Featuring: Giant-Man and Wasp
Release: March 4, 1965
Cover: June 1965
12 cents
Stupefying script by: Stan Lee
Stereophonic art by: Bob Powell
Stultifying inking by: Vince Colletta
Schizophrenic lettering by: S. Rosen
12 pages
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Who is Giant-Man’s #1 archnemesis? I had previously suggested it was Egghead, and my friend Dan countered with the Human Top. His original run only featured three repeat super-villains, Porcupine being the other. He fought Egghead 4 times and now Human Top 3 times. But two Human Top stories are 3-parters so Human Top appears in 5 different issues. They’re both strong contenders. Maybe we’ll see which are in more significant stories in the decades to come. So far, neither has been in any story I would call particularly significant. The possible exceptions are issues 57 and 59. 57 is significant for guest-starring Spider-Man and happens to feature Egghead. 59 is significant for guest-starring Hulk and happens to feature Human Top.
Neither is a particularly good villain.
Honestly, I would argue Porcupine is the best of the 3 villains, which is why he will go one to find better nemeses than Giant-Man and Wasp.
The issue opens with Human Top crashing a plane into Giant-Man to knock him unconscious. He’s stumped as to what to do next. Even unconscious, Human Top can’t figure out how to harm a giant.
The last time Human Top had Giant-Man at his mercy, he didn’t want to harm him. He thought locking him in a closet would be enough satisfaction.
We confirm that Hank has lost his shrinking powers permanently. Ant-Man is no more. This is hard to reconcile with the aliens’ claim last issue that they’d undo all the effects of Supramor’s green ray.
That’s not the only change to the status quo.
He decides 35 feet is the height that gives him optimal strength now, instead of 12 feet. That’s a lot taller.
Also, he realizes he can’t change size as often as he used to. The strain is too much, so he’ll have to stick to one size for the duration of a fight.
Thus we have Hank’s new status quo. Hank will never grow small again. For a battle, he’ll grow to 35 feet and maintain that height for the entire battle.
Hank’s not the only one with changes coming. He alters Wasp’s helmet to allow her to cybernetically communicate with wasps. We’ve seen her command wasps before, back in issue 46, so it’s not precisely clear what’s new here.
And then she gets a pet wasp, Boopsie, who she can ride.
Now, just last issue, she got a pet bee she could ride. The bee was specially trained and loyal to her and it was a whole thing. But that bee will never get mentioned again. Now she rides a wasp. I guess that fits her brand better. She says she never liked that bee.
It’s important to note that neither Hank nor Jan seem about to retire, yet they announce their retirement in Avengers #16, which hits stands just next week. I like to think this and the next issue both take place in the middle of Avengers #16.
Final makeover is for the Human Top. He has a new outfit and the ability to fly. His new outfit is awful. And what he really needs is a new name, something that really captures how he whirls around like wind.
Human Top disguises himself using a fake beard, which he pulls off to reveal his true identity.
The issue ends with a cliffhanger, as Wasp is the prisoner of the Human Top.
Glad we devoted 9 of 12 pages to setting up a new status quo for the penultimate issue of the series.
Rating: ★★½, 47/100
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. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Giant-Man/Henry Pym
- Human Top
- Wasp/Jan Van Dyne
- Boopsie
Minor characters:
- Hank’s private guard
Story notes:
- Giant-Man lost shrinking powers last issue.
- Hank finds 35 feet is his new ideal height for keeping his strength; note still doesn’t seem about to retire.
- Giant-Man passes out from strain of too much size-changing.
- Human Top designs new costume including aeordynamic design and helium gas — now he can fly.
- Jan now has a pet wasp, Boopsie.
- New cybernetic helmet allows Jan to communicate with wasps.
- Human Top masquerades as Globe reporter with fake beard.
| Previous | #354 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #67, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #68, Story B |
| Tales to Astonish #67, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #68, Story B |
