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Wasp Reading Order (Janet van Dyne)

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Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, Janet van Dyne aka The Wasp made her debut in Tales to Astonish #44. She’s one of Marvel’s first female superheroes and a founding member of the Avengers. She’s even the one who gave the team its name!

Coming from a rich family, Janet van Dyne became the Wasp in order to avenge the death of her father, scientist Vernon van Dyne, killed by an alien entity unleashed during one of his experiments. With the help of Dr. Hank Pym (alias Ant-Man), she was exposed to the Pym Particles and biologically altered, giving her the ability to grow wings and shrink under four feet tall. She partnered with Pym, professionally and personally, and would eventually marry him. Their relationship was dysfunctional and Janet will eventually divorce him following an act of physical violence.

From this tragedy will emerge a more empathetic and efficient Avenger, a great leader with an amazing sense of fashion (Janet is also a fashion designer). Though Janet had some occasions to shine as Chairman of the Avengers, she was often sidelined in favor of other characters until she simply disappeared completely following the events of Secret Invasion. She made her return several years later and joined the ranks of the Unity Division, then became an Agent of Wakanda.

Though for too many years defined by her relationship with Hank Pym, Janet also had a tragic story with Havok and became entangled with Tony Stark in recent years. 

Her most important recent relationship is, without a doubt, with Nadia, the daughter of Hank Pym and his first wife, who also chose the alias the Wasp. Together, they are Unstoppable! And finally, after sixty years, Janet finally got her own solo series!

It’s time to buzz around and explore Janet’s publication history with this reading order!

Janet van Dyne (The Wasp) Comics Reading Order

Janet van Dyne has been a major part of the Avengers, so you’ll find a lot of Avengers books below. But not everything is listed, and to read all those stories and discover other editions, we invite you to consult our Complete Avengers Reading Order.

Also, there’s another Wasp buzzing around since 2015 in the Marvel Universe, named Nadia van Dyne and she has her own dedicated reading order!

I. The Winsome Wasp (1963-1996)

The Wasp and Ant-Man/Gian-Man

First of all, if you want to become acquainted a little bit with Wasp (and Ant-Man), check out the two following paperbacks collecting some stories (some retellings and oldies) about her relationship with Ant-Man and the Avengers: 

  • Marvel-Verse Ant-Man & The Wasp
    Avengers Origins: Ant-Man & the Wasp (2011) #1, Ant-Man: Larger than Life (2015) #1, Marvel Premiere (1972) #47-48, Ant-Man & the Wasp: Living Legends (2018) #1
  • Avengers: The Origin (2010)
    Collects Avengers: The Origin #1-5. A retelling with more details about the creation of the team.

Janet is introduced in the pages of Tales To Astonish #44 and soon became Hank Pym’s partner. Together they fought a lot of enemies, including Scarlet Beetle and Porcupine. Janet also stars in the backup feature “Tales of the Wasp” (#51–56) where she relates tales to fans, hospital patients, and even Hank.

Not long after their first encounter, Ant-Man (Hank Pym), the Wasp, and Iron Man joined Thor and the Hulk to fight Loki. And the rest is history as the legendary team Avengers was created! The Wasp came up with the name and became one of its most important members. Though presented as the weakest link at first, she will prove her worth!

Janet (and Hank) leaves the Avengers in issue #75 and will not appear in this title again until Avengers #90-91. The couple didn’t rejoin the superhero team at this moment but instead, co-starred in Marvel Feature (collected in Ant-Man/Giant-Man Epic Collection Vol. 2, see above). But Once an Avenger, Always an Avenger, and Janet chose to return to the roster in #137. She also assisted the Defenders for a few issues:

The Wasp, Chairman of The Avengers

Things go awry between Janet and Hank in #212-213, leading to their divorce in #214. But after so many hardships, it’s time for Janet to shine! She becomes Chairman of the Avengers in #217 and starts her long-running friendship with Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk.

Janet becomes Chairman of the Avengers in Issue #217
  • Avengers Masterworks Vol. 21
    Collects The Avengers #217-226; The Avengers Annual #11; Vision and the Scarlet Witch #1-4; material from Marvel Fanfare #3.
  • Avengers Masterworks Vol. 22
    Collects The Avengers #227-235; The Avengers Annual #12; Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16; Fantastic Four #256; Doctor Strange #60.
  • Avengers: Absolute Vision Book 1
    Collects Avengers #231-241, Avengers Annual #11-12, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, Fantastic Four (1961) #256, and Doctor Strange (1974) #60
  • Avengers: Absolute Vision Book 2
    Collects Avengers #242-254, Avengers Annual #13

    • Secret Wars! Takes place between #242 & #243. Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes and villains are set against one another by the mysterious and all-powerful Beyonder. It’s a 12-issue miniseries collected in Secret Wars Omnibus.
  • Avengers: The Legacy of Thanos
    Collects Avengers #255-261, Avengers Annual #14, and Fantastic Four Annual #19.
  • Avengers Epic Collection: Under Siege
    Collects Avengers #264-277, Alpha Flight #39, Avengers Annual #15, West Coast Avengers Annual #1
  • Avengers Epic Collection: Judgment Day
    Collects Avengers #278-285 and Avengers Annual #16; Marvel Graphic Novel #27: Emperor Doom; X-Men vs. Avengers #1-4; and West Coast Avengers Annual #2.

The Wasp in West Coast Avengers

The Wasp steps down as chairwoman to take a leave of absence in #278 and finds herself helping the West Coast Avengers for an arc (#32-37) before officially joining the group in #32. She departs the team in #74, but is still present as a recurring character in the series. She goes to Hollywood (in Avengers West Coast Annual #6), but things don’t work out.

Wasp, Avenger Again

After teaming up with Cap and making her return as a reserve Avenger in issue #340, The Wasp found herself back full-time with the Avengers. After being mortally wounded, Janet was fully transformed following a procedure started by Hank Pym trying to heal her injuries. This is a time when Janet Van Dyne has morphed into an almost completely wasp-like form!

A transformed Wasp in Avengers #394
  • Avengers: The Crossing
    Collects Avengers #390-395, The Crossing, Timeslide; Iron Man (1968) #319-325; Force Works #16-22; War Machine #20-25; Age of Innocence: The Rebirth of Iron Man.
  • Avengers/Iron Man: First Sign
    Collects Captain America (1968) #449, Thor (1966) #496, Iron Man (1968) #326-331 and Avengers (1963) #396-400.
  • X-Men / Avengers: Onslaught Omnibus
    Collects Wolverine #104-105; Cable #32-36; Uncanny X-Men #333-337; X-Force #55, #57-58; X-Man #15-19; X-Men (vol. 2) #53-57, Annual ’96; X-Men Unlimited #11; Onslaught: X-Men, Marvel Universe, Epilogue; Avengers #401-402; Fantastic Four #415; Incredible Hulk #444-445; X-Factor #125-126; Amazing Spider-Man #415; Green Goblin #12; Spider-Man #72; Iron Man #332; Punisher #11; Thor #502; X-Men: Road to Onslaught #1; material from Excalibur #100, Fantastic Four #416.

II. Wasp, from Heroes Reborn to Secret Invasion (1996-2008)

Wasp in Heroes Reborn and Return

Following the events of the Onslaught Saga, Janet was among the superheroes moved into the pocket Universe with the Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Captain America during the relaunch Heroes Reborn. This period is totally optional.

  • Heroes Reborn: The Avengers
     Collects Avengers (1996) #1-12, Fantastic Four (1996) #12, Iron Man (1996) #6 And #12, Captain America (1996) #12 & Material From Fantastic Four (1996) #6 And Captain America (1996) #6.

Following the Avengers’ return to Earth-616, she helps rebuild the team but refuses to come back full-time. She later took leadership of a team of Avengers from the different time periods.

Wasp, member of the Mighty Avengers

Brian Michael Bendis’s run on the Avengers started with the destruction of the team in Avengers Disassembled. Janet is present in this story but as a background character. Before the world of Marvel’s superheroes tear each other apart, Janet was among the super-beings chosen to fight on Battleworld.

Janet in Mighty Avengers #6

It’s The Civil War! The U.S. Government proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, intending to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction and requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards. Heroes had to choose between rallying behind either Iron Man’s pro-registration forces or Captain America’s opposition. To know more about, check out our Civil War Reading Order!

Janet chose Iron Man’s side, and this event will mostly lead her to be part of the Mighty Avengers.

The Secret Invasion begins with a brutal battle between the New Avengers and the Hand—one that claims the life of Elektra and reveals that she was a Skrull! What does this mean for Tony Stark and his Mighty Avengers? For Janet in particular, this event is quite relevant to her story, despite the fact she plays a more important role in the last part. Go to the Reading Order for the whole experience!

III. Wasp, an Uncanny Avengers (2012-2018)

Wasp Returns

No one stays dead for long in the Marvel Universe (except Uncle Ben)! Before concluding his run, Bendis returns Wasp to the land of the living, or more precisely among the Avengers!

Wasp in Marvel Now

Following the conclusion of the Avengers vs. X-Men event, a team called ‘Avengers Unity Squad’ was assembled in order to improve the relations between the two groups. Janet joins this group led by Havok.

Janet in Uncanny Avengers Vol. 1 #12

All-New, All-Different Wasp (2015-2017)

Wasp is still part of the ‘Unity’ squad, though her participation in it is quite limited. She has more to do and is often more memorable in her other appearances, from her dealing with Ultron and her role as a mentor for the ne

Hey, there’s a new Wasp in town! Nadia is introduced in Free Comic Book Day 2016 and met Janet in All-New All-Different Avengers (2016) #10. Both of them continue to see each other in #12 & #14, but this is interrupted by Civil War II!

When a new Inhuman emerges, with the ability to profile the future, Captain Marvel wanted him to work with the Ultimates, in order to preemptively tackle disasters before they happen, but Iron Man opposed the idea, suggesting it was dangerous to take his visions for granted for several reasons. For more, go to the Civil War II Reading Order. Janet is not a major player in this, and she actually doesn’t do much in the last part of Uncanny Avengers, despite officially rejoining the team in issue #17

Secret Empire! Captain America is living a lie! The Cosmic Cube has remade him into a secret true believer in the cause of Hydra! Now, Steve Rogers makes Hydra’s ideals a reality—and changes the landscape of the world dramatically! For more, go to the Secret Empire Reading Order. An event totally optional for Janet as she doesn’t play a part in it.

The Earth has been STOLEN and the Avengers are the last line of defense between Earth and the mysterious forces threatening to tear it apart. It’s time to ASSEMBLE almost everyone who has ever been an Avenger! Naturally, Janet is on the field to fight the good fight!

IV. Wasp in Marvel Fresh Start (2018-)

It’s finally time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Wasp with her own limited series! When an old enemy threatens Janet and her fellow Wasp, Nadia – seemingly against his will – the Van Dynes must confront the ghosts in their shared history to get to the bottom of the mystery!

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