| Wonder Man | |
|---|---|
 Wonder Man's only appearance was inWonder Comics #1. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fox Publications |
| First appearance | Wonder Comics #1 (May 1939) |
| Created by | Will Eisner |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Fred Carson |
| Abilities | Super-strength · Super-speed · Invulnerability |
Wonder Man is asuperhero created by American cartoonistWill Eisner, whose only appearance was in the comic bookWonder Comics #1 (May 1939). The character is of some historical significance due to alawsuit that resulted from his only appearance.
Wonder Man's secret identity is Fred Carson, radio engineer for the International Broadcasting Corporation. During an excursion toTibet, an old monk bestows Carson with a ring that gave him the power to fight evil when the need arose.[1] His powers are almost exactly like those ofSuperman.[2] He travels to war-torn Tatonia, beats up the invading dictator General Attila, and stops the war. Then he rescues his boss's daughter,Red Cross nurse Brenda, and kisses her.[3]
Wonder Man was created by Will Eisner in theEisner & Iger Shop forVictor Fox, who was publishing astrology magazines when he ran across his distributor's reports on the incredible sales forNational Periodicals'Action Comics in February 1939. He immediately decided to get into the comic book business, setting up offices in the same building DC had theirs, then contacted Eisner. Using the pen name Willis, Eisner wrote and drew the first issue ofWonder Comics, which appeared on the newsstands less than six weeks later.
On March 15, 1939, National/DC brought acopyright infringement lawsuit against Fox, due to the character's similarities to Superman, as well as story and illustration elements that were similar to previous Superman adventures.[4] The case was brought to court inDetective Comics, Inc. v. Bruns Publications, Inc., 111F.2d 432 (2d Cir. 1940), in which Eisner defended the originality of his creation. Despite this testimony, the subsequent decision forced Fox to drop the character after just one issue.[5]
Wonder Comics however, continued as a title, featuring Yarko the Great in #2, then changed its name toWonderworld Comics featuringThe Flame in #3; the series continued for another 30 issues.[6]
This was the firstcopyright lawsuit in comic book history and set a precedent for DC Comics' vigorous protection of its characters (National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications).
The dispute is depicted in disguised fashion in Eisner'ssemi-autobiographicalgraphic novel,The Dreamer. This depiction is at odds with Eisner's own testimony at the trial, transcripts of which were unearthed in 2010.[7]