Henry “Hank” Pym is one of the most well known characters in comic book history. He was the first Ant-Man, discovering the Pym Particles that allow anything they touch to shrink or grow. Heck, he experiences growth from the tiny ant to the colossal Giant-Man and Goliath. He even shrunk back down to become Yellowjacket and then the Wasp. Although his time as Yellowjacket seems to be the source of some of the most controversial topics about him.
Welcome to Comic Theory where I offer a plausible explanation on why things act the way they do.
Hank Pym: A Not-so-Tiny Background
Now Marvel’s Ant-Man movies keep Hank Pym’s his mental illnesses a pretty good distance away. I mean, the Yellowjacket identity and mental degradation go to the villain who made Scott Lang Ant-Man. All the better with the tacky costume made of CG.
Sure, movie Hank’s still a patronizing jerk, but compared to the comics, Hank Pym has a lot of issues. I mean creating the menace Ultron and attacking his then wife Janet van Dyne is just the top of the list.
While the early comics say that this is because of Pym Particle induced schizophrenia, there is a problem with this. Several other characters like the other Ant-Men and Wasps have been exposed to the same amount of Pym Particles. Some of them like Janet can even generate their own. So why’s Hank is the only one who suffers mental breakdowns?
Time to Re-Hypothesize
Comics on later dates suggest that Hank might have actually developed schizophrenia naturally. While schizophrenia has no known key cause; studies show that family history, environment, and altered brain chemistry play roles. We’ll be skipping the brain chemistry as people hand-wave that too many times.
It’s safe to rule out inherited schizophrenia since Hank was encouraged by his loved ones to enjoy himself. It’s more likely that Hank’s issues are more of a stressful environment. Hank’s colleagues do say to keep his hopes and dreams low after a pretty nice childhood of high hopes. Plus there’s the stress of Hank losing his wife before Janet (and a daughter he never knew).
Colonizing the Data
Sure turning the terror of shrinking Pym Particle formula on its head thanks to Janet, helps relieve some of that stress. But when he shares his adventures with the Wasp and the Avengers, an inferiority complex springs up. How would you compare yourself to the charming Captain America, tech billionaire Iron Man, and a Thunder God?
By that point Hank experiments in different methods. It doesn’t take much stretching of the imagination to becoming Giant-Man and Goliath and creating an AI using his own mind as a base to see some insecurities. They just happen to rear their ugly head in two ways.
The first is Ultron who takes the time to hypnotize Hank into forgetting about the robot as it wreaks havoc. Now despite what people tend to think, hypnotism only works if the person being hypnotized wants to give in. Meaning Hank Pym chooses to compartmentalize a more unstable part of himself and scapegoats it into the mechanized monstrosity. It’s only when Hank’s inhibitions are removed in a Mr. Hyde fashion that his instabilities manifest again as the new identity Yellowjacket. While it allows Hank to confess and marry Janet, it eventually leads to the downfall of Hank Pym.
The Hornet’s Sting
Despite the lack of limitations, Hank still has his insecurities in mind. With his mental instabilities and the juggling between his identities, this causes a period of depression that leads to his court martial after a mission goes wrong. Desperate to regain his reputation and going through a mental breakdown, Hank creates a robot to attack the Avengers. When Janet tries to stop him, it leads to the infamous scene that labeled Hank a “wife-beater”.
Accidental Point
Now before I go into more story details, Jim Shooter explained that the above scene was supposed to be an accident. It was meant to be a gesture of dismissal that accidentally strikes Janet. But Bob Hall misinterpreted the act to show Hank losing his temper and lashing out at Janet.
Not that it takes away from the severity of a built-up mental breakdown. It’s just a reference point.
Justified Case
One of the effects of schizophrenia is actually thoughts and experiences that seem out of touch with reality. Due to Hank’s mental breakdown; it’s possible Hank doesn’t remember what exactly happens. Or maybe that’s trying to be meta on Bob Hall’s interpretation of events based on Shooter’s description. Getting old will do that, as will other issues of how aggressive Hank is getting. It does look like the signs of an abusive relationship.
Now I’m not the only one who thinks this might be the case. Another blog called The Comic’s Cube writes a post explaining that the issue trivializes domestic violence and disregards mental illnesses. Which again, at this point it was chemically enhanced, not something that’s always been there. Another blog by Colin Smith describes how the writers (and by their writing Janet) make mistakes regarding Hank’s mental wellness. In real life emergency situations, staying in duty post-trauma can affect a person in the worst ways.
What Could’ve Been
While Hank Pym hit Janet, a real life court decision would make a full investigation into the causes. The comics never even bring a therapist to take notes on the situation. Hank and Janet even had a real life relationship outside of the superhero costumes. They could’ve explained to a judge about their marital problems without compromising their status as Avengers. Just because something evokes something too real, it doesn’t mean it’s realistic.
Treatment and Future for Hank Pym
But back to Hank, he was at the end of his rope and went through a lot of therapeutic situations to better himself. Frankly his rise back up in West Coast Avengers feels like something everybody forgets. It is through genuine love, affection, and the will to forgive himself that Hank manages to pull through.
Unfortunately, schizophrenia is a lifelong affliction that can rear its ugly head at some crucial points in a person’s life. For Hank Pym it came back in the form of his worst creations: Yellowjacket joining the Illuminati during an event that brings out the worst in everybody and then through Ultron. Not only did Ultron nearly wipe out organic life, he showed how Hank’s mental illness will leave scars that will never go away. This all came full circle when Hank actually combines with Ultron into a cyborg. Hank’s mind eventually interfaces with Ultron becoming the darkest version of himself. Hank has been battling with himself and this time can’t scapegoat it on Ultron or Yellowjacket.
Hank Pym: Ultimatum
So to answer the question of how schizophrenic Hank is; he’s certainly aware of his identity and became even more aware of the worst parts of him. Unfortunately, Hank doesn’t seem to be able to control that dark part of him. By the time Hank inevitably comes back with Ultron out of his system, it’s going to take a lot of therapy. I wonder if Doc Sampson can help in this sense. Hank Pym just might have to go the route of his MCU counterpart. Basically retire from being a superhero and live a long life surrounded by the people who actually care about him.
But that’s a theory… a theory that should be taken with serious consideration… But I’m not a Marvel staff member, so I hope they’re reading this! Thanks for coming to the end and I hope you come back for more.
Okay quick note: Marvel officially calls Hank Pym’s condition Biploar Disorder. Medically wise this seems to be the Other-type since the symptoms are all over the place. Also his state passes onto his daughter Nadia.