Domestic Abuse in Ant-Man and the Wasp

There is a very valid argument that comic books are not the best platform to address some issues in modern-day society. However, some writers have hit and missed with storylines that deal with touchy topics. Some of these stories have gone on to define the characters for better or for worse.

One of the best examples of how stories of that ilk have taken a toll on characters is probably the case of Marvel Comics’ Hank Pym, who is often known for carrying the mantles of Ant-Man, Yellowjacket, and Giant-Man. But, unfortunately, he is also known for being the “wife beater” of the Marvel Universe.

Today we will address the domestic abuse of Hank and his wife or girlfriend, Janet van Dyne, and how that played a role in how the characters have been written throughout the years.

Who are these characters?

Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne were two of the earliest characters in Marvel Comics, and they were founding members of the Avengers, by and large being consistent parts of their roster, at least in the first twenty years of the team’s existence. In addition, they were romantically involved, making their relationship an essential aspect of their characters.

Even though they were part of the Avengers, they never honestly had consistent runs as a solo series, and that led to them not always having the best characterizations. However, they always were cult favorites among Marvel Comics fans.

Hank had multiple aliases, but his powers always focused on shrinking or getting bigger. Likewise, Janet always focused on getting smaller as the Wasp, much like what you see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Jim Shooter taking over the Avengers.

Jim Shooter is a legend of the comic book medium and one of the most important figures of Marvel Comics in the late 70s and early 80s as their Editor-in-Chief. He started with DC Comics in the 60s when he was only 13 years old and had a successful career with both comics. Shooter wrote issue #213 of the Avengers series, which would become one of the most controversial chapters of the man’s career.

Shooter’s logic was that Hank Pym was a character always struggling and having a lot of failures in his life, including the creation of the villainous robot Ultron, which, sadly enough, was Hank’s biggest claim to fame. So, his goal during his Avengers run was to make the character grow through all these struggles.

Shooter wanted Hank to reach rock bottom, even going as far as landing in jail and losing Janet due to their strained relationship, and then have a redemption arc where he could return as a better man. This was an excellent idea that fits with the character of Hank Pym before this issue.

The thing was that, according to the writer himself, things didn’t go according to plan, and here we have the man’s statement straight from his blog back in 2011:

“In that story, there is a scene in which Hank is supposed to have accidentally struck Jan while throwing his hands up in despair and frustration — making a sort of ‘get away from me’ gesture while not looking at her. [Illustrator] Bob Hall, who had been taught by [comic book artist] John Buscema to always go for the most extreme action, turned that into a right cross! There was no time to have it redrawn, which, to this day has caused the tragic story of Hank Pym to be known as the ‘wife-beater’ story.”

There you go, straight from the author himself. And this was a story that Bob Hall, the artist in charge of drawing this story, has confirmed in recent years.

The legacy of Hank Pym.

Domestic abuse is a reality that both men and women go through every day. It is a very delicate subject that can generate a lot of sensitive reactions from readers when they see it in a comic because it might spark some traumatic memories. After all, no one wants to read a comic book hero, who is supposed to be the best of us, going through such a dark path as it can defeat the purpose of heroism.

Maybe the problem wasn’t showing a case of domestic abuse but more about Hank being the abuser because he is a regular character in the Marvel Universe, which has become his defining trait beyond the creation of Ultron. And everything that his character has done ever since has centered around his case of domestic abuse, which is unfair because it keeps him from growing and evolving.

It also asks if a domestic abuser can have a redemption arc. Hank, as far as we know, only hit Janet once and only because of a misunderstanding between Shooter and Hal regarding the script. And Hank helped save the world multiple times as a superhero and member of the Avengers. So maybe he deserves a chance at redemption and becoming a better man, which was Shooter’s initial goal with this storyline.

But, sadly enough, this never fully came to be, and the character has been in comic book limbo ever since, with writers often putting him aside or just exploring the abuser elements in him, which perhaps is doing him a disservice.

This is an excellent example of what can happen when a comic book storyline explores character flaws similar to what real folks experience daily. Does Hank deserve redemption? Let me know your thoughts.