For other uses, see Wasp (disambiguation) |
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 to the United States in 1987, saving millions of lives but also becoming lost to the Quantum Realm.
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, something Pym had been desperately trying to do for some time, 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 fully heal 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 along with every other individual who had been eliminated during the Snap, and later attended Tony Stark's funeral.
Biography
Early Life
Having a Family
- "Were there horses on it?"
"Oh boy."
"That’s where I hid every time we played." - ―Hope van Dyne and Scott Lang[src]
Janet van Dyne married Hank Pym, who developed a way to shrink a human to the size of an ant and maintain their strength. He also discovered a way to communicate with ants. Pym would use his discoveries to operate within S.H.I.E.L.D., going on missions as "Ant-Man". Together, they would have a daughter named Hope. Van Dyne and Hope would play hide-and-seek together, with Hope always hiding in the wardrobe.[1]
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Confronting Elihas Starr
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 at 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.[2]
Last Mission
In 1987, van Dyne and Hank Pym were called upon to disarm a Soviet ICBM 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 the 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 that last time she would see for a while.
However, when they arrived at, the 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.
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 bomb, saving thousands of lives.[3]
The Quantum Realm
Trapped Forever
This section requires expansion |
- "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."
- ―Hank Pym to Hope van Dyne[src]
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. To protect their daughter, from the horrifying truth, Hank Pym told her that van Dyne had died in a plane crash. The two then became distant as he sent her off to boarding school, while he studied the Quantum Realm in hopes to try and rescue her.[1]
Reaching Out to Scott Lang
- "It's not the reunion I imagined, it's all so rushed. You two have done such great work, you just need a little nudge."
- ―Janet van Dyne to Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne[src]
In 2018, when a doorway to the Quantum Realm was opened, and van Dyne managed to entangle with Scott Lang in a dream, having been in contact with him in the Quantum Realm. She made Lang experience a memory of van Dyne's, playing hide and seek with his daughter, Hope. This then caused Lang to get back into contact with Hank Pym to tell him about the dream. When Lang met up with Pym and Hope, he told them about the dream, mentioning a memory of a girl hiding in a wardrobe, which Hope revealed was her, and that it meant that van Dyne was alive.
As the trio tried to open the Quantum Tunnel again, van Dyne was able to temporarily inhabit Lang's body. She then began to fix the algorithm, which she knew, having 30 years to have thought about it. Pym and Hope then realized that van Dyne 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.[3]
Rescued
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 outside the Quantum Realm: 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, Ant-Man and the Wasp 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 Ant-Man, 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.[3]
Thanos' Victory
Harvesting Quantum Energy
- "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, we won't be able to save you." - ―Hope van Dyne and Janet van Dyne[src]
Keeping his promise to Bill Foster, Hank Pym, along with his family and Scott Lang began working on finding a permanent cure for Ava Starr. They created a smaller Quantum Tunnel in Luis' Van, much to Pym's chagrin, where they would plan to harvest Quantum energy. They set themselves up on the top floor of a carpark, where Pym 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 the rest of her family, suddenly disintegrated. This was due to Thanos wielding the Infinity Stones to erase half of all live in the universe, for which he was successful in doing so. This then cause Lang to be stuck in the Quantum Realm, unaware of what was happening, as he desperately called out to them.[4]
Five years later, after the Hulk snapped his fingers, he brought all those killed in the Snap back, including van Dyne and her family. However, they returned to their last location with all their equipment gone. Her daughter was contacted by the Masters of the Mystic Arts and she left to help fight in the Battle of Earth, which Scott Lang was present at, despite initially thinking he was in the Quantum Realm. Van Dyne and Hank Pym then reunited with Lang as they attended the funeral for Tony Stark, who sacrificed his life to defeat Thanos.[5]
Personality
- "Janet was the only one who could endure him and chose to stick it out."
- ―Bill Foster[src]
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.
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
Wasp Suit Capabilities
- Size Manipulation: 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.
- 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.
Former Powers
- Quantum Particle Manipulation: After spending three decades in the Quantum Realm, van Dyne could use the molecules around her to shape herself and remain stable. This allowed her to survive in the realm for decades seemingly without sustenance.
- Quantum Entanglement: 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. She was also able to possess Lang’s body and use him to reveal her precise location.
- Quantum Healing: After absorbing quantum energies at an unprecedented rate, van Dyne was able to manipulate the structure of living organisms on the 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.
Abilities
- "All I'm saying is that she is a brilliant scientist. She may be able to help."
- ―Bill Foster to Ghost[src]
- 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 Tunnel Quantico, being said by Bill Foster as a brilliant scientist.
- Master Artist Martial: Van Dyne is a highly trained fighter, having received extensive training by SHIELD, able to fight evenly with the use of Wasp Suit, helping to dominate stronger opponents.
Equipment
Other Equipment
- Wasp Suit: 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: To be added
Vehicles
- Quantum Vehicle: To be added
Relationships
Family
Allies
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Enemies
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Appearances
Appearances for Janet van Dyne |
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In chronological order:
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Trivia
- In the comics, Janet van Dyne was the original incarnation of Wasp and a founding member of the Avengers, actually giving this name to the team.
Behind the Scenes
- Joss Whedon intended to use Wasp in The Avengers as one of the female leads when Scarlett Johansson's involvement was still unconfirmed. However, plans to use both Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne were ultimately scrapped.[6]
- Michelle Pfeiffer's appearance in Ladyhawke was the primary reference for Janet van Dyne's youthful appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp.[7]
- Before Michelle Pfeiffer was cast as Janet van Dyne, Sharon Stone was considered for the role.
- While developing the story of Avengers: Endgame, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely considered having Janet and Hank Pym appearing with their Ant-Man Suits during the Battle of Earth sequence, but they ultimately scrapped them from the battle to not make it a "character orgy".[8]
- Renae Moneymaker was a stunt double for Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Janet van Dyne.
- Melinda Russell was a stand-in for Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Janet van Dyne.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ant-Man
- ↑ Ant-Man and the Wasp Deleted Scene
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ant-Man and the Wasp
- ↑ Ant-Man and the Wasp Mid-credits Scene
- ↑ Avengers: Endgame
- ↑ Joss Whedon Says His Avengers Script Originally Included The Wasp
- ↑ A Bug’s Wife: Ant-Man and the Wasp
- ↑ ‘Avengers: Endgame’: The Screenwriters Answer Every Question You Might Have