American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

Ernie Hart Ernest Huntley Hart
at the

, and

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

, the character first appeared in ''

Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series, and a One-shot (comics), one-shot comic, all published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a scie ...

'' #44 (June 1963). Janet van Dyne is usually depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of several centimeters, fly by means of insectoid wings, and fire bioelectric energy blasts. She is a founding member of the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

and the one who gave them their name as well as a longtime leader of the team. She is also the ex-wife of

Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (Ja ...

and the stepmother of Nadia van Dyne. The Wasp has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful female heroes.

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( ; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress. She was one of the most bankable stars in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, and her List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, performances ...

portrayed Janet van Dyne in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

films while

Evangeline Lilly Nicole Evangeline Lilly (born August 3, 1979) is a Canadian former actress and author. She gained popularity for her first leading role as Kate Austen in the ABC drama series '' Lost'' (2004–2010), which garnered her six nominations for the ...

portrayed an original MCU version,

Hope van Dyne Hope van Dyne (née Pym) is a fictional character portrayed primarily by Evangeline Lilly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Hope Pym. Portrayed as the daughter of Hank Pym (Marve ...

(based on

Hope Pym Hope Pym is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, the character first appeared in ''A-Next'' #7 (April 1999). She is the daughter of superheroes Hank Pym and Janet van Dyn ...

), in the films ''

Ant-Man Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, his first appearance was in '' Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) as Dr. Henry ...

'' (2015), ''

Ant-Man and the Wasp ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' is a 2018 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Pym / Wasp. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is th ...

'' (2018), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019) and '' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'' (2023).

Publication history

Janet van Dyne debuted in ''

Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series, and a One-shot (comics), one-shot comic, all published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a scie ...

'' #44 (plotted by

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

, scripted by H. E. Huntley, and drawn by

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

, June 1963) as

Henry "Hank" Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (Ja ...

's partner, becoming the Wasp to avenge the death of her father, scientist Vernon van Dyne. She co-starred in ''Tales to Astonish'' from issue #44–69 (1963–65). She was also the star of her own backup feature in issues #51–58 (1964). She was a founding member of the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

, appearing in the first issue and giving the team its name. It is with the Avengers that Janet became most well known. At first she was the weak link of the team, but later on became one of the smartest and craftiest of its members. Though she takes leaves of absence throughout the series, she is one of the longest active members and has acted as leader of the team for longer than anyone besides

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

. During her absences from the core ''

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

'' book, Janet appeared in various other publications, including appearing as a main character in ''

Marvel Feature ''Marvel Feature'' was a comic book showcase series published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. It was a tryout book, intended to test the popularity of characters and concepts being considered for their own series. The first volume led to the launc ...

'' issues #6–10 (1972–73). She has also made sporadic guest appearances in various other books, such as ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

'', ''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

'', and ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...

''. Janet became the leader of the Avengers in ''The Avengers'' #217 (1982), a position she held until issue #278 (1987), with the exception of a brief period where she handed leadership off to the

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

. She then appeared in issue #32 of ''

West Coast Avengers The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall (comics), Bob Ha ...

'' (May 1988), becoming a full-time member in issue #42. She made occasional appearances in ''Avengers'' (vol. 3), returning as an active member of the team in issue #27 (2000) before resuming leadership duties. She and Captain America became co-leaders of the team starting in issue #38. After the events of "

Avengers Disassembled "Avengers Disassembled" is a 2004 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor. The beginning of Brian Michael Bendis's ''Avengers'' run, it depicts the destruction o ...

", Janet appeared in the limited series ''Beyond!'' before rejoining the Avengers in ''

The Mighty Avengers ''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...

'' #1 (2007). She was presumed dead during the events of ''

Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...

'' in 2008. the Wasp returned in the ''Avengers'' "End Times" storyline that ran from issue #31 (December 2012) to 34 (January 2013). She then appeared as a member of the Avengers Unity Squad in ''

Uncanny Avengers ''Uncanny Avengers'' was a comic book series first appearing in the October 2012 debut of Marvel NOW!, published by Marvel Comics. The series follows an interconnected fictional superhero team, featuring members from the Marvel Universe (specific ...

'' and as an Agent of Wakanda in the Fresh Start title of the Avengers. Janet also returned as a romantic interest to Tony Stark in 2018, and left the female lead role of the Iron Man comic book two years later in 2020.

Design

In his 1970s run on ''The Avengers'', artist

George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (c ...

revamped the character's costume a number of times, having a significant impact on the character's development:

It became a joke. In the case of the Wasp, I noticed that she has so many costumes that eventually I said "Why not?" I think I was on the book long enough what was once just a little bit of idiosyncrasy about the character became fully part of the character's persona.

Fictional character biography

1960s

Janet van Dyne was born in

Cresskill, New Jersey Cresskill is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,155, an increase of 582 (+6.8%) from the 2010 United S ...

, the socialite daughter of wealthy scientist Vernon van Dyne. When her father is killed by an alien entity unleashed during one of his experiments, Janet turns to his associate Dr.

Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (Ja ...

for aid and convinces him to help her. To avenge her father's death, she undergoes a biochemical procedure that grants her the ability to grow wings upon shrinking under four feet tall and uses a supply of "Pym particles" by which to change her size. Together, she and Ant-Man defeat the alien and avenge her father. Janet decides to remain as Wasp and be Hank's partner as she has fallen in love with him, though Hank initially rejects her feelings due to the similarities between her and his murdered first wife.''Tales to Astonish'' #44. Marvel Comics. During her time as Hank's partner, she took part in numerous conflicts with villains who included the

Porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...

,

Egghead In U.S. English slang, egghead is an epithet used to refer to intellectuals or people considered out-of-touch with ordinary people and lacking in realism, common sense, sexual interests, etc. on account of their intellectual interests. A similar ...

, and

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow ( current) gradients. Whirlwinds can vary in size and last from a cou ...

(then known as the Human Top). Though initially without any offensive powers, Janet proves to be resourceful, using her ability to communicate with insects to fight, as well as using a pin to poke people as a weapon. Later, she uses a miniature air gun, the original wasp's sting.''Tales to Astonish'' #57. Marvel Comics. After the initial confrontation with

Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...

that brought together the founding

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

, it is Janet and Hank who propose forming a team of superheroes. Janet suggests the name for the team and becomes a founding member. Never lacking confidence or bravery and by nature an outgoing personality, Janet is always in the thick of battles with villains, who include Norse gods and aliens, despite being the most underpowered member of the team. Janet frequently comments on the attractiveness of her male colleagues, especially

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

, to provoke jealousy from Hank and get him to commit to a relationship. Early on in her Avengers career, she is seriously wounded by a stray bullet in battle against

Count Nefaria Count Luchino Nefaria is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, the character first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #13 (February 1965). Count Nefaria is a socialite and crime ...

, and nearly dies from a collapsed lung. She leaves the team several issues later. When she returns in ''The Avengers'' #26, her shrinking powers have progressed to the point where she no longer needs Pym particle capsules to use them. Though Janet hopes on several occasions that her long-term boyfriend Hank will propose, their relationship does not move forward to that point until something more dramatic happens. The new vigilante Yellowjacket breaks into the Avengers mansion, demands to be admitted as a member of the team, claims to have killed Hank Pym, and then kidnaps Janet. Not believing that Yellowjacket was Hank's killer, she attempts to find where Yellowjacket is holding Hank, but instead determines that Yellowjacket is her boyfriend. Before revealing this, and during the period in which Yellowjacket still believes himself to have killed Hank, Janet marries Hank, though the wedding is disrupted by an attack from the

Circus of Crime The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army The A.I. Army is a fictional organization appearing i ...

. During the fight, it is revealed that Yellowjacket is Pym.''The Avengers'' #60. Marvel Comics.

1970s

After another departure from the team, Janet van Dyne returns briefly and becomes a member of the original

Lady Liberators The Lady Liberators, also called the Liberators, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original team's only appearance was in '' The Avengers'' #83 (December 1970), written by Roy Thomas, with art b ...

, before once more leaving the team. She becomes temporarily trapped at insect size, and battles Whirlwind,

Para-Man Para-Man (Ree Zee) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Marvel Feature'' #7 (January 1973). Fictional character biography Ree Zee was a robot that gained sentience ...

and

Doctor Nemesis Doctor Nemesis is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and Ace Magazines. The first is James Bradley, a superhero and associate of the X-Men, while the second is Michael Stockton, a supe ...

. She also battles

Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

alongside

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

and Yellowjacket; during this time her powers are augmented to allow her to harness her body's bio-electrical current and fire blasts of energy which she calls her "wasp's stings". During one of her breaks from active Avengers duty, Janet approaches the team with concerns about her husband having suffered a breakdown and attacked former teammates. In attempting to find a way to help Hank, she is captured by a brainwashed Hank, and used by

Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers'' #5 ...

as a template to create

Jocasta In Greek mythology, Jocasta (), also rendered as Iocaste ( ) and EpicasteHomer, ''Odyssey'', Vol. XI11.271/ref> (; ), was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and her son, Oedipus. She is best known for her role in the myths surroundi ...

. She is rescued when Jocasta alerts the Avengers to her location, and

Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...

suggests that the A.I.'s ability to reach out to them was brought about because of Janet's personality breaking through.

1980s

Janet van Dyne discovers that her husband, now paranoid, overbearing and verbally abusive, has concocted a plan to make himself look good in front of the Avengers by staging an attack that can only be stopped by the instigator. When she attempts to dissuade him, Hank strikes her; she divorces him soon after and takes a very brief break from the team.''The Avengers'' #212–214. Marvel Comics. When Janet returns to the Avengers, she proposes that the team is in need of new leadership and nominates herself for the role of chairperson. She is elected to the position by Thor,

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

, and

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

. Janet takes to the role naturally, proving to be an efficient and smart leader who is praised by Captain America for her leadership skills. She makes it a point to increase the number of women on the team and recruits

She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...

and Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau). At the same time as taking on leadership of the team, Janet begins to work in earnest as a professional fashion designer. Part of her friendship with She-Hulk includes designing new clothing for her. She also renews her social life, engaging in a whirlwind romance with Tony Stark before learning that the billionaire is Iron Man. She breaks off the relationship, saying that she cannot date a colleague who is also a friend of her ex-husband. Later, she has a relationship with Paladin (comics), Paladin, though they are often apart due to their jobs. Janet briefly hands leadership of the team off to the

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

, though he soon leaves the team and returns the position to her. The new team line-up proves difficult, and Janet clashes with Hercules (Marvel Comics), Hercules taking issue with a woman leading. It is during this time that she meets the Space Phantom for the second time and defeats the villain. During the Secret Wars, first Secret War, despite being the official leader of the Avengers gathered by the Beyonder, Janet nominates Captain America for leadership of the assembled heroes as the non-Avengers present know him better. As the conflict unfolds, Janet is briefly captured by Magneto (Marvel Comics), Magneto, but she turns the situation to her advantage by pretending to be seduced; she learns Magneto's plans and then defeats him before leaving to alert the Avengers. She is shortly afterwards killed by the Wrecking Crew (comics), Wrecking Crew, but resurrected by the alien healer Zsaji. During the ''Under Siege'' storyline, Janet leads the team during a time where they are attacked from all sides. She defeats Titania (Marvel Comics), Titania and the Absorbing Man, then leads a team against Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil to rescue Captain America, the Black Knight (Marvel Comics), Black Knight, and other team members who have been captured. Shortly after the resolution of this story, she steps down from leadership once more, succeeded by Monica Rambeau in that position. After leaving the team, she battles the threat of Red Ronin by herself. She later joins the West Coast Avengers. Initially, she still acts as though the team leader, to the chagrin of other West Coast Avengers who desire that role. During this time, she resumes a romantic relationship with Hank. Although she is elected as a regular member of the Avengers West, Janet chooses to become a reserve member.

1990s

Several years later, Janet van Dyne returns to the Avengers, first at reserve status, and later as a full member of the team. During the Avengers Forever, Destiny War, the Janet of the present becomes the leader of a team of Avengers assembled from different time periods, cited as being chosen due to her "inner strength and flexibility to give the team direction without exerting too much control". After the Destiny War, Janet returns to work with the Avengers once more, taking up leadership of the team and commanding the team through a number of conflicts, including Kang the Conqueror's invasion of Earth.

2000s

Janet van Dyne once more takes up leadership of the Avengers and continues to make sure there is a strong female presence on the team. Under her leadership, the number of women on the team outnumbers the number of men for the first time in Avengers history. Though her relationship with Hank Pym remains strong for some time, she turns down his proposal of remarrying, saying she wouldn't marry him again. During the "Lionheart of Avalon" storyline, Janet is shown fighting the Wrecking Crew while at giant size, a power she had rarely, if ever, used prior. She is shown to be powerful enough at this size to take down a jet. She has a brief fling with fellow team member Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Hawkeye.

JLA/Avengers

Janet van Dyne is shown as a member of the Avengers and aids them during the battle with Starro. She also gives Iron Man the idea to create a dimensional alarm and rallies other Avengers to defend the artifacts. After the final battle in the Savage Land against the Justice League, Janet ends up as an Avenger in the new merged world that the villain Krona (comics), Krona created and is unaware of the changes. In this world she and Hank are good friends with Elongated Man and his wife Sue Dibny. When the two teams decide to team up against Krona, the Wasp fights alongside the Avengers until the battle is over.

Avengers Disassembled

While discussing her fling with Hawkeye, with the Scarlet Witch, a slightly tipsy Wasp confesses to a pregnancy scare and inadvertently mentions Wanda Maximoff's own children, whose unnatural existence Agatha Harkness has erased from the Witch's memory. Wasp's slip of the tongue, combined with Scarlet Witch's increasingly unstable and growing powers, cause Wanda to suffer a mental breakdown which leads to the events of ''

Avengers Disassembled "Avengers Disassembled" is a 2004 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor. The beginning of Brian Michael Bendis's ''Avengers'' run, it depicts the destruction o ...

''. Janet is knocked into a coma by a rampaging She-Hulk during an attack on Avengers Mansion by the Scarlet Witch. Hank Pym watches over her in the hospital, and when she recovers, they reconcile. The two retire from the Avengers to pursue a new life together in Oxford.

Beyond!

Janet van Dyne is pulled into space and placed in a situation where she is expected to fight to the death with other heroes and villains. Instead of following the wishes of the Stranger—who they thought to be the Beyonder—Janet falls into the leadership position for the group, giving tactical orders in battle and calling upon her years of experience with the Avengers to handle the threats thrown at them. After tension between her and her ex-husband, Janet explains to Medusa (comics), Medusa why she cannot reconcile with Hank Pym, despite an attempt to do so while in London. Upon learning that the Space Phantom has impersonated Spider-Man, Janet leads the group and keeps one of the team from being trapped in limbo.

Civil War

During the superhuman Civil War, Janet van Dyne is pro-registration and suggests that they push forward the fifty-state initiative to get things under control after Ragnarok (comics), Ragnarok (the cyborg clone of Thor) kills Bill Foster (comics), Bill Foster, an event which upsets her greatly. She also becomes the host of a pro-registration reality TV show called ''America's Newest Superhero''.

Mighty Avengers

Janet van Dyne is selected as a member of the The Mighty Avengers, Mighty Avengers by Carol Danvers and Tony Stark as part of the Fifty State Initiative. During its attempt to destroy humanity, she correctly determines that Ultron has taken over Iron Man's body. When alien symbiotes attack New York, Janet uses a refined growth formula given to her by Hank Pym—who is actually a Skrull impostor—which allows her to shift to giant-size without side effects. During the beginning of the fight, she is briefly turned into a symbiote monster before a cure is created by Stark.

Secret Invasion

Janet van Dyne is among the Mighty Avengers who are fighting heroes from the Skrull ship. She is later seen with the rest of the Avengers heading to New York to confront the Skrulls. While fighting the Skrulls, the true purpose of the serum that the Skrull Hank Pym has given her is revealed. After Queen Veranke is thought to be dead, the Skrull imposter presses a button that makes Janet increase in size rapidly, as well as causes her to emit lethal amounts of black-purple energy. Janet realizes that the "new" particles Pym has given her are turning her into a bio-bomb, and she tries to flee the battlefield and take as many Skrulls with her as possible when she explodes. To save both the city and heroes, Thor uses the enchanted hammer Mjolnir (comics), Mjolnir to create a spatial warp to seemingly disperse Janet into nothingness. Thor is devastated by the act and vows to avenge her. Upon accepting Janet's death, Hank Pym takes up his ex-wife's role as the Wasp.

2010s

Following the ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' storyline, it is revealed that Janet was transported to the Microverse by Thor's spatial warp. Using her Avengers communication card, she sends a signal that enables the Avengers to rescue her. In the process, they liberate the Microverse from its tyrannical leader, Gouzar. Following a brief hiatus, Janet returns to the team as a member of the Uncanny Avengers, Avengers Unity Squad. In addition to serving on the roster, she privately funds the team to avoid the problems that would come with government sponsorship. During the events of ''Inhumanity (comics), Inhumanity'', Janet returns to the Microverse to rescue a family who has been pulled there through a newly awakened Inhuman's powers. There she confronts Gouzar once more, before returning to normal space. In the Avengers Unity Squad's fight with the Horsemen of Death, the Wasp defeats both the resurrected Banshee (character), Banshee and Sentry (Robert Reynolds), Sentry, using both her ability to grow to giant size as well as her ability to control insect life. After the team is defeated and the Earth destroyed, Wasp is the last surviving human and begins a romance with Havok (character), Havok (Alex Summers) with whom she has a daughter named Katie. Years later on Planet X, she is captured when she and Havok destroy a tachyon dam preventing time travel to their era. They are able to undo the destruction of Earth by forming an alliance with Kang and projecting their minds back into their past selves (physical time-travel still being impossible) but Kang takes their daughter to a place outside of time to 'protect' her from the changes in history, Kang subsequently attempts to use Katie as a hostage to force Havok to stop attacking him when he tries to take the Celestial power for himself, departing with Katie as his prisoner. Although Alex is left disfigured after the battle, he and Janet remain together. They are contacted by Immortus informing them that Immortus can return their daughter to them if they take action at the right time and place to conceive her, but he also warns them about the imminent threat posed by the Red Skull. After the Red Skull's actions cause all heroes and villains present at his defeat to undergo a 'moral inversion', Alex attempts to argue for Janet's life as the X-Men prepare to detonate a gene bomb that will destroy all non-mutants in the blast radius, but accepts the decision nevertheless. After Carnage (character), Carnage sacrifices himself to contain the blast, Alex attempts to take credit for it, but Janet sees through the deception. Although the inversion is undone, the two separate for good when Alex is one of three characters (the other two being Iron Man and Sabretooth (character), Sabretooth) to remain in their new state. As part of the ''All-New, All-Different Marvel'', Wasp confronts Wolverine (X-23) and her clones called The Sisters when they try to steal an Ant-Man suit. Wolverine explains what they are doing, so Wasp agrees to shrink down and destroys the nanites in Zelda's body. While Wasp and Wolverine made their way through Zelda's body, Captain Mooney of Alchemax Genetics shows up and shoots Zelda causing Wasp and Wolverine to exit the body. The two of them knock out Captain Mooney. Wasp later caught up with the Uncanny Avengers and confronted Ultron Pym after helping to fend off the monsters in the subway. When Wasp asked Ultron Pym about the recent events, she figured out that Ultron is in control of Hank when Ultron guessed wrong. The rest of the Uncanny Avengers were informed of this causing Cable to pressure Hank enough for Ultron to go on the attack and reveal his true self. Janet was called by Tony Stark to help him analyze the brain waves of Jocasta, since they were based on Janet's herself, after finding the data they went on a date and rekindled their past relationship after fending off malfunctioning robots attacking Stark Unlimited. Wasp later helps defeating Controller (Marvel Comics), The Controller after he took over the virtual reality eScape and empowered various criminals throughout the city, and also directly aids Iron Man in subduing the supervillain Sudurang. During the "Ultron Agenda" arc, Wasp and Iron Man are suddenly attacked by a fusion of Vision and Wonder Man created by Ultron, who is trying to kidnap her, while Iron Man fends off the fusion, Wasp is found and captured by a brain-washed JARVIS (Marvel comics), Jarvis and is taken to Ultron's base, who reveals to her he is now fused with her ex-husband Hank Pym. Ultron later has Jocasta captured as well and reveals he is planning to combine both Jan and Jocasta in the same body the same way he did with Pym, therefore creating his "Perfect wife", he is found by Iron Man and Machine Man before he activates his procedure, and cause him to have a mental breakdown through continued taunting, Ultron activates his machine but both Jan and Jocasta are saved by Iron Man who is fused with his armor in the process, Dr. Shapiro finds a way to revert Iron Man's condition but Ultron sends a miniature version on himself to infiltrate Iron Man's body who's engaged by Wasp, gaining enough time for Iron Man to expel everything from his body and return to normal. Wasp later helps fend off an enraged Ultron who's trying to kill everyone with his army of machine-fused human army, Iron Man uses his newly developed technology to separate the robotic parts from the organic ones to stop Ultron's army and scare him off. Janet tries to comfort Tony after he finds out he is actually an A.I. before he flies away. Wasp later appears as a member of the Agents of Wakanda. Wasp and Nadia were later attacked by Whirlwind who was hired by W.H.I.S.P.E.R. and the Creature from the Kosmos. They defeated Whirlwind who offered to tell them who hired him in exchange for protection. Whirlwind did not get protection as he was killed in his cell by a mysterious person. Mayor Luke Cage dispatched Wasp to the Raft to investigate the murders there. When the dead bodies came back to life and attacked Wasp, she is saved by Whirlwind whose dead body is possessed by an artificial personality named Victor Shade. She plans to keep an eye on "Victor".

Powers and abilities

Making use of the cellular implantation of sub-atomic Pym particles, the Wasp possesses the power to alter her physical size, causing her body's mass to be shunted to or gained from an alternate dimension known as Kosmos. She is able to shrink to a minimum of several centimeters or grow to a maximum of several hundred feet. Smaller or larger sizes are possible but the exertion puts a strain on her body. Initially, these abilities stem from use of a Pym particle gas released from special capsules, and later biochemical augmentation by Henry Pym. Over time, however, her body absorbs enough particles to cause cellular mutation due to repeated exposure to Pym particles, allowing her to alter her size at will. At miniature size, her strength level increases as her body's mass is compacted. At giant size, her strength and endurance increase geometrically with her height, reaching superhuman levels. At miniature size, the Wasp grows a pair of translucent insect wings from her back, a result of genetic modifications provided by Hank Pym. These grant her the power of flight, at speeds up to . The Wasp is able to harness and augment her body's natural bio-electric energy, releasing it from her hands in powerful electrical force bursts, which she calls her "stinger blasts", "stingers", or "wasp's stings". Originally, she requires special wrist devices to produce these, but again, Pym particle absorption allows her to create the ability unaided. The Wasp's genetic modifications also grant her the ability to sprout small prehensile antennae from her temples which allowed her to telepathically communicate with and control insects. However, this is an ability she rarely uses. Van Dyne displays several non-superhuman abilities that garner her special fame and attention, foremost of which is her fashion sense; in nearly all of her early appearances, she sports a new costume, presumably designed and manufactured on her own as she is a gifted fashion designer. She is also a skilled amateur screenwriter. The Wasp is trained in unarmed combat by

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

and in combat using her special powers by Henry Pym. In addition, the Wasp is one of the most intuitive, if not deductive, members of the Avengers, and is an experienced leader and strategist. She effectively determines that a chemical accident has created a schizophrenic break in Henry and that the relationship between the Scarlet Witch and the

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

is the result of the infused personality of Wonder Man, and guesses

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

's identity of Tony Stark.

Critical reception

George Marston of ''Newsarama'' referred to the Wasp as one of the "best female superheroes," writing, "Though she started as something of a sidekick to her on-again-off-again (currently off-again) paramour Hank Pym, Janet quickly became a hero in her own right, leading the Avengers several times, and often acting as the team's moral center. Wasp's arc has consistently projected upwards, quickly leaving behind any semblance of being a 'damsel in distress,' and progressing to the top levels of Marvel's heroic roster. Add to that her historical significance, and it's easy to see why she's one of the greatest female heroes ever to grace the printed page." Rob Bricken of ''Gizmodo'' asserted, "If Captain America epitomizes the Avengers, Janet Van Dyne is still its heart and soul. She was a founding member, has led the team through some of its most difficult moments, and has the unequivocal respect of gods, robots, and the most powerful beings in the cosmos. Marvel actually put it best when it said if the Avengers were asked to rank themselves, The Wasp would likely be #1." ''IGN'' stated, "Superhero comics were still lacking for strong female characters in the mid '60s. The Wasp was one of the ladies at the forefront of the feminist superhero movement. At first merely a bubbly sidekick to her husband, Giant-Man, Wasp quickly grew and built a career of her own. She remained one of the core Avengers members for much of the franchise's history, and her extensive wardrobe rivals even the likes of Wolverine's."

Other characters named Wasp

Hank Pym

After Janet van Dyne's apparent death, Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym was the second Wasp and joined the Mighty Avengers as their leader. After founding the Avengers Academy, Pym helped the Avengers to rescue Janet from the Microverse.

Nadia van Dyne

It was revealed that Hank Pym had a daughter named Nadia through Maria Trovaya who was abducted and supposedly killed by foreign agents. This caused Nadia to be raised in the Red Room (comics), Red Room until the day she obtained a Pym Particle sample that enabled her to escape.''All-New, All-Different Avengers'' #9. Marvel Comics.

Other versions

Deathlok Wasp

An alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne / Wasp from Earth-11045 who was transformed into a Deathlok appears in ''Secret Avengers''.

Earth-71490

An alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne from Earth-71490 appears in ''Edge of Spider-Verse'' Vol (vol. 2) #5. This version is a fashion designer and employer of Web-Weaver, Cooper Coen / Web-Weaver.

Marvel Adventures

An alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne from Earth-20051 who is known as Giant-Girl appears in ''Marvel Adventures: The Avengers''.

Marvel Mangaverse

An alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne / Wasp appears in ''Marvel Mangaverse''. This version is an employee of Stark Industries whose wings are made of plasma.

Marvel Zombies

A zombified alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne / Wasp from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies. After being decapitated by Ant-Man, she is given a robotic body and joins the Acolytes (comics), Acolytes.''Marvel Zombies 2'' #3 (March 2008). Marvel Comics.

MC2

The alternate future of the "Marvel Comics 2, MC2" universe features Hope Pym, the daughter of Janet van Dyne and Hank Pym known under the codename Red Queen. She is motivated to form the Revengers while her twin brother Big Man (comics), Big Man joins a government reform team.

Old Woman Laura

An alternate universe variant of Janet Van Dyne / Wasp who became trapped in her shrunken state appears in ''All-New Wolverine'' #34.

Ultimate Marvel

An alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne / Wasp from Earth-1610 appears in Ultimate Marvel. This version is an insect-like Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant and member of the Ultimates.''Ultimates 2'' #12. Marvel Comics. She is later killed in the Ultimatum Wave before being resurrected by the Maker (character), Maker.

Other versions

The Ultimate universe additionally features aggressive variations of the Wasp: Petra (comics), Petra Laskov as the Red-Wasp,''Ultimate Comics: Avengers'' #3. Marvel Comics. and series of drones called "WASPS" developed by Hank which were eventually acquired by Móði and Magni, Mr. Morez (Modi).

Ultimate Universe

During the "Ultimate Invasion" storyline, Maker (character), Maker traveled to Ultimate Universe, Earth-6160 and remade it into his own image, creating a new world order ruled by himself and his Illuminati (comics)#Ultimate Universe, Council. Maker's memory log states that Janet van Dyne is inactive. It is later stated the Maker ruined Hank Pym#Ultimate Universe, Hank Pym's experiments with Pym Particles, which left him with brain damage enough that he doesn't remember doing them or the occurring of his impairing. Hank and Janet operate a extermination service as a couple where they deal with an infestation at a Hoboken restaurant. They find a family of Moloids as they recommend to its owner to enlist a relocation service for them. Afterwards, they are confronted by the Ultimates. They assume the alias of Giant-Man and Wasp when the Ultimates are attacked by Captain Britain#Ultimate Universe, Henri Duggary of Illuminati (comics)#Ultimate Universe, Maker's Council and his army. Both of them join the Ultimates afterwards.''Ultimates'' Vol. 4 #1. Marvel Comics. Wasp later accompanied Iron Man#Ultimate Universe, Iron Lad, Alternative versions of Captain America#Ultimate Universe, Captain America, and Giant-Man in attacking the White House to confront a follower of Maker's Council named Midas (comics)#Ultimate Universe, Midas. After Giant-Man is knocked out upon everyone falling through the floor, Wasp dragged his unconscious body away.

In other media

Television

* The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''The Marvel Super Heroes'', voiced by Peg Dixon. * An alternate universe variant of Janet van Dyne / Wasp makes a cameo appearance in the ''X-Men: The Animated Series'' episode "One Man's Worth". This version became a servant of Apocalypse (character), Apocalypse. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp makes a cameo appearance in the ''Fantastic Four (1994 TV series), Fantastic Four'' episode "To Battle the Living Planet". * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''The Avengers: United They Stand'', voiced by Linda Ballantyne. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''The Super Hero Squad Show'', voiced by Jennifer Morrison. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers'', voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi in the Japanese dub and Colleen O'Shaughnessey in the English dub. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''Marvel Future Avengers'', voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi in Japanese and Kari Wahlgren in English. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'', voiced by Maya Tuttle.

Film

* Janet Pym / Wasp appears in ''Ultimate Avengers'' and ''Ultimate Avengers 2'', voiced by Grey DeLisle. * Janet van Dyne / Wasp makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in ''Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow''. This version was killed by

Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers'' #5 ...

prior to the film.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Janet van Dayne / Wasp appears in media set in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

(MCU): * Joss Whedon, director of the live-action film ''The Avengers (2012 film), The Avengers'', originally wanted to cast Zooey Deschanel as the Wasp. However, the character was ultimately cut from the film. * Janet first appears in a flashback in the live-action film ''

Ant-Man Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, his first appearance was in '' Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) as Dr. Henry ...

'', voiced by Hayley Lovitt. This version operated as a S.H.I.E.L.D. (Marvel Cinematic Universe), S.H.I.E.L.D. agent alongside her husband Hank Pym (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Hank Pym who, in an attempt to stop a missile, shrunk down to the Quantum Realm and was presumed dead for decades. * Janet appears in the live-action film ''

Ant-Man and the Wasp ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' is a 2018 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Pym / Wasp. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is th ...

'', portrayed by

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( ; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress. She was one of the most bankable stars in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, and her List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, performances ...

. After making a connection with Scott Lang (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Scott Lang following his own trip to the Quantum Realm, Janet assists him, Hank, and their daughter

Hope van Dyne Hope van Dyne (née Pym) is a fictional character portrayed primarily by Evangeline Lilly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Hope Pym. Portrayed as the daughter of Hank Pym (Marve ...

in finding and rescuing her. Upon their reunion, Janet reveals that her extended time there caused her to absorb large amounts of quantum energy. Once out of the realm, Janet temporarily stabilizes Ghost (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Ghost before working with Lang and her family to gather more quantum energy to create a permanent cure. However, Janet, Hank, and Hope fall victim to the Blip. * Janet appears in the live-action film '' Avengers: Endgame'', in which she is restored to life off-screen and attends Tony Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Tony Stark's funeral. * An alternate timeline variant of Janet appears in the Disney+ animated series ''What If...? (TV series), What If...?'' episode "What If... Zombies?!" This version was infected with a quantum virus that transformed her into a zombie. When Hank traveled to the Quantum Realm to rescue her, she infected him and they went on to cause a zombie apocalypse following their return. * Janet appears in the live-action film '' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania''. During her time in the Quantum Realm, she worked with Kang the Conqueror (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Kang to restore his ship's power core until she learned of his intent to conquer the multiverse and sabotaged the power core before she was rescued by her family. Following an accident that transports Janet, her family, Scott, and Cassie Lang (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Cassie Lang to the Quantum Realm, the five help its inhabitants overthrow Kang before escaping the realm once more.

Video games

* The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a non-player character (NPC) in ''Captain America and The Avengers''. * Janet van Dyne appears in ''Spider-Man: The Sinister Six'', voiced by Natalie Shirer. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a playable character in ''Marvel Super Hero Squad Online''. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a playable character in ''Marvel Avengers Alliance''. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a playable character in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes'', voiced by Tara Strong. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a NPC in ''Disney Infinity 2.0'', voiced again by Colleen O'Shaughnessey. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a team-up character in ''Marvel Heroes (video game), Marvel Heroes'', voiced again by Colleen O'Shaughnessey. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a playable character in ''Lego Marvel's Avengers''. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as playable character in ''Marvel: Future Fight''. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a playable character in ''Marvel Avengers Academy'', voiced by Alexandra Daddario. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'', voiced by Skye Bennett. * The Janet van Dyne incarnation of the Wasp appears as a playable character in ''Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced by Kari Wahlgren.

Miscellaneous

* A scientist attending Otto Octavius (film character), Otto Octavius's demonstration in ''Spider-Man 2'', portrayed by Joanne Baron, is identified as Janet van Dyne in the film's novelization.''Spider-Man 2'' Novelization Pages 113–114 and 124. * Janet van Dyne / Wasp appears in the ''Eternals (comics), Eternals'' motion comic, voiced by Kelly Sheridan.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wasp (Comics) Avengers (comics) characters Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1963 Female characters in film Fictional characters from New Jersey Fictional characters who can change size Fictional characters who can control animals Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities Fictional models Fictional people in fashion Fictional writers Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics mutates Marvel Comics telepaths