WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp #1 by Mark Waid and Javi Garron.


The Marvel Cinematic Universe's next big film is, of course, Ant-Man and the Wasp, which arrives in just few short weeks. The movie sets itself apart from other MCU fare for many reasons; it's Marvel's first official team-up film (as indicated by its title), and it's also the studio's first movie with a female superhero in the title role. The Wasp is a fan-favorite character who's live-action debut has been a long time coming -- so long, in fact, some people might not even remember that she was one of the founding members of Marvel Comics' Avengers alongside Ant-Man, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk.

In order to tie into this important theatrical release, Marvel has launched a new Ant-Man and the Wasp comic miniseries by the creative team of Mark Waid and Javi Garron. While the series stars legacy versions of the insect-sized heroes in the form of Scott Lang and Nadia Van Dyne, the original duo of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne cast their inspiring shadows over the new pair's adventure, but as the first issue of the series re-tells the story of the original Ant-Man and the Wasp duo, longtime fans might realize that Marvel is has chosen to ignore, or perhaps even retcon, a rather controversial aspect of their relationship.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp love story

The very first page of Waid and Garron's Ant-Man and the Wasp #1 brings readers up to speed on the epic love story of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, a legendary crime-fighting duo and passionate lovers. The caption offers a quick recap about how the two started working together as a team, how "they shared a love so bright it shamed the stars" and... that's it. To readers who are picking up their first Ant-Man and the Wasp comic in order to get hyped for the MCU movie, the story of Hank and Janet is presented an epic tale of mythological proportions.

However, there is one big asterix next to the love story of the original Wasp and Ant-Man. Yes, the two were a longtime married couple, fighting crime together as husband and wife, and yes, they loved each other. But their relationship reached a mighty -- and quite controversial -- crucible when Hank (during his Yellowjacket) days, infamously slapped Janet in 1981. At that moment, Hank's character was cast in a much darker light considering that he had hit his wife, an irredeemable act to many of his and Jan's fans.

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Now, the moment was not intended to be the turning point in Hank's character that it became. Jim Shooter, who scripted the issue, is on the record as stating there was a miscommunication between him and artist Bob Hall, resulting in a scene that plays out different than planned. Shooter maintains that he wanted Hank to accidentally hit Jan as he flailed his arms about wildly, but Hall drew it in such a way it was clear Hank deliberately struck his wife. That's how it was published, and the damage was done: Hank Pym became an in-canon domestic abuser.

But none of that matters; on paper, Hank hit Jan, and it fundamentally changed the way fans looked at the hero. Tom Brevoort once told CBR that despite Marvel's attempts to "fix" it in the years that followed, the publisher realized it was stuck with the interpretation because "that was the most interesting thing that had ever happened to that character, and so that really cemented it."

Ant-Man Hits Wasp

Now, some believe that the character has more than earned redemption after decades of heroism, but for most readers, Hank Pym's big defining traits remain that he's the inventor of the Pym Particles, the creator of Ultron, and a man who beat his wife. Though Hank has been given moment of heroic redemption after moment of heroic redemption over the years, fans remained vocal in reminding people of his darkest act. The moment has long remained an important one in Marvel history, and now it appears that the company wants to discreetly sweep it under the rug.

This is more than likely due to the MCU's Ant-Man and the Wasp. With such a title, people will be looking to learn more about the superhero duo and of their adventures together, and perhaps Marvel doesn't want new readers to stumble upon a much darker period of the couple. It appears that, for better or worse, Marvel Comics' love story between Hank and Janet is being quietly retconned into something less controversial.


Ant-Man and the Wasp #1 by Mark Waid and Javi Garron, is on sale now.

Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man and The Wasp stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Judy Greer, David Dastmalchian, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Hannah John-Kamen, Randall Park and Walton Goggins. The film arrives in theaters on July 6.

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