This one is probably well over due, so with Ant-Man and
the Wasp: Quantumania on the horizon I had better finally cover some of its
prominent characters as they appear in the MC2. Today let us look at the
original Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket
aka Dr Henry 'Hank' Pym in the MC2.
Hank Pym first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27
and first assumed the super hero nom de guerre Ant-Man in Tales to Astonish
#35, with many more costumed identities to follow. In the MC2, Hank
Pym was first referenced and glimpsed in flashback in the pages of A-Next
#2, first with a mention of Cassie Lang utilizes Hank’s process
to implant bio-synthetic wings on herself and next when discussing Bill Foster’s
connection
with him. Later in the same issue, we see a flashback featuring Hank
alongside Captain
America and the original Thunderstrike.
Here, Pym is depicted in a version of his 90’s Giant-Man costume,
which he wore during the events of The
Crossing and Onslaught.
This issue is also where we learn Hank is dead, a hint to later
revelations in the series.
We next see a flashback of Hank Pym in A-Next #6
in the memories of the mentally ill Hercules, who tragically recalls his
former Avengers teammates’ final mission which lead to more than half of
them dying. Hercules blames himself for this loss, which drove him to
madness. Once again, Hank is depicted in his 90’s Giant-Man
costume which he first wore in Avengers (vol. 1) #366.
In the following issue, the new team of Avengers seek
answers for what occurred to the original Avengers. Their questions are
answered by Edwin Jarvis, who recalls their final mission to a alternate
universe. Here we learn that the
Avengers became aware of an alternate reality in which Victor
Von Doom wielded a Universal Cube which would allow
him to travel to other universes via portals to conquer them. With all of
reality at risk, the Avengers held an emergency meeting. Many
attended this urgent summons including (but not limited to) Captain America, Firebird, Firestar, Hawkeye, Hercules, Iron Man, Justice, Living
Lightning, Scarlet
Witch, Tigra, Vision and
the Wasp. Perhaps ironically, it is Giant-Man aka Hank
Pym himself (this time dressed in a version of his Goliath costume
first seen in Avengers (vol. 1) #28) who is the first to speak up and
agree to the mission without delay (A-Next #7).
We learn
through Jarvis that this was around a year and a half prior to
the Avengers officially disbanding. Sadly, many of the heroes
did not return, with only Hawkeye, Hercules, Iron
Man, Scarlet Witch, Vision and the Wasp re-emerging
from the portal. Dr Pym is among the fallen, leaving Janet Pym distraught
(A-Next #7).
When Hope
Pym learns the new Avengers team has travelled to the alternate
universe, we discover she blames the Avengers for the death of her parents,
Hank and Janet, and she launches her revenge plot (A-Next #10).
As the Red Queen, Hope uses her parents’ old security codes to
sneak her team of Revengers into the Avengers Compound. Among the
Revengers is her twin brother
Henry Pym Jr, who objects to Hope’s change of plan, which involves
not just capturing but killing the new Avengers in revenge for her parents’
deaths. Fortunately, Henry intervenes to stop Hope when she attempts
to self-destruct the Avengers Compound, telling her their father Hank
gave his life protecting the world and their mother Janet never blamed
the Avengers (A-Next #12). Hope would continue to blame the
Avengers for her parents’ death in future appearances.
Next time we see Pym depicted is in Last Hero Standing
#1 during a symbolic flashback depiction of the Avengers’ earliest
members when Uatu the
Watcher is recounting the History of the MC2 like a sad little
blogger. Here, Hank is seen in his second Giant-Man costume which
first appeared in Tales to Astonish #50.
While he does not actually appear, it is worth mentioning
that a ‘zombie
‘or ‘magical clone’ of Hank Pym’s Yellowjacket identity does
appear in Avengers Next #1. These duplicates were created when the
villainous Asgardian daughter of Loki, Sylene
combined magic
with stolen blood and tissue samples of various former and present Avengers.
The first time the Yellowjacket costume identity appeared was in Avengers
(vol. 1) #59.
That is all I have on Doctor Henry Pym in the MC2. While
he is long dead, Pym’s legacy remains strong, ranging from the good to
the bad. Be it Cassie Lang aka Stinger, Bill Foster’s faith
in the new Avengers, Hank’s children Henry Junior and Hope
Pym, the lingering threat of Ultron or the use of Pym Particles,
the MC2 is full of Hank’s influence.
Until I die on a parallel world and my body is left behind,
I remain
frogoat