Warning: SPOILERS for Wasp #1Even though they are called the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes don’t tend to engage in much vengeance. The team are generally regarded as first-responders to superhuman disasters, fighting the threats no solo hero can handle alone. Indeed, even in terms of their origins, the original team are ‘Avengers’ in name only. Thor was born into a life of epic heroism, Iron Man created his suit to escape imprisonment, and Hulk and Ant-Man’s powers came from their pursuit of fringe science. The only one who became a hero to avenge someone was the Wasp.
Janet Van Dyne, also known as the Wasp, has often been treated as a secondary hero in the Marvel Universe. Even though she was a founding member of the Avengers, she originally lived in the shadow of Ant-Man – especially when he unlocked the ability to grow to gigantic size. Sadly, Janet was robbed of her founding Avenger status in the MCU, and it’s taken decades for her to simply get her own standalone title.
In Wasp #1 by Al Ewing and Kasia Nie, Janet recounts her past while also chronicling her presence in a New York City where being a superhero is outlawed. Thanks to the events of Devil’s Reign, only the Thunderbolts are able to operate within the city limits. Early in the issue, Janet talks about her life before she became the Wasp. Detailing how she became a hero (in 1963’s Tales to Astonish #44), Janet recalls how her father fell victim to a malicious psychic entity. Even though Ant-Man was on the case, Janet befriended Hank and became the Wasp specifically to avenge her father.
Wasp Was the Real ‘First Avenger’
Wasp embraced heroism by choice, not because she had already developed superhuman powers, and she did so to avenge her father. It therefore makes sense that – as seen in The Avengers #1 – it was Janet who gave the team their name, drawing on her own motivations to create a stunning legacy of sacrifice and heroism. Wasp has sustained the team through some of its darkest times, both leading and funding the group on various occasions. Even now, when she’s not officially on the roster, Wasp is still working for the Avengers, and has established a new base for the team in New York for when Kingpin’s anti-hero law is repealed.
Wasp’s Mission Shaped Avengers History
Janet’s origin shows that she is the only member of the original Avengers who became a hero specifically to avenge someone, and it’s her mission that branded them the ‘Avengers’ – a term which is now a household name. Contrary to the subtitle for Captain America’s MCU Debut film, it turns out the Wasp is actually the real first Avenger.
Wasp #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.
