The best (and most underrated) hero to take on the identity of Giant Man could be the key to saving Marvel’s original Ant-Man.
The legacy of Ant-Man has always been one of giving second chances. But rather than ensuring those chances given could offer a better future, Ant-Man’s legacy has been more of a cautionary tale to the heroes who donned the helmet. A great example of this was Hank Pym, whose troubled life saw him have a mental break, lose his wife, as well as his status on The Avengers, and even create Ultron, the team’s deadliest villain. But even though he tried to do the right thing, his ultimate sacrifice came when Ultron killed his physical body and merged them into a half-man, half-machine in Avengers: Rage of Ultron #1 (by Rick Remender, Jerome Opeña, and Pepe Larraz). While all hope seems lost, a new Giant-Man could be the key to reviving the hero.
When Hank died, he left one of his labs to the second Ant-Man, Scott Lang. Now, with the keys to the kingdom, Scott gifted a spare Giant-Man suit to Raz Malhotra, a computer technician specializing in artificial intelligence. After Egghead took his mind over in Ant-Man Annual #1 (by Nick Spencer, Ramón Rosanas, and Brent Schoonover), it was Hank Pym that saved him and put him on the radar of the other Ant-Men. However, with many major events taking place in the Marvel Universe, it’s left Raz in a strange position where his growth has taken a halt. That said, there’s still hope that he could be the Pym Particle-based hero to make one of the biggest moves in recent years.
Raz Has Earned the Name Of Giant-Man.
When Raz first obtained the Giant-Man suit, he immediately tried his hand at being a superhero against The Unicorn. But what resulted was a giant person tangled in the Golden Gate Bridge. Luckily, with the help of Scott Lang, Raz’s physical skills slowly began to match his intelligence, and he was able to finally be a hero worthy of the name. But his story didn’t end after his first outing. In fact, it was just the beginning of a new superhero legacy.
Even though Raz didn’t have the same rogues’ gallery or missions as Scott Lang, he still found his place in the Marvel Universe. He has managed to join The Ultimates, a team of super-intelligent heroes, he fought against Hydra when an evil Captain America took over by joining The Underground in Secret Empire: Brave New World #1 (by Paul Allor and Brian Level), and he joined the Agents of Atlas. As of now, the Agents of Atlas was the last time that Raz was seen as an active hero, but his history as Giant-Man has painted a clear picture of how he could be the one to save Hank Pym.
Why Saving Hank Pym is so Important
Over the years, Raz made a name for himself as Giant-Man and did so knowing that it was with Hank’s help that he was placed on this path. As a result, it’s likely he’d have a sense of obligation to return the favor and solve the mystery around saving Hank. With that in mind, his know-how on AI and help from the Ant-Man and Wasp family, including Scott, Janet, and Nadia Pym, would give him the tools to hopefully give Hank a new lease on life. This would be especially welcome as Hank’s return is long overdue in the Marvel universe.
In recent years, Hank Pym has suffered as a victim of his choices, even when he had tried to make things right. But with his 60th anniversary here and the legacy of Ant-Man being a huge focus of said anniversary, now would be the perfect time to give Hank a heroic return. It would also allow Raz to finally thank his hero while giving Hank a new lease on life to be a hero to himself, his loved ones, and everyone around him.
source: cbr.com/
