| For other uses, see Ant-Man (disambiguation) |
- "We're outside the law on this one. So if you come with us, you're a wanted man."
"Yeah, well, what else is new?" - ―Steve Rogers and Scott Lang[src]
Scott Edward Harris Lang is a former professional criminal who, despite trying to go straight to raise his daughter, was convinced by Hank Pym to take on the mantle of the Ant-Man. He fought against Pym's former protégé, Darren Cross, who had gone insane while trying to recreate the Pym Particles, leading to Lang having to defend his friends, family and the world as the Ant-Man.
When the Avengers separated into two separate factions over the Sokovia Accords, he was recruited to Captain America's side by Hawkeye. Though given a chance to back out as the faction would be working outside of the law, Lang scoffed at the warning; being a wanted man was hardly a new experience for him. Lang was subsequently arrested following the Clash of the Avengers before being freed from the Raft by Captain America.
Biography
Early Life
Raising a Family
- "Scott Lang. The martyr, who took on the system and paid the price, losing his family and his only daughter in the process."
- ―Darren Cross[src]
Lang with his daughter Cassie Lang
Scott Lang had earned a Master's Degree in electrical engineering. With his skills he would often steal from criminals and give back to those they had stolen from.[1] Lang married a woman named Maggie sometime before 2008.[2] Maggie was very supportive of Lang, but disliked his robberies, albeit from criminals. The couple later had a daughter they named Cassandra "Cassie" Lang. Wishing to support his own family, Lang promised his wife that he would stop stealing after Cassie's birth.[1]
The VistaCorp Job
Lang breaks into Geoff Zorick's Mansion
- "I didn't rob anyone; robbery implies the use of violence. I burgled them; I'm a cat burgler."
- ―Scott Lang[src]
Lang discovered that Vistacorp, were overcharging their customers. At first, he thought it was simply a coding error and changed it. He realized the company was intentionally doing this to their customers for financial gain when Geoff Zorick, ordered Lang to revert his many corrections before firing him. Angered by VistaCorp's larceny, Lang broke into the VistaCorp headquarters to hack their systems and pay back the money to Vistacorp's customers. He then broke into Geoff Zorick's Mansion and stole a few items before he got carried away and drove Zorick's car into the mansion's pool.[1]
Prison Sentence
Lang is arrested for his crimes and sent to jail
Lang was arrested and given a three year sentence in San Quentin State Prison.[1] The Langs divorced following his incarceration, and Maggie eventually became engaged to Jim Paxton. Lang became very close to his cellmate, Luis, who was released the year before Lang was set to be. During his time in prison, Lang vowed to never get involved in crime again and focus his attention on helping to raise Cassie.[2]
A Biased Interview
Christine Everhart interviewing Lang
- "You seem very unrepentant Scott, you can see why so many of us have trouble believing your side of the story."
"Yeah, so many of you who get paid by Vistacorp. I'm getting tired of your biased accusations. You know what? Maybe I made a mistake, but I'm in here paying the price." - ―Christine Everhart and Scott Lang[src]
A day before his release from San Quentin State Prison, Lang was interviewed by Christine Everhart at WHiH Newsfront. They talked about the reason behind his heist at Vistacorp; however, Lang felt that the news station was being unfair, due to Vistacorp being one of their financial backers. His animosity towards the remarks made by the seemingly biased news anchor, caused him to slam his hand onto the desk in frustration, resulting in him getting tased.[3]
Release from San Quentin
Job Search
Lang undergoes the prison's goodbye rituals.
On July 17, 2015, Lang was released for proper conduct during his stay in the San Quentin State Prison. Before being pardoned, Lang underwent a traditional good-bye ritual where he fought an inmate called Peachy. Lang allowed Peachy to hit him hard across the jaw and successfully stayed on his feet, he then attempted to distract Peacy and punched him, failing to knock him down before he and the prisoners embraced.
Lang returns to San Francisco
Having said his goodbyes, Lang was escorted out of prison where he was picked up by Luis, Lang's friend and former cellmate. As they drove towards San Francisco, Luis informed Lang that much of his own life had gone bad - Luis' mother died, his father got deported and his girlfriend left him all while Lang had been in prison, although Luis still looked on the positive side; at least he got his parent's van. On the way to the Milgrom Hotel, Luis informed Lang of a place they could rob, but Lang rejected the idea and claimed that he would not be sent back to prison, as Lang was confident that he would be able to find a job, as he had a Master's Degree in electronics.
Lang gets a terrible job at Baskin-Robbins
Lang obtained a job at Baskin-Robbins, going by the name of Jack; despite his degree in electronics, his criminal record would prevent him from getting a job as potential employers would think he would revert back to crime, so going by an alias was the best choice. One day, he got a dimwitted teenager as a customer, who kept asking for things that an ice cream shop did not sell. Despite all Lang's polite encouragement to realize he was in the wrong place for those orders, Dale, his manager, called for him allowing Lang to ask a fellow employee to handle the dimwit while he was gone.
Lang is soon fired from Baskin-Robbins
Inside Dale's office, Lang learned that Baskin-Robbins had found out about his past as the well known criminal who was responsible for robbing Geoff Zorick and returning all of their money to his former customers and being sent to San Quentin State Prison. Though a fan of his work against the corrupt Vistacorp, Dale then fired Lang due to his criminal record. Though as some consolation, Dale allowed Lang to take a free ice cream with him when he left and despite him being mortified by Dale's attitude to the situation, Lang took the free ice cream regardless and made his way back home.
Lang is introduced to Dave and Kurt
Arriving at the residence, Lang explained how he had just been fired before being introduced to Kurt and Dave, whom Luis had rounded up in hopes of helping in his planned heist if Lang agreed. Luis excitedly explained that Kurt had just gotten out of Folsom Prison and went into great detail about Lang's criminal career. Lang quickly realised what was happening and once again insisted that he would not be going back to stealing as he intended to support his daughter, despite Luis insistence that the billionaire they would be targeting would be the perfect victim but still Lang refused.[2]
Unwelcome Family Reunion
Lang is reunited with his daughter Cassie
- "I’m trying, okay? I’ve changed, and I’m straight, I had a job, and... I want to provide. I had a lot of time to think about it, and I love her. So much. I’ve missed so much time and I want to be a part of her life. What do I do?"
"Get an apartment. Get a job, pay child support. And then we will talk about visitation, I promise. You’re her hero, Scott. Just, be the person that she already thinks you are." - ―Scott Lang and Maggie Lang[src]
On the very same day was Cassie Lang's birthday party, which was being held at Jim Paxton's house. Although he was not invited to the party she was having, Lang turned up at Paxton's home. Cassie was delighted to see him and hugged her father tightly; he managed to give his gift to Cassie despite the cold treatment Paxton gave him. Ignoring Paxton's comments about him not being invited to the party, Lang handed his daughter her birthday present, an ugly rabbit toy which she instantly adored.
Lang has an argument with his ex-wife
Cassie then went to inform her mother of Lang's sudden arrival, much to Lang's dismay at being left with Paxton who berated him for failing to pay child support. When his ex-wife Maggie appeared, she asked to speak to Lang outside of their house. From there, they discussed a little bit of what Lang must do before he can visit Cassie again, with Lang insisting that he had a job and was not going back to crime before Maggie demanded that he leave their home and come back once he had gotten himself a job and was able to begin finally paying child support he currently owed to them.
Lang agrees to take the job with Luis' crew
Lang was left depressed by this turn of events, as by the time he had saved enough money to pay child support to his ex-wife, he would have missed another two years of Cassie's life. This forced him to listen to Luis' proposal about a crime, to make quick cash. It turned out that the target was the safe belonging to a retired mogul whose money would be protected by insurance so nobody would really be hurt, the kind of target perfect for Lang's morals. With Lang now officially on board, they quickly began planning with Kurt and Dave as Lang took charge of the planning of the heist.[2]
Breaking Into Pym's Residence
Lang breaks into the Pym Residence
With the help of his newly-found heist team, Lang was able to break into the Pym Residence easily, with Luis staying nearby and offering support from inside his van. Lang was soon slowed down however when he discovered the basement door had a fingerprint scanner with had not been planned for. Rather than giving up however, Lang recreated a fingerprint using a ring, tape, glue, and some heat from the stove, unlocking the door and making his way downstairs.
Lang discovers the second vault doorway
Lang found the vault, which was made of the same 1910s material as the Titanic which also had not been planned for, and sparked a brief conversation between Dave and Kurt about the 1997 Titanic movie. Thinking on his feet, Lang promptly created a freezing agent and poured into into the door, Lang explained to his confused friends over the radio that "ice expands, metal doesn't"; in a few minutes the ice with burst the door open. He set up a blanket to catch the screws flying out and a mattress to soften the door's fall, and therefore keep any loud noises from alerting the nearby neighbors.
Lang finds and steals the Ant-Man Suit
As soon as the door was blown open, Lang immediately scanned the room for cash and other valuables, only to find nothing but a few hanging blueprints, some colored liquid contained in test tubes, and a suit with a helmet that seemed to be as a pair of motorcycling attire, informing Luis and the other two of the failure to find anything clearly worth any money. Disappointed that all the security was just for an old outfit, Lang decided to take it anyway for his troubles; he likely planned to seal it at a later point to make a profit off this venture. Unknown to Lang, Hank Pym had been watching everything he did, with a camera mounted on the back of an ant.[2]
Trials of the Suit
Lang carefully examines the Pym Particles
The following day back at the Milgrom Hotel, Lang was alone in the apartment and looking himself in the mirror, considering what he should do next. Taking some time to look at what he stole, Lang studied the Pym Particles, unaware of their power before examining the Ant-Man Suit and it's helmet, still assuming them to just be motorcycle gear.
Lang tries on the suit for the first time
Seeing that the suit was about his size, Lang then checked the suit and tried it on, standing in the bath to get a better look as he began admiring himself in the mirror. Looking over the suit's design, Lang saw buttons he on each glove and began experimenting with them, while nothing happened when he pushed the one on the left glove, but when he pushed the one on the right, he suddenly shrunk to a minuscule size, with even the plug hole of the bath appearing much larger than he was. He promptly fell a great distance into the tub, frightened by his new perspective as he tried to figure out what had just happened and how this could be possible.
Lang runs from the water flow
While Lang continued to panic, Hank Pym used this chance to get through the suit and communicate with Lang, mocking him for his confusion about what was happening and explaining that this would be a trail by fire. During their conversation, Luis arrived and stepped into the bathroom for a bath, causing Lang to have to run for his life as Luis turned on the tap, flooding the bath. The water caught up to Lang who was thrown from the bath and soon fell through a gap in the floor to the apartment below where he landed on a record player and held on as he was spun around uncontrollably.
Lang continues to suffer as the Ant-Man
Lang continued to be thrown across the room without being noticed due to his small size, suffering with landing inside a vacuum cleaner and being attacked by a rat. As Lang desperately ran away from the rat, he crashed into a mouse trap which launched him high into the air and out of a window, where he fell to the street below and landed on a car roof. While lying on the rooftop, Land finally figured out how to grow back to normal size and freaked out about what he had just witnessed, wanting nothing more to do with the suit and it's power.
Lang is arrested outside the Pym Residence
Horrified by the experience and never wanting to go through it again, Lang broke back into the Pym Residence again to return the suit to the safe. However, on his way out, he was caught by police officers called by Hope van Dyne who were waiting outside. Without thinking, Lang attempted to defend himself by claiming that he was not stealing anything but was instead returning something that he had stolen. This tactic failed, as he should have left out the part about being the one who had robbed the house in the first place, and Lang was handcuffed and taken straight to jail.[2]
Prison Break
Lang is judged by Jim Paxton in his cell
Back in a cell again, Jim Paxton expressed his disappointment to find Lang back jail again when they thought he had turned for the good and had believed it ever since he had left San Quentin State Prison. Lang was more than annoyed, as Paxton was married to his ex-wife. Paxton's partner Gale came and told him he had a visitor. When Lang asked who it was, the officer simply said that it was his lawyer and then brought him into the visiting room.
Lang is finally introduced to Hank Pym
Lang was greeted by Hank Pym, who was keeping his visit secret by using Ants to block the camera. Pym revealed to Lang that he was behind the heist by getting the information to Luis in order to pass it to Lang. Pym explained that he did all this to test if he got the right man to succeed as the Ant-Man. Lang then wanted to tell that he'd take no part in it anymore, but Pym persuaded him by helping him with Cassie if he agreed to become the Ant-Man. Pym told Lang he should take this second chance and, having given Lang the option, Pym left using the ants to mask his departure.
Lang uses the Ant-Man Suit to escape
Not long after Pym had left Lang with this choice, a few ants visited Lang's cell with the Ant-Man Suit, which was promptly re-enlarged with the Pym Particles for him to wear. They formed the number ten and began counting down, which told Lang that he only had a few seconds to don the suit and shrink out of the cell. Lang did so, and was congratulated by Pym over the radio for finally listening to what Pym had told him. Following Pym's instructions, Lang escaped the cell by running below the bars just as Gale arrived and alerted the other police officers of Lang's mysterious disappearance.
Lang gets a lift from Hank Pym's ant army
Making his way outside Lang made his escape by running out the door was greeted by a team of ants, one of whom had a camera which Pym used to watch his movements. Lang jumped on the back of a carpenter ant and flew to safety high over the streets of San Francisco while the police department desperately searched for him. As they flew over the city and hitched a ride on the side of a police car, Lang asked Pym questions about the ants until he eventually fell unconscious due to feeling lightheaded from the shock of everything he had been through with this new technology.[2]
Hank Pym's Mission
Lang is greeted by Hope van Dyne
The next day, Lang woke up in a bed only to find Hope van Dyne standing at the end of the bed watching him. Van Dyne explained that she had been watching him all night because the last time Lang was at the Pym Residence he had robbed them. Lang was then invited down to dinner, having to dodge the fire Ants that littered the floor around him.
Lang listens to Hank Pym's explanation
Lang joined van Dyne and Hank Pym downstairs at their coffee table. Pym then revealed that it was van Dyne who had had Lang arrested for stealing the Ant-Man Suit and explained that she did not think Lang was needed for their upcoming heist. Pym explained he had been watching Lang ever since the Vistacorp robbery as he felt his skills would be useful for them, while Lang was distracted by the ants moving across the table and obeying all of Pym's commands and eventually decided to question everything that was happening and why he was there in the first place.
Lang and Pym discuss the Yellowjacket Suit
As they both went downstairs, Pym explained that while he had been working with S.H.I.E.L.D. he had created the Pym Particles, only to decide they were too dangerous and therefore he hid them from the world and instead built Pym Technologies, taking on a young protege called Darren Cross who went on to betray him and had been trying to recreate the Pym Particles. Pym told Lang that Cross had almost completed the Yellowjacket Suit which had the potential destroying the world. Lang agreed to help, claiming his days of being a thief were over, except Pym explained that he needed Lang to be a thief and steal the Yellowjacket before Cross could sell it.
Lang agrees to assist in Hank Pym's mission
As Pym explained that Mitchell Carson was planning on buying the Yellowjacket, Lang suggested calling the Avengers but Pym refused; explaining that he had spent years keeping the technology away from Howard Stark and noting how Tony Stark misused technology and created Ultron. Lang questioned why Pym was not going and he explained that he was unable to use the suit anymore due to a toll it had on his body. Van Dyne also questioned if Lang was right for the job, leading to a brief argument until Lang agreed to steal the suit from Cross. In exchange, Pym would pay for Cassie's child support so Lang could finally be reunited with her.[2]
Becoming Ant-Man
Beginning Training
Lang begins his training
- "You're going to have to learn how to punch."
"You're going to show me how to punch? Show me how to punch."
*Punches him in the face*
"That's how you punch." - ―Hope van Dyne and Scott Lang[src]
Sitting around the dinner table, Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne demonstrated to Lang how to communicate with the ants in order to use them to do as you wished. They started by having Lang tell a few ants to lift a few cubes of sugar into a small cup filled with tea. However, Lang failed miserably as he lacked the willpower to control the ants. During this time, Scott noticed that there was a deep divide between Hank and Hope, who was against using Lang as the Ant-Man.
Lang masters using his Ant-Man Suit
Hank Pym gave Lang the task of running towards a closed door and jumping through the key hole while tiny, then returning to normal size; this was the first test of mastering how to alter size at the right time. Although Lang remained confident, he failed time after time again, much to the annoyance of Pym and Hope van Dyne; Hope was secretly amused, as she believed that she would have done better in the attempts. Eventually, he managed to fit through the key hole during his leap, although he did crash into the wall upon his landing in the other room.
Lang is trained by Hope van Dyne
For the physical part of stealing the Yellowjacket Suit (i.e. knocking out the guards), Lang was trained by Hope van Dyne; the suit's wearer must be able to control their strength or their hits can kill. She told him she would teach how to punch but Lang scoffed at this, noting that he was in prison for three years so he already knew how to punch. He invited her to show him how to punch, lifting up his hand for her, but she responded by punching him in the face. They trained together and neither one held back in their fighting styles, with Lang quickly learning that van Dyne was not a woman to be underestimated.
Lang meets his ant allies
Lang was sent into Hank Pym's garden to explore the tunnels created by the ants. While in there, he encountered a small crazy ant, which could be used to conduct electricity and also carry cameras and other devices. Lang at first viewed it as cute and allowed it to climb on top of him. However, when the rest of the small army of ants charged in and surrounded Lang, he freaked out and returned to normal size, slightly embarrassed.
Lang with Ant-thony
The next stage of Lang's training involved meeting the army of flying carpenter ants which would assist Lang to his missions. There, he was reintroduced to the ant that flew him out of the prison. Lang immediately developed a strong connection to the ant, feeding him water and renaming him Ant-thony. He finally met a group of fire ants which could be used as natural architects and transport Lang through tight corners and difficult to move locations by creating long structures, like rafts and bridges.[2]
Pym's Confession
Despite all of his work, Lang still found it impossible to successfully communicate with the Ants, much to the frustration of Hank Pym. Believing that their chances of success with Lang were now nearly impossible, Hope van Dyne once again proved that she was the better choice for the mission by demonstrating how she could easily communicate with all of the ants before storming outside in frustration.
Lang finally communicates with the Ants
Lang followed van Dyne outside and listened as van Dyne explained how her relationship with Pym had fallen apart ever since her mother, Janet van Dyne had died, noting that Pym had never explained how she had died and sent her to boarding school as a result. When van Dyne claimed Pym chose Lang because he did not trust her, Lang corrected her by noting that it was because he did not want to lose her too. Van Dyne apologised for having Lang arrested, noting that she did not know he had a daughter at the time, before she then assisted him in mastering communication with the ants.
Lang "ruins the moment"
As Lang and van Dyne returned to the Pym Residence, they were greeted by Hank Pym, who told van Dyne that her mother worked with him at S.H.I.E.L.D. under the codename of the Wasp and had been become trapped within the Quantum Realm when she saved the United States of America from a Soviet missile attack. Having learned the truth, van Dyne finally forgave her father and the two embraced. The emotional and intimate moment between Pym and his daughter ended when Lang commented on the beauty of the moment, unintentionally ruining it.
Lang rides on the back of Ant-thony
With new confidence in his team, Lang excelled at the other forms of his training to prepare to break into Pym Technologies and steal the Yellowjacket Suit. Much to his delight, Lang perfected leaping through a key hole in the Ant-Man Suit and communicating with the ants to form a tiny army ready to be used for infiltration. Lang even bonded with one ant which he named Ant-thony. Meanwhile Pym continued to work with the Pym Particles while Lang helped load tiny cameras onto the backs on the ants to allow Pym and van Dyne a way to watch the mission unfolding.[2]
Duel at New Avengers Facility
Lang speaks with the Falcon
- "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Ant-Man."
"Ant-Man?
"What, you haven’t heard of me? No, you wouldn’t have heard of me." - ―Sam Wilson and Scott Lang[src]
Hank Pym sent Lang to retrieve a device from an old building that was used by Howard Stark, citing that this device would later assist Lang in stealing the Yellowjacket Suit. However, it turned out Pym's intel was long-outdated, as this "storage facility" had since been converted into the Avengers' new base. Pym told Lang to return to San Francisco. Instead, Lang decided to go to the facility anyway and landed on the roof leading to an encounter with Falcon, who was guarding the facility. Despite believing his small size would keep him undetected, Lang found that Falcon's goggles were able to zoom in on him.
The Falcon fighting Ant-Man
Lang attempted to explain his situation to Falcon, being polite and noting that he was a big fan of the Avengers. Falcon did not believe his claims and attempted to arrest Lang, forcing Lang to shrink in size and attack the Avenger. During the fight, Lang used the suit and his new fighting skills to keep up with Falcon, although he continually apologized for being forced to hit him. Eventually, Lang called Ant-thony to assist him by flying him inside the facility, stealing the device. As Falcon again attempted to stop him, Lang entered the EXO-7 Falcon Suit and disabled it before escaping the facility.[2] This skirmish between them greatly impressed Falcon, who was on a look out for talented people to join the Avengers.[4]
Complicating the Plan
- "We need a fake security guard on the inside, somebody else to hack into the power supply & a getaway guy."
"No, no, no, not those three wombats!" - ―Scott Lang and Hank Pym[src]
As the group discussed the heist, Darren Cross arrived at the Pym Residence, planning to kill Hank Pym, but he chose against it. Not wanting Cross to see the plans, Lang had ants roll them up. Cross eventually left but he called Hope van Dyne to tell her that he was beefing up security.At this point, Cross knew Hank was the previous Ant-Man and worried that he might try to steal the Yellowjacket Suit, so he ensured that security measures were taken that could detect event the tiniest living beings, including a person the size of a ant.
Knowing that they would need help with getting past the extra security, Lang, despite Pym's misgivings, sought the aid of Luis, Kurt, and Dave. He showed them how the suit worked managing to scare them into thinking it was magic briefly. After being briefed on the plan, Scott let Hope drug them with Xanax while Hank bored them by explaining the suit's science; as a result, the three got to spend some quiet time on the rest o the plan.[2]
Infiltration into Pym Technologies Headquarters
Finding the Yellowjacket
Lang commands Ant-thony during the heist
- "I’m employing the bullet ants. Hapanera-clamda-mana-merna. I don’t remember what it’s called but I feel bad for this guy."
- ―Ant-Man[src]
Despite the logistical setbacks imposed by Cross, the team still managed to infiltrate the facility while Cross was holding an important event. Luis, posing as a security guard, gained access to the building's water main and shut it off long enough for Lang and his army of ants to gain access. Lang managed to make it into the hermetically sealed chamber that contained the Yellowjacket Suit, but at the last moment, Cross revealed his awareness of their plan and trapped Lang inside the chamber after removing the Yellowjacket suit.
Lang facing off against Darren Cross
Momentarily having the upper hand, Darren Cross' security held Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne at gunpoint while he chastised Pym for his failures as a mentor and a scientist. Cross introduced Mitchell Carson from HYDRA who intended to purchase the Yellowjacket Suit. Cross then took a gun and aimed it at Pym, intending to execute his former mentor. A scuffle broke out in which Lang was able to escape the chamber by smashing through the glass and assisted Pym and van Dyne fighting Cross' guards. Pym fought Cross but was shot in the abdomen; Lang and van Dyne ran to Pym's aid but he insisted that Lang go after Cross before he escaped.[2]
Stopping Darren Cross
Lang holding on Cross' helicopter
- "Did you think you could stop the future with a heist?!"
"It was never just a heist!" - ―Yellowjacket and Ant-Man[src]
Darren Cross attempted to evacuate the Pym Technologies Headquarters via private helicopter, taking hostages with him. Ant-Man pursued him and while distracted, Cross donned the Yellowjacket Suit. The two fought at both normal and shrunken sizes, with Yellowjacket's energy weapons disabling the pilots of the helicopter and sending it crashing to the ground. Lang and Cross fell from the helicopter as it was crashing, landing in an unsuspecting family's backyard pool while shrunk, only for the two of them to return to normal size and continue fighting, terrifying the family. Lang momentarily won the battle when he used the family's barbecue spatula to swat Cross into a bug zapper, electrocuting him and rendering him unconscious.
Lang is escorted by Jim Paxton
Jim Paxton arrived due to the disturbance and despite Lang attempted to explain, he was tasered by Paxton to shut him up and arrest him. Waking up in the back of the squad car, Lang attempted to explain again, but Paxton believed that Lang was simply delusional (given the Ant-Man suit made Scott look like he lost his mind and was playing dress up). At that moment, a dispatch call announced that there was a hostage situation at the address of Maggie Lang's House. Lang knew that Darren Cross had woken up and was using his daughter to get to him.[2]
Duel at Maggie Lang's House
Lang fights Yellowjacket
- "You insult me, Scott. Your very existence is insulting to me. You know it would be much easier to hit you if you were bigger!"
"Yeah, I agree." - ―Yellowjacket and Ant-Man[src]
Despite Jim Paxton's refusal to listen to him, Lang managed to get his helmet back on and shrink out of his handcuffs. Lang arrived and the battle between Scott and Cross continued, proving at this point to the rival father figure that he was morally sound. Lang used some of the devices that Pym gave him, often missing Cross and either shrinking or enlarging random items, such as enlarging an ant to the size of a dog, or a Thomas the Tank Engine toy to the size of a real locomotive.
Lang kills Yellowjacket
Eventually, Lang had the same revelation that Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne had decades earlier when he failed to access the internals of Cross' suit, which Cross defiantly gloats is due to its titanium construction. Lang accepted that his fate would be like Janet's and disabled the regulator on his suit, shrinking small enough to pass through the atomic structure of the titanium and into Cross's suit. Lang then permanently disabled the Yellowjacket and caused Cross to vanish into thin air.[2]
Quantum Realm
Lang becomes trapped in the Quantum Realm
While he had succeeded in disabling the Yellowjacket Suit and also stopping Darren Cross' plans, Ant-Man discovered that he continued to shrink at various intervals, just as Hank Pym had hypothesized. Shrinking well into the subatomic world, witnessing an existence that was perceptually very strange from our own. As he travelled deeper and deeper inside the Quantum Realm where all time and space was eternal seemingly inescapable, Ant-Man began desperately searching for a way to return home rather than be trapped within there forever.
Lang is reunited with Cassie Lang
In his resolution to return to his daughter and survive, Lang retrieved one of the Pym Particles Disks and placed it into the regulator of his Ant-Man Suit. His attempt to return to normal size was successful and he reunited with his Cassie, with Jim Paxton expressing his own gratitude for saving them both. Knowing that he would be arrested if discovered, Lang promptly shrunk out of sight when the police then showed up, using a lamp to enlarge his shadow, Lang saluted good-bye to her and headed off to return to Hank Pym.[2]
Heist Aftermath
Lang and Pym discuss the Quantum Realm
Following the events, Jim Paxton dropped the case against Lang. When questioned by Hank Pym about his experience in the Quantum Realm, Lang could not recall anything. Pym guessed that the human mind can only handle so much out of the normal. Hope van Dyne escorted him outside Pym's sitting room, leaving him to briefly contemplate that Janet van Dyne may still be alive.
Lang is caught kissing Hope van Dyne
Once they were alone in the Pym Residence hallway, Lang and van Dyne shared a kiss, however they were quickly discovered when Pym then opened the door to find Lang kissing his daughter. Lang feigned innocence, claiming that van Dyne had kissed him; she didn't deny it, though it looked like he had kissed her. He quickly walked off to go have dinner at Maggie Lang's House with his family, as Pym called after him, for being a poor liar, something Lang did not even bother denying as he made his hasty departure.[2]
Sought by the Avengers
Luis' News
Lang has dinner with Jim Paxton
Months later[5] Jim Paxton invited Lang to have dinner with the family so he could spend time with Cassie Lang, who had adopted the dog-sized ant as a pet, as payment for saving his daughter's life. During the meal Paxton told Lang that he would not be arrested as it had been decided that a glitch in the system had caused his earlier release. Lang thanked Paxton personally for this action, knowing that it put his own career on the line, but Paxton insisted he was happy to do it to help out Cassie's father.
Lang learns that Falcon is searching for him
During the dinner, Lang received a call from Luis who wanted to meet with him. When Lang met with Luis, who was also there with Dave and Kurt, he recalled that in his chain of contacts, someone informed him that Falcon was looking for Lang, due to being impressed with his skills in their brief fight and was now interested in recruiting him into the Avengers. Lang questioned what Luis had told his contacts and he explained that he had told them that he did indeed know the Ant-Man, much to Lang's great dismay at the news.[2]
Recruited by Captain America
Lang is recruited last minute by Clint Barton
- "Look. I wanna say, I know you know a lot of super-people. So, thinks for thanking of me."
- ―Scott Lang to Captain America[src]
Lang was recruited by Clint Barton during the resulting fallout caused by the Sokovia Accords, to support Steve Rogers and his team. Lang arrived in Berlin by van and was introduced to Captain America and the rest of the team, showing a great deal of excitement at meeting Rogers and the Scarlet Witch among others. He thanked Rogers for choosing him to assist during this skirmish, noting Rogers likely had other choices.
Lang is introduced to Steve Rogers
Lang apologized to Sam Wilson for the fight they had; Wilson was not angry, calling the fight a great audition and claiming that it would never happen again. Rogers told Lang that they were acting outside the law, but Lang did not refuse to assist him. Rogers then explained that they were going up against the Winter Soldiers who were going to be freed by Helmut Zemo and must be stopped before they could cause chaos across the whole world.[5]
Clash of the Avengers
Ant-Man steals the shield from Spider-Man
When Iron Man and his team approached Captain America in the Leipzig-Halle Airport and the situation escalated with Spider-Man taking Captain America's shield, Ant-Man used the distraction of the ensuing argument to sneak forward and stole the shield, kicking Spider-Man in the face before proudly handing the shield back to Captain America.
Ant-Man prepares to fight Black Widow
While Iron Man and other members of the team charged after Rogers and other members of their team, including Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier, Lang was left face to face with Black Widow, noting that he really did not want to hurt her. The two began fighting regardless and Ant-Man shrunk down and attempted to twist Widow's arm around her back, however she activated her Black Widow's Bite which sent Lang flying backwards while she moved onwards.
Ant-Man tries to assist Captain America
Catching up with Captain America, Ant-Man found what he thought was a water truck and shrunk it down, handing it to Rogers and telling him to throw it at one of his Pym Particles Disks. Rogers did just that and the truck returned to it's original size, falling towards War Machine and Black Panther. However it exploded upon impact, much to Lang's surprise as he apologised to Captain America for his mistake before they made a hasty retreat.
Ant-Man runs with Captain America's team
Rejoining Falcon and Scarlet Witch among the other members of Captain America's team, Ant-Man attempted to run to the Quinjet to escape, but their path was then blocked by the Vision, forcing the two opposing teams to face off against each other. Following their leader's direction, Ant-Man followed his teammates as they charged forward and engaged in a fierce clash against the various heroes who had joined Iron Man's team supporting the Sokovia Accords, with Ant-Man once again fighting against Black Widow.
Lang jumps from Hawkeye's arrow
Having gotten away from Black Widow, Ant-Man teamed up with Hawkeye and they decided to take care of their opponent's leader in order to gain a much needed advantage in this fight. Ant-Man took position on Hawkeye's Scatter Arrow, giving his approval and was propelled through the air to hijack Iron Man's suit, dodging shots fired from Iron Man's gauntlet's and diving through Iron Man's fingers and get within the suit itself and cause some mayhem.
Ant-Man tries to disable Iron Man's suit
Once inside the suit, Lang used his mechanical knowledge to greatly damage the suit's many weapons systems, mocking Tony Stark as he panicked and tried to understand what was happening, with Ant-Man claiming to be the voice of Stark's own conscience. Ant-Man continued the mission to damage the suit as much as possible, which he managed to do before Iron Man finally ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to use the suit's own extinguishing foam to force Ant-Man out.[5]
Giant-Man Attacks
Ant-Man prepares to unleash the Giant-Man
- "I got something kinda big, but I can't hold it very long. On my signal, run like hell, and if I tear myself in half, don't come back for me. I'm the boss, I'm the boss, I'm the boss!"
- ―Ant-Man to Captain America[src]
As the fight progressed, Hawkeye then noted that unless something drastic happened, this showdown was looking like an impending stalemate. Captain America agreed, and Falcon asked the team for a distraction. Lang chimed in that he had a possible idea but had tested it only once in a laboratory, and the test had left him in rough shape.
Ant-Man transforms into the Giant-Man
Running out of options, Rogers didn't object and Lang let loose his distraction. Ant-Man got his adrenaline pumping as he jumped onto the back of War Machine and used the suit to grow into a monstrous size as he towered over the entire airport and grapped War Machine by his leg, laughing manically at his success. Now, a "Giant-Man", Lang reigned shock and mayhem on Iron Man's forces, all of whom were to distracted by him to notice Rogers was escaping.
Giant-Man rips apart an entire airplane
Wreaking havoc across the airport to keep the enemies distracted, Giant-Man threw War Machine across the airport before he ripped the wing of a nearby airplane. He then attempted to attack Black Panther however he was knocked back by War Machine firing explosives near his face. Meanwhile Vision reappeared on the battlefield and knocked Giant-Man back before flying through him to try and stop Rogers' escape by blocking his path.
Giant-Man tries to fight against Spider-Man
While the Scarlet Witch helped Rogers get past the Vision, Giant-Man found himself surrounded by Iron Man, War Machine and Spider-Man, all of whom worked together to try and defeat Giant-Man however they could. Taking inspiration from The Empire Strikes Back, Spider-Man used his own Web-Shooters to tie up Giant-Man's legs and force him to become unbalanced before Iron Man and War Machine both flew upwards and knocked him to the ground.
Ant-Man defeated at the battlefield.
Although Giant-Man was taken out of the fight, this stunt provided exactly the distraction Rogers and the Winter Soldier needed to escape, taking control of the Quinjet and using it to get away from the battlefield. With his weight having been used against him, Giant-Man accepted his defeat. Exhausted at this point in the battle, Lang engaged the suit, and returned to his regular size, requested orange slices to help him recover from the painful experience.[5]
Prisoner of the Raft
Lang tries and fails to insult Tony Stark
- "Hank Pym always said, you never can trust a Stark."
"Who are you?"
"...C'mon, man." - ―Scott Lang and Tony Stark[src]
After the Clash of the Avengers, Lang, Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff, and Sam Wilson were all captured and taken to the Raft where they were imprisoned under the orders of Thaddeus Ross for destroying the airport. When Tony Stark visited, Lang voiced Hank Pym's opinion about Stark's family and how right his mentor had been to not trust the Starks.
Lang remains a prisoner within the Raft.
Much to Lang's frustration, the Avenger leader seemingly had no idea who Lang was or what he was talking about sparing only a confused and dismissive glance at Lang before he moved on to speak with Wilson. Lang was then forced to continue his sentence within the Raft, playing a beat by tapping his hands on a chair, however Steve Rogers later infiltrated the Raft and freed all of them but forced them into hiding as a result of their freedom.[5]
Personality
- "Mr. Lang, with all due respect, WHIH has been covering global news in detail for the past two decades. From the recent security breach at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, to the earth-shattering events at Sokovia. I reported on Tony Stark in Gulmira and believe me, you're no Tony Stark."
"Thank God." - ―Christine Everhart and Scott Lang[src]
Scott is an affable rogue with a tongue-in-cheek humor. Despite his criminal activity, Lang is a man of honor, good morals, and justice (though to the point of being stubborn), with it being his sense of honor that had led him to his break-in at VistaCorp, where Scott avenged all the people the corrupt corporation wronged. Scott's desire to right wrongs were often the motivation for his illegal activities, yet his love for his daughter also made him determined to go straight upon his release from prison. Scott only went back to criminal activities when his criminal record ostracized him and gave him no other choice in supporting his daughter. Scott also joined Captain America's team during the Avengers Civil War for the same reasons, seeing Rogers' point of view on the Sokovia Accords far more just and honorable than Stark's.
Scott also had a drive to prove himself worthy, as he felt he didn't deserve the admiration of his daughter Cassie. In fact, Scott was initially unwilling to take up the mantle of Ant-Man from Hank Pym due to his own fears of having used the suit. But upon a chat with the former hero, Scott realized he had a chance to become the hero that his daughter already thought he was.
Scott also has a considerable dislike towards Tony Stark and the latter's attitude. This was highlighted when he was interviewed on WHiH news, as when Christine Everhart said he that he was "no Tony Stark", Scott was relieved at the news, genuinely desiring to be nothing like Stark. This was highlighted once again during the Avengers Civil War. Prior to the Clash of the Avengers, he reacted with alarm and distrust to Stark's name. When he was later imprisoned in the Raft, he mocked Tony Stark to his face saying that Hank Pym had been correct about Stark's family. The fact that Stark had no idea who Lang and Pym were was a severe blow to Lang's ego.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Size Manipulation: Using technology developed by Hank Pym, Lang is able to reduce himself to approximately the size of an ant, though he can also grow his body to giant sizes as well; doing the latter however puts an enormous strain on him. He still maintains his regular-sized strength and resilience when shrinking; while in reduced scale, this translates to granting him inhuman effort and exertion capabilities. Also, obtaining momentum and kinetic energy in small scale and exerting it immediately while returning to or right after returning to normal size can result in a feat of inhuman effort and exertion, and therefore, momentarily give Lang enhanced strength while in regular size, enough to send a man flying while attacking and enlarging himself at the same time. The process of altering size compresses force and energy, manifesting as brief shockwaves of vibration around the target that charge the target with momentum.
- Enhanced Durability: When he has increased his size into a giant-sized man, he naturally becomes far more tougher and more durable than normal. This is due to his increased density and muscle mass, and it was enough to withstand missiles from War Machine. However, this enormous amount of durability comes at the cost of his speed and balance, making his movements somewhat clumsy as a result.
- "When you’re small, energy’s compressed. So you have the force of a 200-lbs. A man behind a fist a hundredth of an inch wide. You’re like a bullet. You punch too hard, you kill someone. Too soft, it’s a love tap. In other words, you have to know how to punch."
- ―Hope van Dyne[src]
- Superhuman Strength: While wearing the Ant-Man Suit in its miniature form, Lang possesses superhuman strength due to his increased density, effort, and exertion, enabling him to take out multiple opponents of normal human size while shrunk and use the physical force and momentum attained from changing size to simulate superhuman strength directly after returning to normal size. This strength also extends to legs, allowing him to jump, spring and leap across with great force, allowing him to move through the air like a bullet to strike and impact opponents and incapacitate them instantly or move halfway across a room in a single bound. This strength is possible through force being compressed by the process of changing size, as well as his density and resilience being enhanced along with his momentum and acceleration. However, exerting too much force into impacts and physical attacks can accidentally kill an opponent, due to the force of attacks being comparable to that of a bullet. The process of altering size compresses force and energy, manifesting as brief shockwaves of vibration around the target that charge the target with enough momentum that can briefly enhance the target's strength while enlarging or immediately after enlarging. In his enlarged form, his strength rivaled even that of Thor and Hulk, enabling him to lift and crush huge vehicles with ease. This enormous mass comes at the cost of his speed and balance however and the anatomic strain exhausts him.
- Insect Manipulation: Lang, through the use of radio and electric waves and signals accessed with the suit's helmet and earpieces given by Hank Pym, can affect the pheromones of insect-sized organisms and stimulate their olfactory nerve centers, allowing him a rudimentary form of control over ants.
Abilities
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- Gifted Intellect: Lang possesses an above average intelligence, as he was able to figure out how to use the highly complex Ant-Man Suit and gain a Masters Degree in electrical engineering, along with bypassing the security of Hank Pym's home. He also possesses a knowledge of chemistry which allowed him to destroy Hank Pym's safe.
- Expert Thief: Lang was skilled in theft, specializing in breaking into homes and other places to steal. He is also skilled with utilizing chemistry when opening locked safes and bypassing security systems.
- Expert Engineer: Lang was an electrical engineer, having earned a Master's Degree in the subject. His knowledge was useful when he was able to tinker a way out of the Quantum Realm using tech pieces provided by Hank Pym.
- Expert Acrobat: Lang is capable of acrobatic, parkour and free running maneuvers, leaping across steep divides and climbing difficult structures. He does not just perform these stunts in his shrunken state, but also when breaking into houses while in the process of thievery.
- Computer Programmer: Lang created the security systems for Vistacorp Headquarters and corrected a program that was stealing money from its customers. Christine Everhart referred to Lang as a "cyber-criminal".
- Expert Tactician: As an expert thief, Lang has a keen mind for formulating elaborate plans and schemes, and is especially notable for being able to modify those plans to adapt to unforeseen circumstances at short notice - sometimes within seconds. Examples include when he discovers the fingerprint scanner in Hank Pym's home, when he discovers that the warehouse he is breaking into is actually now the New Avengers Facility, when he is discovered by Falcon, and when Darren Cross triples security on the Pym Technologies building. He, alongside Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym, worked together on creating the heist mission to stop Darren Cross and steal the Yellowjacket Suit.
- Skilled Martial Artist: Initially, Lang had poor fighting skills as he avoided confrontations during his heists. Hope van Dyne trained him and he slowly became a skilled fighter. Like his teacher, Lang employs a mixed martial art that includes elements of Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu jitsu, judo, and aikido. His skills, combined with the Ant-Man Suit, and shrinking powers, allowed him to defeat armed security personnel, and even keep up with Falcon and Black Widow in his respective duels with them, despite both of them being highly skilled hand-to-hand combatants.
Equipment
- Ant-Man Suit: Suit manipulates wearer's size while enhancing density and strength.
- EMP Communication Device: Within the suits helmet and in the form of earpieces developed by Hank Pym, allowing for the control of ants.
- Pym Particles Disks: About the size of a coin and shaped like a triskelion-styled shuriken, the disks are filled with specified forms of Pym Particles. Targets impacted by Red Disks shrinks to the size of an insect. Targets impacted by Blue Disks enlarges to a bigger size.
Relationships
Family
- Maggie Lang - Ex-Wife
- Cassie Lang - Daughter
Allies
- Hank Pym - Mentor
- Hope van Dyne - Trainer and Love Interest
- Luis - Former Cellmate and Friend
- Dave
- Kurt
- Peachy
- Ants
- Ant-thony † - Steed
- Jim Paxton - Rival turned Ally
- Avengers (Captain America's Team)
- Steve Rogers/Captain America - Recruiter and Leader
- Sam Wilson/Falcon - Temporary Enemy turned Recruiter
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff
- Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
Enemies
- Vistacorp
- Geoff Zorick - Former Boss
- WHiH World News
- Christine Everhart - Interviewer
- Dale - Former Boss
- Darren Cross/Yellowjacket † - Victim
- HYDRA
- Avengers (Iron Man's Team)
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- T'Challa/Black Panther
Appearances
| Appearances for Scott Lang |
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In chronological order:
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Trivia
Ant-Man concept still
- In the comics, Scott Lang is the second man to take up the Ant-Man mantle after stealing it and being approved by Hank Pym to become the new hero. He has a daughter called Cassandra for whom he originally steals the Ant-Man Suit when he looks to pay for her medical bills.
- Scott Lang is the first character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have taken over the mantle of a former superhero, followed by Robbie Reyes.
- Ant-Man, along with Hulk, is one of the only two protagonists to defeat the main antagonist of the first film he debuted without any help from any ally (or an object such as the Tesseract in Captain America's case). He is also the first protagonist to solely and intentionally kill the villain.
- According to Andy Park, in the early stages of development, Ant-Man was originally to side with Iron Man during the Avengers Civil War but was later changed as the script evolved.
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