Wasp (comics)

The Wasp
Janet van Dyne as Wasp. Art by J. G. Jones.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Janet van Dyne
Species	Human Mutate
Team affiliations	Avengers Uncanny Avengers
Partnerships	Hank Pym
Notable aliases	Winsome Wasp
Abilities	Size manipulation Flight Bio-electric energy blasts Telepathic insect control

The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963). She is usually depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of several centimeters, fly by means of insectoid wings, and fire bioelectric energy blasts. She is a founding member of the Avengers as well as a long time leader of the team.

In May 2011, the Wasp placed 99th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time, and 26th in their list of "The Top 50 Avengers" in 2012. The character was also ranked 94th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list. In 2013, she was ranked the fifth greatest Avenger of all time by Marvel.com.

The character makes a cameo appearance in the 2015 film Ant-Man.

Janet van Dyne debuted in Tales to Astonish #44 (plotted by Stan Lee, scripted by H.E. Huntley, and drawn by Jack Kirby) as Henry "Hank" Pym's partner, becoming the Wasp to avenge the death of her father, scientist Vernon van Dyne. She co-starred in Tales to Astonish from issue #44 to issue #69.

She was a founding member of the Avengers, appearing in the first issue and giving the team its name. It is with the Avengers that Janet became most well-known. At first she was the weak link of the team, but later on became one of the smartest and craftiest of its members. Though she takes leaves of absence throughout the series, she is one of the longest active members and has acted as leader of the team for longer than any other member save for Captain America.

During her absences from the core Avengers book, Janet appeared in various other publications, including appearing as a main character in Marvel Feature issues #6-10. She has also made sporadic guest appearances in various other books, such as Captain America, Iron Man, and Fantastic Four.