Wasp (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Wasp is a fictional character
, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics
universe
and founding member of The Avengers
. Created by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish
#44 (June 1963).
After the character's 2008 death, Henry Pym
became Marvel Comics' new Wasp briefly.
Both versions are depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of perhaps several centimeters, grow to giant size, fly by means of insectoid wings (which appear only at small size), and fire energy blasts.
In May 2011, the Wasp placed 99th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.
partner in Tales to Astonish #44 (written by Stan Lee
and drawn by Jack Kirby
), originally only serving as his partner to avenge the death of her father, scientist Vernon van Dyne. Later in the same issue, she decided to stay with Hank only because she was in love with him, wanting him to realize that he loved her back. They both realized their feelings for each other in Tales to Astonish #56, although it wasn't until later in the series that they acted on them.
During her run in Astonish, van Dyne also joined Avengers
in its first issue, along with her partner, Hank Pym. It is on this team that Janet became most well known, at first the weak link of the team, but later on one of the smartest and craftiest members. She was the first one to propose to leave the team, after announcing how tired she was and how she wanted to return to a normal life. However, she missed being a superhero, and she (along with Hank) returned to the team in issue #28. After marrying Hank in issue #60, Janet and Hank both later decided to leave the team in issue #75.
Hank became the main character of the series Marvel Feature
, starting with issue #4, and Janet appeared as a second main character starting with issue #6. Both characters left the book after issue #10, making sporadic guest appearances in various other books at the time, presumably living a happily married life.
Janet missed being a superhero once again, and rejoined the Avengers in issue #137, getting injured right away. After being rescued by her husband and hospitalized, Janet recovered and joined the team along with Hank in issue #151. Here she began her longest run as a member of the Avengers. After being brutally slapped in the face by her husband, she divorced him, and in turn became the new Chairman of the Avengers, starting with issue #217.
Janet later resigned as Chairman, and joined the West Coast Avengers
in issue #32, at first only to help stabilize the team after Tony Stark
left, later becoming a full time member starting with issue #42. Later in the run, she rekindled her old romance with Hank, and fully rejoined the Avengers.
revamped the character's costume a number of times, having a significant impact on the character's development—
. She was initially a shallow, self-centered, flighty heiress and debutante, daughter of wealthy scientist Vernon Van Dyne. During an experiment, however, an alien monster was unleashed from an alternate dimension and Dr. Van Dyne was killed. Her father's associate, Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym
, had created a substance called "Pym particles," which allowed the user to grow or shrink in size, and had become the superhero Ant-Man
. When Janet's father died, she convinced Pym to help her. He gave her a supply of "Pym particles" and subjected her to a biochemical procedure which granted her the ability, upon shrinking, to grow wings and fire blasts of energy, which she called her "wasp's stings." As Ant-Man and The Wasp, they defeated the monster, sent it to its own dimension, and had several more adventures together. Janet became Pym's partner and fell in love with him before their first adventure, but Pym rejected her at first, afraid of what would happen if he were to lose her as he had lost his first wife, who was killed. Janet would openly muse about her apparently unrequited feelings, often in front of him. Pym rejected his feelings for her; however he later accepted them and tried acting on them. They both soon realized their feelings for each other, and began dating.
, formed. Hank and Janet were among its founding members. Still shallow, Janet frequently commented on the attractiveness of her male colleagues, especially Thor
, in order to provoke jealousy from Pym. Never lacking confidence or bravery and by nature an outgoing personality, Janet was always in the thick of battles with villains, who included Norse gods and aliens. Early on in her Avengers career, she was wounded in battle against Count Nefaria
. Although she and Hank took occasional leaves of absence, the two have almost always remained members, staying on reserve when not on active duty. After their first leave of absence, she and Pym, as the first Goliath, rejoined the Avengers and battled the Collector
. During the course of their many adventures as Avengers, Janet grew as a person, becoming a resourceful and seasoned hero. Several years later, she would be elected leader of the team.
. During the fight it was discovered that Yellowjacket was Pym. He had had an accident with some chemicals causing a severe case of dissociative identity disorder
. Janet had realized this from very early on and had taken advantage of it to tie the knot with Hank.
With Yellowjacket, Janet later left the Avengers. With Pym, again as Ant-Man, she became temporarily trapped at insect size, and battled Whirlwind
, Para-Man, and Dr. Nemesis. With Yellowjacket, she eventually rejoined the Avengers. With Spider-Man
and Yellowjacket, she battled Equinox
; her powers were augmented by Yellowjacket.
, in which he kidnapped Janet and used her brain patterns to create a wife for Ultron, Jocasta
. Janet later rejoined the Avengers without Pym. Many years later, Pym had a complete breakdown, and became completely paranoid. During the course of this breakdown, he became overbearing and verbally abusive. At the nadir of his degeneration, he struck Janet, and then proceeded to concoct a plan to make himself look good in front of his teammates by staging an attack upon them which only he could stop. This plan backfired and Pym was exposed, disgraced, and expelled from the Avengers, and the couple separated. Janet divorced Pym soon after, and then became Avengers chairman; with the Avengers, she arrested Yellowjacket. She eventually surrendered her Avengers chairmanship to the Vision
. She remained with the team despite these hardships, and even began dating other men, including Tony Stark and Paladin
. With Paladin, she battled Baron Brimstone
, and shortly thereafter she resumed her Avengers chairmanship. Janet eventually stepped down as chairman again, and left the Avengers. Pym later on joined the West Coast Avengers
, with Janet soon following. Jan battled the threat of Red Ronin
alone. Pym's mental state returned to normal, and the two became friends again and later resumed their romantic relationship. Jan was elected as a regular member of the Avengers West, but chose to become a reserve member. Some few years later, the two returned to the regular Avengers. On a trip to Las Vegas, however, she turned down Pym's proposal, saying she wouldn't marry him again. She had a brief fling with fellow team member Hawkeye
, but returned to Hank.
, a slightly tipsy Wasp confessed to a pregnancy scare and inadvertently mentioned Wanda's own children, whose unnatural existence Agatha Harkness
had kindly erased from the Witch's memory. The Wasp's slip of the tongue, combined with the Scarlet Witch
's increasingly unstable and growing powers, caused Wanda to suffer a mental breakdown which led to the events of Avengers Disassembled
. Janet was knocked into a coma by a rampaging She-Hulk
during an attack on Avengers Mansion by the Scarlet Witch
. Hank watched over her as she lay in the hospital, and when she recovered, they reconciled. The two retired from the Avengers in order to pursue a new life together in Oxford
.
. He was at that point still her ex-husband, and over the course of the events chronicled in this series it was revealed that they had called off their most recent attempt at a romantic relationship, although they remained on good terms.
, and became the host of a pro-registration reality show called America's Newest Superhero.
, Tony Stark
selected Janet as a founding member of the Mighty Avengers. When alien symbiotes attacked New York, Janet used a refined growth formula given to her by Hank Pym which allowed her to shift to giant-size without side effects. During the beginning of the fight, she was briefly turned into a symbiote monster before a cure was created by Stark.
At this point, Hank had been replaced by a Skrull, and the growth formula was part of a grander plan.
was thought to be dead, Skrull Pym pressed a button that made Jan increase in size rapidly. She realized the "new" particles Pym gave her were turning her into a bio-bomb. Jan was seen growing to huge size, emitting black-purple energy, and about to explode. Janet tried to flee the battlefield in order to take as many Skrulls with her as possible. To save the humans, Thor killed her to put her out of her misery, vowing to avenge her. After her death, Hank Pym resolved to take up his fallen wife's mantle and became the Wasp.
When Hercules
ventured into the underworld, he encountered Janet's spirit in Erebus
, the place in between life and death where those who feel they still have business in the mortal world linger and gamble for their resurrection. Janet was seen stubbornly working a slot machine in search of a win.
In the Siege
crossover, using dimensional technology Hank Pym established a headquarters known as the Infinite Avengers Mansion in a realm called "Underspace." He soon deduced that this was the dimension to which Thor sent the dying Janet Van Dyne. He believes that Janet was transformed into a massive celestial entity, with the Mansion seemingly residing within her eye. It is from here that Pym planned on bringing back Janet, but concludes that he is currently unable to do so without causing any type of damage. However, Veil presses the button soon after, but in reality Janet was not the entity, but Carina Walters. Carina's return brings Korvac
to the Academy.
At miniature size, her strength level increased as her body's mass was compacted. At giant size, her strength and endurance increased geometrically with her height, reaching superhuman levels. Despite the advantages of giant size, Janet usually preferred to remain the diminutive Wasp, calling on her growth power only in times of extreme emergency.
At miniature size, the Wasp grew a pair of translucent insect wings from her back, a result of genetic modifications provided by Hank Pym. These granted her the power of flight, at speeds up to 40 mi/h.
The Wasp was able to harness and augment her body's natural bio-electric energy, releasing it from her hands in powerful electrical force bursts, which she called her "stinger blasts", "stingers", or"wasp's stings." Originally, she required special wrist devices to produce these but again, Pym particle absorption allowed her to create the ability unaided.
The Wasp's genetic modifications also granted her the ability to sprout small prehensile antennae from her temples which allowed her to telepathically communicate with and control insects. However, this was an ability she rarely used.
Van Dyne displayed several non-superhuman abilities that garnered her special fame and attention, foremost of which was her fashion sense; in nearly all of her early appearances, she sported a new costume, presumably designed and manufactured on her own as she was a gifted fashion designer. She was also a skilled amateur screenwriter. The Wasp was trained in unarmed combat by Captain America and in combat utilizing her special powers by Henry Pym. In addition, the Wasp was one of the most intuitive, if not deductive, members of the Avengers, and was an experienced leader and strategist. She effectively deduced that a chemical accident created a schizophrenic break in Henry Pym
, the relationship between the Scarlet Witch
and the Vision
was the result of the infused personality of Wonder Man
, and guessed the identity of Iron Man
at a time when Tony Stark faked his own death.
ranked Wasp as the 99th greatest comic book hero of all time, stating that she remained one of the core Avengers members for much of the franchise's history, and her extensive wardrobe rivals even the likes of Wolverine's.
. Big Man, a one-time member, however, joined a government reform team.
. Issue 13 of the series reveals her origin as a wealthy socialite given access to size-changing Pym particles by scientist Henry Pym (here an employee of Janet's father, rather than a superhero). Janet does not appear to have ever used her Wasp identity in this version. It has been revealed that Janet can shrink to wasp size, but she sees no point in being tiny. Her maximum size is unknown, but she has grown tall enough to catch a school. Instead of having her powers naturally, Janet requires a suit powered by Pym particles to change her size. Like her Earth-616
counterpart, Janet seems to change her costume regularly. Originally she wore a purple and blue skin-tight full body suit that accurately accentuated all her curves along with her muscles, and a mask that was similar to that of Giant-Man. It included the antennae (although she never used them). They left her vulnerable to insect mind control as seen in issue 13. Her second costume was primarily blue with some purple set in a v-pattern running from her waist to her posterior; this costume lacked a mask or antennae. A recent preview of Marvel Adventures the Avengers 19 has shown her wearing a costume which is primarily blue but has gold-yellow accents. Whether this costume increases her maximum size is yet to be seen. She has also mentioned that she has at least two brothers, although they have never been seen or given any names (see Marvel Adventures the Avengers #3).
series features an alternate Wasp as one of the main characters. She is now a zombie, another victim of the virus that has infected nearly all her world's superhumans. After Earth's human population is almost entirely devoured, Wasp is one of the zombies who finally kills (and consumes) Magneto.
The Wasp then discovers that Hank Pym has kept a secret food supply—a sedated and maimed Black Panther, held prisoner in Hank's lab. She confronts Hank, but he decapitates her by increasing in size and biting her head off in the struggle that follows. When the Black Panther later escapes the lab, he also takes the Wasp's head—still 'alive', but helpless. He eventually reaches safety, encountering Magneto's surviving Acolytes. The Acolytes announce that they will study the Wasp, seeking a cure for the virus.
An epilogue, five years later, shows the Wasp exploring the deserted Earth alongside the Acolytes. Her severed head is now sealed within a liquid-filled helmet, controlling a robotic body.
Forty years later in "Marvel Zombies 2
", her head is fixed on a more advanced machine with her head exposed to the air. She also develops romantic feelings toward one of the Acolyte survivors, a scientist named Reynolds. As she indicates, forty years with the Acolytes is far longer than the time she has spent with Hank. At one point, the two share a kiss.
A long period without feeding seems to have cured her completely of the hunger. Now Black Panther's adviser and friend, she is forced to infect him when an Acolyte assassin attempts to kill him. This incident is orchestrated by Malcolm Cortez, the son of Fabian Cortez
, who wants to take leadership from Black Panther. When the hunger resurfaces, she nearly eats Panther's wife before being stopped by him. Instead, they eat the assassin and they state they will go into isolation in order to control their hunger. This is a success. Multiple powered zombies soon threaten the colony. Wasp fights alongside Panther, Hawkeye (who had also been decapitated and inhabits Janet's own former cybernetic body), Forge, and a reformed Luke Cage and Spider-Man to save the people of New Wakanda from Firelord, Giant Man, Wolverine, Gladiator, Hulk, Jean Grey, and Iron Man, who are seeking to finish off humanity and retain the inter-dimensional portal so they can enter a new universe. Eventually the zombies discover, as Janet did, that the hunger fades with time, and they stop their rampage only to have their numbers halved by the Hulk. Janet, along with the other remaining zombies (the new Colonel America, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Giant Man, Wolverine, and Black Panther), end up teleported to another universe by Malcolm Cortez.
The Wasp ends in the dimension of 'Earth Z'. She leads an alien invasion of the zombie-infected Earth in an effort to quash the flesh-eating threat. She fails at this and is destroyed.
. She also gives Iron Man the idea to create a dimensional alarm and rallies other Avengers to defend the artifacts. After the final battle in the Savage Land
against the Justice League
, Janet ends up as an Avenger in the new merged world that the villain Krona
created and is unaware of the changes. In this world she and Hank are good friends with Elongated Man
and his wife Sue Dibny
. When the two teams decide to team up against Krona, the Wasp fights alongside the Avengers until the battle is over.
continuity, Janet Pym is a 26-year-old mutant
and a member of the Ultimates
. She holds two Ph.D.s (one known to be in molecular biology) and is portrayed as being of Asian
descent. She is moderately fluent in German.
Her mutant status remains hidden from the public but is known by Hank Pym and S.H.I.E.L.D. She can generate a glittering wasp-like sting which she discharges through her hands. Her bio-electric blast, when applied from within the ear to the brain, reverted the Hulk
to Banner during his New York massacre. Side-effects of her insectoid genetics include the occasional consumption of bugs, forming her own larval nests, and laying egg-like constructs.
During her college years, she shared a room with Betty Ross and started seeing Henry Pym. He was abusive to her early in their relationship and during college is known to have hit her at least twice, putting her head through a door on one occasion and splitting the roof of her mouth on another. Betty Ross can also recall instances where Janet was missing chunks of hair. Jan also suffered from severe bulimia
prior to joining the Ultimates.
Hank's attempts at change through medication and enlistment in the Ultimates did not improve his behavior. As a result of his humiliating loss against the Hulk and simmering jealousy against Jan's friendship with Captain America
, Henry and Jan fought viciously until Janet resorted to stinging him and Hank commanding an army of ants against her. Janet was found in a state of anaphylactic shock
, caused by receiving multiple ant stings she received while at wasp-size. Captain America, upon learning of Hank's violence, tracked him down and beat him unconscious. Captain America's visits to Jan after the fight left her exasperated and angry, stemming more from embarrassment of her personal life becoming public.
After stopping the Chitauri invasion, Captain America and the Wasp reconciled as friends and slowly started dating, despite Hank Pym's attempts at making amends. On one of their secret meetings, Jan later confessed to Hank, now classified as a security risk by S.H.I.E.L.D., that the generation gap between Captain America and herself, along with the elderly status of his friends, put a large strain on their relationship. She recently walked out on Steve and met up with Hank in a bar.
The invasion of America by the Liberators failed to take Janet into account. They discounted the possibility that someone whose only ability is to make herself "smaller and weaker" could be a threat. By the time they found her, Janet had made her way to the cells in the Triskelion
where Captain America was being held under suspicion of murdering Hawkeye's
entire family. Soldiers working for the Liberators entered his cell and found two metahuman
signatures. At first, Janet was easily subdued, but they failed to realize that she had already liberated her boyfriend. Captain America easily beat the Schizoid Man, but stopped fighting when several super soldiers threatened to tear Jan apart. However, Jan surprised them all by using her stinging powers at her normal size for the first time, killing or incapacitating all the super soldiers at once.
At some point, Hank gave the Wasp a dose of the Giant-Man Serum, giving her the power to grow to gigantic proportions. Larger in size, Janet helped turn the tide in favor of American forces and crushed Swarm
with one stomp of her foot. It is yet to be seen whether Janet can grow at will or whether this was a one-off experience.
She is the new leader of the team in The Ultimates 3
miniseries, and now sports a crimson-and-gold outfit and a mask. After the flood in Ultimatum, she is missing. Both Hank Pym and Hawkeye search for her. Hawkeye finds her being eaten by the Blob
. The comic came out one month after her mainstream Marvel Universe counterpart's death.
Before his death, Pym tells the other heroes to take Janet's body to his lab and activate "the Jocasta
project".
In the Ultimate Comics: Avengers
a new Wasp appears (called Red Wasp). She is revealed to be a former Liberator soldier previously known as the Insect Queen, now reformed with an obedience chip and serves as a member of the Avengers. In Ultimate Comics: Avengers #5, a flashback reveals that she was Petra Laskov, the wife of a Georgian activist. One day the Red Skull kidnapped them, held the couple's child at gunpoint, and forced her to kill her husband to save her child. She does so, only for the Red Skull to throw her infant out a window, and then order his men to rape her. Along with the rest of the Avengers, she fights the Red Skull only to be overpowered until he was fatally injured by Captain America. A short while later when the Red Skull was in the hospital, Petra, dressed like a doctor, walked into his room and shot him in the head, killing him.
She appears to have the same powers as her predecessor.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
and founding member of The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. Created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish
Tales to Astonish
Tales to Astonish is the name of two American comic book series and a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics.The primary title bearing that name was published from 1959-1968...
#44 (June 1963).
After the character's 2008 death, Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
became Marvel Comics' new Wasp briefly.
Both versions are depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of perhaps several centimeters, grow to giant size, fly by means of insectoid wings (which appear only at small size), and fire energy blasts.
In May 2011, the Wasp placed 99th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.
Publication history
Janet van Dyne debuted as Henry "Hank" Pym'sHenry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
partner in Tales to Astonish #44 (written by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and drawn by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
), originally only serving as his partner to avenge the death of her father, scientist Vernon van Dyne. Later in the same issue, she decided to stay with Hank only because she was in love with him, wanting him to realize that he loved her back. They both realized their feelings for each other in Tales to Astonish #56, although it wasn't until later in the series that they acted on them.
During her run in Astonish, van Dyne also joined Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
in its first issue, along with her partner, Hank Pym. It is on this team that Janet became most well known, at first the weak link of the team, but later on one of the smartest and craftiest members. She was the first one to propose to leave the team, after announcing how tired she was and how she wanted to return to a normal life. However, she missed being a superhero, and she (along with Hank) returned to the team in issue #28. After marrying Hank in issue #60, Janet and Hank both later decided to leave the team in issue #75.
Hank became the main character of the series Marvel Feature
Marvel Feature
Marvel Feature was the name of two comic book showcase series published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. The first volume led to the launching of the new ongoing series The Defenders and Marvel Two-in-One, while volume two led to the new ongoing series Red Sonja.- Volume One :The first series was a...
, starting with issue #4, and Janet appeared as a second main character starting with issue #6. Both characters left the book after issue #10, making sporadic guest appearances in various other books at the time, presumably living a happily married life.
Janet missed being a superhero once again, and rejoined the Avengers in issue #137, getting injured right away. After being rescued by her husband and hospitalized, Janet recovered and joined the team along with Hank in issue #151. Here she began her longest run as a member of the Avengers. After being brutally slapped in the face by her husband, she divorced him, and in turn became the new Chairman of the Avengers, starting with issue #217.
Janet later resigned as Chairman, and joined the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
in issue #32, at first only to help stabilize the team after Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
left, later becoming a full time member starting with issue #42. Later in the run, she rekindled her old romance with Hank, and fully rejoined the Avengers.
Design
In his 1970s run on The Avengers, artist George PérezGeorge Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
revamped the character's costume a number of times, having a significant impact on the character's development—
Fictional character biography
Origin
Janet Van Dyne was born in Cresskill, New JerseyCresskill, New Jersey
Cresskill is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,573. The town got its name from the watercress that grew in its streams, or "kills"....
. She was initially a shallow, self-centered, flighty heiress and debutante, daughter of wealthy scientist Vernon Van Dyne. During an experiment, however, an alien monster was unleashed from an alternate dimension and Dr. Van Dyne was killed. Her father's associate, Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
, had created a substance called "Pym particles," which allowed the user to grow or shrink in size, and had become the superhero Ant-Man
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
. When Janet's father died, she convinced Pym to help her. He gave her a supply of "Pym particles" and subjected her to a biochemical procedure which granted her the ability, upon shrinking, to grow wings and fire blasts of energy, which she called her "wasp's stings." As Ant-Man and The Wasp, they defeated the monster, sent it to its own dimension, and had several more adventures together. Janet became Pym's partner and fell in love with him before their first adventure, but Pym rejected her at first, afraid of what would happen if he were to lose her as he had lost his first wife, who was killed. Janet would openly muse about her apparently unrequited feelings, often in front of him. Pym rejected his feelings for her; however he later accepted them and tried acting on them. They both soon realized their feelings for each other, and began dating.
Avenger
Soon afterward, the superhero team, which Janet herself dubbed the AvengersAvengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, formed. Hank and Janet were among its founding members. Still shallow, Janet frequently commented on the attractiveness of her male colleagues, especially Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, in order to provoke jealousy from Pym. Never lacking confidence or bravery and by nature an outgoing personality, Janet was always in the thick of battles with villains, who included Norse gods and aliens. Early on in her Avengers career, she was wounded in battle against Count Nefaria
Count Nefaria
Count Nefaria is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #13 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.- Fictional character biography :...
. Although she and Hank took occasional leaves of absence, the two have almost always remained members, staying on reserve when not on active duty. After their first leave of absence, she and Pym, as the first Goliath, rejoined the Avengers and battled the Collector
Collector (comics)
The Collector is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Taneleer Tivan is one of the Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow Elder En Dwi Gast . He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet Cygnus X-1...
. During the course of their many adventures as Avengers, Janet grew as a person, becoming a resourceful and seasoned hero. Several years later, she would be elected leader of the team.
Marrying Hank Pym
The relationship between Janet and Pym had always been one of loving squabbling, but her wealth and his research had always stopped him from proposing. One day, a cocky new costumed crime-fighter called Yellowjacket broke into Avengers HQ. He claimed to have disposed of Pym and even kidnapped Janet. To the outrage of her colleagues, Janet then married Yellowjacket. A tension-filled wedding was made even more edgy by an attack by the Circus of CrimeCircus of Crime
The Circus of Crime is a fictional villainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.-Old West:Oddly, there were two organizations in the Old West who dubbed themselves the Circus of Crime...
. During the fight it was discovered that Yellowjacket was Pym. He had had an accident with some chemicals causing a severe case of dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
. Janet had realized this from very early on and had taken advantage of it to tie the knot with Hank.
With Yellowjacket, Janet later left the Avengers. With Pym, again as Ant-Man, she became temporarily trapped at insect size, and battled Whirlwind
Whirlwind (comics)
Whirlwind is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, Para-Man, and Dr. Nemesis. With Yellowjacket, she eventually rejoined the Avengers. With Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Yellowjacket, she battled Equinox
Equinox (comics)
Equinox is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in publications from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
; her powers were augmented by Yellowjacket.
Rocky times
Janet's relationship with Pym became rocky, as he suffered a further series of mental problems, exacerbated by the stress on his body of his frequent size changes and exposure to chemicals. This even led to him being easily brainwashed by UltronUltron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
, in which he kidnapped Janet and used her brain patterns to create a wife for Ultron, Jocasta
Jocasta (comics)
Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is a robot created by the villain Ultron.-Publication history:Jocasta first appears in The Avengers Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published...
. Janet later rejoined the Avengers without Pym. Many years later, Pym had a complete breakdown, and became completely paranoid. During the course of this breakdown, he became overbearing and verbally abusive. At the nadir of his degeneration, he struck Janet, and then proceeded to concoct a plan to make himself look good in front of his teammates by staging an attack upon them which only he could stop. This plan backfired and Pym was exposed, disgraced, and expelled from the Avengers, and the couple separated. Janet divorced Pym soon after, and then became Avengers chairman; with the Avengers, she arrested Yellowjacket. She eventually surrendered her Avengers chairmanship to the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
. She remained with the team despite these hardships, and even began dating other men, including Tony Stark and Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
. With Paladin, she battled Baron Brimstone
Baron Brimstone
Baron Brimstone is a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Baron Brimstone first appeared in Machine Man #16 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Steve Ditko ....
, and shortly thereafter she resumed her Avengers chairmanship. Janet eventually stepped down as chairman again, and left the Avengers. Pym later on joined the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
, with Janet soon following. Jan battled the threat of Red Ronin
Red Ronin
Red Ronin is a gigantic humanoid robotic construct in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally created by writer Doug Moench and artist Herb Trimpe as a foil for Godzilla, the robot went on to be a menace to other Marvel characters such as the Avengers and Wolverine.-Publication history:Red Ronin's...
alone. Pym's mental state returned to normal, and the two became friends again and later resumed their romantic relationship. Jan was elected as a regular member of the Avengers West, but chose to become a reserve member. Some few years later, the two returned to the regular Avengers. On a trip to Las Vegas, however, she turned down Pym's proposal, saying she wouldn't marry him again. She had a brief fling with fellow team member Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, but returned to Hank.
Avengers Disassembled
While discussing her fling with Hawkeye to the Scarlet WitchScarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, a slightly tipsy Wasp confessed to a pregnancy scare and inadvertently mentioned Wanda's own children, whose unnatural existence Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness is a fictional character, a powerful witch in the Marvel Comics universe. Supposedly, she was one of the original witches from the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts. She somehow survived and later became a significant figure in Marvel continuity, protecting Franklin...
had kindly erased from the Witch's memory. The Wasp's slip of the tongue, combined with the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
's increasingly unstable and growing powers, caused Wanda to suffer a mental breakdown which led to the events of Avengers Disassembled
Avengers Disassembled
"Avengers Disassembled", referred to in some participating series as "Disassembled", is a crossover event between several Marvel Comics series. The general idea is that the major heroes are assaulted, not just physically, but emotionally...
. Janet was knocked into a coma by a rampaging She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
during an attack on Avengers Mansion by the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. Hank watched over her as she lay in the hospital, and when she recovered, they reconciled. The two retired from the Avengers in order to pursue a new life together in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
Beyond!
The Wasp reappeared with Pym in the miniseries Beyond!Beyond!
Beyond! was a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. It was written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by Scott Kolins. The first issue of the series was released on July 6, 2006 and the final issue on December 6, 2006...
. He was at that point still her ex-husband, and over the course of the events chronicled in this series it was revealed that they had called off their most recent attempt at a romantic relationship, although they remained on good terms.
Civil War
With the onset of the superhuman Civil War, Hank helped spearhead the pro-registration movement. Janet was also pro-registration, although she was very upset about the murder of her friend Bill FosterBill Foster (comics)
Dr. Bill Foster, also known as Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, and the fourth Goliath, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
, and became the host of a pro-registration reality show called America's Newest Superhero.
Mighty Avengers
When selecting the roster for the latest incarnation of the Avengers team, this time as part of the Fifty State InitiativeFifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
, Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
selected Janet as a founding member of the Mighty Avengers. When alien symbiotes attacked New York, Janet used a refined growth formula given to her by Hank Pym which allowed her to shift to giant-size without side effects. During the beginning of the fight, she was briefly turned into a symbiote monster before a cure was created by Stark.
At this point, Hank had been replaced by a Skrull, and the growth formula was part of a grander plan.
Secret Invasion
Janet was among the Mighty Avengers who were fighting heroes from the Skrull ship. She was later seen with the rest of the Avengers heading to New York to confront the Skrulls. While fighting the Skrulls, the true purpose of the serum that the Skrull Hank Pym gave her was revealed. After Queen VerankeVeranke
Veranke is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics who serves as the queen of the Skrull empire in the Marvel Universe. She plays a significant role in the events of Secret Invasion as she leads her empire to invade and conquer Earth....
was thought to be dead, Skrull Pym pressed a button that made Jan increase in size rapidly. She realized the "new" particles Pym gave her were turning her into a bio-bomb. Jan was seen growing to huge size, emitting black-purple energy, and about to explode. Janet tried to flee the battlefield in order to take as many Skrulls with her as possible. To save the humans, Thor killed her to put her out of her misery, vowing to avenge her. After her death, Hank Pym resolved to take up his fallen wife's mantle and became the Wasp.
When Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
ventured into the underworld, he encountered Janet's spirit in Erebus
Erebus
In Greek mythology, Erebus , also Erebos , was often conceived as a primordial deity, representing the personification of darkness; for instance, Hesiod's Theogony places him as the first five beings to come into existence from Chaos...
, the place in between life and death where those who feel they still have business in the mortal world linger and gamble for their resurrection. Janet was seen stubbornly working a slot machine in search of a win.
In the Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
crossover, using dimensional technology Hank Pym established a headquarters known as the Infinite Avengers Mansion in a realm called "Underspace." He soon deduced that this was the dimension to which Thor sent the dying Janet Van Dyne. He believes that Janet was transformed into a massive celestial entity, with the Mansion seemingly residing within her eye. It is from here that Pym planned on bringing back Janet, but concludes that he is currently unable to do so without causing any type of damage. However, Veil presses the button soon after, but in reality Janet was not the entity, but Carina Walters. Carina's return brings Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
to the Academy.
Powers and abilities
Making use of the cellular implantation of sub-atomic Pym particles, the Wasp possessed the power to alter her physical size, causing her body's mass to be shunted to or gained from an alternate dimension known as Kosmos. She was able to shrink to a minimum of several centimeters or grow to a maximum of several hundred feet. Smaller or larger sizes were possible but the exertion began to put a strain on her body. Initially, these abilities stemmed from use of a Pym particle gas released from special capsules, and later biochemical augmentation by Henry Pym. Over time, however, her body absorbed enough particles to cause cellular mutation due to repeated exposure to Pym particles to allow her to alter her size at will.At miniature size, her strength level increased as her body's mass was compacted. At giant size, her strength and endurance increased geometrically with her height, reaching superhuman levels. Despite the advantages of giant size, Janet usually preferred to remain the diminutive Wasp, calling on her growth power only in times of extreme emergency.
At miniature size, the Wasp grew a pair of translucent insect wings from her back, a result of genetic modifications provided by Hank Pym. These granted her the power of flight, at speeds up to 40 mi/h.
The Wasp was able to harness and augment her body's natural bio-electric energy, releasing it from her hands in powerful electrical force bursts, which she called her "stinger blasts", "stingers", or"wasp's stings." Originally, she required special wrist devices to produce these but again, Pym particle absorption allowed her to create the ability unaided.
The Wasp's genetic modifications also granted her the ability to sprout small prehensile antennae from her temples which allowed her to telepathically communicate with and control insects. However, this was an ability she rarely used.
Van Dyne displayed several non-superhuman abilities that garnered her special fame and attention, foremost of which was her fashion sense; in nearly all of her early appearances, she sported a new costume, presumably designed and manufactured on her own as she was a gifted fashion designer. She was also a skilled amateur screenwriter. The Wasp was trained in unarmed combat by Captain America and in combat utilizing her special powers by Henry Pym. In addition, the Wasp was one of the most intuitive, if not deductive, members of the Avengers, and was an experienced leader and strategist. She effectively deduced that a chemical accident created a schizophrenic break in Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
, the relationship between the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
was the result of the infused personality of Wonder Man
Wonder Man
Wonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
, and guessed the identity of Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
at a time when Tony Stark faked his own death.
Reception and legacy
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Wasp as the 99th greatest comic book hero of all time, stating that she remained one of the core Avengers members for much of the franchise's history, and her extensive wardrobe rivals even the likes of Wolverine's.
MC2
In the alternate future of the "MC2" universe, Hank and Janet would end up giving birth to two children: Hope Pym/Red Queen and Henry Pym, Jr./Big Man. Giant-Man would later perish on the last mission of the original Avengers, with the Wasp dying of a broken heart. Their parents' deaths motivated Red Queen to form the RevengersRevengers
The Revengers are a fictional team of supervillains who were formed to fight A-Next in Marvel Comics' MC2 series A-Next. It is also the name of a comical parody of the Avengers in Earth-665, the setting of Marvel's parody comic Not Brand Echh....
. Big Man, a one-time member, however, joined a government reform team.
Marvel Adventures
The Marvel Adventures: The Avengers series (set in its own continuity) features Janet Van Dyne as Giant-Girl, showcasing her ability to grow rather than shrink, which she uses in combat. She is younger than her main universe counterpart and she cracks jokes along with her teammate Spider-ManSpider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. Issue 13 of the series reveals her origin as a wealthy socialite given access to size-changing Pym particles by scientist Henry Pym (here an employee of Janet's father, rather than a superhero). Janet does not appear to have ever used her Wasp identity in this version. It has been revealed that Janet can shrink to wasp size, but she sees no point in being tiny. Her maximum size is unknown, but she has grown tall enough to catch a school. Instead of having her powers naturally, Janet requires a suit powered by Pym particles to change her size. Like her Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
counterpart, Janet seems to change her costume regularly. Originally she wore a purple and blue skin-tight full body suit that accurately accentuated all her curves along with her muscles, and a mask that was similar to that of Giant-Man. It included the antennae (although she never used them). They left her vulnerable to insect mind control as seen in issue 13. Her second costume was primarily blue with some purple set in a v-pattern running from her waist to her posterior; this costume lacked a mask or antennae. A recent preview of Marvel Adventures the Avengers 19 has shown her wearing a costume which is primarily blue but has gold-yellow accents. Whether this costume increases her maximum size is yet to be seen. She has also mentioned that she has at least two brothers, although they have never been seen or given any names (see Marvel Adventures the Avengers #3).
Marvel Zombies
The Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
series features an alternate Wasp as one of the main characters. She is now a zombie, another victim of the virus that has infected nearly all her world's superhumans. After Earth's human population is almost entirely devoured, Wasp is one of the zombies who finally kills (and consumes) Magneto.
The Wasp then discovers that Hank Pym has kept a secret food supply—a sedated and maimed Black Panther, held prisoner in Hank's lab. She confronts Hank, but he decapitates her by increasing in size and biting her head off in the struggle that follows. When the Black Panther later escapes the lab, he also takes the Wasp's head—still 'alive', but helpless. He eventually reaches safety, encountering Magneto's surviving Acolytes. The Acolytes announce that they will study the Wasp, seeking a cure for the virus.
An epilogue, five years later, shows the Wasp exploring the deserted Earth alongside the Acolytes. Her severed head is now sealed within a liquid-filled helmet, controlling a robotic body.
Forty years later in "Marvel Zombies 2
Marvel Zombies 2
Marvel Zombies 2 is a five-issue limited series published from October 2007 - February 2008 by comics publisher Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and Arthur Suydam...
", her head is fixed on a more advanced machine with her head exposed to the air. She also develops romantic feelings toward one of the Acolyte survivors, a scientist named Reynolds. As she indicates, forty years with the Acolytes is far longer than the time she has spent with Hank. At one point, the two share a kiss.
A long period without feeding seems to have cured her completely of the hunger. Now Black Panther's adviser and friend, she is forced to infect him when an Acolyte assassin attempts to kill him. This incident is orchestrated by Malcolm Cortez, the son of Fabian Cortez
Fabian Cortez
Fabian Cortez is a fictional character, a mutant comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe and an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1 ....
, who wants to take leadership from Black Panther. When the hunger resurfaces, she nearly eats Panther's wife before being stopped by him. Instead, they eat the assassin and they state they will go into isolation in order to control their hunger. This is a success. Multiple powered zombies soon threaten the colony. Wasp fights alongside Panther, Hawkeye (who had also been decapitated and inhabits Janet's own former cybernetic body), Forge, and a reformed Luke Cage and Spider-Man to save the people of New Wakanda from Firelord, Giant Man, Wolverine, Gladiator, Hulk, Jean Grey, and Iron Man, who are seeking to finish off humanity and retain the inter-dimensional portal so they can enter a new universe. Eventually the zombies discover, as Janet did, that the hunger fades with time, and they stop their rampage only to have their numbers halved by the Hulk. Janet, along with the other remaining zombies (the new Colonel America, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Giant Man, Wolverine, and Black Panther), end up teleported to another universe by Malcolm Cortez.
The Wasp ends in the dimension of 'Earth Z'. She leads an alien invasion of the zombie-infected Earth in an effort to quash the flesh-eating threat. She fails at this and is destroyed.
JLA/Avengers
Janet is shown as a member of the Avengers and aids them during the battle with StarroStarro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
. She also gives Iron Man the idea to create a dimensional alarm and rallies other Avengers to defend the artifacts. After the final battle in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
against the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
, Janet ends up as an Avenger in the new merged world that the villain Krona
Krona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
created and is unaware of the changes. In this world she and Hank are good friends with Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
and his wife Sue Dibny
Sue Dibny
Susan "Sue" Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with the Elongated Man. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Flash vol. 1 #119...
. When the two teams decide to team up against Krona, the Wasp fights alongside the Avengers until the battle is over.
Ultimate Wasp
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
continuity, Janet Pym is a 26-year-old mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
and a member of the Ultimates
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
. She holds two Ph.D.s (one known to be in molecular biology) and is portrayed as being of Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
descent. She is moderately fluent in German.
Her mutant status remains hidden from the public but is known by Hank Pym and S.H.I.E.L.D. She can generate a glittering wasp-like sting which she discharges through her hands. Her bio-electric blast, when applied from within the ear to the brain, reverted the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
to Banner during his New York massacre. Side-effects of her insectoid genetics include the occasional consumption of bugs, forming her own larval nests, and laying egg-like constructs.
During her college years, she shared a room with Betty Ross and started seeing Henry Pym. He was abusive to her early in their relationship and during college is known to have hit her at least twice, putting her head through a door on one occasion and splitting the roof of her mouth on another. Betty Ross can also recall instances where Janet was missing chunks of hair. Jan also suffered from severe bulimia
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
prior to joining the Ultimates.
Hank's attempts at change through medication and enlistment in the Ultimates did not improve his behavior. As a result of his humiliating loss against the Hulk and simmering jealousy against Jan's friendship with Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, Henry and Jan fought viciously until Janet resorted to stinging him and Hank commanding an army of ants against her. Janet was found in a state of anaphylactic shock
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is defined as "a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death". It typically results in a number of symptoms including throat swelling, an itchy rash, and low blood pressure...
, caused by receiving multiple ant stings she received while at wasp-size. Captain America, upon learning of Hank's violence, tracked him down and beat him unconscious. Captain America's visits to Jan after the fight left her exasperated and angry, stemming more from embarrassment of her personal life becoming public.
After stopping the Chitauri invasion, Captain America and the Wasp reconciled as friends and slowly started dating, despite Hank Pym's attempts at making amends. On one of their secret meetings, Jan later confessed to Hank, now classified as a security risk by S.H.I.E.L.D., that the generation gap between Captain America and herself, along with the elderly status of his friends, put a large strain on their relationship. She recently walked out on Steve and met up with Hank in a bar.
The invasion of America by the Liberators failed to take Janet into account. They discounted the possibility that someone whose only ability is to make herself "smaller and weaker" could be a threat. By the time they found her, Janet had made her way to the cells in the Triskelion
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
where Captain America was being held under suspicion of murdering Hawkeye's
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
entire family. Soldiers working for the Liberators entered his cell and found two metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
signatures. At first, Janet was easily subdued, but they failed to realize that she had already liberated her boyfriend. Captain America easily beat the Schizoid Man, but stopped fighting when several super soldiers threatened to tear Jan apart. However, Jan surprised them all by using her stinging powers at her normal size for the first time, killing or incapacitating all the super soldiers at once.
At some point, Hank gave the Wasp a dose of the Giant-Man Serum, giving her the power to grow to gigantic proportions. Larger in size, Janet helped turn the tide in favor of American forces and crushed Swarm
Swarm (comics)
Swarm is a fictional character and supervillain, an enemy of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics universe. A former Nazi sympathizer, his most notable physical feature is that his entire body is composed of bees....
with one stomp of her foot. It is yet to be seen whether Janet can grow at will or whether this was a one-off experience.
She is the new leader of the team in The Ultimates 3
The Ultimates 3
The Ultimates 3 was a five-issue, monthly comic book miniseries published in 2008 by Marvel Comics. Written by Jeph Loeb, and illustrated by Joe Madureira, it is a sequel to The Ultimates and The Ultimates 2. A sequel entitled Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates was released in 2010 also written by...
miniseries, and now sports a crimson-and-gold outfit and a mask. After the flood in Ultimatum, she is missing. Both Hank Pym and Hawkeye search for her. Hawkeye finds her being eaten by the Blob
Blob (comics)
The Blob is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #3 ....
. The comic came out one month after her mainstream Marvel Universe counterpart's death.
Before his death, Pym tells the other heroes to take Janet's body to his lab and activate "the Jocasta
Jocasta (comics)
Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is a robot created by the villain Ultron.-Publication history:Jocasta first appears in The Avengers Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published...
project".
In the Ultimate Comics: Avengers
Ultimate Comics: Avengers
Ultimate Comics: Avengers is a comic book published by Marvel Comics that began in August 2009 as part of the relaunch of the Ultimate Universe under the "Ultimate Comics" imprint...
a new Wasp appears (called Red Wasp). She is revealed to be a former Liberator soldier previously known as the Insect Queen, now reformed with an obedience chip and serves as a member of the Avengers. In Ultimate Comics: Avengers #5, a flashback reveals that she was Petra Laskov, the wife of a Georgian activist. One day the Red Skull kidnapped them, held the couple's child at gunpoint, and forced her to kill her husband to save her child. She does so, only for the Red Skull to throw her infant out a window, and then order his men to rape her. Along with the rest of the Avengers, she fights the Red Skull only to be overpowered until he was fatally injured by Captain America. A short while later when the Red Skull was in the hospital, Petra, dressed like a doctor, walked into his room and shot him in the head, killing him.
She appears to have the same powers as her predecessor.
Television
- The Wasp appears in The Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Peg Dixon.
- The Wasp makes a cameo in the Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
episode "To Battle the Living Planet." - The Wasp appeared on The Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They Stand is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team The Avengers. It consists of 13 episodes, which originally premiered on October 30, 1999, and was produced by Avi Arad and distributed by 20th Century Fox Television...
, voiced by Linda BallantyneLinda BallantyneLinda Ballantyne is a Canadian voice actress.Born in Toronto, Canada, she is best known for voicing the title role of Serena/Sailor Moon in the the second half of the English version of Sailor Moon....
. Her look was radically redesigned to include insect-like armor. - Wasp appeared in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
voiced by Jennifer MorrisonJennifer MorrisonJennifer Marie Morrison is an American actress, model and film producer. She is best known for her role as Dr. Allison Cameron in House, whom she played for five-and-a-half years, and also as Zoey Pierson in the sixth season of How I Met Your Mother...
as one of the regular heroes. - Wasp appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
, voiced by Colleen O'ShaughnesseyColleen O'ShaughnesseyColleen Ann O'Shaughnessey is an American voice actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Sora from the first and second seasons of Digimon , Jazz Fenton in Danny Phantom, Ino Yamanaka and Konohamaru in Naruto.She has also worked in the video game industry where she voiced Genis Sage in...
as one of the regular heroes. In this incarnation, she has a different hairstyle and her outfit consists of a black and yellow dress over leggings, with yellow gloves and boots, along with antenna-like headgear. She also tends to be the comic relief in some episodes.
Film
- In the animated movies Ultimate AvengersUltimate AvengersUltimate Avengers is a direct-to-DVD animated film based on the Marvel comic book The Ultimates, and released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The DVD was released on February 21, 2006 in America, and in Europe on October 2, 2006...
and Ultimate Avengers 2Ultimate Avengers 2Ultimate Avengers 2 is the sequel to Ultimate Avengers. The film was released on August 8, 2006...
, the Wasp is portrayed by Grey DeLisleGrey DeLisleGrey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
. This version is adapted primarily from the Ultimate UniverseUltimate MarvelUltimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
continuity. - Janet and Hank's son, Henry Pym, Jr., is in the film Next Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowNext Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowNext Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow is a direct-to-video animated film. It is fifth in a series of animated films from Marvel Animation, based on Marvel Comics by Lions Gate Entertainment. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 2, 2008. The project was originally announced under the title...
. - Production Weekly reports that Wasp and Ant-Man will appear in "The Avengers" 2012 feature film.
Video games
- The Wasp appears as an NPCNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
in the video game Captain America and the AvengersCaptain America and the AvengersCaptain America and the Avengers is an arcade game released by Data East in 1991. It features the Marvel Comics characters The Avengers in a side-scrolling brawling and shooting adventure to defeat the evil Red Skull.-Gameplay:...
, briefly helping the player attack enemies. - The Wasp is a playable hero in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
, voiced by Grey DeLisleGrey DeLisleGrey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
.
Toys
- Wasp is the 137th figurine in The Classic Marvel Figurine CollectionThe Classic Marvel Figurine CollectionThe Classic Marvel Figurine Collection is a collection made by Eaglemoss Publications, through which consumers can collect hand painted lead figurines of the Marvel Comics characters. While regular figurines height is around 9 cm, bigger figurines are produced: bulky characters like the Hulk are...
. - Wasp first appeared in wave 2 of the Marvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero Squad is an action figure line marketed by Hasbro beginning in 2006. The line features scale replicas of comic book heroes from the Marvel Comics universe. Each figure is portrayed in a cartoonish super-deformed-style. The line was designed for younger collectors but has become a...
line, packaged with HulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. The same figure has since been re-released in the Avengers Face-Off! 5-pack, packaged with Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, Hulk, Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and ThorThor (Marvel Comics)Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. - A figure of Wasp was released in wave 15 of Toy Biz's 6" Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
line. There were four costume variations. A 1" version of the character was also released with the Goliath figure from wave 4. - A figure of Wasp was released in the Avengers boxset of the Marvel MinimatesMinimatesMinimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block...
line. - A 1" figure of Wasp was released with the two-pack with Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
and Absorbing ManAbsorbing ManThe Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
in the fourth wave of Secret Wars figures from Hasbro's 3.75" Marvel UniverseMarvel Universe (toyline)Marvel Universe is a 3 3/4" action figure line manufactured by Hasbro, featuring characters from the Marvel Comics universe. It first hit stores in early 2009 and features detailed sculpting, multiple points of articulation, and accessories...
line.
External links
- Earth's Mightiest Heroines, a fansite for the Women of the Avengers