Marvel's Tales to Astonish # 27
1962
Written by: Stan Lee and Larry Leiber
Drawn by: Jack Kirby 

This review only covers the information provided about the character in Marvel Masterworks Ant-Man Volume 1. (TtA 27-52)

Part 1 covers only the power of shrinking and growing. Part 2 will cover Pym's ability to communicate with ants. 


Dr. Henry Pym is a scientist working on a shrinking and growth serum. The picture to the left shows Pym testing his shrinking serum on a chair in the lab and then enlarging it back to normal size with the growth serum. 

Pym thinks it is a good idea to start live trials on himself! I do not think this is normal scientific protocol. Usually, there would be rat testing or some other small mammal before there are human trials. However, sure of himself, Pym shrink himself successfully to the size of an ant. 
Pym did not plan well because he failed to prepare a growth serum he could quickly use after shrinking. So, he had a bit of an adventure outside of the lab. He found himself falling down an ant hill and fighting with some ants. 

As you can see the the left, Pym was able to easily handle an ant to get away. 

In the end, it was an ant that saved him as it "understood" him and scaled the wall to allow Pym to get to his growth serum by the window. I do not think I have ever had an ant "understand" me. Then again, I have not been the size of one to try and communicate with one. 

I must tip my hat to him for his great discovery in the Marvel universe. Unfortunately, in this universe this tale is a bit far fetched. How is it that a liquid or gas is able to shrink someone? This is not the same as when you wash a shirt for the first time and it comes out a little smaller. That only happens after the first wash, not every time. 

Look at the atom to your left. The nucleus is very small compared to the size of the whole atom. In fact it is about 100,000 times smaller than the rest of the atom. In comparison, think about the size relationship between an orange and the Earth. The orange being the nucleus of course. Within the rest of the atom is a very large electron cloud. Electrons are not that large they just orbit around taking up a lot of space. The key to shrinking and enlarging again would be controlling the space the electrons occupy in an atom. Reduce the electron space in an atom and you could shrink. So, Dr. Pym's serums must be able to manipulate the space that electrons occupy within an atom. To my knowledge, this technology has not beed developed. I think I found a new summer project to work that will revolutionize our world! 

DC's Metal Men 2007 
Duncan Rouleau (w & a)


This is Part 2 of 2 on the science used within the comics that's not apart of their origins. See previous posts for the science of their origin. Below, there is a gallery of images that have a description of the science going on in within each. 

DC's Metal Men 2007 
Duncan Rouleau (w & a)


This is Part 1 of 2 on the science used within the comics that's not apart of their origins. See previous posts for the science of their origin. Below, there is a gallery of images that have a description of the science going on in within each.