Wasp
I named the Avengers. I led the Avengers. I AM the Avengers.
Abilities
- •Pym Particles allow shrinking to insect size or growing to giant proportions
- •Bio-electric energy blasts (Wasp's Sting) — ranged energy attacks at any size
- •Insectoid wings manifest when she shrinks — granting agile, high-speed flight
- •Founding Avenger — Janet named the team "The Avengers" in Avengers #1
- •Longest-serving Avengers chairwoman in team history
- •Skilled hand-to-hand combatant trained by Captain America and Hank Pym
- •Expert fashion designer — has created hundreds of unique Wasp costumes
- •Master tactician and team leader — led the Avengers through multiple crises
- •Nadia Van Dyne (Hank Pym's daughter) carries the modern Wasp legacy with genius-level intellect
Powers & Abilities
Biography
Janet Van Dyne was a socialite and fashion designer whose father, a renowned scientist, was murdered by an alien creature. Seeking vengeance and purpose, Janet turned to her father's colleague Hank Pym, who gave her a dose of Pym Particles and implanted cells beneath her skin that would grow insectoid wings when she shrank. She became the Wasp — and then she did something no other hero had done: she named the Avengers.
Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby in Tales to Astonish #44 (1963), the Wasp was originally written as Ant-Man's junior partner — a role she outgrew spectacularly. When Hank Pym was expelled from the Avengers after striking her during a mental breakdown, Janet didn't collapse. She divorced him, was elected Avengers chairwoman, and became the longest-serving leader in team history. She led the team through the Under Siege storyline — one of the greatest Avengers arcs ever published — proving that the woman everyone underestimated was the most capable leader the team ever had.
Janet's death during Secret Invasion was one of the most emotionally devastating moments in Avengers history. The Skrulls turned her into a biological weapon, and Thor was forced to disperse her energy to save Manhattan. She was eventually found alive in the Microverse during Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run, and her return was one of the most satisfying resurrections in Marvel history.
The Wasp legacy expanded with Nadia Van Dyne — Hank Pym's daughter, raised in the Red Room and escaped to America. Jeremy Whitley's Unstoppable Wasp gave Nadia a joyful, science-positive solo series that included a groundbreaking storyline about bipolar disorder. Through Janet and Nadia, the Wasp represents something rare in comics: a legacy where both women stand as heroes in their own right, not in competition but in continuation. Janet named the Avengers. She led the Avengers. She IS the Avengers.
First Appearances & Silver Age
Tales to Astonish #44
1963First appearance of the Wasp — Janet Van Dyne, daughter of a murdered scientist, gains size-changing powers and insectoid wings from Hank Pym. She becomes his partner to avenge her father. Jack Kirby draws her debut. A major Silver Age key.
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Avengers #1
1963Wasp co-founds the Avengers — Janet names the team "The Avengers" and is a founding member alongside Ant-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk. One of the most valuable Silver Age keys in existence.
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Tales to Astonish #49
1963Wasp and Giant-Man — Hank Pym discovers he can grow as well as shrink. Janet's partnership with Pym evolves as his powers expand.
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Tales to Astonish #51
1964Wasp solo backup stories begin — Janet gets her own feature in Tales to Astonish. Her independence from Pym starts to develop.
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Avengers #60
1968Janet marries Hank Pym — the wedding of Yellowjacket and the Wasp. One of the most significant Silver Age Avengers events.
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Avengers Chairwoman
Avengers #217
1982Wasp becomes Avengers chairwoman — after Hank Pym's expulsion, Janet is elected to lead the team. She transforms from sidekick to commander. The most important status change in her history.
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Avengers #230
1983Wasp leads the team through the Masters of Evil — Janet proves herself as chairwoman during the Trial of Yellowjacket saga. Roger Stern writes her most triumphant early leadership.
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Avengers #267
1986Under Siege begins — Wasp leads the Avengers against Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil who invade and occupy Avengers Mansion. Roger Stern's masterpiece. Janet's finest hour as leader.
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Avengers #270-271
1986Under Siege concludes — Hercules is beaten nearly to death, Jarvis is tortured, and the Mansion is destroyed. Wasp rallies the team and defeats the Masters of Evil. Her leadership under impossible pressure defines her.
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Avengers #279
1987Wasp continues as chairwoman — Janet's tenure is the longest continuous chairperson run in Avengers history. She leads through cosmic threats, team shake-ups, and personal crises.
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Janet & Hank Pym
Tales to Astonish #44
1963The partnership begins — Hank gives Janet powers after her father is murdered. Their relationship is founded in shared grief and mutual purpose.
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Avengers #59-60
1968Yellowjacket proposes — Hank has a mental breakdown, creates a new identity, and proposes to Janet. She knows it's Hank and marries him anyway. A complicated foundation.
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Avengers #213
1981Hank strikes Janet — Jim Shooter's controversial arc. The most defining and darkest moment in their marriage. Janet's resilience in the aftermath is remarkable.
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Avengers #214
1981Janet divorces Hank — she leaves Pym after his court-martial. Her decision to walk away and rebuild herself solo is one of the strongest character moments in Avengers history.
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Avengers #394
1996Janet and Hank reconcile — after years apart, they find a new understanding. Their relationship evolves beyond the trauma that defined it.
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Key Avengers Storylines
Avengers #83
1970Lady Liberators — Janet leads an all-female Avengers team. One of the earliest feminist storylines in superhero comics, though handled awkwardly by modern standards.
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Avengers #93-97
1971Kree-Skrull War — Janet plays a key role in Neal Adams's epic. The founding Avengers face their greatest cosmic threat.
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Avengers vol. 3 #1
1998Heroes Return — Kurt Busiek and George Pérez relaunch the Avengers. Janet is a core team member in one of the greatest Avengers runs ever published.
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Avengers Disassembled (Avengers #500-503)
2004Avengers Disassembled — Bendis destroys the Avengers. Janet survives the catastrophe that kills Hawkeye, Scott Lang, and the Vision. The end of an era.
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Avengers vol. 3 #71-76
2003Geoff Johns' Avengers — the Search for She-Hulk arc features Janet prominently. Johns writes her as the team's emotional anchor.
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Secret Invasion & Death
Secret Invasion #1
2008Secret Invasion begins — the Skrulls have infiltrated Earth. Janet's role in the event becomes pivotal as the invasion unfolds.
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Secret Invasion #7
2008Janet is weaponized — the Skrulls turn Janet into a biological bomb. The Wasp begins growing uncontrollably, threatening to destroy Manhattan.
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Secret Invasion #8
2009Death of the Wasp — Thor is forced to disperse Janet's energy to save everyone. The founding Avenger dies. One of the most emotionally devastating deaths in Avengers history.
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Mighty Avengers #21
2009Hank Pym becomes the Wasp — in honor of Janet, Pym takes her codename. Dan Slott writes the most touching tribute to her legacy.
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Return & Uncanny Avengers
Avengers vol. 5 #31-34
2014Janet Van Dyne returns — trapped in the Microverse since Secret Invasion, Janet is found alive and rescued. Hickman brings the founding Avenger back.
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Uncanny Avengers #1
2012Uncanny Avengers launch — Rick Remender's Avengers Unity Squad features Janet prominently. The team mixes Avengers and X-Men.
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Uncanny Avengers vol. 3 #1
2015Janet in the All-New Uncanny Avengers — Gerry Duggan writes Janet as a key member. Her leadership experience is invaluable.
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Avengers vol. 8 #1
2018Jason Aaron's Avengers — Janet serves on the new team lineup. Her status as a founding Avenger gives the roster historical weight.
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Avengers vol. 8 #31-38
2020Age of Khonshu — Janet is part of the team during Aaron's Moon Knight-focused arc. The founding Avenger continues to serve in the modern era.
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Nadia Van Dyne — The New Wasp
All-New, All-Different Avengers #9
2016First appearance of Nadia Pym — Hank Pym's daughter, raised in the Red Room, escapes and takes the Wasp identity. Mark Waid introduces the next generation.
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Unstoppable Wasp #1
2017Nadia's solo series launches — Jeremy Whitley writes a joyful, science-positive series. Nadia founds G.I.R.L. (Genius In action Research Labs) to support young women in STEM.
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Unstoppable Wasp vol. 2 #1
2018Unstoppable Wasp relaunches — Whitley continues with a new volume. Nadia faces new challenges while running G.I.R.L. and navigating her Red Room past.
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Unstoppable Wasp vol. 2 #4-5
2019Nadia's mental health arc — Whitley writes a groundbreaking story about Nadia's bipolar disorder. One of the most praised mental health stories in superhero comics.
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Champions vol. 3 #1
2019Nadia on the Champions — the young Wasp joins the teen hero team. Jim Zub writes her alongside Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales, and Nova.
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Fashion & Costumes
Avengers #224
1982Janet's fashion showcase — the Wasp has worn more unique costumes than any other Marvel hero. Her constant redesigns reflect her personality as a fashion designer.
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West Coast Avengers #1
2018Kelly Thompson's West Coast Avengers — Janet is a mentor figure. Thompson writes her as the experienced veteran guiding the next generation.
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Avengers #267
1986Under Siege costume — Janet's combat-ready look during the Masters of Evil invasion. Her most iconic leadership-era design.
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Avengers vol. 3 #1
1998Busiek/Pérez era costume — George Pérez redesigns Janet for the Heroes Return era. One of her most celebrated looks.
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Key Wasp Battles
Avengers #267-271
1986Under Siege — Janet leads the Avengers against the Masters of Evil who have invaded their home. Her tactical brilliance saves the team. Roger Stern's masterpiece.
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Avengers #83
1970Lady Liberators — Janet leads an all-female team into battle. An early statement of her leadership potential.
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Secret Invasion #8
2009Janet's sacrifice — the Wasp is turned into a weapon and Thor must disperse her to save Manhattan. A founding Avenger's most heroic moment.
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Avengers #500
2004Avengers Disassembled — Janet survives the destruction of the Avengers. She endures the loss of teammates and the end of an era.
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Avengers vol. 5 #34
2014Janet returns from the Microverse — the founding Avenger fights her way back from apparent death. Her resurrection is one of the most satisfying in Marvel history.
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Collector Highlights
Tales to Astonish #44
1963The holy grail — first appearance of the Wasp. A founding Avenger debuts. One of the most important Silver Age Marvel keys. Kirby art.
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Avengers #1
1963Founding Avenger — Janet names the team and is there from day one. One of the most valuable comics in existence.
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Avengers #217
1982Janet becomes Avengers chairwoman — the most significant status change in her history. A key Bronze Age Avengers issue.
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Avengers #267
1986Under Siege begins — Janet's greatest leadership test. Roger Stern's masterpiece and the definitive Wasp story.
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All-New All-Different Avengers #9
2016First Nadia Pym — the next generation Wasp debuts. A modern key for the new Wasp legacy.
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Unstoppable Wasp #1
2017Nadia's solo series — Jeremy Whitley's acclaimed run. Essential modern Wasp reading.
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