Some fans of legendary writerGeorge R.R. Martin, best known for his epic grimdark fantasy seriesA Song of Ice and Fire, might be surprised to discover that one extremely underrated and little-knownAvengerhad a“profound”influence on his work. Now, thanks to a resurfaced interview, fans can finally get the inside scoop on which Marvel hero helped inspire the mind behind the massively popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.
…the author who would go on to redefine a genre by proving that not even main characters are safe from his pen.
George R.R. Martinhas done numerous interviews over the years, sitting down to discuss his works and offering fans tantalizing details and insights into his brilliance. However, among this sea of interviews, one clearly stood out to him personally.
Martin linked back to the interview in a post onhis LiveJournal account, where he notably revealed that out of all the interviews he had done that year, referencing 2011, only one“touched on the profound (and hitherto unexplored) influence that Wonder Man and the Avengers”had on his work. So, who is Wonder Man, and how did this hero influence Martin’s legendary tales?
How Wonder Man’s One-Issue Arc Left a Lasting Mark on George R.R. Martin
Main Cover by Terry Austin & Jeff Johnson forWonder Man#1 (1991)
In 2011, George R.R. Martin sat down with guest host John Hodgman on MaximumFun to talk about himself,Game of Thrones, and his prolific writing career. During the interview, Hodgman took things back to Martin’s early years,bringing up a now-famous letter that a teenage Martin had written to Stan Lee.In the letter, Martin’s inner fanboy gushed overAvengers#9 (1963) andFantastic Four#32 (1963), admitting that while both comics were great, he found the Avengers issue to be slightly better. Hodgman then asked if Martin remembered why he felt that way.
Once Hodgman reminded Martin thatAvengers#9 was the issue where Wonder Man made his debut, the floodgates of memory opened. Martin explained howmuch he liked Wonder Man, specifically saying,“I liked the character; he was a tragic, doomed character.I guess I’ve responded to tragic doomed characters ever since I was a high school kid.”He went on to recall,“The fact that he was introduced and joined the Avengers and died all in that one issue had a great impact on me when I was a high school kid.”
The fact that Martin is now known for writing shocking character deaths, especially of main characters, makes it clear just how deeply Wonder Man’s story affected him. As Hodgman noted during the interview, having a character introduced, become an Avenger, and die all in a single issue was a surprising move. That bold narrative choice clearly stayed with Martin. The fact that he explicitly stated on his personal blog thatWonder Man had a“profound”influence on his workonly strengthens the connection between a teenage Martin, inspired by a shocking character death, and the author who would go on to redefine a genre by proving that not even main characters are safe from his pen.
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN: Oh, yes, I liked Wonder Man! You know why? Now it’s coming back to me vividly. Wonder Man dies in that story. He’s a brand new character, he’s introduced, and he dies. It was very heart wrenching. I liked the character; he was a tragic, doomed character. I guess I’ve responded to tragic doomed characters ever since I was a high school kid. Of course, being comic books, Wonder Man didn’t stay dead for long. He came back a year or two later and had a long run for many many decades. The fact that he was introduced and joined the Avengers and died all in that one issue had a great impact on me when I was a high school kid.
How Marvel’s Ever-Changing Heroes Helped Shape George R.R. Martin’s Storytelling
Main Cover by Terry Austin & Jeff Johnson forWonder Man#2 (1991)
Following up on his comment about Wonder Man, Martin went on to talk about Marvel Comics in general, saying that around this time the publisher, and Stan Lee in particular,“were really revolutionary for the time”with their narratives. He pointed out that up until then, DC had been the dominant comic book publisher. While Martin had been a fan of their titles, he found them to be“very circular,”never pushing against the status quo, with Batman and Superman always ending up in the same place. In contrast, the“Marvel characters were constantly changing.”
Martin noted how the lineup of the Avengers was always shifting. Characters would quit, have fights, and the team dynamic was constantly evolving. Meanwhile, at DC, all the heroes liked each other and got along. He praised Stan Lee for introducing a whole new concept of characterization and conflict to comic books. Reflecting on this, Martin said,“Looking back on it now, I can see that probably was a bigger influence on my own work than I would have dreamed.”So, for fans wondering where some ofGeorge R.R. Martin’sinspiration came from, a significant part can undeniably be credited to Marvel’s storytelling, especially theAvengersandWonder Man.
