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
- Mental instability
- 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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