History ComicBook / AntMan

The second Ant-Man, Scott Lang was created by David Michelinie and JohnByrne. Lang first appeared in ''Avengers #181'' (March, 1979). He assumed the Ant-Man identity ''Marvel Premiere #47'' (April, 1979). An electronics expert on the brink of poverty, Scott Lang turned to crime to support his family. A poor criminal, Lang is arrested during a botched robbery and sent to prison. Studying electronics in his free time, Lang earns himself a job offer from Stark International after being paroled early for good behavior.

Prepared to return to prison for theft, Lang is shocked when Hank Pym allows him to keep the stolen Ant-Man equipment. Recognizing Lang's true nature, Pym's only condition was that Scott must use the Ant-Man persona to uphold the law. Relieved, Scott receives more good news from Dr. Sondheim: Cassie's heart condition was successfully cured. Scott spent the rest of TheBronzeAgeOfComics as an Iron Man supporting character, and spent TheDarkAgeOfComics as a Fantastic Four supporting character. In the 21st Century he's been an Avenger, died and come back to life, returned to being a Fantastic Four supporting character, and (thanks to Nick Spencer and the Marvel Cinematic Universe) become the face of the Ant-Man brand.

* ''ComicBook/AstonishingAntMan'' (originally ''Ant-Man''): Starring Scott in the lead role.

* ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3]]'': Pym is a non-playable character, appearing as part of one of ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'s hyper combos.

* ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity 3.0'': A ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''- themed update introduced Lang as a playable character.

* ''VideoGame/AvengersAcademy'': Scott Lang is a default character, while Hank Pym is a supporting character on the Academy's faculty. For a limited time, Pym could be unlocked as a "student" and would take on the Giant-Man identity.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Although by Secret Avengers he is doing this less often.

* ComicBook/DamageControl: While on the run, Eric briefly joined an incarnation of the organization under the name Slaying Mantis.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Less then a few issues into Remender's start on ComicBook/SecretAvengers, after being given a back story that didn't even fit his previous history well, he is killed off and replaced.

* HeroicSacrifice / RedemptionEqualsDeath: Eric is ultimately killed while saving a young child from the Descendants. In his final moments, he notes that it was worth it, since after a lifetime of being an asshole, his last moments on Earth were spent finally doing the right thing.

** ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp''

** ''Ant-Man and the Wasp''

Prepared to return to prison for theft, Lang is shocked when Hank Pym allows him to keep the stolen Ant-Man equipment. Recognizing Lang's true nature, Pym's only condition was that Scott must use the Ant-Man persona to uphold the law. Relieved, Scott receives more good news from Dr. Sondheim: Cassie's heart condition was successfully cured.

* ''Ant-Man & Wasp'' (Eric O'Grady as Ant-Man and Hank Pym as Wasp)

* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Ants.

* BigShutUp: When he hit Janet in ''Avengers #213''.

** becoming Giant-Man after comparing himself to people like ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/TheMightyThor, and the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk. This gave him an increase in strength but made him clumsier and a much bigger target, as well as causing serious health risks if he grew beyond his limit.

** causing the breakdown of his marriage, as Jan's success and money coupled with his failures in science (most notably, Ultron) led to him becoming more bitter and angry towards her.
** becoming desperate to prove himself as a meaningful member of the Avengers, which led to him attacking a super-villain after the conflict was resolved and being kicked out of the Avengers, as well as [[EngineeredHeroism creating Salvation-1]] to attack the Avengers so he could stop it.
** very nearly committing outright suicide early during his run in the Avengers' West Coast title while alone in their headquarters, when his body would no longer take the strain of changing size and he felt that without actual superpowers he'd just be TheLoad. Occasional guest heroine Firebird showed up just in time to talk him out of it.

* JetPack: The G.I. Ant-Man suit [[{{Flight}} flies]] using a set of rocket boots. They can also be used as a [[WeaponizedExhaust weapon]] in the right circumstances.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: While never out and out villainous, O'Grady was on both the Shadow Initiative and Osborn's second ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} team. Never mind playing DisappearedDad to his kid. With his death finally karma has caught him.

* ''Ant-Man'' (Scott Lang, with Hank Pym in a mentor role a la the movie)

** ''Film/AntMan'': Originally going to be directed by Creator/EdgarWright, before he left the project and Peyton Reed took over. The Yellowjacket persona also appears in this film, but is used by the movie's villain Darren Cross (from Scott's comic book origin).
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''

* ''Ant-Man'' (TBA)

Realizing that he was destroying a breakthrough, Hank recreated his serums a few weeks later. Inspired by his experience in the anthill, Pym uses the shrinking serum to become the superhero Ant-Man in ''Tales to Astonish #35'' (September, 1962). He would pick up a partner a few issues later in the form of Janet van Dyne, a young socialite who closely resembled his dead wife. With her father dead thanks to the arrival of the creature from Kosmos, Janet volunteers to undergo genetic alteration at the hands of Pym to become "TheWasp". Together, the heroes defeat the Kosmosian and become partners. Later, the duo would join ComicBook/IronMan and [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] in battle against the [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] until the heroes realize that they've been manipulated by Loki, the God of Mischief. Banding together, the heroes defeat Loki and officially become Comicbook/TheAvengers.

'''Storylines'''
* ''ComicBook/SecretWars''
* ''ComicBook/JLAAvengers''
* ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies''
* ''Comicbook/CivilWar''
* ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion''
* ''Comicbook/DarkReign''
* ''Comicbook/{{Siege}}''

!!Ant-Man I (Henry "Hank" Pym)

!!Ant-Man II (Scott Lang)

!!Ant-Man III (Eric O'Grady)

* ComedicSociopathy

* KarmaHoudini: While never out and out villainous, O'Grady was on both the Shadow Initiative and Osborn's second ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} team. Never mind playing DisappearedDad to his kid.
** With his death finally karma has caught him.

** And according to Creator/JimShooter, it wasn't even intended to be a deliberate hit. Apparently the writer had directed in the script that Hank ''accidentally'' backhand her while making a "I give the hell up, this is getting ridiculous" gesture, but that the artist, schooled in a style that demanded the most dramatic interpretation of a script, took that to mean hauling off and hitting her. There is also a conflicting rumor that the moment was meant as a MoralEventHorizon, in an AbortedArc that would lead to Pym becoming an Avengers villain.

* MeaningfulName: When he went crazy and decked his wife, he happened to be going by Yellowjacket, a very dangerous insect for its HairTriggerTemper.
* MonsterProtectionRacket: At his lowest point, he built one of his lesser-known robots (Salvation-1) to stage a fight and make himself look good. He couldn't even manage that - Wasp defeated it and Hank was kicked out of the Avengers.

* NeverLiveItDown: He provides the picture for the comics page, slapping his wife Janet/The Wasp. Hank Pym is always going to be known as wife-beater, and people that don't read comics frequently claim that he's a repeat offender. In actuality, he hit Janet once (in what was supposed to be an accident) while he was in the midst of a mental breakdown largely caused by Jan's emotional abuse. The way people both in-universe and out talk about the incident, you'd think he was frequently full-on beating her up every night.

* DomesticAbuse: Hank struck Janet during one of his mental breakdowns, leading to the end of their marriage. It's worth noting that he only struck her one time - which is still one too many - but it's become basically the leitmotif of his entire character.

** Also, it's remarked by several character that either Pym used to vent his frustrations by beating Janet almost daily, or every single individual in the Marvel Universe believes so.
*** During an heated argument with Wasp just before ''ComicBook/AvengersDisassembled'', She-Hulk refused to leave the room where they were arguing openly reasoning that Pym can't be trusted to be left alone with Janet while having a tantrum.
*** Later, when a seemingly drunk Tony Stark started to threaten the Latverian Ambassador and Pym tried to calm him, Tony bluntly sent him away, asking mockingly if "He hadn't a wife to beat".
*** During his tenure as a teacher in ''ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative'', many of his students refused his authority, with Prodigy explicitly naming him a "Wifebeater" in public.
*** Furthermore even Jocasta, who's literally programmed to love him, had to agree that Henry Pym wasn't exactly a good husband for Janet.
*** During his time as the head of the Comicbook/AvengersAcademy, one of his students, Striker, called Hank a filthy wife-beater and stated he would not allow himself to be judged by such a man.
** And the cherry on top of that cake is that Jan is guilty of ''far'' greater abuse than Hank, as she willfully and blatantly used his drug-addled and unstable mental state to force him into marriage with her, with it even being mentioned several times that Hank was so out of it during the ceremony that he had no idea what he was saying. Unlike Hank, Janet has ''no excuse.'' She was just being manipulative for the sake of keeping Hank by her side no matter what. She even has a panel ranting before anyone, beside possibly herself, knew it was Hank about how [[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/yjwedding11.jpg Hank's work had killed their relationship and how this was her true happniness.]]

** In the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe this scene is taken UpToEleven as what starts off as an argument, turns into mutual combat, but quickly becomes a CurbStompBattle when Janet shifts into Wasp form.
-->'''Hank''' [''Watching ants he called attack Janet'']: "You shouldn't have made me feel small, Jan. You shouldn't have made me feel small."

** When Janet found out what he was building, it lead to the infamous panel. (Check Domestic Abuse)

** He manages to [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome turn it around on]] ComicBook/NormanOsborn; when the latter asks Hank "still slapping women around?", Pym retorts "[[ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied still throwing them off bridges]]?"

** In the UltimateMarvel universe this scene is taken UpToEleven as what starts off as an argument, turns into mutual combat, but quickly becomes a CurbStompBattle when Janet shifts into Wasp form.

* ActionDad: As revealed in ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'', he has a daughter with his deceased first wife, Nadia Pym.

%%* HugeGuyTinyGirl

* MayDecemberRomance

* ScienceHero: Pym takes up this role at times, usually if he needs a break from the strain that comes with constant size shifting.

* ''[[WebAnimation/LEGOMarvelSuperheroesAvengersReassembled LEGO Marvel: Avengers Reassembled]]'' (Scott Lang)

* RedHeadedHero: Scott is redheaded.

* RedHeadedHero: Eric is also redheaded.

* KarmaHoudini: While never out and out villainous, O'Grady was on both the Shadow Initiative and Osborn's second {{Thunderbolts}} team. Never mind playing DisappearedDad to his kid.

* FireForgedFriends: With {{Taskmaster}} from his days in the [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Avengers Initiative]].