Darren Cross | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance |
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Created by | |
In-story information | |
Species | Human mutate |
Team affiliations |
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Notable aliases | Yellowjacket |
Abilities | Skilled tactician, scientist, and businessman Size-shifting and alteration Superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, senses, and healing Via Yellowjacket suit:
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Darren Agonistes Cross is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the archenemy of Scott Lang (the second superhero to be called Ant-Man) and the cousin of Crossfire.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the character was portrayed in live-action by Corey Stoll in the 2015 film Ant-Man as Yellowjacket (a concept later integrated into the comics with the character as the third version of Yellowjacket in the Marvel Universe), [1] [2] and in the 2023 film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as M.O.D.O.K. (Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing). [3]
Darren Cross debuted in Marvel Premiere #47 (April 1979), and was created by John Byrne and David Michelinie. The character made his first appearance as Yellowjacket in The Astonishing Ant-Man #12 (September 2016), which was written by Nick Spencer and illustrated by Brent Shoonover.
Darren Cross is a millionaire and the founder of a successful corporation, which rivals top competitors. He is the first cousin of Crossfire (William Cross), [4] and the father of Augustine Cross. [5]
Cross was diagnosed with a heart condition due to overwork, and had to use an experimental nucleorganic pacemaker in order to save his life. The pacemaker was a success but enhanced Cross's circulatory system, mutating his body and giving him superhuman abilities. With a side effect that overuse causes the burning out of his heart, Cross went through various heart transplants, which led him to capture surgeon Dr. Erica Sondheim to replace his heart and to abduct "donors" from the slums. [6] This attracted Scott Lang's attention of the second Ant-Man looking for Sondheim in order to save his own daughter's life. The resulting battle with Lang burned out Cross's heart, as Sondheim had reimplanted his old, worn-out heart prior to Lang crashing the surgery. [7]
Darren's body is later revealed to have been kept in a cryonic state as Augustine was obsessed with bringing Darren back to life and eventually forces Dr. Sondheim to help. [8] Augustine enlisted Crossfire's to orchestrate Cassie Lang's capture as the girl's heart is required to withstand the unique conditions when transplanted into Darren. While infiltrating Cross's company to rescue Cassie, Ant-Man came across his nemesis. [9] Darren engages in combat against Ant-Man who buys time for Sondheim to transplant another heart to Cassie. Darren is ultimately forced to flee with his son when the Pym Particles now in his body cause him to shrink down. [10]
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel", Darren Cross is later approached by Power Broker to demonstrate his latest "Hench" App by hiring someone to kill Ant-Man. However, Cross is unwilling to give Power Broker the 1.2 billion dollars demanded for investment in the Hench app, causing Power Broker to cancel the demo and cancel Whirlwind's assassination on Ant-Man. [11]
Cross later represents his own company when he attends a meeting at the Universal Bank with Tiberius Stone of Alchemax, Wilson Fisk of Fisk Industries, Sebastian Shaw of Shaw Industries, Zeke Stane of Stane International, Frr'dox of Shi'ar Solutions Consolidated, and Wilhelmina Kensington of Kilgore Arms where they discuss Dario Agger's and Roxxon Energy Corporation's plans to exploit the Ten Realms of Asgard. Cross also sees the arrival of Exterminatrix of the Midas Foundation who knocks out Dario and declares herself a new member of their assembly. [12]
In order to more effectively face Ant-Man in combat, Cross recruits Egghead to work for his company to help Cross control his Pym Particle abilities with the Yellowjacket battlesuit. [13] Yellowjacket, Egghead and Crossfire attack during his nemesis's trial in Cassie's place, but are engaged by Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Miss Thing, Grizzly, Machinesmith and Stinger. Yellowjacket is defeated by Stinger, which leads to Peggy Rae's final approval of Lang's superhero life and acquittal in court. [14]
During the "Opening Salvo" part of the "Secret Empire" storyline, Yellowjacket appears as a member of Baron Helmut Zemo's Army of Evil. [15]
During the "Hunted" storyline, Yellowjacket is among the animal-themed characters that were captured by Taskmaster and Black Ant for Kraven the Hunter's Great Hunt that was sponsored by Arcade's company Arcade Industries. When the Great Hunt is over, Yellowjacket finds Black Ant in the bushes as he, Human Fly, Razorback, Toad, and White Rabbit plan to take revenge on him. [16]
Yellowjacket would join the Hellfire Club in their assault on Krakoa. [17]
Darren Cross possesses a keen scientific mind and is a successful businessman. The experimental nucleorganic pacemaker that saved Cross from his heart condition also granted him superhuman abilities such as enhanced physical attributes, increased sensory perception, and a regenerative healing factor on the same level of power (and physical appearance) as the Hulk, with a pink physical hue. [7] After acquiring a Pym Particle-equipped heart during a heart transplant, Cross gained near uncontrollable size-shifting abilities; he is at risk of growing when angered and shrinking when calm. The Yellowjacket battlesuit helps Cross control his Pym Particle quantum powers. The Yellowjacket battlesuit grants Cross enhanced durability and flight, in addition to featuring "stingers" that can discharge powerful blasts of bio-electrical energy. [13]
Darren Cross / Yellowjacket appears in Ant-Man (2017), voiced by William Salyers.
Darren Cross / Yellowjacket, based on the MCU incarnation, received a figure as part of GameStop-exclusive two-pack alongside Ant-Man in Hasbro's Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years Legends Series. [31]
Dr. Henry Jonathan 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.
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.
Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics.
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.
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.
Whirlwind is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50. David Cannon belongs to the subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. He is a recurring antagonist of the superheroes Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne. He has also been known as Whirlwind and Human Top at various points in his history.
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.
Cross Technological Enterprises is a fictional corporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. First appearing in Marvel Premiere #47, it is portrayed as being one of the leading technological companies along with Stark Industries and Oscorp.
MODOK is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former employee of Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.), an arms-dealing organization specializing in futuristic weaponry, who undergoes substantial mutagenic medical experimentation originally designed to increase his intelligence. While successful, the experiments result in him developing a freakishly overdeveloped head and a stunted body, causing the character's signature look and use of a hoverchair for mobility. After the experiments, he kills his creators and takes control of A.I.M. Following Tarleton being changed back to normal, a MODOK clone being created afterward dubs himself MODOK Superior, becoming the enemy of Gwenpool.
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 & Joe Cornish and Adam McKay & 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.
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.
Agent Mitchell "Mitch" Carson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a 2018 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 the 20th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Peyton Reed and written by the writing teams of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. It stars Rudd as Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, alongside Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kamen, David Dastmalchian, Tip "T.I." Harris, Judy Greer, Bobby Cannavale, Randall Park, Abby Ryder Fortson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Douglas. In the film, the titular pair work with Hank Pym (Douglas) to retrieve Janet van Dyne (Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm.
Scott Edward Harris 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.
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. Her appearances in the MCU have received media attention, with praise often given to her authentic, relatable portrayal as superheroine.
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).