The Wasp
Real name: Janet Pym or Janet Van Dyne, depending on when you started reading
First appearance: Tales to Astonish 44
Favorite quote: "I like to feel I'm dangerous in my own winsome way." (Spectacular Spiderman 106)
Team affiliation: Jan has been with the Avengers since their inception, including several stints as chair. She also helped the Defenders once or twice (but then, hasn't everyone?)
Powers: Jan can control her physical size. When small, she displays her grafted wings; when larger, she prefers to keep her wings hidden although she can use them when she's at regular height. Originally she wore her "wasp's sting" externally around her wrists; however, a series of biochemical alterations later allowed her to generate bioelectrical bursts from her hands. These bursts are stronger when she is at wasp size. Before Onslaught she underwent a strange metamorphosis, looking like a cross between an overbred greyhound and a moth. What-ever else one may say about Onslaught (and I've said plenty), at least it returned Jan to her more-or-less normal configuration.
Favorite Storyline: Spectacular Spider-Man 105-106, where Jan out fights the mob, orchestrates a corporate takeover, has lunch with the dashing Paladin in her underwear after duking it out with him in the park, and still manages to make her hair appointment on time.
Least Favorite Storyline: Like all regular members of the Avengers, Jan has been in some stinkers. However, recent hints at a romantic reconciliation with her wife-beating ex-husband, Dr. Henry Pym, seem to be leading up to the definitive stinker of all time.
Danglers, anyone? What ever happened between Jan and Paladin, anyway? He kinda fizzled away. Pity; I liked the two of them together. They were both so material.
Voice your opinion! Well, I think everyone can tell what I think about Hank and Jan getting back together. Yet popular opinion seems to hold that Hank hitting Jan is no big deal. So go let everyone know why it's okay for Hank to hit Jan. And you can even see read why other people think it was okay for Hank to hit Jan! Or maybe you want to go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund site and check out some of the facts about domestic violence first.