Janet van Dyne is the wife of Hank Pym and the mother of Hope van Dyne. She operated under the codename Wasp in S.H.I.E.L.D. until she sacrificed herself to disarm a Soviet ICBM bound for the United States in 1987, saving millions of lives but also becoming lost to the Quantum Realm.
During her isolation, she encountered Kang the Conqueror, who presented himself as a lost traveler, in order to manipulate her into helping him restore his Time Sphere. The two worked to bring the Multiversal Engine Core back to full power, with Kang offering van Dyne the opportunity to go back in time so that she had never left Hope in the first place. However, van Dyne discovered Kang's true nature, and broke the core in order to trap him inside the Quantum Realm permanently, knowing she was sacrificing her only chance to escape. She would go on to join the Freedom Fighters, a resistance group with the goal of defeating Kang, where she met and started a relationship with Krylar.
After Scott Lang entered the Quantum Realm, van Dyne was able to send a message to him, causing him to notify her family. They then began working on a way to retrieve her from the Quantum Realm, having been given hope that she was alive. Their ambitions succeeded, and she was freed from the Quantum Realm as an evolved human with superhuman powers, and she temporarily healed Ghost after reuniting with her family. Van Dyne then worked with her family to send Lang into the Quantum Realm in order to retrieve quantum healing particles to help Ghost. However, when Thanos snapped his fingers to erase half of all life in the universe, van Dyne, alongside her family were among those who died, leaving Lang trapped in the Quantum Realm. Fortunately, she was resurrected in 2023 by Hulk, along with every other life had been eliminated during the Snap, and later attended Tony Stark's funeral.
Following her return, van Dyne resumed her life with her family, only to end up back in the Quantum Realm when she was accidentally sucked through a portal created by Cassie Lang alongside the rest of her family. While being stranded, she guided her family through the Quantum Realm in order to avoid being detected by Kang. Arranging a meeting with Krylar, van Dyne discovered that her former friend had recently betrayed the Freedom Fighters and allied himself with the Conqueror. After van Dyne and her family were able to avoid being captured by stealing Krylar's aircraft, she would eventually end up captured by Kang. Although, her capture didn't last when she, along with her family and allies, were able to defeat Kang during the uprising in Axia and would return back home to Earth.
Janet van Dyne was a scientist and married Hank Pym, who had developed a way to shrink a human to the size of an ant and maintain their strength, as well as a way to communicate with ants. Pym used his discoveries to operate as an agent with S.H.I.E.L.D., going on missions as "Ant-Man." Together, Pym and van Dyne would have a daughter named Hope. Van Dyne and Hope would play hide-and-seek together, with Hope always hiding in the wardrobe, having not understood the concept of the game.[1]
Van Dyne desired to join Hank Pym with missions, so she eventually managed to convince him, before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. along with her husband. Pym created a Wasp Suit for van Dyne, with all the capabilities of the Ant-Man Suit, but with wings so she could fly once shrunken down.[1] Van Dyne had then joined Pym on his next mission to Buenos Aires where they were tracking down Elihas Starr, who had stolen several of Pym's designs, before then going into exile.
Van Dyne met with Pym at a bar in the city, where she was looking for Starr as they flirted with one another. Eventually, Starr stepped out of the hotel, as van Dyne had recommended that they keep their distance from Starr and allow all the Ants to keep track of him, using their EMP Communication Devices until the time was right. However, Pym was determined not to allow Starr to escape, and insisted it was the right time as he walked away from the bar to follow behind Starr.
However, while they were following Starr down the streets, Pym got too close and was eventually spotted by Starr, who had immediately began to run, with van Dyne and Pym chasing after him, while van Dyne commented on Pym's lack of stealth. They followed Starr to a factory where they discovered he had armed guards, as they agreed to use the Ant-Man and Wasp Suits to gain their access, which Pym had shrunk down and kept in his pocket, ready for the mission.
Wearing the suits, Ant-Man then used the ants he controlled to write a message of hello to the guards, before Wasp regrew to her normal size and attacked one guard, while Ant-Man managed to disarm the second and knock him unconscious. While Wasp blew her husband a kiss, they were forced to shrink once again when more guards began shooting at them, with Ant-Man riding on the back of one winged ant while Wasp used her own wings to fly inside the facility undetected.
Once they were inside, Wasp and Ant-Man swiftly subdued more of the guards, before they then realized that Starr was attempting to activate the Quantum Tunnel. Shrinking down, Wasp went to destroy the plans for the tunnel while Ant-Man went to confront Starr. As she entered the control room, Wasp proceeded to subdue all of Starr's soldiers, before flying through all their computer systems, destroying everything as the guards had then tried and failed to shoot at her.
However, Wasp realized that one of Starr's soldiers had accidentally shot at the Tunnel, causing it to overload. Wasp then regrouped with Ant-Man, only for them to witness the blast of energy knocking Starr unconscious. Although Ant-Man attempted to rescue Starr, their path was blocked by falling debris as they found that it now could not be shut down, as Wasp had pulled him backwards while they attempted to find another way to shut down the Tunnel and save Starr's life.
With little time left until the tunnel imploded, Wasp and Ant-Man were then forced to make their own escape from the facility, with Ant-Man riding on another flying ant, moments before the tunnel lost complete control and caused a massive explosion, with the force from the blast knocking them back onto a nearby roof. Wasp and Ant-Man had then watched, as the facility had burned to the ground, knowing that Starr would have been killed by the massive blast of Quantum Energy.[5]
In 1987, van Dyne and Hank Pym were called upon to disarm a SovietICBM en route to the United States. They knew too many lives were at stake, so they accepted the mission, and called Rose to look after Hope while they were gone. Before they could leave, Hope awoke and saw them talking to Rose. Van Dyne told her daughter that they had to leave, saying it was a business trip, but she did not want them to go. Van Dyne then joked with her daughter, before saying goodbye, unknown to her that it would the last time she would see for a while.
However, when they arrived, they discovered that the missile had already launched. They then grappled onto the missile and tried to disarm it in mid-flight. Knowing the only way to disarm it was to go inside, they tried to cut through the plating, but it was too thick, leaving them with the only other option of shrinking between the molecules.
Wasp prepares to go sub-atomic
However, they both knew that in doing so, there would be no returning. Ant-Man tried, but his regulator was damaged, so Wasp decided to make the sacrifice herself, as hers wasn't damaged. She told Ant-Man to tell Hope she loved her, before turning off her regulator and going inside the missile, despite Ant-Man's desperate cries. Wasp was successful in disarming the missile, saving the lives of millions.[4]
"Your mother saved thousands that day, knowing she'd be lost in the Quantum Realm, alone, afraid, gone forever. Telling you she wasn't coming home was the hardest thing I ever had to do."
Unfortunately, this heroic act came at the cost of van Dyne being trapped inside the Quantum Realm, where she would be alone forever in an unknown place, scared.[1] While there, van Dyne met other civilizations, one of those who welcomed her in. She later became a high-level official in the society, and adapted their technology with her suit. During her time there, the Quantum Realm's creatures were both a threat and key to survive.[6]
One day, van Dyne noticed something fall from the sky, so she armed herself and rushed to investigate it. Van Dyne observed what appeared to be a crashed shuttle in the ground. Right beside the crash site, a Quantum Wolf appeared, duplicated itself and attacked van Dyne. She managed to kill one, but as the other one was coming after her, it was killed. Van Dyne looked over and saw her savior on the ground holding a gun. He looked at van Dyne and asked where he was.
The man, named Kang, told van Dyne that he was a traveler and scientist that crashed off course in his ship that could travel the Multiverse. They then agreed to work together to fix his ship and get them both back home. They went through multiple attempts to repair the Multiversal Engine Core, but nothing worked. During this time, van Dyne opened up to Kang about her life, and he assured her that she would get back home to her daughter. After a long time working on it, they finally fixed the Core.
When they connected the Core onto the ship, it connected itself to Kang's mind, which allowed van Dyne to access his memories, and she saw who he truly was. In the visions, she saw Kang killing people with no remorse and destroying countless worlds and timelines. Kang, realizing what had happened, tried to convince van Dyne to stick with the plan, promising to take her back home. Van Dyne knew she couldn't let Kang escape, so she shrunk the Core and stole it. Knowing she couldn't beat him, van Dyne used several grow discs to enlarge the core.[7]
Freedom Fighter[]
"Sorry, you were a freedom fighter?" "Or terrorist. Depends on who you ask."
Now that they were both trapped in the Quantum Realm forever, van Dyne found herself at constant odds with Kang the Conqueror who built up an empire in Axia, ruling over all of its inhabitants. Feeling responsible for Kang's rise to power in the Quantum Realm, van Dyne joined a group of Freedom Fighters to rebel against Kang's rule. One of the Freedom Fighters was a human-looking man named Krylar, who van Dyne found herself having a physical relationship with to fulfil her needs. Despite spending years fighting Kang, the Freedom Fighters never managed to bring down the Conqueror.[7]
In 2015, van Dyne passed Scott Lang while in the Realm. Three years later, after a doorway to the Realm opened, van Dyne appeared to Lang in a dream. She made Lang experience a memory of hers, playing hide and seek with her daughter. This then caused Lang to get back into contact with Hank Pym to tell him about the dream.
Van Dyne was able to temporarily inhabit Lang's body and began to fix the algorithm, which she knew, having 30 years to have thought about it. Her husband and daughter then realized that she was operating through Lang's body, and the family quickly reunited. However, van Dyne needed to hurry, having not much time. She was able to get the tunnel working again, as Hope realized that she had put an antenna in Lang's head, rather than a message.
When Pym asked how to find her, van Dyne explained that he needed to follow her voice. They then started working on where to locate her, for which they were successful. She then warned them of the dangers of the Quantum Realm, telling them that they had two hours to find her, otherwise, it would be another century before they could find her. Hope promised that they would find her, which van Dyne was confident on. At that moment, Lang restored his consciousness and van Dyne waited at the designated coordinates.[4]
When Hank Pym entered the Quantum Realm, he tried to find van Dyne but began to have his mind warped. However, van Dyne was able to find him and used her superhuman abilities she developed while trapped to stable his mind. She then removed her mask, and the two stood before each other, emotional, finally reunited. They then passionately kissed. Pym apologized for taking so long to find her, but she comforted him in that he was here now.
They then made their way back to the Quantum Vehicle, as Pym asked how she was able to stabilize his mind with her hands. Van Dyne told her that after her time spent in the Quantum Realm, she was no longer the same person, having been changed, not only due to adaptation, but also evolution. They were then notified that they could not ascend, as the Mobile Laboratory was not a normal size. Pym then updated on what they were dealing with in their universe: fighting against Ghost, who also wants the lab. The lab finally went into its full size, and they started to make their way back.
However, upon re-entry, van Dyne began to fade out due to Ghost extracting Quantum energy, killing van Dyne in the process. Fortunately, Lang and Hope were able to stop Ghost, keeping van Dyne alive. They then returned from the Quantum Realm, but came in too fast and crashed. Van Dyne then exited the vehicle, and saw her daughter in front of her. They then hugged each other and became very emotional in their reunion. Pym then followed, reminding them of his existence in the crash, while van Dyne talked with Lang, as they addressed how they have already met.
The reunion was interrupted when Ghost got back up. But before a fight could break out, van Dyne stopped them and approached her. She acknowledged the pain that Ghost was in, as she could feel it. She then told her that she could help her, and put her hands on her head and stabilized her condition. Suddenly, Luis entered the building to notify them that the police were on their way, so they all began to evacuate the area. Ant-Man came up with a plan to distract the FBI with the Ant-Man Suit, as they got away with the lab in Luis' van. Finally reunited with one another, van Dyne and Pym continued their lives together, moving his house to a tropical beach, where they could live peacefully.[4]
"The collection unit activates when you decouple it. It should automatically start absorbing Quantum healing particles." "Also, make sure you stay out of the tardigrade fields, they're cute but they'll eat you. And don't get sucked into a time vortex."
Sometime after, van Dyne aided her husband, daughter, and Scott Lang in working on finding a permanent cure for Ava Starr. They created a smaller Quantum Tunnel in Luis' van much to her husband's chagrin, where they would plan to harvest Quantum energy. They set themselves up on the top floor of an empty carpark, where her husband expressed his annoyance, which van Dyne believed had flair.
Lang then prepared to enter the Quantum Realm, which van Dyne warned him to stay out of the tardigrade fields, as well as being cautious of being sucked into a time vortex, as they wouldn't be able to save him. Lang then went sub-atomic, and they checked if he was alright, which he gave a delayed response to. He successfully retrieved some Quantum energy, and as they counted down for re-entry, van Dyne, along with her husband and daughter, suddenly disintegrated into dust.[4]
During a family dinner, Hope van Dyne asked her mother about wanting to talk about her time in the Quantum Realm, but told her that she just wanted to focus on the present. As they all sat down together, Cassie Lang revealed that she had been working with Hank Pym and Hope, unbeknownst to van Dyne and Scott Lang.
They all went to Pym's lab, where van Dyne learned that they had been studying the Quantum Realm. Van Dyne enquired as to why she wasn't asked to consult on it, to which Hope reminded her that she had asked her numerous times. Van Dyne insisted that the Quantum Realm was dangerous, but they assured her they weren't going to enter it, which was when Cassie showed her the Quantum Satellite they built. But, upon learning a signal was being sent to the Quantum Realm, van Dyne forcibly turned it off, much to everyone's confusion.[7]
Van Dyne was about to explain herself, but the Quantum Satellite reactivated and a blue wave of energy was released. A small portal then opened and began to suck in everything in the lab, so the family held on as the portal grew stronger and tried to pull them in. Van Dyne and Hank Pym were sucked into the portal, so their daughter went in after them and grabbed onto them as they fell.
They landed in a jungle-like environment inside of the Quantum Realm, and when a vehicle scanning the area arrived, van Dyne hid Pym and Hope from it. Once it was gone, she determinedly stated that they had to find Scott and Cassie Lang. However, as they walked, van Dyne was bombarded by questions, but she didn't want to answer them and asked that they just trust her. She snapped at them for not listening to her about the Quantum Realm, but managed to calm down and they agreed to focus on getting back home.
Van Dyne fighting with her old friend
As they continued onwards, van Dyne explained how they were in a place outside of space and time, past where Pym had been looking into with his research. The three were found by large group of people, so van Dyne told them she would handle it, as she was friends with them. Van Dyne walked up to the group's leader, and after a quick brawl, she stabbed him. The two then hugged each other, and they were provided with transportation and disguises. Janet told them that they were going to speak with an old friend of hers who would know where Scott and Cassie Lang were.[7]
"You didn't tell them about him. Did you say anything about what you did here? How many people died because of you? Does your family even know who you are? Your mommy is full of secrets."
They rode the creature, which Van Dyne steered, through the Quantum Realm until they arrived at Axia. Now walking in the streets, van Dyne put her hood up so that she wouldn't be recognized. Van Dyne noticed soldiers abusing a civilian, but she told them to just keep her head down, as she led them to a secret door. Inside was a bar, and van Dyne made Pym and Hope drink the Ooze while she requested a meeting with Krylar.
The three sat at a table and van Dyne explained that she knew Krylar back when she was a part of the Freedom Fighters. They then witnessed as Krylar arrived in his ship. Van Dyne reunited with Krylar, who thought she had been dead this whole time, and she asked for his help. However, Krylar was stalling, which they later found out was because he was working with Kang the Conqueror, as armed soldiers arrived. Krylar told the soldiers to let them talk, and he confronted van Dyne about leaving, as well as telling Pym and Hope that she was filled with secrets.
Van Dyne begged Krylar to let Pym and Hope leave, but he denied her request. They then learned that a hunter had been sent after Scott and Cassie Lang. Van Dyne was disappointed by Krylar's betrayal, and he went to take them to Kang. Hope attacked the soldiers, resulting in a fight to break out, and van Dyne equipped herself with one of the soldier's weapons. They then headed to Krylar's ship and commandeered it, and as they flew away, she and Pym talked about her sexual history with Krylar.[7]
Revealing Her Secrets[]
Van Dyne is again asked about her past
"I unleashed a monster on this place and ran away." "Janet, you couldn't have known." "I'm sorry I never told you. I just wanted to forget. I just wanted to be your mom again." "I am so sorry you had to go through all of that alone. But you are not alone now. We'll stop him together."
Hope van Dyne asked her mother about what had been sent after Scott and Cassie Lang, stressing that they needed to rescue them, but van Dyne was still being withholding. Hope asked van Dyne what she was so afraid of, so she decided to tell them about Kang the Conqueror.
After telling Hank Pym and Hope her story, she became sad over the shame she felt for helping Kang reclaim his power, which resulted in his conquering of the Quantum Realm, only for her to abandon the fight. Van Dyne told her family that she just wanted to forget about it and go back to her family life. Van Dyne was relieved to be comforted by her family about her past, and they were determined to stop Kang. Van Dyne explained that all Kang needed was Pym Particles, which he had with Scott and Cassie captive.[7]
"We didn't really get a chance to talk about it last time. But I always wondered. When you touched my mind... what did you see?" "A monster who thinks he's a god."
Arriving at the Multiversal Engine Core, van Dyne watched from the ship as Wasp flew into it and helped Ant-Man shrink it down. Van Dyne then rushed to Ant-Man and Wasp's location and told them to not let Kang the Conqueror have the Core, promising that they would save Cassie Lang from Kang. Kang the arrived and forcibly stole the Core, knocked out Ant-Man and Wasp, and then took van Dyne captive back to his citadel.
Van Dyne was brought to Kang, who asked what she had seen when she gained access to his mind, and she replied that she saw a monster. Kang proceeded to explain his mission to wipe out countless timelines to save the Multiverse. Kang showed van Dyne his empire, stating that he would be taking it all with him when he escapes the Quantum Realm. Van Dyne then witnessed as Cassie hijacked Kang's message and told everyone to fight back, followed by Giant-Man and Wasp arriving and calling out Kang.[7]
As the fight occurred outside between Ant-Man and Wasp and Kang the Conqueror's forces, van Dyne watched as the rest of the population of Axia joined in and fought back. When Ant-Man stopped Kang from escaping, van Dyne told the Conqueror that it was over for him, but he refused to accept that and left.
As she was being escorted away, van Dyne took the opportunity to steal a gun, and she used to it defeat all of the soldiers in the room. Van Dyne worked on a way to get them all back home. Repairing the Multiversal Engine Core, van Dyne successfully opened up a portal, she contacted her family and told them to get to the tower. The family reunited with each other, and one by one, they all went through the portal. However, Ant-Man didn't make it through, so Wasp went to help him. The portal closed, but Cassie Lang was able to open it and they all made it back safely.[7]
Now that their family was reunited and the threat of Kang the Conqueror dealt with, everyone returned to their normal lives. Because they all missed a few years of Cassie Lang growing up due to the Snap, Scott Lang decided to hold a fake birthday party for her at a restaurant with van Dyne, Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne all attending.[7]
Personality[]
"Janet was the only one who could endure him and chose to stick it out."
From Hank Pym's account about her, van Dyne was a selfless person who would not hesitate to give her life to save millions, shown when she used her regulator to shrink between the molecules to disable a Soviet missile becoming trapped in the Quantum Realm as a result. Her selflessness extended to preventing Kang the Conqueror from escaping the Quantum Realm at the expense of letting herself out.
Despite being trapped in the Quantum Realm for years, van Dyne never lost hope that she would be reunited with Pym and Hope. Van Dyne appeared to have a witty, somewhat dry, sense of humor as she warned Scott Lang to stay away from creatures in the Quantum Realm that looked cute but could eat him.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"I thought I was gone. But that energy from your hands... how did you do that?" "I'm not the same woman I was thirty years ago, Henry."
Quantum Energy Manipulation: After spending three decades in the Quantum Realm, van Dyne could use the particles around her to shape herself and remain stable. This allowed her to survive in the realm for decades seemingly without sustenance.
After absorbing quantum energies at an unprecedented rate, van Dyne was able to manipulate the structure of living organisms on the sub-atomic level and prevent them from experiencing quantum displacement; she could also reverse existing quantum displacement, as she did for Ghost. Additionally, she was able to remove the hallucinogenic effects of the Quantum Realm, as she did for Hank Pym.
Remote Possession: After coming in contact with Scott Lang, van Dyne was tied to him, making her able to psionically communicate with him via perception-altering dreams that revealed her location, otherwise known as Quantum Entanglement. She was also able to possess Lang's body and use him to reveal her precise location.
Former Powers[]
Wasp Suit Capabilities: Hank Pym invented the Pym Particles which allowed him to shrink and enlarge in size. He later made a suit to give his wife, Janet, the ability as well.
Size Manipulation:
Wasp going into subatomic
Similar to Hank Pym, van Dyne was able to reduce herself to the size of an insect by using Pym Particles. She still maintained her regular-sized strength and durability while on a reduced scale as the process amplifies the amount of force she can generate and increases her density. Additionally, the process of altering size compresses force and energy, manifesting as brief shockwaves of vibration around the target, which briefly augments her force and momentum as she returns to normal size.
Superhuman Strength: When decreased in size, van Dyne possessed superhuman strength. She can exert force in her shrunken state that allows him to leap vast distances and great heights, though still on a small scale. She notably was able to smash through the internal mechanisms of a missile that she entered.
Superhuman Durability: When decreased in size, van Dyne possessed superhuman durability, enough to survive falls from great heights and other impacts that would injure or kill even normal-sized humans.
Superhuman Speed: With the suit giving her flight, van Dyne could fly at very fast speeds.
Enhanced Reflexes: With the suit, van Dyne could dodge attacks and objects very well.
Flight: By utilizing four artificial insect-like wings, van Dyne could fly at impressive speeds and maneuver with great agility with ease. However, after being in the Quantum Realm for 30 years, two of the wings have been destroyed, leaving her unable to fly.
Energy Blast:
Wasp disarming the Russian missile
van Dyne's suit came with an energy blast emitting from her wrist which she used to try to disarm the Russian missile, but to no success.
Abilities[]
"All I'm saying is that she is a brilliant scientist. She may be able to help."
Genius-Level Intellect: van Dyne was one of the foremost scientists before and after existing in the Quantum Realm. She was able to (through Scott Lang) perfectly align the machinery on the Quantum Tunnel to her precise location. She also knew enough about Quantum Physics and Biochemistry to physically evolve herself to withstand the conditions of the Realm, and it was her genius that miniaturized Hank Pym's Quantum Tunnel.
Master Scientist: van Dyne is a brilliant scientist, having helped Hank Pym with the Quantum Tunnel and being acknowledged by Bill Foster as a brilliant scientist as well.
"This is an advanced prototype that your mother and I worked on together."
Master Engineer: van Dyne and Hank Pym developed improvements to her Wasp Suit as well as even starting to create a new version before she was sent into the Quantum Realm.
van Dyne is a highly trained fighter, having received extensive training by S.H.I.E.L.D., able to fight evenly with the use of Wasp Suit, helping to dominate stronger opponents.
Sword Mastery: Van Dyne is proficient in welding a bladed weaponry for combat, as when revisiting old freedom fighters in the Quantum Realm Janet was quick at deflecting a fighter’s sword to grab it and cut off his arm before regrowing it and is given a ride to travel.
Expert Marksman: Van Dyne can use firearms for close-quarters combat as when being ambushed by Krylar’s guards, she manages to get a blaster from one them and shot one guard off the surface.
An advanced Pym Particle-based suit, which was similar to the Ant-Man Suit. That first suit was created by her and Hank Pym for S.H.I.E.L.D. missions. When van Dyne had become trapped inside the Quantum Realm, she would still be wearing the suit, having made some alterations to it.
Quantum Tunnel: With Hank Pym's help, van Dyne escaped the Quantum Realm using the Quantum Tunnel Pym had designed. She later used it to send Scott Lang into the Quantum Realm, but was unable to bring him back due to her having disappeared in the Snap.
Pym Residence: Van Dyne lived with Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne in a house together, until she disappeared into the Quantum Realm. When Pym rescued her from the Quantum Realm, she and Pym moved back into their house together.
Mobile Laboratory: When van Dyne returned to Earth, she appeared in Pym's mobile laboratory, where she saw Ghost and cured her temporarily of her illness.
Additionally, Scarlett Johansson researched the part of Janet Van Dyne/Wasp and expressed interest in playing her along with Blonde Phantom before she was cast as Black Widow.[11]
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