Ant-Man
Ant-Man | |
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![]() Mitchell Carson and Eric O'Grady on the cover of Irredeemable Ant-Man vol. 1 #5 (April 2007). Art by Phil Hester | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962) |
Created by | Stan Lee Larry Lieber Jack Kirby |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Hank Pym Scott Lang Eric O'Grady |
Team affiliations | Avengers |
Abilities |
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Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962). The persona was originally the brilliant scientist Hank Pym's superhero alias after inventing a substance that can change size, but reformed thieves Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady also took on the mantle after the original changed his superhero identity to various other aliases, such as Giant-Man, Goliath, and Yellowjacket. Ant-Man has appeared in several films based on the Marvel character, such as Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Fictional character biography
Over the years a number of different characters have assumed the title of Ant-Man, most of whom have been connected with the Avengers.
Hank Pym
The original Ant-Man was Biophysicist and Security Operations Center expert Dr. Henry 'Hank' Pym; who decided to become a superhero after the death of his first wife Maria Trovaya, who had been a political dissident in Hungary. Falling in love with him and believing that his American citizenship would protect her, Hank and Maria traveled to Hungary shortly after their marriage to start their new life together. Unfortunately they were confronted by corrupt agents of the secret police. Hank was knocked unconscious and Maria was murdered. Pym was greatly distraught by his wife's death, and decided to do whatever he could in the future to battle injustice. After discovering a chemical substance, which he called Pym Particles, that would allow the user to alter his size, he armed himself with a helmet that could control ants. After that, Pym would shrink down to the size of an insect to become the mystery-solving Ant-Man, solving crimes and stopping criminals.[1] He soon shared his discovery with his new girlfriend Janet van Dyne, who became his crime-fighting partner The Wasp, when he helped her avenge the death of her scientist father Vernon van Dyne who was killed by an alien unleashed by one of Vernon's own experiments.[2] The duo would become founding members of the Avengers, fighting recurring enemies such as the mad scientist Egghead, the mutant Whirlwind, and Pym's own robotic creation Ultron.[3] While Pym is the original Ant-Man, he has adopted other aliases over the years including Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket,[2] and Wasp after Janet's presumed death in Secret Invasion.[4] Leaving his original persona vacant, his successors have taken up the Ant-Man role while Pym explored these other identities.
Scott Lang
Scott Lang was a thief who became Ant-Man after stealing the Ant-Man suit to save his daughter Cassandra "Cassie" Lang from a heart condition.[5] Reforming from his life of crime, Lang soon took on a full-time career as Ant-Man with the encouragement of Hank Pym.[6] He became an affiliate of the Fantastic Four,[7] and later became a full-time member of the Avengers. For a period of time he dated Jessica Jones.[5] He was killed by the Scarlet Witch along with the Vision and Hawkeye in Avengers Disassembled,[8] and his daughter took up his heroic mantle as Stature in the book Young Avengers. He returned to life in 2011 in the mini series, The Children's Crusade, but lost his daughter when she heroically sacrificed herself to stop a super charged Doctor Doom, who would later revive her during the AXIS.
Eric O'Grady
Eric O'Grady is the third character to take up the Ant-Man title. O'Grady is a low-level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who stumbles upon the Ant-Man suit in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters.[9] A man of few morals and willing to lie, cheat, steal and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, Eric stole the armor for his own selfish plans, which included using his status as a "super-hero" to seduce women[10] and humiliate and torment others.[11] He had his own short-lived title before being part of other teams such as joining Avengers: The Initiative as his first team and then joining The Thunderbolts but more recently Secret Avengers, where the character perished heroically while defending a child against the villain known as Father.
In other media
Television
- Hank Pym made his animated debut as Giant-Man/Ant-Man in The Marvel Super Heroes 1966 series.
- Hank Pym appears in his original Ant-Man identity in Avengers: United They Stand as the team's leader.
- Two versions of Ant-Man (Hank Pym and Scott Lang) appear throughout Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Eric O'Grady also appears in cameo.
- Scott Lang appears as Ant-Man in Ultimate Spider-Man television series.
- Scott Lang appears as Ant-Man in Avengers Assemble.
- An Ant-Man TV series was one of several planned TV shows from Marvel in 1980's.[12]
- Ant-Man (Scott Lang) appears along with the Hulk in a Coke Mini commercial that premiered during Super Bowl 50. Paul Rudd, who plays the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reprises the role in the commercial by providing the voice of Ant-Man.[13]
- Marvel's Ant-Man, a series of animated shorts aired on Disney XD in 2017. Josh Keaton voiced Ant-Man and Melissa Rauch voiced The Wasp. The series is created by Passion Studios' Ugo Bienvenu and Kevin Manach.[14]
Film
- A live-action film, featuring Scott Lang and Hank Pym, titled Ant-Man, was released on July 17, 2015.[15][16] The film is directed by Peyton Reed, with a screenplay by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and Adam McKay & Paul Rudd from a story by Wright and Cornish.[17][18] Wright was slated to direct the film but left the project in May 2014 due to creative differences with the studio.[19] In November 2013, Kevin Feige confirmed that aspects of Eric O'Grady's Ant-Man would not be featured in the film.[20] In December 2013, Paul Rudd was cast as Ant-Man,[21] followed in January 2014 with the casting of Michael Douglas as Pym, and the confirmation of Rudd as Lang.[22] Reed said the costume design was influenced by Asian tokusatsu superheroes such as Ultraman and Inframan.[23]
- Rudd reprised his role in Captain America: Civil War (2016),[24] Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018),[25] and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[26] Douglas also returned as Pym in both Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)[27] and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[28] Lang's iteration of the character also had two cameo appearances both in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man Far From Home (2019).
See also
- Atom (comics), a DC Comics superhero with a similar ability to shrink in size.
References
- ^ "Henry Pym Biography". IGN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Secret Invasion Illumination". Marvel.com. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ "Psych Ward: Hank Pym". Marvel.com. December 29, 2008. Archived from the original on April 23, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ "Mighty Avengers: Assemble". Marvel.com. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Marvel's 5 Unluckiest Heroes: A Friday the 13th Special Report". Marvel.com. July 17, 2007. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ "Ant Man (Scott Lang) Biography". IGN. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ "Take 10: Replacement FF Members". Marvel.com. August 25, 2010. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ Avengers #500 (September 2004)
- ^ Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (October 2006)
- ^ Irredeemable Ant-Man #2 (November 2006)
- ^ Irredeemable Ant-Man #3 (December 2006)
- ^ "Uncovering Marvel's Lost '80s Cartoon Pitches – Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources". Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ Schultz, E.J. (February 7, 2016). "The Strategy Behind Coke's Marvel Super Bowl Ad". Ad Age. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ "NYCC: Marvel's Ant-Man Animated Shorts Coming to Disney XD". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
- ^ Douglas, Edward (July 26, 2006). "Exclusive: Edgar Wright Talks Ant-Man". SuperHeroHype.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2006.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (January 23, 2014). "Marvel's 'Ant-Man' Moves into Former Superman-Batman Release Date". Variety. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ "Director Peyton Reed and Writer Adam McKay Join Marvel's Ant-Man". Marvel.com. June 7, 2014. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (April 22, 2015). "Marvel's 'Ant-Man' Resolves Writing Credit Dispute (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ Graser, Mark (May 23, 2014). "Edgar Wright Exits Marvel's 'Ant-Man' as Director". Variety. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ Bibbiani, William (November 8, 2013). "Exclusive Interview: Kevin Feige on Thor and Marvel's Future". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ "Paul Rudd Set to Star in Marvel's Ant-Man". Marvel Entertainment. Marvel Studios. December 19, 2013. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (January 13, 2014). "Michael Douglas to Star as Hank Pym in Marvel's Ant-Man". Variety. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ Kelley, Shamus (October 2, 2018). "The Surprising Tokusatsu Influences of Ant-Man". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ "Marvel Studios Begins Production on Marvel's 'Captain America: Civil War'". Marvel.com. May 7, 2015. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
- ^ Strom, Marc (October 8, 2015). "Marvel Studios Phase 3 Update". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- ^ Mithaiwala, Mansoor (October 28, 2017). "Robert Downey Jr. Announces Avengers 4 Return". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ Hall, Jacob (February 10, 2017). "'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Will See the Return of Michael Douglas' Hank Pym". /Film. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (April 17, 2018). "Avengers Infinity War: Sebastian Stan reveals scene with Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
External links
- Ant-Man (disambiguation) at the Marvel Universe
- Ant-Man at the Marvel Database Project
- Ant-Man at IMDb
- Ant-Man at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012.
- American superheroes
- Ant-Man
- Articles about multiple fictional characters
- Characters created by Jack Kirby
- Characters created by Larry Lieber
- Characters created by Stan Lee
- Comics characters introduced in 1962
- Fiction about size change
- Fictional characters who can change size
- Fictional myrmecologists
- Marvel Comics adapted into films
- Marvel Comics superheroes