When Awakens Wonder Man!

Notwithstanding the glimpse we saw of him as part of a plot involving the Grim Reaper which bargained to restore him to life, it took twelve years to the month for Marvel to truly resurrect the powerhouse known as Wonder Man, who originally helped to lure the Avengers into a trap set by the Masters of Evil only to betray those he served at the last minute and, consequently, pay the ultimate price for turning against them. Yet when he finally does reappear, showing up on the Avengers' doorstep in an eerie daze and accusing the Vision of stealing his mind, it's difficult to apply the word "living" to Wonder Man, since a voodoo priest called Black Talon has made him into a virtual zuvembie. Once the Avengers investigate and deal with Black Talon, they're left with a barely animated Wonder Man, who has escaped from Avengers Mansion and remains a mystery in both how he can be among the living, and who or what is responsible for his reappearance.

We know that Wonder Man went on to regain his faculties and even to become an Avenger, though he would be forced to admit the fact that even he was unsure of what form of life he had risen as. But thanks to the 1976 Avengers Annual, we can see the first steps he takes toward regaining his sense of self, and the life he forfeited a decade past. And as you might guess, it's one Avenger in particular who takes it upon himself to make sure he gets the chance.

Yet though the Beast and Wonder Man will some day strike up a close friendship, at this point it's unclear just what to expect from Wonder Man now that he's apparently free of Black Talon's influence. What is clear is that his incredible power remains--and that he's now acting under orders to destroy the Avengers.

It takes awhile for us to learn that it was the Grim Reaper who paid the Talon to raise Wonder Man from the dead (though it would eventually be revealed that the Reaper's plans vis-à-vis Black Talon were far more involved). Of course right now the Beast has other worries, such as how to stop this rampaging bruiser from putting him six feet under. Thanks to his agility, the Beast simply uses Wonder Man's own momentum against him.

Naturally, the Beast makes sure to secure medical attention for Wonder Man. But when the Annual cranks up later to include the Living Laser under the influence of the Serpent Crown, lo and behold it seems that Wonder Man has not only thrown off his funk (and his previous orders) and joined the Beast in a mission, but he's also making strides toward helping the team that he only recently targeted.

With everything happening off-panel, we're left to speculate* as to how Wonder Man could make this kind of leap so abruptly, as well as how he can shake off the orders of his "master" when earlier he was so adamant about carrying them out.

*Or, more likely, simply overlook.

With the mission over, an effort is at least made to make it clear that Wonder Man hasn't just "switched to" being one of the team, to say nothing of becoming a living human being with no questions asked. He has a ways to go--with himself, and with the Avengers.