Warning: contains spoilers for Devil's Reign #5!
Marvel's latest issue of the ongoing Devil's Reign event proves the company has forgotten exactly how the Purple Man's powers are used and how they work. The event encompasses the entirety of the Marvel Universe (at least from a terrestrial perspective) and largely centers around Daredevil and the Kingpin. But Devil's Reign #5 introduces new players into the story: the Purple Man's children.
In Devil's Reign, the Kingpin uses his newfound authority as Mayor of New York to outlaw all superhero activity within the city limits. Immediately the Thunderbolts (a team consisting of US Agent, Electro, and other "deputized" villains and anti-heroes) attack multiple heroes and take them into custody, including Reed Richards, Susan Storm, and Moon Knight. Other heroes manage to escape, and the remaining Avengers attempt to wrestle control back from the Kingpin. Unfortunately, the Kingpin has used the powers of the Purple Man to influence the masses...but he needs the help of the Purple Man's children (who have inherited the persuasion of their father).
The Purple Children are in hiding, fully aware of their father's evil ways and the Kingpin's desire to use their power to control the world. Thus, the Thunderbolts are sent to seek them out and bring them back to the Kingpin's headquarters. One of the Purple Children sees US Agent and utters a command "You don't move a muscle." US Agent does not move - to a point. While he stands still, he's still able to talk and breathe.
The Purple Man's powers are much more devastating, and such a liberally-uttered command would usually mean US Agent wouldn't be able to talk or breathe. Resisting his powers is a possibility but exceedingly rare. Through the use of pheromones, he can control up to one hundred people at a time and possibly more. He can rob banks through simply asking cashiers to give him money, or defeat super-strong heroes by merely ordering them to retreat. Unlike the MCU version seen in Jessica Jones, he also possess supernatural healing abilities and has returned from the grave on more than one occasion.
The encounter between US Agent and the Purple Man's powers means one of two things: either John Walker's willpower is exceedingly strong, or Marvel is deliberately weakening the powers of the Purple Man. The latter is plausible seeing as the Kingpin needs all the Purple People to enact his plan. Regardless, it's quite an odd sight to see someone like John Walker resist the Purple Man's abilities - meaning Marvel may have forgotten exactly how powerful they truly are.