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Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady)
Encyclopedia
Ant-Man is a fictional character
, a superhero
in the . He is the third character to use the name Ant-Man
. He first appears
in The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (September 2006
) and was created by Robert Kirkman
and Phil Hester
.
Though canceled, the series ended with Eric O'Grady becoming enrolled in the Initiative
. With Avengers: The Initiative #8, O'Grady joined the title's cast. He departed from the title after Avengers: The Initiative #20, and as of Thunderbolts
#128, is a member of the new Thunderbolts team. After the events of Siege
, he becomes a member of the Secret Avengers
, beginning with issue one. As of November 2010, he is starring alongside Henry Pym
in the three-issue mini-series Ant-Man and the Wasp, by Tim Seeley
.
who stumbles upon Dr. Henry Pym's
latest incarnation of the Ant-Man
suit in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. A man of very few morals and willingness to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, Eric immediately steals the armor for his own selfish plans, which include using his status as a "super-hero" to stalk women and facilitate his thievery. A running theme with the character is his evil side clashing with a desire to be accepted by others, which leads to Eric vowing to renounce his evil ways and become a proper hero, leading to a cycle of the character relapsing and vowing to "change".
. Originally picked out to be the wearer of the Ant Man suit O'Grady stole, he was forced to wear a hastily built prototype suit based on the armor O'Grady had stolen. When S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered that O'Grady had stolen the suit, Carson confronted Eric in the new experimental suit. In the ensuing battle, Eric disfigured his friend's face by accident with his suit's jets, burning the left half of Carson's face and leaving him deaf and blind on that side as well. Despite what he did, O'Grady took him to the infirmary nearby to help the injured Mitch, who later vowed revenge.
As his series progressed, it is revealed that O'Grady's best friend and fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance agent Chris McCarthy, was the first person who actually wore what would become O'Grady's Ant-Man suit. McCarthy was killed however, during a HYDRA
attack when he was shot in the head by a HYDRA agent. Eric took the suit off of Chris's dead body just before the Helicarrier crashed. With his best friend dead, Eric sets his sights on seducing and bedding Chris's girlfriend, Veronica King. The attraction resulted in the two having sex, leading to Veronica King's pregnancy and Ant Man ultimately abandoning her.
Despite his attempts to seduce Veronica, Ant Man continuously uses his powers of shrinking to stalk women and watch them in various stages of undress, with Ms. Marvel
of The Mighty Avengers being a popular target for his ever-increasing voyeurism.
Eric also encounters the thief Black Fox
, and steals his possessions. Black Fox later shows up looking for the jewels. O'Grady, however, had already sold them to a pawn shop. The two work together, getting the $150,000 back and splitting the proceeds, with O'Grady keeping 15 percent.
After saving the life of a child, Ant-Man encounters Damage Control
. This organization offers him a job and, after he obtains a fake ID under the name Derek Sullivan and comes up with a new superhero name (Slaying Mantis), he consents. He meets a woman named Abigail, who he starts dating. He leases an apartment under his new name and with Damage Control's help begins to establish a new identity while continuing to hide from S.H.I.E.L.D. However, as Abigail begins to fall in love with Eric, she reveals to him that she is a single mother
with a son. This in turn triggers Eric dumping Abigail over her keeping her son's existence a secret from him while pursuing a romantic relationship with him.
During a later confrontation with Abigail, she reveals that she possesses the power to read people's emotions telepathically. She promptly then accuses Eric of truly loving her, through use of her powers to scan Eric's mind for his true feelings about her. Before he can answer though, the Hulk
attacks Manhattan (See World War Hulk
). Eric reluctantly joins the fray by attacking the Hulk from the inside of his body. However, the Hulk's stomach and innards proved to be just as tough and Eric ended up being discharged through one of the nostrils. He awoke in a S.H.I.E.L.D. infirmary, with Mitch Carson standing by his bed, stating that he was under arrest.
Carson takes Eric to a secret room aboard the helicarrier
, and proceeds to torture him. While doing so, Carson reveals shocking secrets to Eric regarding his own sociopathic nature and how he has abused his position as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to cover up murders he has committed over the years. Just as Carson is on the verge of burning Eric's face with the suit's jet boosters, Iron Man
arrives and subdues him. Eric uses Carson's confessions of past misdeeds to frame him for the whole stolen-suit fiasco, saying that he was only trying to stop him from using the suit for evil. Iron Man refuses to believe Eric though Iron Man is quickly sidetracked by the arrival of the Black Fox
(who had become friends with Eric after their first encounter). Black Fox demands that Eric be released and claims to have placed explosives on the helicarrier in order to extort his friend's freedom. Eric refuses Fox's claims to protect him from Iron Man, leading to Fox being arrested.
Several weeks pass and while Carson's fate is left unresolved, it is shown that Eric has resumed his post upon Helicarrier, having been offered his own job under unknown circumstances. Feeling guilty for Black Fox being in jail, Eric helps the elderly thief escape from the helicarrier, with Eric admitting that he was sorry for putting Black Fox through the ordeal of being arrested. Later on, Eric refuses Veronica's attempt to try and work out an arrangement for raising their child together, in part because of Eric's inner fear that he would be a horrible father due to his utter lack of morals or ethics. Meanwhile, despite their misgivings, Iron Man and Hank Pym reluctantly offer Eric his old Ant Man suit back after determining that none of the other candidates can control the suit to the degree that Eric has already demonstrated, on the condition of him becoming part of the Initiative
, which Eric accepts.
Eric also has one last meeting with Abigail and tells her that he does, indeed, love her. However, he tells Abigail that he will be leaving for a while and wishes to be with her. While doing so, he hopes that he can be a better person. Before leaving, he tells her his real name.
, Geldoff
, Dragon Lord, Geiger
, Red Nine
, and Diamondback
.
In particular, during his first meeting with the Taskmaster
, Eric attempts to slander the name of his predecessor, Scott Lang by passing off stories of his lewd stalker behavior regarding Ms Marvel onto Scott, as well as claiming that Scott Lang was never really an official Avenger and that he was simply hiding inside the Avengers mansion during his tenure with the team and following the group around as a hanger-on. Unfortunately, Scott's daughter Cassie
overhears Taskmaster and Eric laughing at Eric's lies and attacks by growing to giant size and attempts to step on the human-sized Eric. Using his suit to increase his size to fight the giant-sized version of Cassie, Eric tricks her into thinking she had stepped on and killed the hero Stingray
, in order to knock her down with a cheap shot. This in turn causes Hank Pym to grow giant-sized and attack Eric, who upon defeating Cassie begins to mock her by yelling "Who's Your Daddy Now?". However, as their fight begins to attract the attention of people outside the Initiative compound, the Taskmaster brings all three of the giants down with his shield.
O'Grady is defeated by a clone of MVP
, along with most of the recruits in his class. He hid under an unconscious Geiger and survived mostly unharmed. He hid from the rest of the action along with the Taskmaster.
Eric is later seen having a counseling session with Trauma
, who helped him with a repressed "naked Santa" memory from his childhood.
When the Skrull invasion
occurs in New York city, the Initiative are ordered to fight. Eric decides to avoid this by shrinking down and hiding. He soon discovers, however, that the Skrulls have taken over Camp Hammond. He aids the Shadow Initiative in a failed attempt to assassinate Queen Veranke
. Escaping by once again shrinking down, Eric discovers the Skrulls' last resort plan: to open a giant Negative Zone
portal, and have the entire United States removed from this dimension. Escaping the Skrulls on the back of one of their shock troopers, Eric brings the information to some of the remaining Initiative members, and they set out to stop the plan from happening.
Following the Invasion's end, Eric is commended for his good work, and is promoted to a position in the Thunderbolts
.
sneak aboard, Ant-Man hidden in Black Widow's cleavage and take control of Air Force One
with Norman Osborn, Doc Samson
, and the new President aboard. He secretly plants a gamma emitter on Doc Samson
, causing the doctor to increase in strength and anger, which makes him attack the president.
However, O'Grady began to regret his actions in the Thunderbolts but can't do anything about it, since Osborn would have him killed. Paladin
advised that he wait until Osborn inevitably loses his mind and is taken down
. Ant-Man later secretly witnesses Paladin Ghost
and Headsman
turn against Mister X and Scourge when they are ordered to execute Natasha Romanoff and Songbird
, then erase their teammates memories. He later assists in the capture of Luke Cage
by entering his nervous system. However, when his teammates make no effort to extract him, O'Grady helps Cage to escape, later leaving his body while he is eating.
O'Grady becomes increasingly disgruntled with the Thunderbolts, and concerned for his future. In order to earn some goodwill, he helps Captain America
escape from custody in Captain America: Reborn
, asking that he keep this in mind in the future. Later, when sent with the rest of the team to infiltrate Asgard
and steal Gungnir
, he once again faces off with Stature
.
After Scourge finds Gungnir, he attempts to take it to Osborn, but is stopped by Paladin, who has finally had enough of serving a madman. His teammate Grizzly attacks Paladin and attempts to kill him for treason but O'Grady shrinks down and enters Grizzly's ear canal, incapacitating him and saving Paladin's life. As the Mighty Avengers defeat what remains of the Thunderbolts, O'Grady finds Gungnir and gives it to Paladin, who decides to take it to a safe place where Osborn cannot find it. He says goodbye to O'Grady and departs. After the battle, O'Grady decides to re-evaluate the choices he has made and to do something good with his life.
, using Hank Pym's classic gear. He was invited by former Captain America Steve Rogers, who believes that O'Grady can be a better person. He's positioned as the rookie of the team, who is teamed up with War Machine
, who believes he's not worthy of the Ant-Man name.
In the arc of the opening four issues, Eric inadvertently stumbled upon a group of Shadow Council agents planning to blow up his team mates with a bomb, but was able to defeat them by detonating it early.
O'Grady goes to Pym's lab, as Hank and Reed Richards
discuss how to save their reality from being overwritten, Eric offer's to help but is told that it's above him and to wait with his info as Pym and Richards work. Eric does and has a talk with Tigra
, who knows about his power abuse to peep on women and warns him not test her.Running into Striker, Finesse and Veil
,Eric is able to pull the ladies into another room for a private drinking party, where he passes out and they put shaving cream on his face. After a bizarre break in, Eric is awaken to find Striker standing over him, who he blames for the shaving cream and starts a fight with him. Striker quickly powers up and attacks but Tigra saves O'Grady, Pym then finally explains the situation believing Eric brought in an alien who's stole from Pym. It's revealed Fox used Eric to create an entrance and exit for a thief to steal an object from Hank's Lab, Eric takes responsibility and teams up with Pym to retrieve the stolen object.
while retaining full-sized strength. He also possesses two robotic arms he can release from the back of his armor when he is shrunk. The armor's main mode of transportation is a jetpack that can be detached and used as a weapon by turning the jet's flames onto an enemy. He also has the ability to talk to insects while wearing the suit. However, he has not quite trained in this ability and is somewhat lacking in skill.
After joining The Initiative, it was revealed that O'Grady's armor was the prototype G.I. Ant-Man suit that could also increase O'Grady's size. During his appearances in Avengers: the Initiative, Eric's helmet seemed to become more of a close-fitting piece of fabric, as it moulded itself to his facial expressions, and could even be peeled upwards to allow him to drink.
Following his induction into the Thunderbolts, Eric's suit is redesigned and recolored, to better fit his new covert operations position.
When he joined the Secret Avengers, his costume was redesigned to resemble the original Ant-Man armor. It was also fitted with Wasp-like
stingers in the gloves. The armour retains the 'cyberlegs' of the original, not visible when retracted.
In addition to changes to his helmet and armour, Eric's hairstyle has changed throughout his appearances. In his eponymous series, he sported distinctive mutton chops, although he appears to have shaved them off by the time he joined the Thunderbolts and Secret Avengers. Despite this, in the mini-series Ant-Man and the Wasp (set between Thunderbolts and Secret Avengers) the mutton chops are on his face once again.
listed Eric as the 82nd greatest comic book hero of all time stating that Eric is another hero who faces the challenge of living up to a huge legacy but he is truly good at heart, and he's made great strides when it comes to doing justice to the venerated Ant-Man name.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the . He is the third character to use the name Ant-Man
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size...
. He first appears
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (September 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
) and was created by Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics, and Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt...
and Phil Hester
Phil Hester (comics)
Phil Hester is an American comic book artist, penciller and writer.-Biography:This Eisner Award-nominated artist was born in eastern Iowa, where he went on to study at the University of Iowa...
.
Publication history
Eric O'Grady was the main character in the ongoing monthly series The Irredeemable Ant-Man, with the "Irredeemable" title given to the comic's title to indicate the character's immoral attitude and behavior. The series was canceled after issue #12, though no official cancellation notice was given (as Marvel Comics simply opted to not solicit issues of The Irredeemable Ant-Man beyond #12, though the final issue did mercilessly mock the idea of cancellation, such as having Eric scream in spite towards a massive assault of canceled comic characters).Though canceled, the series ended with Eric O'Grady becoming enrolled in the Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
. With Avengers: The Initiative #8, O'Grady joined the title's cast. He departed from the title after Avengers: The Initiative #20, and as of Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
#128, is a member of the new Thunderbolts team. After the events of Siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
, he becomes a member of the Secret Avengers
Secret Avengers
Secret Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. Written by Ed Brubaker, the series depicts a new version of Marvel's premiere super hero team, the Avengers, which operates under the guidance and leadership...
, beginning with issue one. As of November 2010, he is starring alongside Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
in the three-issue mini-series Ant-Man and the Wasp, by Tim Seeley
Tim Seeley
Tim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe vs. Transformers and New Exiles.-Career:Seeley has illustrated a variety of comics, including Kore, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe vs...
.
Fictional character biography
Eric O'Grady is a low-level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
who stumbles upon Dr. Henry Pym's
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
latest incarnation of the Ant-Man
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size...
suit in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. A man of very few morals and willingness to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, Eric immediately steals the armor for his own selfish plans, which include using his status as a "super-hero" to stalk women and facilitate his thievery. A running theme with the character is his evil side clashing with a desire to be accepted by others, which leads to Eric vowing to renounce his evil ways and become a proper hero, leading to a cycle of the character relapsing and vowing to "change".
The Irredeemable Ant-Man
Mitch Carson, whom O'Grady looks up to, is a S.H.I.E.L.D. security agent under Dum Dum DuganDum Dum Dugan
Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan is a fictional character in the . He is an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most experienced members of Nick Fury's team, known for his marksmanship with rifles and for his impressive physique...
. Originally picked out to be the wearer of the Ant Man suit O'Grady stole, he was forced to wear a hastily built prototype suit based on the armor O'Grady had stolen. When S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered that O'Grady had stolen the suit, Carson confronted Eric in the new experimental suit. In the ensuing battle, Eric disfigured his friend's face by accident with his suit's jets, burning the left half of Carson's face and leaving him deaf and blind on that side as well. Despite what he did, O'Grady took him to the infirmary nearby to help the injured Mitch, who later vowed revenge.
As his series progressed, it is revealed that O'Grady's best friend and fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance agent Chris McCarthy, was the first person who actually wore what would become O'Grady's Ant-Man suit. McCarthy was killed however, during a HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
attack when he was shot in the head by a HYDRA agent. Eric took the suit off of Chris's dead body just before the Helicarrier crashed. With his best friend dead, Eric sets his sights on seducing and bedding Chris's girlfriend, Veronica King. The attraction resulted in the two having sex, leading to Veronica King's pregnancy and Ant Man ultimately abandoning her.
Despite his attempts to seduce Veronica, Ant Man continuously uses his powers of shrinking to stalk women and watch them in various stages of undress, with Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
of The Mighty Avengers being a popular target for his ever-increasing voyeurism.
Eric also encounters the thief Black Fox
Black Fox (comics)
Black Fox is a code name used by two unrelated fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe: a villain and Dr. Robert William Paine, a superhero.-Black Fox :-Publication history:...
, and steals his possessions. Black Fox later shows up looking for the jewels. O'Grady, however, had already sold them to a pawn shop. The two work together, getting the $150,000 back and splitting the proceeds, with O'Grady keeping 15 percent.
After saving the life of a child, Ant-Man encounters Damage Control
Damage Control (comics)
Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in Marvel Comics, which specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains...
. This organization offers him a job and, after he obtains a fake ID under the name Derek Sullivan and comes up with a new superhero name (Slaying Mantis), he consents. He meets a woman named Abigail, who he starts dating. He leases an apartment under his new name and with Damage Control's help begins to establish a new identity while continuing to hide from S.H.I.E.L.D. However, as Abigail begins to fall in love with Eric, she reveals to him that she is a single mother
Single parent
Single parent is a term that is mostly used to suggest that one parent has most of the day to day responsibilities in the raising of the child or children, which would categorize them as the dominant caregiver...
with a son. This in turn triggers Eric dumping Abigail over her keeping her son's existence a secret from him while pursuing a romantic relationship with him.
During a later confrontation with Abigail, she reveals that she possesses the power to read people's emotions telepathically. She promptly then accuses Eric of truly loving her, through use of her powers to scan Eric's mind for his true feelings about her. Before he can answer though, the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
attacks Manhattan (See World War Hulk
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
). Eric reluctantly joins the fray by attacking the Hulk from the inside of his body. However, the Hulk's stomach and innards proved to be just as tough and Eric ended up being discharged through one of the nostrils. He awoke in a S.H.I.E.L.D. infirmary, with Mitch Carson standing by his bed, stating that he was under arrest.
Carson takes Eric to a secret room aboard the helicarrier
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier specifically designed to be capable of independent powered flight in addition to the conventional functions of aircraft carriers...
, and proceeds to torture him. While doing so, Carson reveals shocking secrets to Eric regarding his own sociopathic nature and how he has abused his position as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to cover up murders he has committed over the years. Just as Carson is on the verge of burning Eric's face with the suit's jet boosters, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
arrives and subdues him. Eric uses Carson's confessions of past misdeeds to frame him for the whole stolen-suit fiasco, saying that he was only trying to stop him from using the suit for evil. Iron Man refuses to believe Eric though Iron Man is quickly sidetracked by the arrival of the Black Fox
Black Fox (comics)
Black Fox is a code name used by two unrelated fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe: a villain and Dr. Robert William Paine, a superhero.-Black Fox :-Publication history:...
(who had become friends with Eric after their first encounter). Black Fox demands that Eric be released and claims to have placed explosives on the helicarrier in order to extort his friend's freedom. Eric refuses Fox's claims to protect him from Iron Man, leading to Fox being arrested.
Several weeks pass and while Carson's fate is left unresolved, it is shown that Eric has resumed his post upon Helicarrier, having been offered his own job under unknown circumstances. Feeling guilty for Black Fox being in jail, Eric helps the elderly thief escape from the helicarrier, with Eric admitting that he was sorry for putting Black Fox through the ordeal of being arrested. Later on, Eric refuses Veronica's attempt to try and work out an arrangement for raising their child together, in part because of Eric's inner fear that he would be a horrible father due to his utter lack of morals or ethics. Meanwhile, despite their misgivings, Iron Man and Hank Pym reluctantly offer Eric his old Ant Man suit back after determining that none of the other candidates can control the suit to the degree that Eric has already demonstrated, on the condition of him becoming part of the Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
, which Eric accepts.
Eric also has one last meeting with Abigail and tells her that he does, indeed, love her. However, he tells Abigail that he will be leaving for a while and wishes to be with her. While doing so, he hopes that he can be a better person. Before leaving, he tells her his real name.
The Initiative
In spite of his vows to Abigail though, Eric continues his lewd and irredeemable ways upon joining the Initiative. He appears in Camp Hammond, as an official recruit for the Initiative, along with Crusader, MeleeMelee (comics)
Melee is the code name of a fictional comic book character within Marvel Comics' shared universe the Marvel Universe. She first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #8 and was created by Dan Slott, Christos N...
, Geldoff
Geldoff
Geldoff is a fictional character in Marvel Comics who first appeared in the Ultimate Marvel Universe's Ultimate Spider-Man #40 written by Brian Michael Bendis with art from Mark Bagley. Geldoff was brought into the main Marvel Universe by Dan Slott and Christos N...
, Dragon Lord, Geiger
Geiger (comics)
Geiger is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She first appeared in Doc Samson #1 , created by Dan Slott.-Fictional character biography:...
, Red Nine
Red Nine
Red Nine is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #264 .-Publication history:...
, and Diamondback
Diamondback (comics)
Diamondback is the name of four fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Diamondback first appeared in Captain America #310 , written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Paul Neary.-Willis Stryker:The first Diamondback was a foe of Luke Cage...
.
In particular, during his first meeting with the Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
, Eric attempts to slander the name of his predecessor, Scott Lang by passing off stories of his lewd stalker behavior regarding Ms Marvel onto Scott, as well as claiming that Scott Lang was never really an official Avenger and that he was simply hiding inside the Avengers mansion during his tenure with the team and following the group around as a hanger-on. Unfortunately, Scott's daughter Cassie
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
overhears Taskmaster and Eric laughing at Eric's lies and attacks by growing to giant size and attempts to step on the human-sized Eric. Using his suit to increase his size to fight the giant-sized version of Cassie, Eric tricks her into thinking she had stepped on and killed the hero Stingray
Stingray (comics)
Stingray is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appears as Walter Newell in Tales to Astonish #95 and as Stingray in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #19 Stingray (Walter Newell) is a fictional character that appears...
, in order to knock her down with a cheap shot. This in turn causes Hank Pym to grow giant-sized and attack Eric, who upon defeating Cassie begins to mock her by yelling "Who's Your Daddy Now?". However, as their fight begins to attract the attention of people outside the Initiative compound, the Taskmaster brings all three of the giants down with his shield.
O'Grady is defeated by a clone of MVP
Michael Van Patrick
Michael "Mike" Ian Van Patrick is a fictional comic book character created by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Although the character himself is deceased, and in fact died in the issue he first appeared in, the character is said to have been cloned after his death, with his clones continuing to play...
, along with most of the recruits in his class. He hid under an unconscious Geiger and survived mostly unharmed. He hid from the rest of the action along with the Taskmaster.
Eric is later seen having a counseling session with Trauma
Trauma (comics)
Trauma is a fictional comic book character. He is a teenage superhero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe...
, who helped him with a repressed "naked Santa" memory from his childhood.
When the Skrull invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
occurs in New York city, the Initiative are ordered to fight. Eric decides to avoid this by shrinking down and hiding. He soon discovers, however, that the Skrulls have taken over Camp Hammond. He aids the Shadow Initiative in a failed attempt to assassinate Queen Veranke
Veranke
Veranke is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics who serves as the queen of the Skrull empire in the Marvel Universe. She plays a significant role in the events of Secret Invasion as she leads her empire to invade and conquer Earth....
. Escaping by once again shrinking down, Eric discovers the Skrulls' last resort plan: to open a giant Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
portal, and have the entire United States removed from this dimension. Escaping the Skrulls on the back of one of their shock troopers, Eric brings the information to some of the remaining Initiative members, and they set out to stop the plan from happening.
Following the Invasion's end, Eric is commended for his good work, and is promoted to a position in the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
.
Thunderbolts
In their first mission, Ant-Man and the second Black WidowBlack Widow (Yelena Belova)
Black Widow is a fictional character, a spy in the . She first appears in Inhumans #5 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee.-Publication history:...
sneak aboard, Ant-Man hidden in Black Widow's cleavage and take control of Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
with Norman Osborn, Doc Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
, and the new President aboard. He secretly plants a gamma emitter on Doc Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
, causing the doctor to increase in strength and anger, which makes him attack the president.
However, O'Grady began to regret his actions in the Thunderbolts but can't do anything about it, since Osborn would have him killed. Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
advised that he wait until Osborn inevitably loses his mind and is taken down
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
. Ant-Man later secretly witnesses Paladin Ghost
Ghost (Marvel Comics)
Ghost is a fictional character appearing in comics books set in the . He first appears in Iron Man #219 and was created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, the character is later portrayed as more of an anti-hero or mercenary.-Fictional character...
and Headsman
Headsman (comics)
Headsman is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.- Origin :The Headsman is a criminal who first appeared to field test technology devised by Norman Osborn. He was sent to help the Enforcers escape from Spider-Man, which he accomplished by forcing Spider-Man to flee...
turn against Mister X and Scourge when they are ordered to execute Natasha Romanoff and Songbird
Songbird (comics)
Songbird , formerly known as Screaming Mimi, is a fictional character, a superheroine and former supervillainess in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:...
, then erase their teammates memories. He later assists in the capture of Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
by entering his nervous system. However, when his teammates make no effort to extract him, O'Grady helps Cage to escape, later leaving his body while he is eating.
O'Grady becomes increasingly disgruntled with the Thunderbolts, and concerned for his future. In order to earn some goodwill, he helps Captain America
Bucky
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters, masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1 , published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics...
escape from custody in Captain America: Reborn
Captain America: Reborn
Captain America: Reborn is a six-issue monthly comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics between July 2009 and January 2010...
, asking that he keep this in mind in the future. Later, when sent with the rest of the team to infiltrate Asgard
Asgard
In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...
and steal Gungnir
Gungnir
In Norse mythology, Gungnir is the spear of the god Odin.-Poetic Edda:In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, the Æsir-Vanir War is described as officially starting when Odin throws a spear over the heads of an assembly of Vanir gods. Whether or not this was specifically Gungnir is, however, unstated...
, he once again faces off with Stature
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
.
After Scourge finds Gungnir, he attempts to take it to Osborn, but is stopped by Paladin, who has finally had enough of serving a madman. His teammate Grizzly attacks Paladin and attempts to kill him for treason but O'Grady shrinks down and enters Grizzly's ear canal, incapacitating him and saving Paladin's life. As the Mighty Avengers defeat what remains of the Thunderbolts, O'Grady finds Gungnir and gives it to Paladin, who decides to take it to a safe place where Osborn cannot find it. He says goodbye to O'Grady and departs. After the battle, O'Grady decides to re-evaluate the choices he has made and to do something good with his life.
Secret Avengers
O'Grady is latter seen to be a member of the Secret AvengersSecret Avengers
Secret Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. Written by Ed Brubaker, the series depicts a new version of Marvel's premiere super hero team, the Avengers, which operates under the guidance and leadership...
, using Hank Pym's classic gear. He was invited by former Captain America Steve Rogers, who believes that O'Grady can be a better person. He's positioned as the rookie of the team, who is teamed up with War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
, who believes he's not worthy of the Ant-Man name.
In the arc of the opening four issues, Eric inadvertently stumbled upon a group of Shadow Council agents planning to blow up his team mates with a bomb, but was able to defeat them by detonating it early.
Ant-Man and Wasp
We open to an Eric's riding high off his position as a Secret Avenger, using it as a tool for sexual encounters with various women. Black Fox comes to him with info regarding A.I.M., to hopefully boost Eric's relationship with Ant-Man predecessor, Hank Pym. Abigail comes by, Eric admits his longing for a relationship with intention of starting one, just for Abigail to find evidence of him being unfaithful. She quickly leaves commenting he's improving as a superhero but sucks at being a human being.O'Grady goes to Pym's lab, as Hank and Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
discuss how to save their reality from being overwritten, Eric offer's to help but is told that it's above him and to wait with his info as Pym and Richards work. Eric does and has a talk with Tigra
Tigra
Tigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
, who knows about his power abuse to peep on women and warns him not test her.Running into Striker, Finesse and Veil
Avengers Academy
Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the...
,Eric is able to pull the ladies into another room for a private drinking party, where he passes out and they put shaving cream on his face. After a bizarre break in, Eric is awaken to find Striker standing over him, who he blames for the shaving cream and starts a fight with him. Striker quickly powers up and attacks but Tigra saves O'Grady, Pym then finally explains the situation believing Eric brought in an alien who's stole from Pym. It's revealed Fox used Eric to create an entrance and exit for a thief to steal an object from Hank's Lab, Eric takes responsibility and teams up with Pym to retrieve the stolen object.
Powers and abilities
While wearing the Ant-Man armor, O'Grady has the ability to shrink to the size of an insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
while retaining full-sized strength. He also possesses two robotic arms he can release from the back of his armor when he is shrunk. The armor's main mode of transportation is a jetpack that can be detached and used as a weapon by turning the jet's flames onto an enemy. He also has the ability to talk to insects while wearing the suit. However, he has not quite trained in this ability and is somewhat lacking in skill.
After joining The Initiative, it was revealed that O'Grady's armor was the prototype G.I. Ant-Man suit that could also increase O'Grady's size. During his appearances in Avengers: the Initiative, Eric's helmet seemed to become more of a close-fitting piece of fabric, as it moulded itself to his facial expressions, and could even be peeled upwards to allow him to drink.
Following his induction into the Thunderbolts, Eric's suit is redesigned and recolored, to better fit his new covert operations position.
When he joined the Secret Avengers, his costume was redesigned to resemble the original Ant-Man armor. It was also fitted with Wasp-like
Wasp (comics)
The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
stingers in the gloves. The armour retains the 'cyberlegs' of the original, not visible when retracted.
In addition to changes to his helmet and armour, Eric's hairstyle has changed throughout his appearances. In his eponymous series, he sported distinctive mutton chops, although he appears to have shaved them off by the time he joined the Thunderbolts and Secret Avengers. Despite this, in the mini-series Ant-Man and the Wasp (set between Thunderbolts and Secret Avengers) the mutton chops are on his face once again.
Motion Comics
- Ant-Man (O'Grady) appears in the Spider-WomanSpider-WomanSpider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Marvel Comics' then-publisher Stan Lee, said in 1978, shortly after Spider-Woman's debut in Marvel Spotlight #32 Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters...
motion comics voiced by Jeffrey Hedquist.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed Eric as the 82nd greatest comic book hero of all time stating that Eric is another hero who faces the challenge of living up to a huge legacy but he is truly good at heart, and he's made great strides when it comes to doing justice to the venerated Ant-Man name.
External links
- Robert Kirkman Talks Ant-Man (cached), NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, March 18, 2006 - Picnic Time, As Brevoort Talks The Irredeemable Ant-Man, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, March 18, 2006 - Kirkman Bugs The Marvel Universe In The Irredeemable Ant-Man, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, March 18, 2006 - Getting Irredeemable with Robert Kirkman and Ant-Man, NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, December 12, 2006