Wasp (character)
The Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963).
| The Wasp | |
|---|---|
Janet van Dyne as Wasp with Yellowjacket on the cover of The Avengers #71 (November 2003). Art by J. G. Jones | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963) |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer/plotter) Ernie Hart (writer/scripter) Jack Kirby (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Janet Van Dyne |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Avengers Uncanny Avengers Agents of Wakanda Lady Liberators West Coast Avengers Mighty Avengers Defenders |
| Partnerships | Hank Pym |
| Notable aliases | Winsome Wasp Wondrous Wasp Giant Woman |
| Abilities |
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Janet van Dyne is usually depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of several centimeters, fly by means of insectoid wings, and fire bioelectric energy blasts. She is a founding member of the Avengers and the one who gave them their name as well as a longtime leader of the team. She is also the ex-wife of Hank Pym and the stepmother of Nadia van Dyne.
The Wasp has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful female heroes.
The character appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man (2015) in a cameo role, portrayed by Hayley Lovitt, while Michelle Pfeiffer portrays Janet van Dyne in the films Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). An original MCU Wasp, Janet's daughter Hope van Dyne (named after Hope Pym), is portrayed in each film by Evangeline Lilly.