History[]
William Wilson, 'The Man in Black', was a mysterious, somewhat taciturn athlete who slept rough and lived primarily on a diet of fruit and vegetables which he foraged for himself, but who could seemingly outrun any man alive. It later transpired that he had allegedly been born on 1st November 1795 (though at least one document existed which suggested he was employed as a clerk in March 1774) and after studying biology and medicine had learned the secret of total control of his body, in the process becoming apparently immortal.
Wilson generally did not disclose these secrets about himself, and in the course of various globetrotting adventures (including fighting in World War II) he more than once adopted other identities and occasionally faked his own death. For example, Squadron Leader W. Wilson, DSO, DFC and bar was listed as missing after being shot down by the Germans over the English Channel during the Battle of Britain in 1940, but actually survived, swam to Holland (!) and took on the identity of a deceased RAF officer, Corporal Green, in order to avoid publicity.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers
He's one heck of a swimmer.
Abilities
Total control of his own body; peak human speed, agility and endurance; seemingly immune to the effects of ageing.
Strength level
Peak human.
Weaknesses
Outliving all his friends and relatives.
Paraphernalia[]
Transportation
His bare feet.
Notes[]
Wilson's adventures originally ran as illustrated text stories in the Wizard but he later graduated to comic strip form in Hornet in 1964, his adventures continuing in that title until 1976. Wilson outlasted Hornet, transferring to Hotspur from 1976 to 1980 and then resurfacing in Spike from 1983 to 1984. His strip had numerous titles at different times, including The Truth About Wilson, The Further Truth About Wilson and The Man in Black.
Links[]
- Appearances of Wilson
- Character Gallery: Wilson
- Images that feature Wilson
- Fan-Art Gallery: Wilson
- Wilson quotations
Discover and Discuss[]
- Search News for: William Wilson · Wilson