Dr. Hank Pym is a scientific genius of the highest order with expertise in both the fields of robotics/cybernetics and biochemistry. During his career, he has created the robot Ultron, often repaired Vision, and invented much of the Avengers' equipment. The robot Rover, another of his creations, served as a jet, possessing rudimentary artificial intelligence and offensive capabilities.

His greatest scientific achievement, "Pym particles", led to several costumed identities. Pym particles enable mass to be shunted or gained from an alternate dimension. By imbibing special capsules of Pym particles, Pym was able to shrink to half-inch size and adventure as the Ant-Man and, later, to grow to 30-foot size and adventure as Giant-Man and Goliath. He later switched from using capsules to a Pym particle-filled gas, but eventually his body had absorbed enough particles to shrink and grow at will. As Yellowjacket, Pym used his shrinking ability along with a bio-energy gun (used incorporated into blasting gauntlets.) In his insect guises, Pym also used a communication device in his helmet that allowed him to communicate and control insect life (mostly ants.) At one point, Pym found himself able to use the Pym particle field about his body to shrink and grow objects in contact with him, and he carried various high and low tech equipment in his jumpsuit. Currently, he can only shrink and grow objects that have been specially-treated with Pym particles beforehand. As Hank's abilities have fluctuated between growth and size reduction, he has remained an intellectual at heart.

Character history

At one point, Henry Pym was married to a Hungarian called Maria Trovaya. Sadly, their marriage was cut short when Maria was killed by Hungarian Secret Police. Shortly after that, biochemist Hank Pym discovered what he called Pym particles, a rare group of subatomic particles from which he formulated a size-altering formula. Testing the solution on himself, he found they were far more powerful than he hypothesized—one type of these particles had the power to make things shrink and the other to restore an object to its natural size. He was shrunk down to the size of an insect and narrowly escaped the inhabitants of an anthill. He then restored himself. After he undertook an exhaustive study of ants, he later constructed a "cyber-helmet" that would let him communicate with and control insects. He designed a costume and gave himself the superhero name Ant-Man. On his first outing as Ant-Man, he defeated some KGB agents that were trying to steal some anti-radiation gas that Pym had made. He started a career as Ant-Man and fought many supervillains and monsters.

Later, Pym was contacted by Dr. Vernon Van Dyne, who asked for Pym's help in contacting aliens. He refused, but became attracted to Vernon's daughter, Janet Van Dyne. Vernon Van Dyne was later slain by an alien outlaw. Janet asked for Hank's help to avenge his death. Pym then revealed his secret identity to her. Hank used some Pym particles on her and grafted wasp wings beneath her shoulders (but they disappeared when she was normal size and came back again when using Pym particles). Janet assumed the name of The Wasp. They tracked down and defeated Vernon's killer, thus forming a permanent partnership and starting a relationship, before becoming founding members of the Avengers. Shortly afterward, he developed a variant Pym particle that could increase his size; using these, he became Giant-Man and later Goliath.

However, Pym suffered a series of mental problems. Shortly before his wedding, he had a breakdown during which he became amnesiac and developed the cocky "Yellowjacket" persona; he only fully recovered after his wedding to Janet. Almost immediately prior to that incident, he had created an android called Ultron, which, to his horror, became self-aware and evil, and plotted to kill and replace him and the rest of humanity with robots. The extent of his guilt involved in Ultron's creation was not revealed until years later, when he admitted that Ultron's brain patterns were in fact based on his own.

Several years later, Pym had a complete breakdown, and became extremely paranoid. During the course of this breakdown, he became overbearing and verbally abusive towards Janet. At the nadir of this degeneration, he struck her, and then proceeded to concoct a plan to make himself look good in front of his teammates by staging an attack upon them which only he could stop. This plan backfired and Pym was exposed, disgraced, and expelled from the Avengers, and the couple divorced.

Later it was revealed that his erratic behavior had been sparked as part of a plan from supervillain Egghead (who at the time was presumed dead) to ruin Pym's reputation and cajoling him into stealing the national reserve of adamantium. The plan went into effect and Pym was eventually captured and blamed for the theft while Egghead escaped; blaming the whole thing on a reputedly-dead villain was initially taken as further proof of Pym's madness and was only through the sheer effort and determination of the bow-wielding Hawkeye (whose brother was killed by Egghead) that the real perpetrator was exposed and Pym cleared of charges. (Egghead died when pulling the trigger of a laser gun in which Hawkeye had just shot one of his arrows).

After Pym's mental state returned to normal he rejoined the Avengers, first in an advisory role for the West Coast Avengers, ultimately joining the West coast team officially as "Dr. Pym", and later rejoining the East Coast team as Giant-Man. After the events of "Avengers Forever", where Pym's various personailities were integrated and he made peace with his past problems, Pym re-adopted his Yellowjacket costume, to put the past behind him and acknowledge his healed psyche. (He had previously stated that he would never again adopt this, his most famous costumed identity, as that was the identity he used at the time he struck Jan.) After a time, he and the Wasp became friends again and, some years later, resumed a romantic relationship. In the events detailed in the "Avengers Finale", Pym and Janet left the team to re-kindle their relationship in England, where Pym had accepted a residency at Oxford.

Both Pym and the Wasp have reappeared in the Civil War cross-over. Pym, as his Yellowjacket persona, has appeared to have sided with Iron Man, believing that superheroes should register with the government and be held responsible for their actions. His inferiority complex may have played a role in this decision; when Captain America came to enlist him in fighting against the Act, Pym said he was surprised that Captain America had come to him at all, let alone to be one of the first.