One could spend all day arguing about which Avengers romance is the biggest. Everyone has a favorite and is unwilling to back down on that stance (we get it). However, there’s no denying the lasting impact one romance had on the Avengers and much of the Marvel Universe. Shockingly, we’re not talking about Scarlet Witch and Vision but about Ant-Man and the Wasp. The originals, that is. Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne were a power couple for the longest time, appearing together in the comics, animated series, and, much later, the MCU. Admittedly, the relationship had many ups and downs, resulting in plenty of drama for Earth-616. On that note, the MCU did a disservice to their relationship, relegating it to background status and ignoring their involvement in major Marvel events.
Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne were first introduced in 1963, gracing the pages of Tales to Astonish #27, and they’ve left quite a mark since then. Their relationship was originally professional but quickly became something more. Over the years, the decisions they made impacted the larger Marvel Universe. Conversely, the MCU focused more on Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, which was wise, as Scott is much more charismatic, appealing to a broader audience. Hank Pym appears in all three Ant-Man movies, but Janet doesn’t appear until Ant-Man and the Wasp when the leading characters move to rescue her. Translation: Hank and Janet’s relationship barely earns a subplot status in the MCU, making it a major miss for the franchise.
Their story begins with Hank searching for a trustworthy lab assistant; Janet steps in to fill the role, thus starting a complicated and sometimes messy saga. It’s important to remember two things here – Hank is a dedicated and occasionally preachy scientist, while Janet is a gregarious socialite who wants to save the world. Not long after meeting, Hank and Janet take to the skies – in miniature form, as Ant-Man and Wasp. They would become founding members of the Avengers, with all name credit going to Janet. This is the first of many lasting impacts the two had on the Marvel Universe.
Throughout the years, Hank Pym has picked up several mantles. In addition to Ant-Man, Hank was Giant-Man, Goliath, and Yellowjacket. These shifts in mantles tell a complex and sad story of a man incapable of understanding the workings of his own mind. This inability led to Hank experimenting with different technologies and names and even put him on the side of evil for a time. Janet van Dyne was there during all of this. She was always there for him in her own way. As such, during one Marvel event, when Janet had passed, Hank tried to honor her memory by taking on his fifth mantle – The Wasp.
It’s important to discuss that while Janet and Hank are probably the Avengers’ biggest romance, it doesn’t mean it was a healthy relationship. While they ultimately married in Avengers #60, their relationship had many ups, downs, and complications. Their relationship even portrayed some abusive behaviors (that Marvel probably wants us to forget about), so it’s essential not to romanticize their story.
It’s uncommon for any relationship to survive the test of time in the comic book industry; thus, Hank and Janet’s relationship ended. Since their inevitable breakup, Janet has become a mentor to young heroes and dated several heroes – including the iconic Tony Stark. Meanwhile, Hank Pym died a long time ago. Only a couple of years ago, Marvel began to tease Hank Pym’s return.
If you’ve only seen Ultron in the MCU, you may be surprised to learn that Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne played critical roles in Ultron’s plot, at least as far as the comics are concerned. While the MCU portrayed Tony Stark and Bruce Banner creating Ultron, the comics showed a different creator – Hank Pym. The scientist created the synthetic man in secret, and it only came out after he attacked the Avengers. A second piece of news further complicated the revelation – Ultron was based on Hank Pym’s brain patterns. This resulted in a few strange phenomena, such as Ultron’s obsession with the Wasp.
Yes, that’s right. Not only was Hank Pym completely left out of Ultron’s MCU appearance, but they cut Ultron’s obsession with Janet. It goes without saying that Ultron has been a significant problem for the Marvel Universe, showcasing another lasting impact these two had. Unfortunately, it’s less positive than the Avengers. These are only two examples of how Hank and Janet’s relationship and experiments affected Earth-616, but the list could go on forever.
Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne’s relationship in the comics never made its way into the MCU. They weren’t founding Avengers members or around for Ultron’s beginning. Several other key differences exist, such as Hope van Dyne’s existence. These two never had children in the comics, though Hank did have a daughter with his first wife, who would become a superhero in her own right (Nadia Pym). Wasp would step up to mentor Nadia during her father’s absence. Other changes include what side of the Civil War Hank would have chosen (Scott went for Cap’s side, while Hank would have backed Tony, etc), their ages, etc. Finally, there’s the obvious – Hank Pym was behind the Yellowjacket mask, not Darren Cross.
Long story short, while the MCU has delivered countless memorable and amazing stories, they seriously missed the mark in portraying Hank and Janet’s relationship.
One could spend all day arguing about which Avengers romance is the biggest. Everyone has a favorite and is unwilling to back down on that stance (we get it). However, there’s no denying the lasting impact one romance had on the Avengers and much of the Marvel Universe. Shockingly, we’re not talking about Scarlet Witch Read More