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 (January 1962). 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.
Since his earliest appearances in the Silver Age of Comic Books, Pym has been featured in various Marvel-endorsed products including animated films, video games, television series, and feature films. Michael Douglas plays Pym in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Ant-Man (2015), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Douglas also voiced alternate-timeline versions of Pym in the Disney+ animated series What If...? (2021–2023).
Hank Pym debuted in a seven-page solo cover story, "The Man in the Ant Hill", about a character who tests shrinking technology on himself, in the science fiction/fantasy anthology Tales to Astonish #27 (cover date January 1962). The story was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, writer Larry Lieber, penciller Jack Kirby, and inker Dick Ayers. In a 2008 interview, Lee said: "I did one comic book called 'The Man in the Ant Hill' about a guy who shrunk down and there were ants or bees chasing him. That sold so well that I thought making him into a superhero might be fun."[1]
As a result, Pym was revived eight issues later as the costumed superhero Ant-Man who starred in the 13-page, the three-chapter story "Return of the Ant-Man/An Army of Ants/The Ant-Man's Revenge" in Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962). His adventures became an ongoing feature in the title. Issue #44 (June 1963) featured the debut of his socialite girlfriend and lab assistant Janet van Dyne, who adopted the costumed identity of the Wasp. She co-starred in Pym's subsequent appearances, and was a framing-sequence host for backup stories in the series. In September 1963, Lee and Kirby created the superhero title The Avengers, and Ant-Man and Wasp were established in issue #1 as founding members of the eponymous team.
Decades later, Lee theorized as to why "Ant-Man never became one of our top sellers or had his own book":
I loved Ant-Man, but the stories were never really successful. In order for Ant-Man to be successful, he had to be drawn this small next to big things and you would be getting pictures that were visually interesting. The artists who drew him, no matter how much I kept reminding them, they kept forgetting that fact. They would draw him standing on a tabletop and they would draw a heroic-looking guy. I would say, 'Draw a matchbook cover next to him, so we see the difference in size.' But they kept forgetting. So when you would look at the panels, you thought you were looking at a normal guy wearing an underwear costume like all of them. It didn't have the interest.[2]
Pym began a continuous shift of superhero identities in Tales to Astonish, first becoming the 12 ft-tall (3.7 m) Giant-Man in issue #49 (November 1963). Pym and van Dyne continued to costar in the title until issue #69 (July 1965), while simultaneously appearing in The Avengers until issue #15 (April 1965), after which they temporarily left the team.
Next Pym rejoined the Avengers and adopted the new identity Goliath in Avengers #28 (May 1966). Gradually falling to mental strain, he adopted the fourth superhero identity Yellowjacket in issue #59 (December 1968).[3] He reappeared as Ant-Man in Avengers #93 (November 1971); and for issues #4–10 starred in the lead story of the first volume of Marvel Feature (July 1972 – July 1973). During this run, he appeared in a redesigned costume with a nail as a weapon.[4] After appearing occasionally as Yellowjacket in the 1980s and battling mental and emotional issues, he temporarily abandoned his costumed persona, joining the West Coast Avengers as a scientist and inventor in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #21 (June 1987). Pym returned to the Avengers as Giant-Man in The Avengers vol. 3, #1 (February 1998). When the team disbanded after a series of tragedies, Pym, as Yellowjacket, took a leave of absence beginning with vol. 3, #85 (September 2004).[5]
Following van Dyne's death, a grieving Pym took on yet another identity as a new iteration of Wasp, in tribute to the woman he had married and divorced, in the one-shot publication Secret Invasion: Requiem (January 2009). Giant-Man appeared as a supporting character in Avengers Academy from issue #1 (August 2010) through its final issue #39 (January 2013). Pym returned as the Wasp in the mini-series Ant-Man & The Wasp (January 2011) and as a regular character in the 2010-2013 Secret Avengers series from issue #22 (April 2012) through its final issue #37 (March 2013).
After Secret Avengers, Pym joined the Avengers A.I. after beating his creation Ultron. He then appeared in many comics including Daredevil (Vol. 3 and 4) and the graphic novel Rage of Ultron.
Biochemist Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym discovers an unusual set of subatomic particles he labels "Pym particles". Entrapping them within two separate serums, he creates a size-altering formula and a reversal formula, testing them on himself. Reduced to the size of an insect, he becomes trapped in an anthill before he eventually escapes and uses the reversal formula to return to normal size. Deciding the serums are too dangerous, he destroys them.[6] He later reconsiders his decision and recreates his serums. Pym's experience in the anthill inspires him to study ants, and he builds a cybernetic helmet that lets him communicate with and control them. He designs a costume made of unstable molecules to prevent bites or scratches from the ants and reinvents himself as the superhero Ant-Man.[7]
After several adventures, Pym is contacted by Dr. Vernon van Dyne, who asks for his help contacting alien life. Pym refuses, but is attracted to Vernon's socialite daughter Janet van Dyne. When Vernon is killed by an alien criminal who teleports to Earth, Janet asks for Pym's help avenging his death. Pym reveals his secret identity to Janet and uses Pym particles to graft wasp wings beneath her shoulders, which appear when Janet shrinks. She assumes the alias of the Wasp, and together they find and defeat Vernon's killer.[8] They become founding members of the superhero team the Avengers.[9]
Pym eventually adopts his first alternate identity as the 12-foot-tall Giant-Man.[10] (Three decades later, a flashback shows him adopting the identity out of feelings of inadequacy when compared to powerful teammates Iron Man and Thor.[11]) Pym and the Wasp begin a romantic relationship,[12] and soon take a leave of absence from the Avengers.[13]
Returning to the Avengers, Pym adopts a new superhero identity, Goliath.[14] A mishap traps him in giant form for several issues and affects his self-esteem.[15] After recovering his size-shifting powers, he creates the robot Ultron that unexpectedly achieves sentience and becomes one of the Avengers's greatest foes.[16] During a botched experiment, Pym inhales chemicals that affect his mind, and he reappears at Avengers Mansion in the cocky new persona of Yellowjacket, claiming to have disposed of Pym. The Wasp secretly realizes he is Pym, however, and accepts his offer of marriage. At their wedding, a battle with the Circus of Crime erupts; in the ensuing conflict, the chemicals lose their effect on him and his identity is restored.[17]
After several adventures with the Avengers, including another encounter with Ultron,[18] the pair take another leave of absence.[19] The heroes re-encounter Hank Pym at the beginning of the Kree-Skrull War,[20] and once again as the Ant-Man persona and has a series of solo adventures.[21]
After aiding fellow superhero team known as the Defenders[22][23] as Yellowjacket, Pym returns to the Avengers.[24] He is eventually captured by an upgraded Ultron that brainwashes his creator, causing the character to regress to his original Ant-Man costume and personality — arriving at Avengers Mansion, thinking it to be the very first meeting of the team. Seeing several unfamiliar members, Pym attacks the team until stopped by the Wasp.[25] After Ultron's brainwashing is reversed, Pym rejoins the Avengers as Yellowjacket.[26] Pym is forced to briefly leave the team when the roster is restructured by government liaison Henry Peter Gyrich.[27]
Also at this time, he noticed Scott Lang's theft of the Ant-Man suit. After Darren Cross's defeat and aware of Lang's use of the stolen goods, Pym let Lang keep the equipment, albeit only to uphold the law.[28]
Returning 14 issues later,[29] Hank Pym participates in several missions until, after demonstrating hostile behavior toward Janet van Dyne, he attacks a foe from behind once the opponent had ceased fighting. Captain America suspends Yellowjacket from Avengers duty pending the verdict of a court-martial.
Pym suffers a mental breakdown and concocts a plan to salvage his credibility. He plans to build a robot and program it to launch an attack on the Avengers; Pym will then counter the false flag attack at a critical moment using his knowledge of the robot's weaknesses, thereby presenting himself as the other Avengers' savior. The Wasp discovers the plan and begs Pym to stop, whereupon he strikes her.[30][note 1]
Pym is subsequently expelled from the Avengers,[30] and Janet divorces him.[32]
Left penniless, Pym is manipulated by an old foe, the presumed-dead Egghead, who tricks Pym into stealing the national reserve of the metal adamantium. Pym is confronted by the Avengers and blamed for the theft, as Egghead erases all evidence of his own involvement. Pym, in turn, blames Egghead, a criminal still believed dead by the other Avengers. This is taken by Pym's former teammates as further proof of his madness, and he is incarcerated.[33] During Pym's imprisonment, Janet has a brief relationship with Tony Stark.[34] Egghead later attempts to kill Pym but is himself accidentally killed by Hawkeye. With the perpetrator of the original theft now exposed, Pym is cleared of all charges. After bidding farewell to Janet and his teammates, Pym leaves to devote himself full-time to research.[35]
Pym reappears as a member of the West Coast Avengers, first in an advisory role,[36] then as a full member. He answers to "Doctor Pym" in the field, using none of the names or costumes associated with his previous superhero identities.[37] He begins a short relationship with teammate Tigra.[38] After being taunted by old foe Whirlwind, Pym contemplates suicide, but is stopped by Firebird.[39] Pym and Janet eventually resume a romantic relationship.[40]
The character returns to the Avengers, joining the East Coast team as Giant-Man.[41] The pair, together with many of the other Avengers, apparently sacrifice themselves to stop the villain Onslaught, but actually exist in a pocket universe for a year before returning to the mainstream Marvel Universe.[42]
Hank Pym returns and aids the team as Giant-Man,[43] and makes a significant contribution by defeating criminal mastermind Imus Champion[44] and his flawed creation Ultron, simultaneously overcoming his old issues of guilt over Ultron's crimes.[45]
During the Destiny War between Kang the Conqueror and Immortus, two versions of Hank Pym are drawn in: Giant-Man of the present and Yellowjacket immediately prior to his marriage to Janet van Dyne.[46] Yellowjacket briefly betrays the team to Immortus and the powerful Time-Keepers try to create a timeline where he will not turn back into Pym,[47] but he rejects this decision in time to help his allies.[48] Observing the final battle, Libra—who brought the team together by using the Destiny Force to tap into his subconscious awareness of the cosmic balance—reflects that both Pyms were necessary so that Yellowjacket's betrayal could bring the team into the right position to attack the Time-Keepers, while Pym's presence as Giant-Man both provided a stable support and irritated Yellowjacket to provoke his own actions.[49]
Back in the present, an encounter with Kulan Gath results in Pym being split into his two personas of Pym and Yellowjacket, after a spell cast by Gath temporarily transforms Pym into a swashbuckler-style Yellowjacket, followed by the Yellowjacket persona manifesting a physical presence from the extradimensional bio-mass Pym uses to grow. Yellowjacket's stability deteriorates in a confrontation with Diablo. The two personalities are restored when the Wasp helps the two halves realize they need each other.[50] Pym is eventually able to resolve his problems and adopts his Yellowjacket persona again.[51]
After the events of the "Avengers Disassembled" storyline, Pym takes a leave of absence,[52] and in the one-shot Avengers: Finale, he and Janet leave for England to rekindle their relationship.[53]
As Yellowjacket, Pym is a central character in the Civil War storyline, joining those heroes that support the Superhuman Registration Act. At the conclusion of the Civil War, Pym is named "Man of the Year" by Time magazine for his role in freeing several captive anti-registration heroes.[54] Pym becomes one of the administrators at Camp Hammond, a U.S. military base in Stamford, Connecticut, for the training of registered superheroes in the government program The Initiative.[55] Pym and Janet's relationship fails, and Pym again begins a romantic relationship with teammate Tigra.
Following the publication of Civil War, Marvel's Secret Invasion storyline uses flashbacks to present the then-current version of the character as an impostor who replaced the real Pym at some point in the books' fictional history prior to the events of Civil War. This impostor is an extraterrestrial of the shape-shifting Skrull race participating in a covert invasion of Earth; Pym's experiences throughout the Civil War series and related series are retold in brief from the perspective of the impostor and its allies.[56] The impostor is exposed and defeated by the hero Crusader.[57] After the final battle between Earth's heroes and the Skrulls, Pym is found with other "replaced" heroes in a Skrull vessel. When Janet is seemingly killed in battle,[58] Pym takes on a new superhero persona, the Wasp, in tribute to her.[59] He rejoins the Avengers[60] and eventually leads the team.[61]
The cosmic entity Eternity reveals to Pym that he is Earth's "Scientist Supreme", the scientific counterpart to Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.[62] The Norse trickster-god Loki later claims to have been posing as Eternity to manipulate Pym.[63]
Hank Pym creates Avengers Academy, a program to help train young people with newly acquired superpowers.[64] He returns to his Giant-Man identity,[65][66] and later joins the superhero team: Secret Avengers.[67] In the "Age of Ultron" storyline, Pym travels through time to destroy his robot, Ultron, who had managed to conquer the world.[68]
In another adventure, Pym and Monica Chang, A.I. Division Chief of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., assemble a new team called the Avengers A.I.[69] A few months later, Pym, using his Yellowjacket identity, is shown as a member of the Illuminati.[70] At one point, Pym is presumed dead and a funeral service is held in his honor.[71] Scott Lang receives one of Pym's labs according to the will.[72]
Pym resurfaces in a space adventure before rejoining the Avengers on Earth, though it becomes clear that Ultron is actually controlling Hank's body.[73] The Avengers defeat the hybrid robot, but both Hank and Ultron survive and continue to do battle with one another internally.[74] Later in this period, we get introduce to Hank's daughter, Nadia, from his ex-wife Maria Trovaya.[75] Through Nadia, we discover that Hank has bipolar disorder,[76] which he has been monitoring on his own to predict when and how often his mood swings may occur.[77]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Pym sets up a base in Alaska and is forced to work through some family issues and relationship strife within the Avengers team.[78] Pym later goes on a journey to collect all the Infinity Stones.[79] During this storyline, a piece of Hank's soul gets stuck in an alternate realm and eventually devoured.[80] In another storyline, Hank is portrayed as a villain in a battle against the Silver Surfer.[81]
In "The Ultron Agenda" storyline, Hank attempts to merge all robots with humans. Iron Man and Machine Man interfere with his plans[82] and Pym attempts to take revenge.[83] At the end of this storyline, we discover that Hank's human side has been dead since he first merged with Ultron.[84]
The Ant-Man miniseries released in 2022 depicts an early Hank Pym being pulled into the future, along with Eric O'Grady and Scott Lang, in an attempt to assist the Ant-Man of the 25th century, Dr. Zayn Asghar. Ultron is ultimately defeated and the other Ant-Men are returned to the past.[85]
Sometime later, an old man claiming to be Hank Pym places an artificial personality in Whirlwind's corpse called "Victor Shade".[86] It was later revealed that a fragment of Hank's conscious had separated from All-Father Ultron when he was defeated. The fragment recreated his body which appeared older and he was still paranoid from being Ultron's "meat puppet". What he did to Whirlwind was part of an experiment involving killing and reviving villains into becoming members of his Lethal Legion with help from Black Ant. To his surprise later by the time Wasp and Moon Knight find him, the "Victor Shade" persona ended up being hijacked by Ultron-12 by the time Wasp learned the truth on what happened to Hank as Ultron-12 knocks him out. As Wasp remembers Ultron-12 as the "good Ultron", Ultron-12 stated to Wasp that he went through a soft reboot to protect Hank as Ultron takes over the Lethal Legion. Hank regained consciousness and reunited with Nadia when Ant-Man, Mayor Luke Cage, Stinger, Valkyrie, and Vision arrived as he claims to Nadia that Ultron's no longer in him. He gives Nadia the code for the nano-tech from the future to use while Ultron is distracted as she's got to think big which Ultron-12 agrees with him on. After Ultron was defeated and the nanos reconstructed themselves into a new body for Ultron-12, Hank states that Ultron is not gone for good as the recovering Lethal Legion agree with him on it. Hank then leaves with the Lethal Legion to Sub-Atomica to regroup and prepare for Ultron's return as part of Protocol S.[87]
Hank Pym is a scientific genius with PhDs in biochemistry and nanotechnology and expertise in the fields of quantum physics, robotics/cybernetics, artificial intelligence, and entomology. Pym discovered the subatomic "Pym particles" that enable mass to be shunted or gained from an alternate dimension, thereby changing the size of himself or other beings or objects.[6] Pym is the creator of the robot Ultron, whom he created as an experiment after examining Dragon Man, showing his knack for AI and cybernetics.[16]
After constant experimentation with size-changing via ingested capsules and particle-filled gas, Pym is eventually able to change size at will,[volume & issue needed] and mentally generate Pym particles to change the sizes of other living beings or inanimate objects.[volume & issue needed] Pym retains his normal strength when "ant" size, and possesses greatly increased strength and stamina when in "giant" form, courtesy of the increased mass. Pym's costume is synthetic stretch fabric composed of unstable molecules and automatically adapts to his shifting sizes.
Pym also uses a cybernetic helmet he created for achieving rudimentary communication with ants and other higher order insects. As Yellowjacket, then later as Wasp, Pym wears artificial wings and has bio-blasters called "stingers" built into his gloves. He took up the Wasp mantle in memory of Janet, who was believed to be dead at the time.[60]
Pym also carries a variety of weaponry, provisions, and scientific instruments, which are shrunken to the size of microchips and stored in the pockets of his uniform.[88] An experienced superhero, Pym is a skilled hand-to-hand fighter. In his first appearance, he claimed to be a master of judo,[6] is skilled in wrestling[89] and karate[90] and has since been seen in combat with opponents of both his own size and radically larger than himself (as a result of his size-changing abilities).
During his stay with the West Coast Avengers, Pym constructed a one-man vehicle with artificial intelligence named Rover.[37] Rover is able to communicate with Pym and is capable of flight and discharging energy and acid.
Back with the Avengers main team, he built a second Rover, resembling an Avengers Quinjet.[volume & issue needed]
After fusing with Ultron, he now contains all of his creation's abilities when he is in control.[71]
There are a number of characters in the Marvel universe that have also used the "Pym particles" to effect size changing. These include Janet van Dyne,[91] Clint Barton,[92] Bill Foster,[93] Scott Lang,[94] Erik Josten,[95] Rita DeMara,[96] Cassandra "Cassie" Lang,[97] Eric O'Grady,[98] Tom Foster,[99] Shang-Chi,[100] Raz Malhotra[101] and Nadia Pym.[volume & issue needed] Although they do not use their powers for altering their size, both Wonder Man and Vision derive their powers from Pym particles.[102]
The following are the known enemies of Hank Pym in any of his aliases:
In this reality, Hank Pym is an intelligent, Hulk-like brute.[136][137]
In the 2021 Heroes Reborn reality, Hank Pym is a scientist and a devoted Christian who is a former friend and sidekick of Hyperion. After being possessed by Ultron, Pym is banished to the Negative Zone and eventually dismantled by Hyperion.[138]
An alternate universe variant of Hank Pym, philosopher Henri le Pym from Earth-311, appears in Marvel 1602.[139]
Hank Pym appears in issue 13 of Marvel Adventures: The Avengers as a scientist working for Janet's father with no superhero identity, and was the one who gave his wife superpowers. He is visited by Spider-Man and Storm when Janet van Dyne (Giant-Girl in this continuity) falls under insect mind-control. He tells them how to free her (severing the antennae on her mask), gives her a new costume, and uses an insect telepathy helmet (identical to his Earth-616 Ant-Man helmet) to create an illusion of several giant-sized people, scaring the insects away.[volume & issue needed] He returns in issue 20, becoming Ant-Man. He not only joins the team, but begins a relationship with Janet.
An alternate universe gorilla variant of Hank Pym from Earth-8101, known as Gro-Rilla, appears in Marvel Apes.[volume & issue needed]
A zombified alternate universe variant of Hank Pym from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies.[140][141][142][143]
The MC2 imprint title A-Next, set in a futuristic alternate universe, features Hank Pym and Janet Pym's twin children (Hope Pym and Henry Pym Jr.), who have turned into the supervillains Red Queen and Big Man respectively.[144]
In the post-apocalyptic Old Man Logan storyline, which takes place on Earth-807128, Hank Pym (as Giant-Man) is killed by the Red Skull's army of villains. Decades later, a settlement called "Pym Falls" is built around his corpse.[145] In addition, his Ant-Man helmet is shown in the possession of a young boy named Dwight, who uses it to command an army of ants to enforce the payment of tolls across a bridge.[146][147]
In an alternate future in the miniseries The Last Avengers Story #1-2 (November 1995), Ultron wishes for a decisive victory over the Avengers. After eliminating the team, he has Hank Pym gather a new group. After recruiting other heroes and mercenaries, Pym leads them to victory though fatalities are heavy on both sides.[volume & issue needed]
An alternate universe variant of Hank Pym from Earth-1610 appears in Ultimate Marvel. This version is a former member of the Ultimates who gained his abilities from experimenting on his wife Janet van Dyne.[148][149] He is later killed by the Multiple Man before being resurrected by the Maker and High Evolutionary.[150][151]
During the "Ultimate Invasion" storyline, Maker traveled to Earth-6160 and remade it into his own image, creating a new world order ruled by himself and his Council. The Maker's memory log states that Hank Pym is inactive.[152]
It is later stated the Maker ruined Pym's experiments with Pym Particles, which left him with brain damage enough that he doesn't remember doing them or the occurring of his impairing. Hank and Janet operate a extermination service as a couple where they deal with an infestation at a Hoboken restaurant. They find a family of Moloids as they recommend to its owner to enlist a relocation service for them. Afterwards, they are confronted by the Ultimates. They assume the alias of Giant-Man and Wasp when the Ultimates are attacked by Henri Duggary of Maker's Council and his army where most of them are stepped on by Giant-Man. Both of them join the Ultimates afterwards.[153]
Giant-Man later accompanied Iron Lad, Captain America, and Wasp in attacking the White House to confront a follower of Maker's Council named Midas. After Giant-Man is knocked out upon everyone falling through the floor, his unconscious body was later dragged away by Wasp.[154]
Hank Pym appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Michael Douglas,[159] with Dax Griffin and John Michael Morris serving as body doubles in flashback sequences.[160][161] This version originally operated as Ant-Man and an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. decades earlier until his wife Janet van Dyne / Wasp seemingly died during one of their missions and he discovered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attempts to recreate his Pym Particle formula and resigned. In the present, he recruits Scott Lang to become the new Ant-Man, helps his daughter Hope van Dyne become the new Wasp, rescues Janet from the Quantum Realm, and becomes a victim of the Blip. Pym is introduced in the live-action film Ant-Man (2015),[162][163] and makes subsequent appearances in the live-action films Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018),[164][165] Avengers: Endgame (2019),[166][167] and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).[168] Additionally, Douglas voices alternate timeline variants of Pym in the Disney+ animated series What If...?,[169] with one appearing as Ant-Man and another as Yellowjacket.
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