Wasp (Janet van Dyne)

Janet van Dyne

• Long-term exposure to Pym Particles allows Janet to generate Particles within her own body naturally
• When shrunk, Janet's body retains the same overall mass he would if she were normal-sized. As a result, she basically becomes a human bullet, capable of jumping several hundred times her size and landing hits on opponents with as much force as she would at normal size as well
• Janet's Wasp suit has specialized, carbon polymer wings which, when shrunk, allow her to fly
• In addition to the wings, the Wasp suit's gauntlets are able to compress water molecules in the air so much that they discharge as glowing blasts of heat, referred to as her "stings"
• Like Henry Pym, Janet van Dyne can grow in size, possessing colossal strength and speed. She can lift up to 4,000 metric tons at maximum height and run at speeds of up to 94 miles per hour when giant-sized

• Janet cannot remain giant-sized for long stretches of time, typically between 12 to 36 hours, depending on height

Janet is notorious for her flighty, almost ditzy persona. A socialite by nature, she spent the first half of her college years partying and spending time with friends, much to her father's chagrin. Even so, Janet loved both of her parents deeply, and was distraught by her father's murder at the hands of A.I.M.

Despite her reputation, Janet loves being a superhero, usually quipping and making sarcastic remarks and slapstick in combat. Her admiration for people like her mother and grandfather gave Janet a deep-rooted sense of compassion for other people and a desire to help in any way she can, both with and without her wealth. In addition, Janet looks up to Captain America, who saved her grandfather's life in the war, and after resurrecting the time-lost hero, viewed him as a big brother-type figure in her life.

Janet is deeply in love with Hank and sees many things in him that he, himself, doesn't, to her frustration. She considers their partnership as Ant-Man and the Wasp the greatest testament to their relationship, as each one is a virtuoso to the other. Despite the emotional wall Hank keeps up, she knows he cares about her, too.

Born into luxury, Janet van Dyne is the daughter of the brilliant Vernon van Dyne, the founder of Van Dyne Innovations, and granddaughter of World War II veteran Vincent van Dyne. Early in life, Janet witnessed her mother, Joan, aspire to help the poor and needy despite her status. After Joan died from cancer when Janet was six, the impact had such a profound effect on the latter that she dedicated herself to trying to follow in her footsteps and help other people.

Years later, Janet met Henry Pym, secretly the superhero Ant-Man, who had recently been hired on as a contract engineer for her father's company. When Vernon was murdered by agents of the terrorist organization Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) in order to obtain his research, Hank, as Ant-Man, sought justice against them, but was nearly killed in the ensuing battle against their leader, M.O.D.O.K., a former colleague of Vernon's who envied his work. Janet found and saved Hank, discovering his secret identity in the process. Determined to help, she convinced him to develop a specialized suit and helmet, similar to his own, to help him battle A.I.M. Despite Hank's reluctance to put Janet in danger, he conceded.

Hank used the opportunity as a chance to test out prototypes of new weapons he'd designed, specifically a pair of experimental, bio-synthetic wings and wrist-mounted "stingers." Taking on the codename "the Wasp," Janet helped Hank defeat and drive away M.O.D.O.K., avenging her father's death. Afterwards, the two began a relationship and pursued a life of love and adventure as the duo Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Not long after Janet's debut as the Wasp, she and Hank found themselves caught up in a day unlike any other, when they and three more of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Thor (Sigurd Jarlson), and the Hulk (Bruce Banner), found themselves united against the time-traveling warlord of the forty-first century Kang the Conqueror, who had come to subjugate the twenty-first century. Working together, the five heroes defeated Kang and sent him fleeing back into the future. In the aftermath, the group stayed together as a team on Hank's suggestion, with Janet suggesting the dynamic moniker "the Avengers," which stuck.