Originally discovered and isolated by Dr. Henry Pym, Pym Particles are a rare group of subatomic particles capable of altering one's size and mass.[3]
History
Origin
Kirbons are primordial subatomic particles that give matter its size, mass and density, originating in the Mystery predating and surrounding the current cosmos. First discovered by Dr. Hank Pym,[3] Pym "tamed" the particles for use within the living body and named the resulting invention after himself;[4] "Pym Particles" that allowed the user to bypass the Square-cube law of conventional physics.[5]
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First Time Shrinking
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Giant-Man using Pym Particles to grow
Originally, Pym Particles were only used to increase or decrease the size and mass of inanimate objects. With some alterations, Pym was able to deviate the stature of living subjects as well.[6] The Pym Particles work by shunting bodies of matter into the Kosmos Dimension when shrinking a subject or accruing extra mass from that plane of existence when enlarging them. See Conservation of Energy for details.
In their original formula, these Pym Particles existed in a liquid elixir form which would shrink objects or living beings on which it was applied. Later, Pym was able to synthesize Pym Particles into a gaseous form for quick shrinking results by inhalation. He created a special uniform that safely harnessed Pym Particles to allow him to control his size at will.[3]
The Scarlet Beetle, a mutated insect, used Pym Particles to grow to human size, but was defeated and shrunk back down to his normal size.[7]
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Wasp Origin
Pym enhanced Janet van Dyne in a biochemical process involving his Pym Particles that allowed her to shrink to insectoid proportions, in addition to implanting her with Bio-Synthetic Wings. Furthermore, Pym outfitted her with her own suit adorning wrist devices that allowed her to discharge blasts of compressed air that she called her "wasp's stings".[8]
Porcupine battled Pym and grabbed several Pym Particle capsules from his belt, thinking they were growing capsules, and used them all on himself. However, the Porcupine realized he had made a grave error when he shrank in size. Pym could not stop the process and soon lost him when he shrunk to microscopic size.[9]
The Fantastic Four were plagued by a series of incidents where they suddenly shrank to miniature size and suddenly returned to normal, so they called on Pym for help. He gave Reed Richards a sample of his shrinking gas and left to see what he could discover in his lab. Reed used the Particles to shrink down to travel to the Microverse and Pym followed shortly thereafter.[10]
On Planet X, Kurrgo convinced the Fantastic Four to save his race or perish along with them. Reed Richards used the Xanth equipment to manufacture large amounts of Pym Particles in the form of reducing gas. This enabled the entire population to fit inside one ship and escape the destruction of their planet. Reed gave Kurrgo the enlarging gas to be used to allow them to return to normal size when they reached their new destination. However, Kurrgo's hunger for power got the better of him, thinking that once on the new planet he could be the only one to return to normal size, enabling him to become absolute ruler, so Kurrgo attempted to keep the enlarging capsule to himself. But he was not able to carry the capsule to the ship in time, and was left behind as the planet began to undergo massive earthquakes; ironically, Reed Richards later revealed to his teammates that he was not able to create any enlarging gas and that the second capsule had been empty. He figured that since the size was all relative, being tiny on their new planet wouldn't matter.[11]
S.H.I.E.L.D. brought in Hank Pym to use a large batch of Pym Particles against Godzilla. However, the monster grabbed Dum Dum Dugan before they could take effect. The Godzilla Squad then engaged on a wild goose chase to try and capture the now shrinking Godzilla. He was finally caught by Dr. Hawkins who used a net on the beast once it had become the size of a regular lizard.[12]
Baron Zemo, using Pym Particle-charged ion bombardment, permanently altered Simon Williams, giving him incredible strength, speed and durability; later gaining the ability to change sizes indicating a connection between Pym's discovery and Heinrich's radiotherapy procedure.[13][14] Erik Josten, with help from The Enchantress, would use said very same facilities that created Wonder Man for similar ends,[15] before losing these abilities to Count Nefaria who took them and those of others as his own.[16]
Dr. Karl Malus helped restore Daddy Longlegs to his normal size using Pym Particles. And while working with Josten, gave him new powers by enhancing him further using Pym Particles.[17]
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For a short time, Hawkeye used Pym Particles and operated under the name Goliath. He still keeps some particles in a Trick Arrow just in case.[18]
Rita DeMara stole the original Yellowjacket's Suit from the Avengers Mansion, and modified it for her use. She clashed with Wasp. The Wasp easily captured the new Yellowjacket when DeMara became hysterical upon using her helmet's cybernetic size-control devices to shrink herself to a tiny size. At that time, DeMara could not adjust psychologically to being so small, although she later learned to do so.[19]
Jerry Morgan a member of the Headmen, Jerry tried to replicate Pym's size-changing experiments but only managed to shrink his bones in his head, leaving his face hanging loose.[20]
Scott Lang stole Ant-Man's Suit.[21] Garbed as Ant-Man, Lang broke into Cross and discovered Dr. Sondheim was being held prisoner by Darren Cross, president of C.T.E., who needed Sondheim to correct his heart condition. Rescuing Sondheim and defeating Cross, Lang was relieved when Sondheim was able to save the life of his daughter. Lang intended to return the Ant-Man costume to its owner and turn himself in, but Pym offered to let him keep them, provided Lang put them to heroic use.[22]
Biochemist Dr. Bill Foster worked in the Plans and Research Division for Tony Stark's Baltimore factory. He was hired to be the lab assistant of Dr Pym. Pym was stuck at the height of ten feet for a time and Dr Foster helped him find a cure to change his size back to normal.[23] At some point discovered the formula for Pym Particles, which gave him the ability to grow in size like his former employer, taking the name Black Goliath.[24]
Reed Richards started a rehabilitation program; with Fin Fang Foom, Elektro, Gorgilla, and Googam. He shrunk them with Pym Particles and gave them jobs in the Baxter Building.[25]
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Punisher killing with Pym Particles
Frank Castle has used Pym Particles on few occasions as part of his arsenal by shrinking to escape H.A.M.M.E.R. agents.[26] He later infiltrated a stronghold of The Hood by hiding on a pizza, re-growing inside the head of a henchman.[27]
The Big House was a maximum-security prison. The prison housed superhuman criminals shrunken by Dr. Pym's Pym Particles.[28] Later it was expanded into Lang Memorial Penitentiary, sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Ant Farm."[29]
When the Dark Avengers were trapped in an alternate reality that universe Hank Pym shrunk Ai Apaec with Pym Particles. When they escape Toxie Doxie stepped on a still-shrunken Ai Apaec, possibly killing him.[30]
Pym had Starktech 9 fire a miniature form of Ares on a S.H.I.E.L.D. scooter at Ms. Marvel's mouth. Ultron detected a virus and destroyed the drone.[31]
Beast taught the students their first class of biology. Using Toad as a test subject, Beast and the students shrink down to microscopic size and travel through Toad's body. Beast presented them with the X-Gene, and they traveled across the brain and the stomach. The class ended and they left Toad's body through one of his eyes.[32]
Deadpool unleashing the "Pimp Articles"
Taskmaster and Deadpool traveled to Southern Nevada to try and score some weaponry-shrinking Pym Particles from a S.H.I.E.L.D. installation in the desert. Deadpool misheard Taskmaster and believed they were called "Pimp Articles."[33]
Due to repeated exposure to Pym Particles from her father's suit Cassie Lang was able to alter her size at will. She did not learn of this until an argument erupted about Young Avengers membership, and Cassie began to grow at an alarming rate to everyone's surprise, including Cassie's.[34]
Eric O'Grady and Chris McCarthy were S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents tasked with guarding Dr. Pym's lab. When Pym went to leave the lab, Eric and Chris panicked and attacked Pym, knocking him unconscious. Inside the lab, they found the most recent version of Ant-Man's Suit, which Chris put on and promptly activated, shrinking down.[35] Chris was killed, and Eric took the suit off his body. Agent Mitch Carson was tasked with hunting down the person who had stolen the suit and given a less advanced prototype to aid him in his search.[36]
After the death of his uncle Bill Foster during the first Superhuman Civil War, an embittered Tom Foster promised to crack the Pym Particle formula and avenge him by becoming the new Goliath.[37]
Fixer equipped Man-Killer with size-altering Pym Particles. She was pitted against her former friend Atlas who defeated her due to him having more experience with size alteration.[38]
The Fossilized Amulet of a future Reptil had been augmented by Pym Particles, allowing him to transform into full-sized dinosaurs.[39] Later, the present-day Reptil received the same augmentation.[40]
Wasp's body was transformed into a living Pym Particle explosion. In the infinite void of Underspace, her new form continued to expand the same way the universe expands, while the Infinite Avengers Mansion acted in a way to keep her from stable without dissipating. The ten billion Jocastas Pym created performed similarly to the ten billion neurons in the human body - reinforcing Janet's brain wave pattern.[41]
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Using Pym Particles, Shang Chi was turned into a giant, and defeated a recently resurrected dragon in combat, but before that, he tore off Gorgon's base from Madripoor and threw it several miles away.[42]
When Augustine Cross forced Dr. Sondheim to revive his father via a heart transplant from Cassie Lang, the surgery had the unexpected side-effect of granting Darren Cross the size altering abilities associated with the Pym Particles. However, Darren was unfamiliar with their use resulting in the powers being an obstacle rather than a boon.[43]
Franklin Nelson was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma,[44] a type of cancer which formed in his hip. As chemotherapy was extremely expensive and painful, with the help of Hank Pym and his Pym Particles, Foggy began treating his tumor more directly.[45]
Priya Aggarwal, concerned for Nadia's well-being following a violent altercation with the other members of G.I.R.L., donned Janet's original Wasp costume and chased after her friend into her Microverse lab. However, after talking Nadia down, she accidentally damaged the particle generator on the belt due to the costume being too small for her, forcing Nadia to fly her out before she'd return to normal size and accidentally kill herself.[46]
American Kaiju
Todd Ziller was a volunteer in the new Super-Soldier process. They could not recreate the serum so used existing transformative substances. The final result included Gamma enhancements, Mutant Growth Hormone, Pym Particles and the Connors Formula. The resulting application of the serum in Ziller's body turned him into a giant reptile similar to Godzilla, for which he was given the alias of "American Kaiju."[47]Properties
- Size Alteration: The primary facet of Pym Particles is their enabling of changing ones height, weight and resiliancy. Mainly by acurring or shunting additional body of matter from a subatomic plane of existence and streamlining it along an axis of three vectors governing howm far along the spectrograph users wish to enhance or deminish certain facilities. Prolonged usage of said materia ingrains the power into their very geneological structure, making the effect permenant and enabling those affected to access these abilities at will.
- Size Addition: Through the acquisition of mass from the Kosmos Dimension, Pym Particles allow their users to grow to massive sizes, including hundreds of feet in height. This leads to a great increase in strength and durability. However, the larger someone grows, the more strength that is required to hold up the person's heavy body. This can put enormous strain on the person's body.[citation needed]
- Size Reduction: Through mass extensions into an extra-dimensional space, Pym Particles users can shrink down to very small sizes. Because they don't lose any mass, users retain their level of strength while at normal height.[citation needed] The Pym Particles allowed the user to bypass the Square-cube law of physics.[5]
- Self Sustenance: According to the Beast, Pym Particles can sustain their users while small, eliminating the need for air and food.[48]
- Enter Other Planes of Existence: Pym Particles can either allow users to shrink to sub-microscopic stature or act as a conduit for accessing alt. worlds.[49] When 99.99+% of a user's mass is extra-dimensionally shunted, he or she will be sent into a "subatomic universe" or "microverse," one of the countless alternate universes accessible to Earth only by the mass-shunting process. The reverse can also be done and the Overspace can be entered if a user grows large enough.[50]
Uatu explaining to children about the axis intricacies of Pym Particles.
- Physical Augmentation: During his time as an instructor at the Future Foundation, Scott Lang determined that the particle is capable of effecting not only a user's size, but also their strength and durability. This functionality is what allows The Vision to alter his density, and is the origin of The Vision's, Wonder Man's, and Atlas's strength and resilience. It was revealed that the Lang family tree possesses an inordinate ability to acclimate the power of the Pym Particles in ways that others cannot. Scott Lang figured out the means of using them to alternate his physiological capabilities without the need of magnifying his size.[51]
- Anti-Magic: Being the onset of primal minutia called Kirbons,[52] Pym Particles have copious quantities of hard science which can negate most forms of magic these iotic units of matter are faced with.[4] When properly condensed into tangible form, it takes the semblance of a special metallic substance called Mysterium.[53]
- Density Manipulation: Beyond altering size via mass transference to bequeath greater strength & resilience, the Pym Particles can also modulate physical opacity to enable users becoming physically impermissible for gliding on air currents or simple weightlessness. As well as delineate hyper density to make one robust enough to withstand incredible impacts & abrasion. This is something the murderous automata Ultron had gifted to his own creation; The Vision without realizing his experiments with his own builder's main selling horse had actually succeeded.[51]
- Energy Augmentation & Bestowal: An unknown facet of the particle element begets an augmented bio-energy field which naturally enhances inherent ergokinetic stores,[54] enabling host users the ability to discharge bio-electric energy projections potent enough to set the CNS ablaze for disorienting or incapacitating organic entities,[55] if not outright sheering clean through non-biological attributes like wood, rebar or concrete with relative ease.[56]
Repeated Exposure
Repeated, long-term exposure to Pym Particles can result in the subject's body naturally producing its own Pym Particles. Such is the case for Pym, Janet van Dyne, Cassie Lang,[34] and Nadia van Dyne, among others.
- Adverse Effects: Pym Particles exert a large amount of physical and mental strain on the subject's body. Pym personally has had many mental breakdowns because of using his own discovery.[citation needed]
- Ion-Flux Matrix: Overuse of the Y angle of the multi axis power formula of pym particle make-up could saturate a persons anatomy; causing a user to transition into an ion energy transitionary state.[51] Causing the effected to become beings of pure iokinetic force similar to Wonder Man, Atlas or Count Nefaria.
Alternate Reality Versions
| Image | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
 |
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Earth-8096)Like on Earth-616, Dr. Hank Pym discovered the Pym Particle. He used Ant-Man's Suit to harness the special particles to grow like a giant or shrink like an ant. He also injected Janet van Dyne with the particles that shrunk her to the size of a wasp and gave her stingers naming herself the Wasp. The Big House, Ultron guards and the supervillain prisoners are the examples of the effects of Pym Particles which they were shrunk into a size of an ant while the building is shrunk into a size of a dollhouse.[57] When Ant-Man's Suit was stolen by Scott Lang, he had used the Pym Particles to steal money with Pym Discs but they were unsuccessful. After settling the issue and getting his daughter, Cassie Lang back Hank allowed him to continue being Ant-Man.[58] |
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes S1E01 |
 |
2010s Marvel Animated Universe (Earth-12041)Pym Particles are color coordinated so blue makes anything shrink while red makes anything grow. |
Marvel's Avengers Assemble S1E23 |
|
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe (Earth-12101)Deadpool stole Pym Particles from Hank Pym's lab before killing him, and used them to destroy the Avengers' headquarters and kill the whole team present, who were having a meeting on how to deal with him. Luke Cage and Thor survived, however, but Deadpool revealed that he had planted miniaturized bombs in Cage's coffee to bypass his unbreakable skin, which he then detonated. When fighting Thor, he used Pym's technology to enlarge Mjolnir, which was in the process of returning to Thor, causing the now-massive Asgardian hammer to crush its owner. |
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe #2 |
 |
Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)Dr. Hank Pym discovered and isolated a rare group of subatomic particles which he dubbed "Pym Particles". These particles allow for subjects to reduce the distance between their atoms thereby decreasing their size and increasing their density. He created Ant-Man's Suit that allowed him to regulate the particles use allowing him to shrink in size. Along with Janet van Dyne, his wife, in Wasp's Suit, Pym executed several covert missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. During one mission, Janet sacrificed herself to prevent a missile aimed for the United States from reaching its target resulting in her being trapped inside the subatomic void called the Quantum Realm. After this Pym abandoned the project and hid Ant-Man's Suit. However, after several years, Pym's former protégé Dr. Darren Cross was finally able to recreate the formula for Pym Particles and used them to create a weaponized suit called the Yellowjacket. This discovery forced Pym to come out of retirement and recruit a new Ant-Man Scott Lang in a mission to steal back his technology from Cross. |
Ant-Man |
|
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (Earth-135263)One of Reed's Microverse experiments with Pym Particles caused the Fantastic Four to shrink, putting them at risk when H.E.R.B.I.E. mistook them for vermin and tried to exterminate them. The Fantastic Four were restored to normal size with Ant-Man's help. |
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes S1E06 |
Known Users
Pym Particle Mutates
List of characters whose body naturally produces Pym Particles due to repeated exposure:
- Ant-Man/Giant-Man/Goliath/Yellowjacket/Wasp (Dr. Hank Pym)[3]
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne)[8]
- Goliath (Bill Foster)[59] (Deceased)
- Ant-Man (Scott Lang)[21]
- Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)[19] (Deceased)
- Stature/Stinger (Cassie Lang)[60]
- Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady)[35] (Deceased)
- Goliath (Tom Foster)[61]
- Reptil (Humberto Lopez)[40]
- Yellowjacket (Darren Cross)[62]
- Vision[51]
- Wasp (Nadia Pym)[63][64]
Limited/Short-Term Users
List of characters who have previously used Pym Particles during isolated incidents or over short periods of time:
- Various Ant-Man's Ants
- Various prisoners in the Big House[28]
- Doctor Nemesis (Michael Stockton)[65]
- Amazon (Katerina van Horn)[38] (via gauntlets)
- Ant-Man (Mitch Carson)[66]
- Ant-Man (Chris McCarthy)[36] (Deceased)
- Ares[31]
- Porcupine (Alexander Gentry)[9]
- Beast (Dr. Hank McCoy)[32]
- Goliath (Clint Barton)[18]
- Punisher (Frank Castle)[26]
- Giant-Man (Raz Malhotra)[67]
- M.O.D.O.K.[68]
Indirectly Affected
- Wonder Man (Simon Williams)[13] (Via Zemo's Ionic treatments)
- Auteur (Alex Flores)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Atlas (Erik Josten)[15][17] (Same as Simon)
- Attractive ladd (Aundray Phelps)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Vantage (Dallas Riordan)[70] (Thru Atlas fusion)
- Buff (LaHoya Scripps)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Stox (Count Nefaria)[71] (By siphoning Josten's powers)
- Dreamer (Jamie Flores)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Nefarious (Lloyd Bloch)[72] (Mutated by Nefaria)
- Glamor Girl (Gloria Angel)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Barney[73] (Mutated by Nefaria)
- Thommanom (Angkor)[74] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Therak (Theodore Davros) [75] (Mutated by Nefaria)
- Snap (Ginger Beach)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Stat (Esteban Beach)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
- Visionary (Argus LaVecchio)[69] (Altered by Simon's energies)
Suits
Most uniforms for users of Pym Particles are treated with the particles so that they grow and shrink as the users do. These suits include:
Notes
Reed Richards claiming he knows more about Pym Particles than Hank Pym in front of the Mighty Avengers
- Reed Richards claims to know more about Pym Particles than Hank Pym himself.[76]
Onome and Bently-23 contemplating how Pym Particles key into the Destiny Force
- Onome and Bentley-23; under hints by The Watcher, theorize Pym Particles are a key ingredient to ascertaining and harnessing the Destiny Force.[51]
See Also
- 344 appearance(s) of Pym Particles
- 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Pym Particles
- 209 minor appearance(s) of Pym Particles
- 91 mention(s) of Pym Particles
- 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Pym Particles
- 28 image(s) of Pym Particles
Links and References
References
- ↑ Ant-Man
- ↑ Avengers Forever (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Tales to Astonish #27
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wasp #4
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Tales to Astonish #49
- ↑ Tales to Astonish #40
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tales to Astonish #44
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tales to Astonish #53
- ↑ Fantastic Four #16
- ↑ Fantastic Four #7
- ↑ Godzilla #17
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Avengers #9
- ↑ Wonder Man #25
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Avengers #21
- ↑ Avengers #165–166
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Iron Man Annual #7
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Avengers #63
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Avengers #264
- ↑ Defenders #21
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Marvel Premiere #47
- ↑ Marvel Premiere #48
- ↑ Avengers #32
- ↑ Black Goliath #1
- ↑ Giant-Size Avengers (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Dark Reign: The List - Punisher #1
- ↑ Punisher (Vol. 8) #5
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 She-Hulk #5
- ↑ She-Hulk #12
- ↑ Dark Avengers #190
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Mighty Avengers #5
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Wolverine & the X-Men #5
- ↑ Deadpool (Vol. 3) #57
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Young Avengers #2
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Irredeemable Ant-Man #1
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Irredeemable Ant-Man #2
- ↑ Black Panther (Vol. 4) #23
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 New Thunderbolts #18
- ↑ Avengers Academy #11
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Avengers Academy #14
- ↑ Mighty Avengers #35
- ↑ Avengers World #14
- ↑ Ant-Man #1–5
- ↑ Daredevil (Vol. 3) #22
- ↑ Daredevil (Vol. 4) #5
- ↑ Unstoppable Wasp (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ New Avengers (Vol. 4) #9
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 7) #683
- ↑ Uncanny Avengers #382
- ↑ Mighty Avengers #30
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 51.3 51.4 FF (Vol. 2) #16
- ↑ Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #9
- ↑ S.W.O.R.D. (Vol. 2) #1–6
- ↑ Secret Invasion: Requiem #1
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #13
- ↑ Uncanny Avengers #15
- ↑ Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes S1E01
- ↑ Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes S2E05
- ↑ Power Man #24
- ↑ Young Avengers #3
- ↑ Black Panther (Vol. 3) #23
- ↑ Ant-Man #5
- ↑ Free Comic Book Day 2016 (Civil War II) #1
- ↑ All-New, All-Different Avengers #9
- ↑ Marvel Feature #10
- ↑ Irredeemable Ant-Man #5
- ↑ Ant-Man Annual #1
- ↑ All-New Venom #3–4
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 69.4 69.5 69.6 69.7 Wonder Man (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Thunderbolts #41–44
- ↑ Avengers #165
- ↑ Captain America #379
- ↑ Captain America (Vol. 3) #25
- ↑ Wonder Man (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ Avengers West Coast #82
- ↑ Mighty Avengers #25