Ant-Man in the MC2

 

While it may have taken me a little longer than most to get to the theatre to see Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as you know from my last post I did finally manage it. So today, let us look at one of the film’s protagonist’s counterpart in my favourite corner of the Marvel Universe: Scott Lang aka Ant-Man in the MC2.

 

Scott Lang made his comics debut in the pages of Avengers #181 before assuming the identity of the second Ant-Man in Marvel Premiere #47 and #48 in order to save his daughter, Cassie Lang from the clutches of the villainous Darren Cross. As for Scott Lang’s first appearance in the MC2, he makes a small appearance in A-Next #1 as his daughter Cassie tests her abilities as Stinger. When Stinger receives a distress call on an old Avengers priority code, Scott offers to report as Ant-Man in place of Hank Pym who had long since died. Of course, Cassie herself responds to the call and the rest is history with the formation of the next generation’s Avengers team.

 

Scott makes another brief appearance in A-Next #2 where he expresses his discomfort and concern with Cassie being a super hero. Cassie informs hm she needs to step out from behind his shadow as a person, a scientist and an Avenger. In A-Next #3, Edwin Jarvis employs Lang as the Avengers technical advisor, which leaves Cassie far from impressed.

 

However, Cassie is more impressed when Scott catches up with their old friends in the Fantastic Five which results in her leading a squad of Avengers into Latveria to investigate rumors about the return of Doctor Doom. In fact, this proved to be Cassie’s lost love Kristoff Vernard, former ward of Victor Von Doom. We catch a glimpse of Scott in the background during a flashback to these aforementioned lovebirds as children during their time living with the Fantastic Four (A-Next #5).

 

When Stinger, Freebooter and Crimson Curse investigate an unknown presence deep beneath Avengers Compound, they are joined by Scott Lang. It is worth noting that Scott mentions ‘all the time [he] served with the original Avengers’ he was not aware of anyone coming down to the sub-basement level 7. This confirms his status as a former member of the Avengers, if nothing else (A-Next #6).

 

The group’s progress is halted by visions of the entire team of Avengers dead or dying. Scott divulges his own hallucination was mainly focused on his daughter, Cassie. Cassie and Scott head to a business meeting at Lang Labs but are soon after interrupted, first by Mainframe and then by Ion Man. Scott offers to aid his daughter and Mainframe battle Ion Man by suiting up as Ant-Man but Cassie instead instructs him to evacuate the building. After the battle, Scott and Cassie race to help the fallen Mainframe (A-Next #7).

 

With the revelation that Mainframe is robotic in nature, Scott and Cassie work to save their fallen friend. After receiving the schematics from Edwin Jarvis, Scott finally suits up as Ant-Man alongside Stinger for a journey to the centre of Mainframe to ensure the core module returns to the orbiting satellite that houses and manufactures Mainframe’s robotic shells. The father and daughter duo succeed in their mission (A-Next #8).

 

It's worth noting Lang’s Ant-Man suit is a version of one first seen in the pages of Fantastic Four #405 designed by the late great comic artist Paul Ryan.

With the members of the new Avengers debating whether or not to investigate the mysterious portal to an alternate universe they found in basement alongside the Scarlet Witch, Scott not so subtly encourages Cassie to focus on the big picture, and later sees the team off as they collectively conclude they must go (A-Next #9).

 

While MC2’s Scott Lang witnesses an argument about the new Avengers between Tony Stark and Clint Barton, his twisted counterpart known as Pincer in the alternate universe ruled by Doctor Doom attacks Cassandra Lang alongside his team, the Thunder Guard. When she learns he killed his own daughter for not allying with Doom, Cassie is horrified, but thankfully spared the same fate thanks to the aid of American Dream (A-Next #10).

 

This sadistic version of Lang is pleased with his universe’s Eric Masterson aka Storm-Trooper for killing one of the rebels, Maria Sapristi, and questions why he would feel sorry for her. Masterson makes it clear how he feels about this by attempting to choke Pincer. Later when the Avengers and rebels launch their attack, Pincer again targets Cassie, goading her by saying neither his daughter nor the MC2’s Stinger amounted to anything without their father. This provocation allows Cassie to see clearly that Pincer is nothing like her own father despite their issues (A-Next #11).

 

Lang is among those captured by the Red Queen’s Revengers team when they launch an attack on Avengers Headquarters. With the Avengers captured shortly after, Scott helplessly witnesses his daughter Cassie being tortured by Hope Pym until reinforcements arrive and he is freed. While at first seeming concerned for her safety, Scott instead tells Cassie he is proud of her as she heads off to help (A-Next #12).

 

With so many members off with injuries or otherwise absent following the events of Last Hero Standing, Scott Lang is recruited as Ant-Man by Tony Stark to fill out the Avengers roster. Alongside The Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Stark's 'personal bodyguard’ James Rhodes on a mission to investigate and apprehend Normie Osborn. Things go awry when Rhodes (now more machine than man) is inadvertently hit by Wanda Maximoff’s hex bolt, triggering a violent rampage. After Rhodes is subdued, Scott and the others conclude they would be better use as teachers and mentors to the new Avengers team (Spider-Girl #93-#95). 

 

Not an active member of the Avengers this time around, Scott Lang as Ant-Man only appears briefly this time, as a miscoloured magical energy duplicate created when Sylene attempts to recreate Asgard on Earth in Avengers Next #4 and again correctly coloured in Avengers Next #5.

 

Finally, Scott Lang features in the Secret Wars Spider-Girl tie-in story published in Spider-Island #1-#5. There, he once more suits up as Ant-Man when the Avengers come under attack from Enthralla and Hope Pym, but is knocked out by a mind-controlled Edwin Jarvis.

 

Once more seeking revenge on the Avengers for her parents death’s, The Red Queen sentences Scott to death for assuming her father’s Ant-Man identity. Scott makes an impassioned appeal for Hope to stop obsessing over how her parents died and instead remember how they lived. His words fail to reach her leaving Spider-Girl to save him. Under Enthralla’s sway, Cassie is ordered to execute her own father and is only prevented from doing so by Spider-Girl’s determination to spare Cassie the tragedy of losing her father.

 

That’s it for Scott Lang aka Ant-Man in the MC2, unless I’ve missed some small appearance or tiny reference. If so, please let me know as we all make little mistakes now and then. The father/daughter relationship between Scott and Cassie is one of the core aspects of the MC2’s ethos so I’m glad it was left untarnished in recent years. Hopefully the future holds more for this version of the character.

 

Until I steal Hank Pym’s stuff to save my daughter and end up becoming a super hero, I remain

 

frogoat