As a founding member of the Avengers, Ant-Man is one of Marvel's most important characters. While Hank Pym might have been the originator of the superhero, multiple characters have since taken up the mantle including Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady. Ant-Man's extended family continues to grow as well with the debuts of multiple iterations of the Wasp, Yellowjacket, Goliath, and Stature.
Despite the legacy that the Ant-Man comics have left behind, there's been a number of controversial moments within their stories. Reddit users have made their unpopular opinions known in regards to some of those arcs, the importance of the characters, and what kind of place these comics have in the overall Marvel Universe.
Liking Eric O'Grady
Eric O'Grady is a deliberately unlikeable character. He's sexist, arrogant, impulsive, and a pretty bad hero. There aren't really many fans of the character, but this Ant-Man has continued to take a more villainous path as the comics progress, never quite getting that redemption arc.
Despite being written as one of Marvel's worst characters there are those that actually find him pretty likable. There's a whole Reddit thread defending Eric O'Grady and while some users like Fasticles acknowledge he's still a terrible person, there's those that actually see him as a fun character to read about. Perhaps it's enjoyable to read about a truly horrible person who attempts, and fails, to be like the heroes he admires.
Cassie's Role In Young Avengers
Cassie Lang, daughter of Scott Lang and the hero known as Stature, was one of the earliest members of the Young Avengers. She's a reoccurring character that has been heavily featured in events like Secret Invasion before her death and subsequent revival. But some fans are saying she has been overlooked time and time again.
A Redditor whose account has since been deleted argued that Cassie was overshadowed by other members of the team and was either forgotten about or never that compelling. Stature has certainly built up a huge fanbase in her own right, so it seems odd that so much criticism has been leveled at her during her time with the group. After she left the team, Cassie defined herself as a solo hero with clear motivations and compelling conflicts.
Writing Hank Pym
Hank Pym really is a crucial part of Marvel history as an original Avenger and one of the comic book company's most recognizable names. He is a complex character though who has dealt with mental health issues and has also been portrayed as a domestic abuser in the past.
A Redditor who has since deleted their account suggests that writers can't seem to fathom how to use Hank Pym and treat him like "he's a pathetic joke." They argue his arcs are often limited to his abuse of the Wasp and his creation of Ultron. However, Pym has had a number of interesting storylines exploring mental health, the regrets of his past, and the role he plays in Marvel's future. In particular, his emotional breakdown after his marriage falls apart was a rare instance of a Silver Age comic book hero exposing their fragility to a primarily teenaged audience.
Hank Pym's Avengers Stories Vs. Solo Arcs
Hank Pym has played a big role in the Avengers comics, but his solo run was also iconic as it introduced future Avengers villains like Egghead. Fans enjoyed both his ensemble work and his individual adventures, therefore, with both becoming equally as compelling.
However, Redditor gnarly_thotep suggested that while Ant-Man's stories in the Avengers comics were by far the most interesting of the group, his classic solo run was actually "so weak." It's certainly an unpopular opinion considering the strength of the other epic Marvel Avengers stories he was involved in and the legacy of his own title, which also introduced the Wasp and are among some of Marvel's notable early science fiction stories of the 1960s.
Scott Lang's Best Comic Book Run Was In FF
Scott Lang has had so many solo runs and crucial stories within the Avengers that it's difficult to pick the best one. What's more, he's had plenty of comic book arcs with his daughter, Cassie, and their team-ups are never less than entertaining. Reddit user dsheilley and others argue that their "favorite runs" of Scott Lang comics included the Matt Fraction title FF, otherwise known as the second Fantastic Four title from the Marvel NOW! comic initiative a decade ago.
Everyone has seen how nice Ant-Man can be in the MCU and this story saw him try to be the best leader to a group of kids, including Reed and Sue's offspring Franklin and Valeria, in over their heads. It's a moving story but it's probably controversial to say it is the best of Scott Lang's comics, especially when looking at the impact he had during his own Avengers run.
Nadia Van Dyne Replacing The Wasp
Nadia Van Dyne, the daughter of Janet, has quickly become an important character in the Marvel Universe. She's had several solo series, joined the Avengers, and has enjoyed continued popularity from the community. It might be unpopular to suggest though that she is replacing Janet for good though.
Reddit user Captainhankpym expressed their uneasiness about the creation of Nadia and how she was thrown into the spotlight so quickly, essentially taking away from Janet. "Janet's been around for 50+ years and never even had a mini-series about her and now this new character has a solo?" he questioned. While Nadia is the Wasp that is receiving the most attention, Janet isn't going anywhere. She's still an active part of the Marvel Universe and she will be prominently featured in the upcoming MCU film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Both Nadia and Janet can co-exist as the Wasp much like Logan and Laura Kinney now co-exist as the Wolverine in the comics.
The Animated Versions Of Ant-Man And The Wasp Are The Best
There's an incredibly popular version of the Avengers in the animated show Earths Mightiest Heroes. The series in particular managed to portray a very likable version of Ant-Man and the Wasp that fans gravitated towards. A Reddit user who has since deleted their account suggested that the animated versions of the two heroes are "very popular" and far superior to anything the comics produced though.
That's pretty controversial considering the fan following Janet especially has in comics, but this user argues that even the MCU versions of Hank and Jan pale in comparison to their portrayals in Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The characters are certainly beloved in any medium they appear in but the comic book iterations will ultimately stand the test of time in comparison to a cartoon series that appeals primarily to small children.
Tony Stark Affair With Janet Van Dyne
Fans were never too keen on the sudden relationship between Janet Van Dyne and Tony Stark. It seemingly came out of nowhere and felt strange considering Hank and Janet were teammates who had never before displayed overt romantic intentions. Their affair didn't last long either, with the writers quickly moving on from the relationship.
A Reddit thread was opened with plenty of fans expressing the same sentiment that the relationship didn't work. However, one deleted Reddit user actually claimed that it all made complete sense due to both Hank and Janet being "wealthy, good looking, (and) a bit vain." While the two heroes are somewhat self-involved, it's a stretch to argue their relationship can work because of their mutual narcissism. Furthermore, Janet has always been drawn to men like Hank, who is selfless and cares about others.
Avengers Academy Wasn't Good
Plenty of fans claim that the version of Hank Pym in Avengers Academy is exactly what the character needed to be. After going through his identity crisis of becoming Yellowjackewt and then Giant-Man, Pym also helped to found Avengers Academy for a new generation of heroes.
It's one of his best portrayals, with the mentor role really suiting the veteran. Amongst all the praise though, Reddit user mike_incognito44 had the very unpopular opinion that the run (which featured his popular arcs) was never that good, considering it "clunky and really overstuffed". Many of the commentators disagreed, arguing that Avengers Academy included the right amount of complexity lighthearted humor that made the Marvel hero so entertaining for the last 60 years.