Ant-Man

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Ant-Man
Irredeemable Ant-Man Vol 1 5 Textless.jpg
Mitchell Carson and Eric O'Grady on the cover of Irredeemable Ant-Man vol. 1 #5 (April 2007).
Art by Phil Hester
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962) (as Dr. Henry Pym); Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962) (as Ant-Man)
Created by Stan Lee (co-writer/editor)
Larry Lieber (co-writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego Hank Pym
Scott Lang
Eric O'Grady
Chris McCarthy
Zayn Asghar
Team affiliations Avengers
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength and agility
  • Leading authority in myrmecology research
  • Size-shifting from nearly microscopic to ~100 feet gigantic (both at extremes)
  • Maintains strength of normal size in shrunken state
  • Telepathic communication with ants via cybernetic helmet

Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics.

Contents

Publication history

Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, his first appearance was in Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962) as Dr. Henry Pym; however, he first appeared in costume as Ant-Man in Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962). The persona was originated by the brilliant scientist Hank Pym's superhero alias after inventing a substance that can change size (Pym Particles), but reformed thieves Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady also took on the Ant-Man mantle after the original changed his superhero identity to various other aliases, such as Giant-Man, Goliath, and Yellowjacket. Pym's Ant-Man is also a founding member of the super hero team known as the Avengers. The character has appeared in several films based on the Marvel character, such as Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).

Fictional character biography

Over the years, a number of different characters have assumed the title of Ant-Man; most of them have been connected with the Avengers.

Hank Pym

The original Ant-Man was Biophysicist and Security Operations Center expert Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym who decided to be a superhero after the death of his first wife Maria Trovaya who had been a political dissident in Hungary. Falling in love with him and believing that his American citizenship would protect her, Maria traveled with Hank to Hungary shortly after their marriage to start their new life together. Unfortunately they were confronted by corrupt agents of the secret police. Hank was knocked unconscious and Maria was murdered. Pym was greatly distraught by his wife's death, and decided to do whatever he could in the future to battle injustice. After discovering a chemical substance, which he called Pym Particles, that would allow the user to alter his size, he armed himself with a helmet that could control ants. After that, Pym would shrink down to the size of an insect to become the mystery-solving Ant-Man, solving crimes and stopping criminals. [1] He soon shared his discovery with his new girlfriend Janet van Dyne, who became his crime-fighting partner Wasp, when he helped her avenge the death of her scientist father Vernon van Dyne who was killed by an alien unleashed by one of Vernon's own experiments. [2] The duo would become founding members of the Avengers, fighting recurring enemies such as the mad scientist Egghead, the mutant Whirlwind, and Pym's own robotic creation Ultron. [3] While Pym is the original Ant-Man, he has adopted other aliases over the years including Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, [2] and Wasp after Janet's presumed death in Secret Invasion . [4] Leaving his original persona vacant, his successors have taken up the Ant-Man role while Pym explored these other identities.

Scott Lang

Scott Lang was a thief who decided to be the second Ant-Man after stealing the Ant-Man suit to save his daughter Cassandra "Cassie" Lang from a heart condition. [5] Reforming from his life of crime, Lang soon took on a full-time career as Ant-Man with the encouragement of Hank Pym. [6] He became an affiliate of the Fantastic Four [7] and later became a full-time member of the Avengers. For a period of time he dated Jessica Jones. [5] He was killed by the Scarlet Witch along with the Vision and Hawkeye in Avengers Disassembled , [8] and his daughter took up his heroic mantle as Stature in the book Young Avengers . He returned to life in 2011 in the mini series The Children's Crusade.

Chris McCarthy

Chris McCarthy was the third character to take up the Ant-Man title albeit briefly, serving only as a plot point to get the suit to Eric O'Grady. [9] [10] [11] The character, created by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester, first appeared in Civil War: Choosing Sides #1 (October 2006). A low level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. working on the Helicarrier, McCarthy was tasked with guarding Dr. Pym's lab. After panicking and accidentally knocked Pym unconscious, he found the most recent Ant-Man suit which he promptly used to shrink, getting lost. McCarthy was caught up when a group of Hydra superhumans attacked and was killed in the chaos. [9] [10] [11]

Eric O'Grady

Eric O'Grady was the fourth character to take up the Ant-Man title. O'Grady is a low-level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who stumbles upon the Ant-Man suit. [9] A man of few morals and willing to lie, cheat, steal and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, O'Grady stole the armor for his own selfish plans, which included using his status as a "super-hero" to seduce women, [10] as well as humiliate and torment others. [11] He had his own short-lived title before being part of other teams such as joining Avengers: The Initiative as his first team and then joining the Thunderbolts before the character perished heroically while defending a child against the villain known as Father.

Criti Noll

Criti Noll was a Super-Skrull who impersonated Hank Pym / Ant-Man for the Secret Invasion storyline. [12]

Zayn Asghar

Dr. Zayn Asghar operates as the Earth-14831 equivalent of Ant-Man in the year 2549. The character, created by Al Ewing and Tom Reilly, first appeared in Ant-Man Vol. 3 #1 (July 2022). Born to eco-scientists working to repair the damage to Earth caused by All-Father Ultron in Ultron Forever, he developing an obsession with redeeming Hank Pym, Ultron’s creator, and created the Nano Ant Swarm which he used to fight paleo-capitalists and disaster opportunists as Ant-Man. Dr. Asghar began cloning thousands of extinct ant species to restore his world's climate, but these ants lacked the evolved instincts of the insects. Using Doctor Doom's Time Platform, he returns to the time periods of the three previous Ant-Men to study their methods of insect control to synthesize artificial instincts for his ants, briefly interacting with each of his contemporaries. Dr. Asghar's tampering with time resulted in All-Father Ultron finding a way to return to the Earth he once conquered. Zayn pulls Pym, Eric O'Grady, and Scott Lang to his time. Using Time Master's aging ray that was brought to the future by Lang, Zayn removes the artificial aging that turned Ultron into the All-Father, causing him to vanish to parts unknown. [13]

In other media

Television

Film

Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas portray Scott Lang and Hank Pym respectively in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. [18] Both have appeared in the live-action films Ant-Man (2015), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Additionally, Lang appears in the live-action film Captain America: Civil War (2016) while alternate timeline variants of Lang and Pym appear in the Disney+ animated series What If...? .

Video games

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Pym</span> Comic book superhero

Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym is a character appearing in American comic books, published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in Tales to Astonish #27. He returned several issues later as the original iteration of Ant-Man, a superhero with the power to shrink to the size of an ant. He later assumed other superhero identities, including the size-changing Giant-Man and Goliath; the insect-themed Yellowjacket; and briefly, the Wasp. He is a founding member of the Avengers superhero team, and the creator of the robotic villain Ultron. He is also the ex-husband of Janet van Dyne and the father of Nadia van Dyne, his daughter by his first wife, Maria Pym.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasp (character)</span> Marvel comics superheroine

The Wasp is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant-Man</span> Comics character

Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultron</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Ultron is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in The Avengers #54, with his first full appearance in The Avengers #55. He is a self-aware and highly intelligent artificial intelligence who develops a god complex and a grudge against his creator Hank Pym. His goal to destroy humanity in a shortsighted attempt at creating world peace has brought him into repeated conflict with the Avengers. Stories often end in Ultron's apparent destruction, only for the character to be resurrected in new forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassie Lang</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Cassandra "Cassie" Lang is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie and John Byrne, the character first appeared in Marvel Premiere #47. Cassandra Lang is the daughter of the superhero Scott Lang / Ant-Man. She has also been known as Stature, Stinger, and Ant-Girl at various points in her history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant-Man (Scott Lang)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Ant-Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie, Bob Layton and John Byrne, Scott Lang first appeared in The Avengers #181 and in Marvel Premiere #47 as the second superhero character to use the Ant-Man name in the Marvel Universe. He is a reformed thief and an electronics expert. He was a member of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the Guardians of the Galaxy, the main character in the comic-book series FF and, in 2015, he became the title character in the series Ant-Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Foster (character)</span> Superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics

Dr. William "Bill" Foster, also known as Black Goliath, Giant-Man and Goliath, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a professor with powers similar to Hank Pym's increasing size and mass to gigantic proportions.

Egghead is an alias used by two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric O'Grady</span> Comics character

Ant-Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to use the Ant-Man name, he was created by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester, and first appears in The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1.

<i>Ant-Man</i> (film) 2015 Marvel Studios film

Ant-Man is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name: Scott Lang and Hank Pym. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 12th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Peyton Reed from a screenplay by the writing teams of Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, and Adam McKay and Paul Rudd. It stars Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man alongside Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip "T.I." Harris, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson, David Dastmalchian, and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym. In the film, Lang must help defend Pym's Ant-Man shrinking technology and plot a heist with worldwide ramifications.

Yellowjacket is an alias utilized by several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Pym</span> Fictional character from Marvel Comics

Hope Pym is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, the character first appeared in A-Next #7. She is the daughter of superheroes Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne in the MC2 universe. Hope Pym is a supervillain known under the codename Red Queen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Cross</span> Marvel Comics supervillain

Darren Agonistes Cross is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the archenemy of Scott Lang and the cousin of Crossfire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchell Carson</span> Comic book character

Agent Mitchell Carson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Scott Lang (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Scott Lang is a fictional character portrayed by Paul Rudd in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and known commonly by his alias, Ant-Man. He is depicted as a thief-turned-superhero after being granted access to Hank Pym's technology and training, specifically the use of an advanced suit that allows him to change sizes, as well as communicate with ants. He is recruited by Steve Rogers to join the Avengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadia van Dyne</span> Fictional Marvel Comics character

Nadezhda "Nadia" van Dyne is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Mark Waid and Alan Davis, the character first appeared in Free Comic Book Day 2016 Civil War II, and was loosely based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Hope van Dyne, played by Evangeline Lilly. Nadia has notably been depicted as one of Marvel's rare asexual heroes. She is also diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Goliath is a superhero comic book identity in Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope van Dyne</span> Character in Marvel Cinematic Universe

Hope van Dyne is a fictional character portrayed primarily by Evangeline Lilly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Hope Pym. Portrayed as the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, she was a senior board member of her father's company, Pym Technologies, and later inherits the superhero identity of Wasp from her mother, using a suit containing shrinking technology to shrink to the size of an insect and also fly with insect-themed wings.

<i>Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</i> 2023 Marvel Studios film

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Pym / Wasp. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was directed by Peyton Reed, written by Jeff Loveness, and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, alongside Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, and Michael Douglas. In the film, Lang, Van Dyne, and their family are accidentally transported to the Quantum Realm and face off against Kang the Conqueror (Majors).

References

  1. ↑ "Henry Pym Biography". IGN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Secret Invasion Illumination". Marvel.com. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Psych Ward: Hank Pym". Marvel.com. December 29, 2008. Archived from the original on April 23, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Mighty Avengers: Assemble". Marvel.com. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Marvel's 5 Unluckiest Heroes: A Friday the 13th Special Report". Marvel.com. July 17, 2007. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ant Man (Scott Lang) Biography". IGN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Take 10: Replacement FF Members". Marvel.com. August 25, 2010. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  8. ↑ Avengers #500 (September 2004)
  9. 1 2 3 Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (October 2006)
  10. 1 2 3 Irredeemable Ant-Man #2 (November 2006)
  11. 1 2 3 Irredeemable Ant-Man #3 (December 2006)
  12. ↑ The Mighty Avengers #5-6. Marvel Comics.
  13. ↑ Ant-Man Vol. 3 #1-4. Marvel Comics.
  14. ↑ "Garrett Morris in Ant-Man –Henry Pym". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ↑ "Uncovering Marvel's Lost '80s Cartoon Pitches – Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources". Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ "NYCC: Marvel's Ant-Man Animated Shorts Coming to Disney XD". Comic Book Resources. October 9, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Alice! Mickey! Pooh! Spidey! Disney Junior Announces Slate of New Original Series and Shorts, Along With Returning Franchises, Debuting Across Disney+ and Disney Junior Platforms Through 2024 at First-Ever Disney Junior Fun Fest" (Press release). Disney Branded Television. April 29, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.
  18. ↑ Kroll, Justin (January 23, 2014). "Marvel's 'Ant-Man' Moves into Former Superman-Batman Release Date". Variety. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
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