5 Essential Ant-Man Adventures Big and Small

These five stories establish the origins of Ant-Man, a founding Avenger, and his research in Pym technology and myrmecology—the scientific study of ants. Find out how Scott Lang ended up taking on the mantle of the pint-sized hero with these essential Marvel comics!

TALES TO ASTONISH #27 (1962)

This classic book is where readers are first introduced to Doctor Henry Pym, who knows that the only way to truly test your experiment, is to use yourself as the test subject. In the short story “The Man in the Ant Hill,” scientist Hank Pym tests his reducing and enlarging serums, only to find himself trapped by an ant colony. In this introductory story, there are no costumes, no heroics, just a man and his scientific research gone awry.

BLACK GOLIATH (1976) #1

This series features Hank Pym’s former protege Bill Foster. After moving to Los Angeles to oversee the Stark Enterprises west coast laboratory, Foster eventually takes on Pym’s mantle to become the size-changing Goliath.

MARVEL PREMIERE #47 (1979)

The introduction of a new Ant-Man, Scott Lang. This book was the basis for the first Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man” film with a recently paroled Lang trying his best to be a good father to his daughter Cassie. Circumstances led him back to a life of crime, thus intertwining his life with Doctor Henry Pym.

IRON MAN #219 (1987)

While this is not Ant-Man/Iron Man crossover, this issue is significant in the fact that it’s the first appearance of Ghost, Iron Man’s nemesis. See the character’s beginnings in this essential first issue.

ANT-MAN (2015) #1

This take on Ant-Man brings it all back home, revisiting Scott Lang’s past as a divorced ex-con who stole Hank Pym’s tech for the sake of his family. But life is full of curveballs and once again Scott is faced with choosing between being a hero or returning to the life of a criminal.