Unlike the movie adaptation, Ant-Man and the Wasp’s relationship is as unusual as their super-powers.
‘Originally introduced in 1963, the duo were conceived through the pages of Tales to Astonish, eventually serving as the original team that made up the Avengers.
Flash forward over 50 years into the future and the pair has been through thrilling highs and remarkable lows, leading to the first MCU co-featured superhero title.
The Ant-Man sequel follows the relationship of Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, but original characters Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne also receive significant screen time.
The couple has the craziest history compared to anyone else who adopted the mantle of the character, and one of the most tumultuous relationships in comic book history.
While Hank couldn’t quite decide on a superhero name, Janet took the power seat of the Avengers and became an established fashion designer. Their time together wasn’t always as bright as many believed, however.
Going back through their history, here are the 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Ant-Man And The Wasp’s Relationship.
20. Both were introduced in the same series
In Tales to Astonish #27, Hank Pym is introduced as a rejected professor who experiments with his formula on himself.
After shrinking instantly, he’s stalked by aggressive ants and uses his judo skills to ward the critters off.
The first appearance ends with Pym tossing the syrum down the sink and walking off into the sunset with a send off, “never again did Hank Pym knowingly step on an anthill.”
Due to popular demand, Ant-Man returned in Tales to Astonish #35 with his iconic costume and pulled a recon, where he stashed the formula in a safe instead of disposing it.
Desperate for an assistant, he meets Janet van Dyne (who looks just like his deceased wife). Naturally, he transforms her into his sidekick– the Wasp.
19. Two of the founding members of the Avengers
After a group composed of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and the insect couple took down Loki, Ant-Man suggested that the team continue their superhero accomplishments as a unified squad. The Wasp dubbed the group the “Avengers” and the rest is comic book history.
However, Pym later resigns from the Avengers because the strain of transforming. Transforming becomes incredibly dangerous to his body. His nervous system gets so messed up that he can eventually morph sizes on command.
He later returned and adapted one of his many aliases.
18. Wasp loves all of his identities
Hank Pym may be regarded as one of the most intelligent characters in Marvel comics, but he’s a mess in regards to personal identity.
Throughout his superhero career, Pym has adapted four individual aliases. After being introduced in Tales to Astonish #27 with shrinking abilities, he became Giant-Man in Tales to Astonish #49.
Later, Scarlet Witch sewed him a new outfit in Avengers #28 for his Goliath look (he informed Captain America that the name “Giant-Man” sounded too corny).
Janet has been linked to each character and has loved all of Pym’s indecisive monikers equally, primarily focusing on the man behind the mask.
17. Ultron is technically their son
After being disguised as the Crimson Cowl in Avengers #54, Ultron reveals himself in all of his Adamantium glory as Hank Pym’s creation in the following issue.
The android antagonist has an Oedipal fixation on the pair. Ultron I refers to Janet as “mother” in Avengers #20 (1998).
Pym admits to using his brain patterns in Avengers #22 (1998), explaining “that’s my mind, stripped of conscience, of morality.”
Ultron makes various resurrections of himself throughout the decades, often going head-to-head with Pym while journeying down the path towards total, mortal annihilation.
During the Rage of Ultron storyline, Pym admits his inner turmoil and phases with his son, making the ultimate sacrifice.
16. Ant-Man Becomes Wasp
After Janet passes away in the Secret Invasion, Hank Pym takes on the mantle of The Wasp during Secret Invasion: Requiem.
The third iteration of Ant-Man Eric O’Grady (and most irritating S.H.I.E.L.D. agent ever) teams up with Pym in the Ant-Man & Wasp mini series.
Pym opens the Janet Van Dyne Centers for Women to honor her memory. The series is mostly the duo bickering and Pym looking absurd in the Wasp get-up before O’Grady extends an ant-sized olive branch by volunteering at the Center during Ant-Man & Wasp #3.
15. Ant-Man Created Wasp
During the duo’s first appearance together in Tales to Astonish #35, Janet’s father passes away after an acid-like, green blob creature from Kosmos attacks him.
Like any large monster, the beast immediately wreaks havoc on the city. Hank Pym shrinks down to Ant-Man size and promises Janet that he’ll avenge her father.
After a moments contemplation, he turns his human proportions and reveals himself, asking if she wants to become a human wasp.
With a little too much enthusiasm, Janet agrees. Wrapped in a yellow jump suit, Janet is genetically modified to shrink and grow.
While shrinking down to a diminutive size, Janet sprouts antennas and wings.
14. Ant-Man Was Dismissive Of Wasp When They First Met
Most of Ant-Man and Wasp’s early adventures consists of Pym shushing Wasp and bossing her around.
During their first assignment, Wasp immediately disobeys Ant-Man’s command to destroy the creature from Kosmoss, which he scolds her for.
Ant-Man later calls Wasp a “fool child” for jumping the gun in Tales To Astonish #44. In response, Wasp calls Ant-man “boss” and “oh lord and master.”
In fact, most of the time both are fighting crime or experimenting with science, their dynamic is interesting, to say the least.
Pym later admitted to a robot reincarnation of Janet that he didn’t love her when they first met, referring to her as a “groupie” and a “junior groupie” in Secret Invasion: Requiem.
13. Wasp Is His Second Wife
During Janet van Dyne’s introduction in Tales To Astonish #44, Pym wistfully hopes for human assistance on his insect adventures.
Lounging on a recliner, he thinks about his former wife Maria Trovaya. When they honeymooned in Hungary, Maria apparently got abducted by communists.
Seeing Janet for the first time, Pym thinks “she looks somewhat like Maria. But she’s much younger!”
Throughout their first few meetings, Pym constantly compares his sidekick to his deceased lover. Inevitably, they fall in love, but Janet only weds the Yellowjacket version of Pym’s psych.
12. Same Helmet And Costume Technology
Both Ant-Man and Wasp’s costumes are stitched of closely woven fine steel mesh that prevents damage from bug mandibles.
The unstable molecules of the outfits stretch and contract when their bodies do. The cybernetic helmet transmits amplified brainwaves and translates impulses into a series of clicks that insects can understand.
The helmet can also be used to communicate to each other via electronic impulses.
Although the serum diminishes size, the duo maintains an approximation of human-sized strength.
Wasp has additional perks to her body: implanted specialized cells beneath the tissue allows her to grow wings and sprout antenna.
11. Wasp Has A Complicated Relationship With Yellowjacket
During the ’80s run of the Avengers, Ant-Man adapts the Yellowjacket identity – the superhero with a wavering moral compass.
Wasp discovers that he’s building Salvation I, a robot only he knows how to defeat in #213. He plans to unleash the AI to avoid gets expelled from the team, after assaulting a woman that forfeited to Captain America.
Wasp begs him to not release the monstrosity, but Yellowjacket hits her in response – a slap that proved the dividing factor in their on again, off again relationship.
Their marriage is still the only time that the both eloped – she has yet to wed Ant-Man in any of his other identities.
Additionally, Yellowjacket pinched a nerve in Wasp’s neck to knock her unconscious in #59 and obliterated one of her fashionable outfits in anger during #212.
10. Both have dated others post-marriage
After getting divorced from Yellowjacket, both Pym and Janet have had an on again, off again relationship peppered with various other super being trysts.
Pym has been linked to a Skrull posing as Tigra in West Coast Avengers, actual Tigra in Avengers Academy, and Firebird in Beyond!
During West Coast Avengers #21, he even abandoned his four previous aliases to become plain old Hank Pym and settles down with Espirita.
Wasp also got together with several other characters, including Captain America, Hawkeye, Paladin, Tony Stark, and even the scientist Reynolds in Marvel Zombies II #3.
9. Ant-Man Created Different Identities To Impress Wasp
Ant-Man went through the different superhero name phase because of a deep rooted insecurity he has when Wasp is around.
“I was Ant-Man. And I wasn’t strong enough. Tough enough. I didn’t compare to the other heroes. And Jan liked them. So I remade myself, into Giant Man, then Goliath. But it wasn’t enough,” Pym said in Avengers Annual #3.
Later in the issue, as Yellowjacket, he boasts “I’m the one that won Jan,” referring to their wedding in Avengers #30.
Feeling inadequate to the stronger and more popular Avengers, Pym inevitably allowed his mental illness to fester and ruin his relationship with Wasp.
8. Zombie Versions Shared Meals Of Marvel Characters
In the zombie universe, Wasp bites a human Magneto in Marvel Zombies #1, instantly infecting him. As the other zombie Avengers gather to feast, Wasp flies away with a chunk of Magneto that she refuses to share with Pym. The group also consumes pieces of Jarvis.
Giant-Man secretly keeps Black Panther locked up in a casket hooked up to an I.V., feasting on his various body parts. Wasp discovers the body and chastises her boyfriend for not sharing.
Somehow, the zombie arc still isn’t as graphic as the Ultimates storyline. The Blob ends up eating Janet, and Pym gets vengeance by eating the Blob.
7. She Refuses To Choose One Of His Identities
Pym becomes unraveled after creating the original Ultron. After, Pym accidentally releases gases that destroy his inhibitions and a part of Hank Pym, transforming him into Yellowjacket.
As Goliath, Pym accepts Yellowjacket, claiming that he’s brave, fearless, and everything he wants to be in Avengers Annual #3.
Yellowjacket responds by admiring Goliath’s intelligence and thorough planning.
To the encouragement of Janet, who declines choosing the alias she loves the most, all parts of Pym’s psych accept that they’ll never be the best Avenger and merge with scientist.
6. Ant-Man Ate & Squished Wasp In The Same Story
When zombie Janet discovers that Pym is hiding the mutilated T’Challa, she threatens to rat on him, to which he responds by biting off her head.
She somehow survives and is carried around by Black Panther, who escapes his confines on a crutch.
Her head is placed in a tank created by scientist Reynolds that tops a robotic body welded together by Forge.
When the zombie Avengers return to earth following a 40 year absence, Pym squishes Janet’s robot body between his palms. Again, she avoids demise and the duo make amends after her former lover is cured of his hunger for flesh.
5. Ant-Man Is Brainwashed By Ultron To Turn Wasp Into His Mate
Ultron likes to play his creator like an adamantium fiddle.
In a clear homage to the Bride of Frankenstein, the Bride of Ultron storyline follows the titular character brainwashing Pym to make him a wife.
Through the run (that makes up Avengers #157-166), Pym is tricked into thinking Janet is near death, and the only way to rescue her is by transferring her consciousness into another android. The result is Jocasta, who was named after the wife/mother of Oedipus.
He loves Greek mythology almost as much as he loves his mom.
Eventually, Jocasta betrays Ultron in favor of becoming an Avenger.
17. Wasp Is Stronger
Originally the most underpowered member of the Avengers, Wasp was gradually given more might by the Marvel creative staff. As well as seducing Magneto for her own purposes, Wasp singlehandedly took out the X-Men in Secret Wars.
She barely uses less than half-powered stings and threatens that she can do much worse in Secret Wars #4 against the clearly outmatched mutants.
As well as taking out Red Ronin by herself in Solo Avengers #15, she is infected by a serum given to her by a Skrull Hank Pym in Secret Invasion.
Instead of going out with a whimper, she goes out with a literal bang – she turns into a bomb and wipes out as many Skrulls as she can.
18. Wasp Is A Natural Leader, Ant-Man Is Not
As well as the first female member of the Avengers, Janet took the reins of the team from #217-278, including co-leader duties with Captain America during the late ’90s run of the series.
Pym has shown himself as inadequate in terms of leadership. During Marvel Zombies, Pym takes control of his flesh-eating superhero compadres.
He continues his habit of mentally unraveling, reassuring an unconscious T’Challa that “I’d still eat people” if there was ever a cure for the zombie disease, describing his enjoyment of consuming flesh.
Hank leads a group away from Earth to consume the galaxy, and returns 40 years later, where T’Challa has started a new Wakanda. He decides to make the city a breeding ground for human meat.
2. Both Have Had Different People Take Up The Ant-Man/Wasp Mantle
Other characters adopting the moniker of a superhero is a pretty common occurrence in Marvel comics.
Besides Hank Pym, Scott Lang notoriously stole the ant duds in Marvel Premiere #47 in order to save his sickly daughter Cassie.
It’s Lang’s adventures – not Pym’s – that inspired the Marvel movie of the same name. Considering his lack of menace, Lang was the safer choice for a Disney feature.
Less known is Eric O’Grady, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was only the third person to be known as Ant-Man.
Nadia Pym (the daughter of Hank Pym and Maria Trovaya) recently debuted as the Wasp in the All-New, All-Different Avengers #9. Even Hank Pym put on the wings and antenna after Janet passed away in Secret Invasion.
1. Wasp was kidnapped by Magneto and pretended to be lured by him
The ’80s was a strange time for superhero team-ups. Case in point: Secret Wars.
While Ant-Man and Wasp were on break, and adrift on Battleworld, Wasp is kidnapped by a Magneto, who is obsessed with combing his hair. She pretends to be allured by his remarkable ‘do, for being as elderly as he is, and gradually learns his plans.
The X-Men abruptly shows up and she defeats everyone in Magneto’s chambers, including the Marvel antagonist, before tattling to the Avengers.
Can you think of any other facts about Ant-Man and the Wasp’s relationship? Let us know in the comments!
