Wasp (Earth-1610)
The Wasp, legal name Janet Pym (née Van Dyne), is an American mutant, hero, scientist, and member of the Ultimates. She was born with wasp-like powers, able to shrink to an inch high, grow wings, and fly at a moment's notice; it also resulted in less appealing habits, like eating bugs and laying eggs. She is married to Dr. Henry Pym, also known as Giant-Man.
Biography
Janet van Dyne studied at New York University, where she was roommates with Betty Ross. She eventually finished her academic career as a stellar graduate student, earning two PhDs. By early 2002, van Dyne had married Henry Pym and adopted the superhero moniker of the Wasp; due to public sentiment against mutants, it was publicly claimed that her powers were due to her husband's supposed shrinking technology.[1] The two were signed on by S.H.I.E.L.D. for their Ultimates project, where Janet's mutant-blood samples secretly helped Henry develop his new "Giant-Man" personal-growth technology.[2] The Ultimates were soon officially inaugurated as a team after World War II hero Captain America was unfrozen and joined their ranks alongside the Pyms and Iron Man.[3] Janet was tasked with acclimating Captain America to modern society, and the two quickly bonded, perhaps due to Cap's need for a friend in an otherwise unfamiliar time.[4]
Wasp saw her first and only action with the Ultimates when team scientist Bruce Banner finally succumbed to the pressure mounted upon him by the public and the rest of the team and transformed into the brutal, mindless Hulk. It took the efforts of the entire team—as well as unofficial associate Thor—to subdue the monster. Hulk's one-track mind was focused on his ex-fiancé Betty Ross, who was on a date with Freddie Prinze Jr., and his sexual frustration was clear. As Ross was evacuated by plane, Hulk chased after her with an enormous leap, but Wasp was nonetheless able to deal the final blow. She flew inside of Hulk's head, crawling through his skull and stinging him in the frontal lobe in an attempt to "turn off" the Hulk persona. This had the desired effect, causing Hulk to plummet from the sky and create a crater in the Manhattan ground, transforming back into Bruce Banner. Banner was seriously hurt, but alive and grievously apologetic.[1]
While Wasp had been the one to finish off the Hulk, her husband Giant-Man had been largely trounced by Hulk in their one-on-one battle. Days after the fight, Henry was visibly distraught about both this and a perceived romance between Janet and Captain America. After he passive-aggressively expressed his frustration to her, an argument broke out, which escalated into a full-blown fight. Hank expressed disgust at Janet's mutanthood, while Janet chided him for taking intellectual and financial credit for her powers. Janet attempted to use those powers against him, but he disabled her with a can of bug spray. In a bizarrely calm display, Hank used his cybernetic helmet to order a colony of nearby ants to swarm her downed body, brutally injuring her.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Ultimates #5: "Hulk Does Manhattan." (July 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #2: "Big." (April 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #3: "21st Century Boy." (May 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #4: "Thunder." (June 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #6: "Giant Man vs The Wasp." (August 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).