A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys interacting with fairies pirates mermaids Native Americans and occasionally ordinary children from the world. Like many other Disney adaptations Peter Pan was derived from some dark and tragic origins. The original story was written by a man named J.M. Barrie who had an unsettling obsession with young boys. The author was six years old when he lost his 13-year-old brother and he couldn't cope with the trauma.