ANT-MAN

 

ANT-MAN

Real Name: Scott Edward Harris Lang

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #181, March 1979 (As Lang); Marvel Premiere (Vol. 1) #47, April 1979 (as Ant-Man)

Powers: Ex-convict and electronics expert Scott Lang broke into the New Jersey home of Dr. Henry Pym and stole both his Ant-Man uniform and Pym Particle canisters. Since then, he's donned the costumed identity as a crime fighter.

Using the Pym Particles, Ant-Man possesses the power to reduce his size and mass to that of an ant, approximately one half inch in height. The Pym Particles are suspended within an unknown gas, which is confined and stored in special magnetic field generating canisters.

When Ant-Man releases a certain quantity of this gas containing the Pym Particles in his immediate vicinity, the particles penetrate his skin, touch the nearest nerve endings in his skin, and are transmitted by the nervous system to the brain. Interacting with the electrical impulses of the brain, the particles create an organism-wide "reducing field," which is energized by mental command. Thus activated, the field reduces an man's entire body at a uniform rate to the size he has determined, which is usually ant-size (1/2 inch), although he can adopt sizes between his normal and that of an ant, if he so desires. Ant-Man's mass is not compressed into the reduced stature. Instead, it is somehow extended into the Microverse dimension that is opened by the activity of the Pym Particles, from which the mass can later be reclaimed. It takes about two seconds from the time the Pym Particles reach the brain for Ant-Man to reduce to ant-size.

It is not known how many Pym Particles constitute a sufficient quantity to enable the generation of a "reducing field." The quantity of particles, however, does not determine how small an organism can shrink (that is determined by the mental command of the user.). It is also not known what effect, if any, the exposure to and over abundance of Pym Particles at a single time will have. It is known, however, that continuous exposure to the Pym Particles over prolonged periods of time enables certain brains (such as Henry Pym's) to generate "reducing fields " spontaneously, without contact with the new quantity of particles. Scott Lang has not had sufficient exposure to the Pym Particles to determine if he will be similarly affected. Also unknown is the time limit, if any, of the and potency of the particles. So far, Ant-Man has been able to remain ant-size for as long as he has wished, a matter of hours. If Ant-Man is rendered unconscious while in his reduced state, he remains at that size and does not spontaneously revert to normal size.

To return to normal size, Ant-Man releases a certain quantity of gas containing another type of Pym Particles in his immediate vicinity. Like the particles that produce the "reducing field," these particles also penetrate the skin, touch the nerve endings, and are transmitted by the nervous system to the brain. Also interacting with the electrical impulses of the brain, and particles create an organism-wide "enlarging field," which is energized by mental command. Ant-Man's body grows at a uniform rate, until he has reclaimed all the mass that was shunted to the Microverse. At that point, since there is no more of his mass with in the extra physical dimension, the "enlarging field" is no longer energized, and the enlargement process stops. The particles of the "enlarging gas" can be used by certain individuals to grow larger than their normal stature. In this case, extra pseudo organic mass is acquired from the same extra physical dimension where access organic mass is extended into reducing process, and the "reducing gas " is used to regain normal stature.

How Ant-Man mentally determines when he has reduced himself to precisely the size he wishes (ant-size) is not fully understood. Certainly, there are visual indicators in his surrounding environment, but the process occurs so quickly that it would be remarkable to be able to see the scale indicators. Presumably, knowing the precise rate at which the shrinking process occurs, he could time the process so that he deactivates the "reducing field" when he reaches the desired stature. Again, this would involve split-second timing. However he manages to do it, Ant-Man has been able to calibrate his shrinking process so that he attains within 1/32 of an inch of his usual half-inch size. He could use successive dosages of the "shrinking gas" or "enlarging gas" to make fine adjustments of his height.

The smallest size the Pym Particles can enable an organism to attain is not known. Both Henry Pym and Scott Lang have used multiple dosages of the "shrinking gas" to shrink to sub-microscopic stature. The success of dosages enabled them to mentally adjust to the experience with short "rest stops"; a single dosage would theoretically be enough to make the "journey" nonstop.) When 99.99+ percent of an organism's mass is extraordinarily shunted, the organism is automatically sent into the dimension known as the Microverse, one of the countless parallel universes accessible to Earth only by the mass shunting process.

Ant-Man can use the Pym Particles to reduce other objects and organisms at the same time he reduces himself. Touching the object or organism he wishes to shrink, he generates the "reducing field" and that usual manner, and then mentally extends the field to encompass his "baggage" or "passenger." How far he can extend this field is unknown. He has, however, "carried" with him at least one other person or ant. Ant-Man's uniform and paraphernalia shrink with him by this process.

Ant-Man stores the "reducing gas" and "enlarging gas" in separate cylindrical canisters on his belt. These canisters generate a magnetic field, which keeps the Pym Particles from escaping. Abundant at the center of the canister activates the nozzle release at the top of the canister. The nozzle releases a measured quantity of "gas" no matter how long or hard the button is depressed.

Ant-Man wears a cybernetic helmet permitting him rudimentary telepathic communication with insects. He can broadcast to a range of 1 mile, depending on environmental conditions. Directed by a cybernetic telepathic commands, and are able to perform certain simple tasks. There does not appear to be a limit of the number of insects he can command at once. Frequently Ant-Man employees an entire army of worker ants. The helmet also contains a limited air supply and sound amplification equipment which shifts the frequencies so his voice as well as augmenting the volume, so that he can be heard by normal size human beings despite his diminutive size.

Scott Lang is a gifted intellect who holds a master's degree in electrical engineering. He has earned an electronics technician certificate and had additional training in advanced electronics while incarcerated. In addition to his above-average expertise in electronics, he is a master burglar and a skilled thief able to infiltrate and override advanced security systems.