Marvel Comics; 30¢ 

After Simon Williams, better known as Wonder Man, made his surprising return on the final page of The Avengers #151 – he had first appeared and died in Avengers #9 (October 1964) – the character quickly was integrated into the team. There were, of course, bumps along the way, including a fight with The Vision. 

In the span of less than a year, though, writers such as Gerry Conway and Jim Shooter had figured out much of how to handle such a powerful character. Since his origin and death came in the same issue, there hadn't been a lot of backstory for Wonder Man. In fact, readers found out more in subsequent issues after his passing. In Avengers #52, for instance, Eric Williams, Simon's brother, attacked and almost defeated the team as The Grim Reaper.   

By the time Avengers #160 arrived on the stands, it had gotten around that Wonder Man was back, so it was a great time for The Grim Reaper to make a return appearance. In the hands of Shooter, penciler George Pérez, and inker Pablo Marcos, the story is vintage Marvel magic. With flashbacks to the origin and development of The Vision (there are great story reasons the android is closely tied to Simon Williams), previous Grim Reaper appearances, and Wonder Man's death and return.  

Initially he wanted to avenge his brother's death at the hands of the Avengers (definitely not what happened), but his motivations changed over the years. The payoff is a wonderful read that has stood up well since it was published.    

The years when the team included Wonder Man and the Beast (including Black Panther, Vision, and Scarlet Witch in this issue) remain among my favorites, and this straightforward, necessary, one-and-done story is a lot of fun. 

– J.C. Vaughn