Monday, September 22, 2014

ANT-MAN (LANG)






Scott Lang was the second man to take up the mantle of Ant-Man. He was a member of the Avengers and a member of the Fantastic Four. He was also the father of Cassie Lang from the Young Avengers.

 

 

Origin


 
 
Scott Lang in the first Ant-Man costume
Scott Lang was a down-on-his-luck electronics expert, who turned to burglary as a means of supporting his family. Scott proved to be a poor criminal and was arrested during a botched robbery. He was sent to prison, but received an early parole for good behavior.
After his release from jail, he was hired by Stark International to resume his work in electronics. Although Scott’s life seemed to be improving, he was devastated to learn that his daughter Cassie had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Scott desperately wanted to save Cassie’s life, and sought the aid of the brilliant micro surgeon Dr. Erica Sondheim. Unfortunately, Dr. Sondheim was being held prisoner by the mutated villain Darren Cross. To rescue Sondheim, Scott stole Hank Pym's old Ant-Man equipment. Taking the Ant-Man mantle, Scott used his new found power to defeat Cross and rescue the doctor.

Scott was prepared to return to prison for his crimes, but Hank Pym was impressed by his heroics and saw Scott's potential as a hero. Dr. Pym allowed Scott to continue using the Ant-Man equipment and identity. More importantly (at least to Scott), Dr. Sondheim was able to successfully treat Cassie’s heart condition.

Creation

David Michelinie and John Byrne created Scott Lang as featured in his first appearance in Avengers vol 1 #181 (3/1979). Michelinie wrote the story, Byrne drew the pencils and Gene Day finished the inks for this issue. Michelinie and Byrne were also the creative team for the debut and origin of Lang as the second Ant-Man in Marvel Premiere #47 (4/1979). Bob Layton finished the inks for this issue.

Character Evolution


First introduced as a struggling father and thief, Scott was granted the Ant-Man armor and powers and became the second Ant-Man with Hank Pym's blessing. Whilst initially not belonging to a team, instead occasionally helping out other heroes, he found a home as Richard's replacement in the Fantastic Four and then the Heroes for Hire. After this, he found himself as a an occasional team up partner again, but after losing custody of his daughter, Cassie, he joined the Avengers, the premier super hero team. However, Scott was a victim of the Scarlet Witch's madness when he was caught in the re-animated Jack of Heart's explosion, which she caused, this was the last straw in the Avengers, and the team disbanded. After his death, his daughter continued his legacy becoming the hero Stature. Recently, Scott was displaced in time, the moment right before he died, by Cassie and the Young Avengers. It remains to be seen if he will stay alive or return to his rightful place in time.

Major Story Arcs

Becoming a Hero

Scott divided his time between his roles as scientist, father, and superhero. He worked alongside several other heroes and frequently clashed with the mercenary trainer called Taskmaster. He fought the Taskmaster alongside the Avengers on three separate occasions and earned their respect as well as part-time membership with the team. When Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil took control of Avengers Mansion, Scott helped the Avengers retake their headquarters.

Fantastic Four


Scott as an FF member
Scott was later hired by the Fantastic Four as an electronics expert after Mr. Fantastic's apparent demise. Scott was soon inducted into the Fantastic Four, and helped the team during numerous adventures. Scott proved himself against a variety of foes and gained new confidence after successfully resisting possession by the insectoid Grottu. Following Mr. Fantastic's return from apparent death, Scott left the Fantastic Four as full-time member, but left with a smile on his face and a few new good friends.

Heroes for Hire

After Scott's adventures with the Fantastic Four, he joined the newest incarnation of the Heroes for Hire team set up by Iron Fist and Luke Cage. Scott had many adventures and battles with famous other Superhumans, making him a trusted sight in the superhero community. Scott remained with the group until they disbanded.
Some time after the group disbanded Scott began dating former superhero Jessica Jones, they were happily together for some time. It ended after Jessica told Scott that she was pregnant with Luke Cage's child, the former teammate of Scott when he was part of the Heroes for Hire team. After this, Scott would go on to provide backup to both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, assisting both super groups whenever his skills proved necessary. All this time he also stayed a loving and caring parent to his daughter Cassie.

Joining the Avengers


Scott Lang (Ant-Man)
Scott was subsequently invited to join the Avengers full-time, a role he accepted after losing custody of his daughter Cassie to his ex-wife. While with the Avengers, Scott often butted heads with fellow newcomer Jack of Hearts. After some time they started to understand each other more. It turned out that Jack would be consumed by his own powers, unless he would go into a holding cell to siphon off the overpowering energies building up inside him. After Scott came to know these problems, they both got more and more respect for each other. And despite the animosity they first had, Jack even helped Scott during one of his darkest hours. Scott's daughter Cassie was abducted by an insane man, who saw his own dead daughter in Cassie and wanted to kill her for that reason.
Scott and Jack of Hearts both came to the rescue of his daughter. Only problem was that Jack had been away from his holding cell for too long and the energies inside him where building up to dangerous levels. As soon as Cassie was safe, Jack grabbed the insane man, said goodbye to Scott, seeing him as a true friend and flew of into outer space. There Jack seemingly exploded and ceased to exist. Scott knew that he had lost a friend who sacrificed himself to save that which Scott loved most in life, his daughter.

Death and Legacy

Jack of Hearts would soon reappear floating outside of Avengers Mansion. He was clearly in distress and appeared to be in a catatonic state, crackling with uncontrolled energy. Unknown to the Avengers at the time, Jack was under the control of the now insane Scarlet Witch, who intended on using him as a weapon against her former comrades. As Scott rushed out of the mansion to confront Jack, the undead Jack of Hearts exploded, and Scott was incinerated by a tremendous discharge of energy. Scott’s death proved to be the first of a series of tragic occurrences that brought about Avengers Disassembled.
A commemorative statue for Scott was placed in the gardens of the Avengers Mansion. Scott Lang's legacy is currently kept alive by his daughter, Cassie, as the costumed hero Stature. Cassie was extremely effected by her Father's death and her costume is based on her Father's. Scott was also seen in the underworld when Hercules visited it. His helmet fell into the possession of Amadeus Cho, who, with Cassie's blessing, choose to wear it and harness it's insect controlling abilities.

Children's Crusade


Rejoined with his daughter
During the search for the Scarlet Witch, the Young Avengers, Iron Lad and the amnesiac Wanda, time travel to the day Wanda brought back Jack of Hearts and killed Scott in order to see if the present day Wanda's memory will be restored. Whilst there, they run into the alive Scott, moments before his death. Cassie immediately runs to him and hugs him, confused as to why she's there, and in a costume, Cassie tells him that they're dressing up for Halloween and taking them on a tour of the mansion. She begins to introduce the members to him, but at that moment, Jack of Hearts returns. However, just in time, Iron Lad returns them to the present day, with Scott. However, unknown as to why, Scott Lang is still dead in the present, but, moments later, the Scarlet Witch returns and remembers everything. Later, whilst fighting the empowered Victor Von Doom, Scott shrinks down and approaches Doom, backed by a swarm of flying ants. Doom attacks back; Cassie - fearing her father is again dead- grows to Doom's size and punches him. Doom retaliates with an energy blast which deals a fatal blow to Cassie. She later dies from her injuries in Scott's arms.

Future Foundation


When the Fantastic Four decided to go a road trip through space and time, Scott was recruited along with She Hulk, Medusa, and Miss Thing to make up a temporary replacement team for the Future Foundation. It is evident that Scott is still mourning the loss of his daughter and as such wishes Doom dead. Eventually, Scott devises a plan to defeat Doctor Doom and exact vengeance for what he did to Cassie. Utilizing a new, more comprehensive way of manipulating Pym Particles, Scott nearly kills Doom, but chooses to spare his life, reasoning that the humiliation would be worse than death.
Following the murder of the Watcher, Scott is chosen alongside Black Panther, the Winter Soldier, Gamora, Emma Frost, the Punisher, and Doctor Strange as one of the potential candidates to replace the original Nick Fury in his role as the defender of Earth. He and the others help defeat Fury after he is revealed to be the Watcher's true murderer.

Powers and Equipment

  • Size manipulation
  • Communication equipment
  • Ability to control ants

Alternate Realities

House Of M

Scott is still alive and is married to Jessica Jones.

Ultimate

Lang appears as a new recruit for the New Ultimates as the new Giant-Man.

Avengers Fairy Tales

Scott appears as the Caterpillar.

MC2

Scott had retired from super-heroics and developed new size altering technology. The tech was stolen by Cassie and she became the super hero known as Stinger. Later, Scott came out of retirement to save and repair Mainframe from the inside. Scott felt a renewed love for super-heroics and came out of retirement and joined A-Next.

Thunder Guard

Scott was part of a Nazi Avengers called the Thunder Guard. He was named 'Pincer' and was extremely unstable, having killed his own daughter. They fought A-Next.

In Other Media

Film

Ant-Man


Paul Rudd as Lang
Scott Lang will appear as the lead in the 2015 Ant-Man movie, played by Paul Rudd.

Television

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes


Scott Lang as he appears in AEMH season 2
Scott Lang makes his first media appearance in Marvel's highly acclaimed television show, Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Scott Lang's story on becoming the Ant-Man is a bit altered, but the backstory on his life as a criminal and eventually being caught remains the same. Lang made his first appearance in the 2nd season of the show in episode five titled: "To Steal an Ant-Man", which aired Sunday, April 29th, 2012. During this episode Scott Lang becomes the permanent Ant-Man after being deemed worthy by his predecessor, Hank Pym, whom helped save his daughter from a bunch of criminals

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