Appearing in "The Human Top!"
Tales to Astonish #50
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters
Antagonists:
- Human Top (Dave Cannon) (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- Numerous unnamed New Yorkers
- NYPD
- Sam (Security guard) (First appearance)
- Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Ants
- Cows (Invoked)
- Ghosts (Mentioned)
- Gremlins (Mentioned)
- Apes (Mentioned)
- Cats (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- New York State (Main story and flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- Henry Pym's Laboratory
- Janet Van Dyne's Apartment
- Danly's Department Store (First appearance)
- Midtown
- Dave Cannon's Apartment (First appearance)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- New York State (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Heavens (Invoked)
Items:
- Giant-Man's Suit
- Wasp's Suit and Wings
- Pym Particles
- Electronic Gyro Top (First appearance)
Synopsis for "The Human Top!"
Tales to Astonish #50
In the present day, Henry Pym reads about the Human Top's most recent robbery and dismisses him as a simple hood that is beneath the notice of Giant-Man. He then calls the Wasp in for duty. The two check their spy-ant monitoring device for any leads on crime in the city. They learn that the Human Top is plotting to rob Danly's Department Store the next day at 10:00 am. They decide to intervene, and Giant-Man begins his plan to capture the Top.
Meanwhile, the Human Top in his civilian guise is practicing for an ice show, and is sent home early. He scoffs at the pittance he gets working as an ice skater, and dons his newly designed top-inspired costume and begins plotting how he will rob the Danly's payroll the next morning.
The next day, Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne take up jobs at Danly's Department store in order to spring a trap on the Top. However, when the Human Top arrives and the two heroes take on their guises of Giant-Man and the Wasp, the Human Top proves to be too fast for them and gets out of the store. Even after attempting to throw the Human Top's balance off by having an army of ants chew through the pavement, Giant-Man is incapable of capturing the villain due to his large size and his opponent's fast speed. The Human Top then manages to lose Giant-Man by escaping through the subway.
The next day, David Cannon gloats over his victory against Giant-Man. Meanwhile, Giant-Man puts himself through a barrage of physical and chemical tests to increase his speed so that he can better fight the Human Top. While he feels confident that he can defeat his foe, he is unaware that the Wasp had really put his device on at half-speed, making him not at all ready for the upcoming battle. Janet admits to not having the heart to tell him.
While Giant-Man continues to prepare for his next battle with the Human Top, the Human Top himself is stalking through the city with a bundle of dynamite.