Ant-Man

Powers and abilities

• Size manipulation: Pym Particles let him shrink to insect size or smaller while keeping full-size strength
• Growth: can also enlarge himself to giant proportions
• Insect communication: his cybernetic helmet lets him command and talk to ants and other insects
• Electronics genius: highly skilled engineer and inventor of gadgets
• Burglary skills: expert at bypassing locks and security systems
• Ant-Man suit: protective costume with breathing apparatus and helmet
• Combat training: competent hand-to-hand fighter honed through Avengers service

Overview

Scott Edward Harris Lang is the second hero to use the Ant-Man identity in the Marvel Universe, succeeding founding Avenger Hank Pym. An electronics engineer and reformed thief from Coral Gables, Florida, he was created by David Michelinie and John Byrne and debuted in Avengers #181. Lang is best known as an everyman hero — a divorced dad and working technician whose good intentions often outpace his experience — and has served extended tenures with both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.

History

Desperate to save his critically ill daughter Cassie, Lang broke into Hank Pym's home and stole the Ant-Man suit to rescue a doctor who could treat her; Pym, impressed by his motives, let him keep the identity. Lang subsequently worked as a hero and technician, aiding the Avengers and later joining the Fantastic Four as their staff engineer. He has weathered periods of loss and apparent death, returned to lead an Avengers roster, and ran his own security firm while balancing heroics with fatherhood.

Family & Relationships

His daughter Cassie Lang is central to his life and later became a hero in her own right, first as Stature and then as Stinger, partnering with her father in the field. Lang's marriage to Cassie's mother, Peggy Rae, ended in divorce, and he has had significant romantic relationships including one with the Wasp, Janet van Dyne. His mentor-and-successor bond with Hank Pym remains one of his defining connections.

Teams & Affiliations

Lang has been a member of the Avengers across multiple eras, including a stint leading a team, and served as the Fantastic Four's resident engineer and sometime member. He has also worked with the Guardians of the Galaxy in the cosmic arena and operated independently through his own businesses, Electrolang, Inc. and Ant-Man Security Solutions. In recent years he has frequently teamed with his daughter in her Stinger identity.

Notable Facts

Lang has used the aliases Myrmidon and, briefly, Nova, and his identity as Ant-Man is publicly known. His origin as a thief who stole a hero's suit for the noblest of reasons is one of Marvel's most-cited redemption arcs. He reached mass audiences through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Paul Rudd's portrayal made Scott Lang, rather than Hank Pym, the definitive screen Ant-Man.