Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: June 2, 1964
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
By: Stan Lee, Dick Ayers, Paul Reinman, S. Rosen
5 pages
Wasp’s solo adventures were cancelled, so there is a 5-page void. Starting next issue, Hulk will get half the pages. This issue, the void gets filled with an “About” section. We recently saw a similar feature for Iron Man.
I don’t own this comic, and the digital versions of Tales to Astonish #59 exclude this section for some reason. Which makes it a hard story to track down. It was reprinted in Marvel Tales #13.
While the story title claims we will learn about Hank and Jan, it’s almost entirely about Hank. Wasp is just not treated with sufficient dignity. When she is mentioned, it’s only in the context of talking about Hank. The comic mentions her air gun, but focuses on the fact that Hank invented it. The comic dedicates more space to talking about their headquarters.
The comic mostly walks through what we know about Giant-Man. I think the only new details are that Captain America taught him karate and the precise weight he can press: 2000 pounds.
The story is notable for doubling down on two of the series’ dumbest features.
First, the insane and incredibly sexist violation that is Hank’s power to cause Jan to shrink or grow at will (his will, not hers). A power that comes from circuity he put into his headpiece but never shared with her. We learned in the main story of this issue that she has asked him not to do that, but he keeps doing it anyway, and this feature touts it as a cool power of his. So, on a whim, he will cause Jan to shrink or grow, without permission and against her wishes.
But most mind-numbing to me is the trope where when he changes between Ant-Man and Giant-Man, people seem to think he’s appearing out of nowhere or teleporting. It’s especially weird when people know he has the power to grow or shrink and still act shocked when he disappears. I thought it was weird how often people did that, but apparently it’s entirely intentional. Another feature of his powers, in Lee’s mind. The ability to fool people into thinking he can turn invisible.
The first people to get shocked by his sudden appearance are the Avengers. I guess they just assumed Ant-Man and Wasp were always small. All of them were oddly surprised to see them grow to normal size.
More baffling is the Human Top. He had just stolen and taken Giant-Man’s growth pills, so he obviously knows about them. When Giant-Man shows up tiny, Human Top calls him Ant-Man. That is also the name Pym refers to himself as when tiny. He’s the only hero who changes his codename based on what power he is currently using.
Surely Human Top knows they are the same person? He knows Giant-Man can grow and shrink. He knows Wasp used to partner with Ant-Man. If he can see the costume, he’d see they were identical.
Nonetheless, he is confused when Giant-Man seems to suddenly appear. Hopefully, he’s just confused because Giant-Man somehow escaped his ingenious “lock in a closet” trap.
It makes sense the random partygoer in Tales to Astonish #56 was confused. He doesn’t seem to recognize who Giant-Man is, so it’s entirely understandable he would be surprised by the sudden appearance.
Then Magician also gets confused. He can grow, people! It didn’t seem like he was there a moment ago because he was really small!
Then, in issue 57, Egghead, allegedly a super genius, who has fought both Ant-Man and Giant-Man and claims to know they are the same person… is still confused when Giant-Man shows up. You’d just been fighting his the partner, the Wasp! You know he can be tiny. You know he can grow. Why are you confused?
Even by Avengers #5, Iron Man is still not used to it. Note that Tony Stark is also supposedly a genius.
Then, in issue 58, the Colossus, who also knows he can shrink and grow, gets so scared when he seems to be disappearing and reappearing, that he flees Earth and calls off the invasion!
In this very issue, Betty is equally confused by Giant-Man’s appearance.
It’s weird to me that Stan thought this bizarre trope was a good thing to highlight. And it doesn’t end here. We have months to come of characters getting shocked by Giant-Man appearing.
Why do… giants… suddenly appear… every time ants are near?
Wasp thinks the next feature will be dedicated to her. It’s cute that she thinks that. There won’t be a next one.
Rating: ★★½, 45/100
Significance: ★★☆☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man/Giant-Man vol. 2. You can find the story in Ant-Man/Giant-Man Epic Collection vol. 1: The Man in the Ant Hill.
The story isn’t available digitally as far as I can tell. I found the images above online; they are all from a reprint in Marvel Tales #13 (1968).
Characters:
- Giant-Man/Ant-Man/Henry Pym
- Wasp
Story notes:
- Henry Pym a biochemist.
- Cybernetic helmet: sends out cybernetic force waves to alter Wasp’s size.
- Giant-Man changes size so quickly that many of his foes think he can turn invisible.
- Giant-Man grows weaker if he grows taller than 12 feet.
- Climbing-aid device for use when ant-size.
- Wasp bends her wrist to fire air gun.
- Ant-Man pulled by chariot of flying ants, or can just ride them.
- At 12 feet, Giant-Man can press up to 2000 pounds.
- Giant-Man has improved his speed, agility, coordination and dexterity.
- Captain America taught Giant-Man karate.
- Description of Giant Man’s sky-hook.
- Headquarters in lower Manhattan; Giant-Man occupies duplex penthouse suite.
#226 story in reading order
Next: Sgt. Fury #9
Previous: Tales to Astonish #59
