Doctor Henry Jonathan “Hank” Pym is the scientist behind Marvel’s superhero Ant-Man. He is a biochemist, entomologist, and physicist interested in nanotechnology, quantum physics, and many other research areas. He invented the so-called Pym particles, which change the size of objects by shifting mass between alternate dimensions and by altering the distance between molecules [1].
Embedding the particles into a specialized suit, Hank Pym becomes the superhero Ant-Man, who can manipulate his size at will. He can shrink down to the size of an insect or grow to gigantic height. The suit not only provides better control over the particles and prevents uncontrolled size changes, but also protects the user from negative side effects, such as changes to the brain chemistry [2]. Pym teams up with his wife, Janet Van Dyne, who gets her own suit and assumes the identity of the superhero Wasp.
With the help of a special communication device, Ant-Man can telepathically connect with ants and other insects and influence them to his advantage. After losing his wife in the quantum realm due to uncontrolled shrinking, Hank gives up being Ant-Man and passes the title and the Ant-Man suit to his protégé Scott Lang, who now fights alongside the Avengers superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- [1] Hank Pym,
https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Hank_Pym.
(accessed May 14, 2019) - [2] Endgame: 10 Things You Need To Know About Pym Particles,
https://screenrant.com/avengers-endgame-pym-particles.
(accessed May 14, 2019)
Also of Interest
- The Molecular Marvels of Captain America,
Yann Brouillette, William D. Lubell,
ChemViews Mag. 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1002/chemv.201800111
The hypothetical (bio-)chemistry behind the transformation of a frail soldier into a comic book superhero
