Ant-Man (Hank Pym)

Ant-Man (real name Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym) is a fictional character and superhero from the Marvel Universe, appearing as one of the main protagonists of the Avengers comics, and the main protagonist when he appeared in the Tales of Astonish and his titular comics. 
He is a scientist who discovered the Pym Particles, a rare group of subatomic particles that he was cable to entrap and used to shrink or grow. During his early tenure, he would meet Janet van Dyne, his partner and later wife, who became "The Wasp" and could also grow big or shrink small. Pym's also a founding member of the Avengers, and has been a member of the Defenders, Secret Defenders, West Coast Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Illuminati, and Knights of the Atomic Round Table.
Since the character's appearance in the comics, Hank Pym has appeared in numerous media over the years, such as in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he is portrayed by .
He was created by the late , the late , and , and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27 in January of 1962.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym was born in East Nowhere, Nebraska, to Brad and Doris Pym, and was a born prodigy. He would spend his time creating inventions, and was encouraged by his grandmother, but after her death, he became more serious and stop thinking of wild ideas. In his youth, Hank attended a university where his professors discouraged his use of his imagination and inventing things for fun. Despite being discouraged, Hank proved his worth by excelling past his classmates, and earned a doctorate in biochemistry.
Hank eventually married Maria Trovaya, a Hungarian native who fled from her country, and Hank believed that his American citizenship would protect her. When the couple went to Hungary, Maria was murdered by agents of the secret police, and Hank became distraught by his wife's death. From that day forward, Hank decided to do whatever he could to battle injustice and inhumanity.
===Becoming Ant-Man===
Returning to America, Hank discovered rare subatomic particles, and through magnetic fields, was able to entrap them within two separate serums. One serum reduced the size of an object or a person, and the other would restore objects or a person to normal size. He tested the serums on himself, and discovered that the shrinking serum made him shrink to the size of an insect. After being pursued by ants, Hank returned to normal size, and decided to destroy both serums, thinking they were too dangerous to exist.
Weeks later, however, he reconsidered to recreate the serums, but kept them a secret from his colleagues and friends. Inspired by the anthill he encountered upon shrinking the first time, Hank studied ants, and theorized that ants communicated through psionic waves from their antennae's. After working for months, Hank created his first helmet, which enabled him to communicate with ants, and created a suit to protect himself when shrinking and returning to normal size. That same day the government gave Hank an assignment to concoct a gas that would provide people with immunity to radioactivity, and would be assisted by four scientist on the project.
However, the KGB learned of Hank's project, and sent agents to capture the serums by holding the doctor and the scientists hostage. Pym refused to the agents the formula of the gas, and donned his costume and communicated with the ants to attack the soviet agents. Afterward, Pym decided to become a superhero named Ant-Man, and battled various enemies, including Elihas "Egghead" Starr, Scarlet Beetle, The Time Master, and many others.
===The Wasp===
When an alien being killed Hank's colleague, Vernon van Dyne, Hank revealed his superhero identity to Vernon's daughter, Janet. She wanted to avenge his death, and Hank taught her how to use the serum, and gave her the ability to grow insect-like wings when she used the gas. Janet became The Wasp, and assisted Ant-Man in defeating the alien, which was from the Kosmos. Afterward, Hank and Janet became partners and fell in love, as she reminded him of his late wife, Maria.
===The Avengers===
Ant-Man and The Wasp later founded the Avengers, a group of superheroes who defended the world from galactic or supernatural threats. The group was founded by Ant-Man, Wasp, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk when alerted of Loki's presence on Earth by Rick Jones. Later on, Captain America, whom they thawed from the frozen ice, joined their ranks, brining him to the modern world. The team would face numerous threats, such as the Black Knight, Porcupine, the Human Top, and Pym's foe Egghead.
===Becoming Giant-Man===
While conducting experiments, Pym succeeded in manipulating the particles to allow him to grow in height instead of shrinking. While initially finding it hard to support himself due to the increase height, Hank adjusted to the change and adopted the name of "Giant-Man". However, the strain of changing in size and the danger it put Janet caused Pym to retire from heroics. Despite this, his return came when Janet was captured by Attuma and the Collector, changing his alter-ego name to "Goliath".
===Creating Ultron===
After returning to heroics, Hank focused on creating a robot with vast intelligence and knowledge, and used his own brain patterns as a basis for it. However, the robot rebelled against Pym by hypnotizing its creator, making the scientist forget his creation before escaping. The robot later returned as Ultron, a sentient machine that became one of the Avengers' greatest foes and one of Hank's biggest regrets. 
===Becoming Yellowjacket===
When thinking of marrying Janet, Hank accidently exposed himself to gases that altered his personality, making him take on the name of "Yellowjacket" and propose to his partner. The couple married at the Avengers mansion where Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime attacked, causing Hank to return to his normal self when seeing Janet in trouble. Despite the incident, Pym and Janet decided to remain married as the former kept his new codename, briefly joining the Defenders. Around this time, the thief Scott Lang broke into the scientist's home to steal the Ant-Man suit. Pym saw the intrusion and decided to follow him and saw him stop Darren Cross, deciding to let Scott become his successor.
===Breakdown and Downfall===
Despite his growing success in both fields of science and crime-fighting, Pym fell into depression due to creating Ultron and jealousy towards Janet's success in fashion design. He turned abusive towards his wife and started to become reckless, putting his teammates and innocent people in harms way when attacking Elfqueen. Charges were placed on him by Captain America, causing Hank to suffer a mental breakdown and form a plan to dismiss the charges against him. When arguing with his wife over her attempts to dissuade him from the plan, Hank struck Janet before sending the robot at the mansion. However, Pym's plan failed as Janet stopped the robot Salvation, the Avengers expelled him and was given divorce papers by his partner.
Afterward, Pym found himself broke and encountered his foe Egghead, whom asked for his help to create a prosthetic arm for his niece Trish. However, Elihas had intended to frame Hank, tricking the superhero into believing that he placed a bomb in the arm and have him steal adamantium and fight the Avengers. Pym was imprisoned for his actions, but was "rescued" by the Masters of Evil, whom were working for Egghead and asked Hank to work for them. Secretly, Hank tricked Elihas and the group with his device, defeating them before Hawkeye accidently caused Egghead's death.
===The Scientific Adventurer===
Fund not guilty of treason, Pym retired from adventuring until he became the manager for the West Coast Avenger's base. Taking the name of "Dr. Pym, the Scientific Adventurer", Pym helped the new team defeat Kang the Conqueror when they were sent back to the past. He then decided to return to super-heroics, and began a romantic relationship with his teammate Tigra. He also rekindled with Janet, whom was transferred to the West Coast team. Additionally, Pym and Janet began to date once again, however she rejected his marriage proposal in Las Vegas. Later on, Hank reformed the Avengers and later destroyed Ultron when giving vibranium by the superhero Justice.
===Skrull Invasion and Civil War===
Given an opportunity in Oxford, Hank and Janet moved to reconcile their relationship, but ultimately split up once again. He then began a relationship a college student, whom turned out to be a Skrull gathering information and had him captured. The scientist supreme didn't participate in the Skrull invasion due to being captured, he was returned upon the aftermath of the Civil War between Captain America and Iron Man. Hank learned of Janet's death, much to his despair before deciding to adopt her codename and became the leader of the Mighty Avengers. When traveling the Microverse with the Avengers, Pym reunited with Janet and escaped once dealing with Lord Gouzar.
===Death and Return===
With the return of Ultron once again, the robot attacked Earth and spread spores that contained his conscious onto anything that breathed. Hank confronted his creation and distracted the robot, allowing Vision to surprise attack Ultron and attempt to take control of its body. However, Ultron forcibly merged with Pym before Vision could succeeded, possessing his body and killing Hank in the process. During Ultron's time as All-Father, Hank was revived when his corpse was separated from its creation by Pym from the past, Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady. Upon his return, Pym found himself noticeably aged and paranoid but determined to destroy Ultron for good. 
He joined forces with Black Ant to recruit villains for the new Lethal Legion, killing the recruits before reviving them so they can help him destroy Ultron. However, Ultron learned of this and possessed the corpse of Whirlwind with the intention of finding Wasp and kill its creator.
==Successors==
===Scott Lang===
The second, and current, Ant-Man is Scott Lang. A former electronics genius turned criminal, Scott was forced back into a life of a crime when he needed to pay for an operation on his daughter. Coincidentally, the house Scott broke into was the house of the previous Ant-Man, Hank Pym. Stealing the Ant-Man costume and Pym Particles, Scott rescued the doctor needed to perform the operation, and was allowed to become the new Ant-Man, frequently helping out Iron Man and the Avengers. Scott has also been part of the Fantastic Four, the Heroes for Hire, and eventually, the Avengers. Unfortunately, it was during his term with the team that he was seemingly killed by a reborn Jack of Hearts exploding, until it was discovered that a future Scarlet Witch had teleported him to the future to save him. Following his return, he served a brief stint with the Defenders and is the current leader of the Future Foundation.
===Eric O'Grady===
The third Ant-Man was S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Eric O' Grady. Stealing an experimental Ant-Man armor from Hank Pym, Eric abused his position as a superhero for his own selfish gain. However, as time went on, he became less of an immoral jerk and more of a genuine superhero, even briefly serving in the Secret Avengers. He was killed by the Shadow Council, and found redemption in his death.
==Powers and Abilities==
Each incarnation of Ant-Man has been able to alter his height through the use of Pym Particles, and communicate with ants via their helmets. At their reduced heights, their molecular mass stays the same, granting them super strength. As Ant-Man, Scott developed special bracelets called "stingers", which fire electricity at enemies.
===Powers===
*Size Reduction: Hank Pym possessed the power to reduce his body to the size of an insect (notably an ant), by the use of his Pym Particles. He could also reduce his size to any size between his normal size, and to one half inch in height. Despite becoming small, his body's molecular mass stays the same, granting him the same strength and speed when at his normal size.
*Size Addition: Hank later discovered that the particles could enable him to grow into gigantic heights, and later became known as Giant-Man and Goliath. He could grow hundred feet tall, passing tall buildings in New York, and could grow past the barriers of the Microverse. The extra dimensional of his body mass fortified his cellular tissue, including his muscles and bones, allowing to support himself in his giant form. In his giant form, he was given superhuman strength and durability, but his giant size also caused health problems due to the strain.
*Entering Different Planes: The Pym Particles also allowed Ant-Man to shrink to sub-microscopic planes of existence, known as the "subatomic universe", or the "microverse".
*Cyborg Body: Upon being merged with Ultron, Hank became a cyborg, with only his head and upper torso being organic. As a result of being merged by his creation, the two became known as Ultron Pym.
**Flight: Ultron Pym has rocket boosters to fly in the air.
**Superhuman Strength: Ultron Pym has great super strength, being able to lift 100 tons, and possibly even more.
**Superhuman Durability: Ultron Pym's outers hell is composed of Adamantium, rendering it impervious to damage, being able to withstand blasts, and survive the heat of a megaton atomic bomb. However, his internal mechanisms are less durable, and can be easily damaged.
**Superhuman Speed: Ultron Pym's was faster than a human athlete.
**Energy Absorption: Ultron Pym can absorb energy thrown at him, being inducted by antenna array, and can convert radiation into electrical energy for use or for storage.
**Concussion Blasters: Ultron Pym has laser channeled beams.
**Tractor Beams: Ultron Pym has tractor beams, which are pulsed magnetic graviton particle containment fields, which can be controlled to configure graviton into various shapes to alter the effects of gravity.
**Ecephalo Beams: A ray that can put it's victims into a coma, allowing Ultron Pym to mesmerize and control his victims, or implant hypnotic commands into their minds.
**Program Transmitter: The transmitter can project Ultron Pym's entire memory and personality system into a computer system.
**Technoforming: Ultron Pym devised a nanorobotic virus that can overtake physical parameters of any sentient beings it comes across. He was able to interface and control any biological or mechanical thing he could conceive of, and later created the Ultron Virus.
===Former Powers===
*Wasp Enhancements: When Hank took the mantle of The Wasp, he used the particles and the gas to take the enhancements.
**Wasp Stings: Hank was capable of shooting bioelectric energy blasts from his hands.
**Bio-Synthetic Wings: He had synesthetic wings when he reduced his size, being able to fly, and catch up to 38 miles per hour in speed.
===Abilities===
*Genius-Level Intelligence: Hank showed himself to be a child prodigy in his early years, having fun and imaginative ideas that were encouraged by his grandmother. As an adult, he is considered one of the world's foremost biochemists, and has expertise in other fields of science, such as all forms of physics, robotics, cybernetics, programming, optics, medicine, and entomology. He is also has been considered one of the five smartest people on Earth, rivaling Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Hank McCoy.
*Master Combatant: Hank is a master combatant, and was trained in judo and wrestling before becoming a superhero. When in his small size, he uses his superhuman strength and fighting skills against his enemies.
==Portrayals==
===Films===
*In Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2, he was voiced by Nolan North, who also voiced Nathan Drake in the Uncahrted series, Edward Richtofen in Treyarch's Call of Duty zombie series, Desmond Miles in the Assassins Creed series, Deadpool in numerous media, and many others.
**North also voiced the character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes.
*In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he is portrayed by Michael Douglas (who also played Nick Curran in Basic Instinct), who passes the mantle of Ant-Man to Scott Lang, and later the mantle of The Wasp to his daughter, Hope.
**Douglas reprised his role in the Disney+ animated series What If...?
===Television===
*In The Marvel Super Heroes, he was voiced by Tom Harvey and the late Len Birman.
*In the 1979 sketch of Saturday Night Live, he was portrayed by Garrett Morris.
*In The Avengers: United They Stand, he was voiced by Rod Wilson.
*In Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, he was voiced by John Payne.
*In The Super Hero Squad Show, he was voiced by Greg Grunberg.
*In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, he was voiced by Wally Wingert, who also voiced George Jetson in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Jon Arbuckle in Garfield Gets Real and The Garfield Show, Alex in The Penguins of Madagascar and Renji Abarai in Bleach.
**Wingert also voiced the character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Marvel Heroes and Marvel Future Revolution.
*In Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, he was voiced by Yasunori Masutani.
*In the Disney XD Ant-Man animated shorts, based on the MCU's Hank Pym, he was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who also voiced Numbuh 4 in Codename: Kids Next Door, Appa in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Klaus Heissler in American Dad!, Stinkfly and Wildmutt in Ben 10, Perry the Platypus in Phineas and Ferb, and Captain Rex and Commander Cody in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
===Video Games===
*In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, he was voiced by Jerry Houser, who also voiced adult Bamm-Bamm Rubble in the Flintstones franchise.
*In Marvel Avengers Academy, he was voiced by Christopher McCullough.
*In Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, he was voiced by Dar Dash.
*In Marvel's Avengers, he was voiced by Danny Jacobs.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*Ranked 16th on "The Top 50 Avengers".
*Listed 67th greatest comic book hero by IGN.
*Ranked 93rd by Wizard magazine as the greatest comic book character.
*He is considered controversial, due to him abusing his wife in the comics by accidentally hitting her, which was commented on by writer Jim Shooter.
*He considers himself one of the five smartest people on the planet, rivaling Mr. Fantastic.
**The cosmic entity Eternity named him scientist supreme, but Loki claims that it was him to manipulate Pym.
*Hank Pym appeared in the 172nd Episode of the Popular webseries DEATH BATTLE, where he Fought against DC Comics The Atom and won.
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