simon Williams" Wonder Man gears up for an MCU debut, Marvel Comics is giving the superhero a major overhaul by letting a different character use his name. A villain is stepping up as the new Wonder Man, taking the title for himself despite his predecessor"s potential objections. Marvel has officially set the stage for a less heroic Wonder Man in this staggering change.
Marvel Comics has released the synopsis for West Coast Avengers #7 by Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim, which reveals that a new character is about to take over the Wonder Man mantle. That character is none other than the team"s own Killerwatt, also known as Blue Bolt, who"s been enlisted into the team as part of a prison release program.
WEST COAST AVENGERS #7 (2025)

Release Date:
May 7th, 2025
Writer:
Gerry Duggan
Artist:
Danny Kim
Cover Artist:
Ben Harvey
Variant Covers:
Alex Ross, David Baldeón, John Tyler
WILL THE REAL WONDER MAN PLEASE STAND UP? KILLERWATT is the first reformed* villain in a work-release program built by Tony Stark for his West Coast Avengers team, but he still needs some work to soften those rough edges. What better way to gain the public"s trust than by taking on a revered Avengers legacy name like WONDER MAN?! Only one problem: SIMON WILLIAMS, the REAL WONDER MAN, is still alive and kickin"! *He"s doing his best, and his best ain"t that great.
As per this synopsis, Wonder Man"s name isn"t being passed down in a traditional fashion, as Killerwatt intends to steal it for himself without Simon Williams" permission. In any case, a new Wonder Man may be on his way, and he"s a far cry from the original.
Marvel's New Wonder Man Is the Avengers' Latest Villain Recruit Killerwatt Takes His Hero Journey to the Next Level With a Name Change

Chad Braxton debuted in West Coast Avengers #1, created by Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim, though the Killerwatt name is borrowed from a villain fought by May Parker"s Spider-Man in Earth-982. In the main Marvel continuity, Chad has taken the name Blue Bolt and joined the West Coast Avengers as a form of rehabilitation from his tenure as a small-time criminal. He used to follow Flag-Smasher "Stevil" Rogers, before being placed under arrest and now being integrated into a new program under the Avengers" watchful eye. Killerwatt has taken step towards redemption, but he"s far from a hero - hence why he intends to expedite that process.

Related Wonder Man Gets a New Nickname Ahead of Simon Williams' MCU Debut Wonder Man just got an all-new nickname during his latest Avengers adventure in Marvel Comics, one that is perfect for his upcoming MCU depiction.
Posts By switching his superhero code name to Wonder Man, Killerwatt"s intention is to present himself as a hero in Simon Williams" vein and gain the widespread trust of the public. After all, the world at large isn"t very fond of him due to his criminal past, and it doesn"t help that he still needs to return to prison after each mission alongside the West Coast Avengers. He hopes that being called "Wonder Man" rather than "Killerwatt" will fix his shattered reputation, possibly even earning him full freedom from his imprisonment by winning people over.
Killerwatt's Villainous Past Makes Him a Perfect Successor to Wonder Man Marvel's Potential Wonder Man Can Continue His Legacy of Redemption Close Of course, Killerwatt"s plan has a flaw in that - based on the comic"s cover - Wonder Man doesn"t appear to approve of his name being co-opted by a villain. Simon Williams has put years of effort into cementing himself as a hero in Marvel lore, even earning a place on the main Avengers team in 1977"s The Avengers #160, so his wariness would be understandable. However, it"s worth noting that he also got his start as a villain. Like Killerwatt, Wonder Man fought the Avengers before getting reborn as a hero, so it would be fitting for a rehabilitated criminal to follow in his footsteps with the same title.
West Coast Avengers #7 will be available on May 7th, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
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