Hank Pym

Living... as a bit of a loner, in San Francisco.

Profession... scientist, retired businessman, and former superhero. Hank is most famous for creating a revolutionary scientific element known as the Pym Particle, which allows him to shrink down to the size of an insect while harnessing incredible strength. He spent years working as “Ant-Man” for the secret governmental agency S.H.I.E.L.D. Upon learning that S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to secretly replicate his work, however, Hank angrily resigned and founded his own company called Pym Technologies. Unfortunately, Hank was later forced out by his protégé, Darren Cross. Now his scientific work is limited to his home lab.

Interests... befriending ants. Hank’s powers also enable him to communicate with ants, and he considers them to be his loyal, brave allies. His home and garden are welcome spaces for Carpenter Ants, Bullet Ants, Crazy Ants, and Fire Ants.

Relationship Status... still mourning his wife. Though Hank told his daughter Hope van Dyne that her mother died, the truth is a little more complicated. Janet van Dyne used to work alongside her husband as a superhero known as the Wasp. To complete a world-saving mission, Janet shrunk to the subatomic level, dooming herself to a life trapped in the inescapable Quantum Realm. Hank’s never fully recovered from that loss.

Challenge... training his replacement. With the nefarious Darren Cross on the verge of developing his own shrinking technology, Hank is determined to stop him. As Hank puts it, “As long as I am alive, nobody will ever get that formula.” To stop Darren, Hank enlists well-meaning thief Scott Lang as the next Ant-Man. Working on a tight timeline, Hank has to train the somewhat hapless Scott how to use his new super suit, shrink on command, and communicate with ants.

Personality... brilliant but closed off. Hank isn’t exactly a people person. Especially since losing his wife, he can be withdrawn and standoffish. He struggles to connect with his daughter Hope, and he’s supremely overprotective of her—mostly because he’s afraid of losing someone else he loves. Hank can be stubborn and temperamental, but deep down he has a caring heart and a devotion to the greater good. He knows that the Pym Particles he created can be used for terrible things, and he feels it’s his responsibility to stop the technology from falling into the wrong hands.