“Pym Particles” are a group of subatomic particles discovered by Henry Pym. A breakthrough in the Marvel Universe, the particles could alter the size and mass of objects and even living things, bypassing the laws of physics.
Since their discovery, there has been a catalogue of heroes (& villains) that have used Pym Particles to further their own goals. But with so many users of the Particles, it’s good to keep in mind who has managed to use them to their full potential.
10 Hank Pym
While the character has a very battered and infamous reputation, the Marvel Universe would be greatly hindered without the genius discovery and mastery of Pym Particles by Hank Pym.
Pym mastered the Particles decades ago, using them to re-invent himself as Giant-Man, Ant-Man, Yellowjacket, and even assuming the mantle of the Wasp. His dominion over the Particles has earned him the title of Earth’s Scientist Supreme. There can be without a doubt no stronger wielder of the Pym Particles than Hank Pym himself.
9 Janet Van Dyne
Gaining access to the Pym Particles through her long relationship with Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne is widely seen as an expert on the Particles. Van Dyne has been a long-time member of the Avengers, where she has defended the world as the Wasp, mostly shrinking herself down but also being able to grow to giant size in times of need.
Due to an increased exposure to the Pym Particles, Janet is one of the few people who can change their size at will. Along with her synthetic wings, wasp-stinger technology, and years of combat experience, the Wasp is easily one of the strongest users of Pym Particles.
8 Scott Lang
An electronics engineer-turned-burglar, Scott Lang was forced to steal the Ant-Man suit from Hank Pym in order to help save his daughter Cassie from a serious heart condition. After returning the suit and preparing to turn himself in, Hank Pym allowed him to keep the technology, and with that Scott Lang became the new Ant-Man.
After a stint on the Avengers that was ended by the Scarlet Witch’s mental breakdown, Lang was resurrected and returned to crime-fighting. With an incredibly sharp mind that has allowed him to work for Stark Industries and the Future Foundation, Lang’s drive to help his family by any means necessary makes him a dangerous wielder of the Pym Particles.
7 Eric O’Grady
Eric O’Grady, the third person to assume the mantle of Ant-Man after Hank Pym and Scott Lang, is very much seen as a mixed bag. Described as “the Irredeemable Ant-Man,” O’Grady is known for his malleable morals and his inappropriate and inconsiderate behavior.
Having stole the Ant-Man suit when he worked for S.H.I.E.L.D, O’Grady originally used his power over Pym Particles for personal gain. O’Grady eventually joined the 50-State Initiative and the Thunderbolts, where his bad behavior was still rampant, but on the mend. His swansong was when he joined Steve Rogers’ Secret Avengers, where he finally proved himself worthy of his namesake, ultimately sacrificing his life to save an innocent child.
6 Cassie Lang
Cassandra Lang earns her ranking on this list as the youngest person to successfully master the use of the Pym Particles. After watching her father use the Particles to fight crime as Ant-Man alongside the Avengers, Cassie began exposing herself to Pym Particles at a very young age, eventually allowing her to change size at will.
Traumatized after his death in the Avengers: Disassembled event, Cassie decided to use the Pym Particles to carry on her father’s legacy, joining the Young Avengers as Stature. Now operating under the codename Stinger, Cassie’s use of the Particles is wise beyond her years.
5 Bill Foster
Dr. Bill Foster was, at his prime, one of the most famous faces on the Avengers. With a Ph.D. in biochemistry, Foster was a lab assistant to Hank Pym, where he perfectly replicate the Pym Particles, in a sheepish attempt to win back his ex-wife. Failing to do so, Foster was encouraged to fight crime by Hank Pym, and so he became Goliath.
Despite a tragic death during the superhuman Civil War, Goliath was beloved in the Avengers community. His strength bestowed to him through the Pym Particles was formidable, but it was his intellect that made him such an asset. With his expertise in biochemistry, he frequently found himself offering his help to other heroes who struggled with their own cellular issues, such as Spider-Man and even the Hulk.
4 Clint Barton
Some comic fans may be surprised to see the famous archer from the Avengers mentioned amount Pym Particle users. But many will remember that for a short period of time, Clint Barton abandoned the mantle of Hawkeye in order to fight alongside the Avengers as the second Goliath.
After breaking his bow in Avengers #63, in order to rejoin the fight and help his fellow Avengers, Barton adopted a new costume and used the Pym Particles for a period of time after Hank Pym had left the team. Barton’s bold use of the Particles made him a juggernaut for the Avengers, and what he lacked in scientific expertise over the Particles, he made up for in bravery and courage.
3 Atlas
Once a member of the US Army, Erik Josten turned to a life of smuggling and crime that put him in touch with Baron Zemo, who zapped Josten with an ionic ray that gave him ionic powers. When those powers started to fade, Josten sought out Dr. Karl Malus, who exposed Josten to an extract of the Pym Particles growth formula. Josten took the name of Goliath before eventually joining the Thunderbolts under the mantle of Atlas.
As a result of having exposure to ionic rays before Pym Particles, Atlas’ power set is highly enhanced. As a long-time foe of the Avengers, he’s gone up against some of the Avengers heaviest hitters, though his combination of Pym Particles and ionic energy has shown him to be vulnerable to superhumans who have a control over forms of ionic energy, such as Wonder Man and Count Nefaria.
2 Darren Cross (Yellowjacket)
Originally introduced in the late 1970s, Darren Cross was a millionaire with a rare degenerative heart condition. Fearing his heart would give out at any moment, Cross was kept in a cryogenic state until 2016, when his son Augustine replaced his father’s heart with that of Cassie Lang. Since Cassie’s heart had been saturated in Pym Particles for year, this gave the Darren Cross power over the Pym Particles, where he would assume the identity of the villain Yellowjacket.
More commonly known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cross was a short-term threat to both Scott and Cassie Lang in the comics. His plan to transplant Cassie’s heart to replace his own gave him a large power set, including enhanced senses, regenerative healing factor, and of course, size alteration.
1 Wasp (Nadia Van Dyne)
The long-lost child of Hank Pym and his first wife, Maria Trovaya, Nadia Van Dyne was raised in the Red Room by foreign agents. With a natural aptitude for genetics, and after learning about her lineage, Nadia used Pym Particles to shrink herself down and escape the Red Room. After finding out that her father had sacrificed himself to defeat Ultron, she snuck into his quarters and took a suit, becoming the Wasp in his honor.
Becoming a member of the All-New Avengers, the Wasp established herself as a very capable member of the team. Though she has the power to enlarge herself, Nadia typically prefers to use the Pym Particles to shrink herself down, even able to shrink to a small enough level to access the subatomic universe known as the Microverse,
About The Author
