Issue 17 – Hank Pym

It’s a special Ant-Man and the Wasp episode as Anthony & Dr. Issues examine HANK PYM! Our hosts discuss his multiple costumed identities (and invent a new one for him), and discuss his interactions with the other Avengers in light of the #MeToo movement. It’s all here – Listen now!

SHOW NOTES:

• Introduction
  • Explanation/apology for last week’s Sentry episode
  • Discussion of Thanos Annual & new Sentry series
  • Plug for 2 Men and the Mouse podcast
• Background (07:11)
  • Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers in Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962)
  • Originally just Hank Pym, discovers/creates Pym particles, which allowed him to shrink in size
  • Studies ants & creates suit that allows him to communicate with them, calls himself Ant-Man
  • Reveals his identity to Janet van Dyne, socialite – gives her tiny wings with Pym particles and names her the Wasp – the two of them establish the Avengers with Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk
  • Tales to Astonish #49 – Nov. 1963 – creates Giant-Man identity, and begins dating Janet
  • Becomes Goliath in Avengers #28 (May 1966) upon his return to the Avengers
  • Creates Ultron (1968), who becomes one of Avengers’ greatest foes
  • Becomes Yellowjacket (Avengers #59-60) after he suffers schizophrenia from chemicals, but recovers in time to marry Janet
  • Rejoins Avengers as Yellowjacket, but is kicked off team by Henry Peter Gyrich – comes back shortly thereafter
  • Sanctions Scott Lang as Ant-Man while he remains Yellowjacket
  • Begins to demonstrate mental breakdown – suspended from Avengers, he attempts a false flag operation with a robot
    • Janet discovers his plan, and he backhands her – how hard it was supposed to be is up for debate between Jim Shooter and Bob Hall
    • He is kicked off Avengers, and Janet divorces him
  • Jailed while stealing adamantium while under influence of Egghead, but later cleared once Egghead is killed by Hawkeye – decides to stick to Dr. Pym and do research with West Coast Avengers
  • Returns to Avengers as Giant-Man, helps team defeat Ultron again
  • Avengers Forever – In order to fight Immortus, Rick Jones calls upon past Yellowjacket and current Giant-Man – Yellowjacket betrays team to Immortus, but overcome by guilt and rejoins team to side with heroes
  • Split personality between Pym and Yellowjacket, until restored by Wasp
  • “Civil War”/”Secret Invasion” – Yellowjacket is pro-registration during Civil War, until it was revealed he was actually Skrull imposter named Criti Noll
    • Takes on Wasp persona after Janet killed by Skrulls
  • Creates Avengers Academy to train young powered individuals
  • Joins Secret Avengers as Giant-Man
  • “Age of Ultron” – Past Pym makes change to Ultron to allow current team to defeat him
  • Rage of Ultron – Merges with Ultron during attack
  • Rejoins Avengers as Pym/Tron, but team finds out he’s being controlled by Ultron & throws him into the sun
  • Encounters team again during “Secret Empire”, where he tries to reconcile Hydra Cap and A.I. Tony, but Tony says Avengers can’t work as family because Hank hit Janet
  • Also turns out he has a daughter with first wife Maria – Nadia was raised in Red Room, and later becomes Wasp after being mentored by Janet
• Issues (32:24)
  • Mental instability
    • First mental breakdown after first wife Maria Trovya was murdered
    • Suffered numerous breakdowns, often because Ultron went rogue
  • Bipolar disorder – dramatic version, cycles between manic and depressive over course of days
  • Feelings of inadequacy as compared to other heroes
  • Suicidal – talked out of it by Firebird during WCA run
  • Can never live down the slap – how do you handle Hank in midst of #MeToo movement
• Treatment (55:45)
  • In-universe – possible group therapy with Avengers to discuss slap, if they’re willing
  • Out-of-universe – address present situations, and work from there
• Skit (67:52)
• Ending

References:

• Honey I Shrunk the Kids – movie referenced by Anthony at 08:27
• Paul Heyman, aka Paul E. Dangerously, wrestling manager mentioned by Anthony at 15:04
• False flag operation – mentioned by Anthony at 16:39
• “Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal” – Firefly clip mentioned by Anthony at 22:01
• Jurassic Park – referenced by Anthony at 37:38
• Psicosis – WCW wrestler mentioned by Anthony at 39:26
• “Chip on your shoulder” – expression used by Dr. Issues at 43:22
• The Scarlet Letter – Novel referenced by Dr. Issues at 48:50
• Charles Barkley spitting incident – referenced by Dr. Issues at 58:52
• Choose Your Own Adventure book series – mentioned by Anthony at 63:17

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