Photo: Marvel Comics
Like any comic book superhero, Ant-Man has a rich background. That’s to be expected from one of the original founding members of The Avengers (there’s a free sixth fact for ya). But with comic books, especially the ones spanning roughly 55 years and counting since Ant-Man first appeared in 1962’s Tales to Astonish #27 (dang, that’s two facts already and we haven’t even started), things can get a little convoluted. We’re not here to rectify that in any way; it just means there are plenty of juicy tidbits that haven’t made the Marvel Cinematic Universe cut.
How does Ant-Man stack up to his DC doppelganger? Comic Book Character Showdown: Marvel VS. DC On The Big And Small Screen
Facts About Ant-Man You'd Never Know From The Films
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He's had so many more identities besides Ant-Man.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Without going into too much detail (after all, if you didn't know these things already, you probably don't care that much about the comics), Hank Pym was the original Ant-Man. But since adopting the moniker, he's had multiple identity crises and gone by the superhero names Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, and yes, even The Wasp. Oh, and Ultron, which is a great segue into...
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He created Ultron, not Tony Stark.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Contrary to what Avengers: Age of Ultron would have you believe, Tony Stark was not responsible for the villainous Ultron. He was created by Hank Pym. In fact, it's probably what Pym is most known for in the comics (aside from one other thing which we'll get to next). The fact that this was taken away from him in the films makes his character infinitely less interesting and vital, but at the end of the day, The Avengers movies are the RDJ show.
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He has an (unintentional) reputation as a wife beater.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Unfortunately, actions speak louder than words, and the now infamous panel of Pym smacking his wife Janet Van Dyne while telling her to "shut up" does the character little favors. However, as writer Jim Shooter has made clear, this was never the intention. The original script called for Yellowjacket to throw his hands up in frustration, accidentally striking his beloved. Now we kind of wish art wasn't so interpretive.
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He (Scott Lang) died a gruesome death.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Again, not to confuse or overexplain, but several people have assumed the identity of Ant-Man in the comics. After Hank Pym, it was Scott Lang (a.k.a. the guy from the movies). As comic books go, no superhero stays dead forever. However, that didn't stop Marvel from murdering him in horrific fashion during the event "Avengers Disassembled" in 2004. There was a third Ant-Man by the name of Eric O'Grady who was even more of a scoundrel and died an arguably worse death, but since he's never been revived, we'll leave it at that.
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He (Scott Lang) was once the leader of the Fantastic Four.
Photo: Marvel Comics
We wouldn't want to end our list on three downers in a row, so try this fact on for size: Scott Lang once lead a team of substitute superheroes to replace the Fantastic Four during an intergalactic absence at the behest of Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mister Fantastic) himself. Now that Marvel owns the rights to FF films again, we're just silently waiting for this team's big screen adaptation. Although we're probably quite a ways off just yet.
