Henry Pym (Earth-616)/Quotes

I believe in the Avengers. We came together to face threats no single individual could withstand. To make the world a safer place. Perhaps it was a simpler time. Perhaps we were naive. Jocasta just asked me where I'd be without the Avengers. I've thought long and hard about that. And I know, without question... I'd be dead. Or insane. Or in prison. Or just not doing anyone much good. The Avengers have saved the world countless times. But they have also saved me. Have I faced hard times as a result of being an Avenger? Definitely. But I've also experienced some of the greatest moments of my life. Seen and done thing no other scientist can ever imagine. I've had the privilege of fighting beside some of the greatest heroes--and best friends--the world's ever seen. And I've found happiness. More than I probably deserve. If I'd never become an Avenger, I might have lived a quiet, contented, productive life as a researcher. But it's just as likely I'd have struggled with the same demons---depression, mental illness, suicidal thoughts--and not make it out the other side. And I wouldn't have had the great honor of teaching you.

Stop him, my pets! Obey your leader! The Ant-Man commands you!

Hello! I'm Ant-Man! Perhaps you've heard of me! I've come to help you!

Stop squirming Garrett! It'll only hurt a minute!

It's taken me months to get up the courage, but I'm finally going to offer Jan an engagement ring and ask her to marry me!

I'll come right to the point. I received a cybernetic alarm from a frightened group of ants!

How can I remain here? I'm no longer an Avenger ... I'm an oversized freak!

I play cops'n'robbers... let somebody else play judge'n'jury!

As you know, my first identity was that of the super-small Ant-Man! Then I gained the power to increase my size as well and became Giant-Man... a name I later changed, for reasons I forget, to Goliath!

Then, the Avenger called Hawkeye is no more! And, since I've had to swear off the growing thing -- looks like there's a new Goliath in our ranks!

Sorry, Honey -- No time to Explain -- but this is the way it's gotta be!

That's it, Pym. Keep talking to yourself. It's the only way you'll stop yourself from going bananas in a place that looks like its interior decorator was Salvador Dali.

I'll also inform her that she has the services of .. Ant-Man!

Well, what do you know -- The gang's all here. It's good to see you people again.

I've got a problem, sure -- But I've got to face it as an Avenger!

You felt sorry for yourself-- so you tore up the warmest, brightest woman who ever walked the Earth! I don't care how scrawny you are-- little man-- I'm going to beat you till there's nothing left at all!

Why did it have to be Jan? If -- if I couldn't do it...why her? Why? Why?

I never thought...how many people did I let down?

Get this straight, Scott -- it's killing me being trapped here. I'd give anything to get out...clear my name...regain my self-respect...and win back my beloved Jan. But I'm not going to make any more mistakes. Do you hear me? NEVER AGAIN!

Yes. I want you to think about that long and hard, Mister! and think about this... I did a pretty good job of screwing up my life recently. You just about finished the job for me! You used me, Egghead... and you tried to make me a criminal! But you couldn't. You see, I've come to terms with myself in the past month. I know who I am, and who I'm not! I'm not Ant-Man anymore. I'm not Giant-Man... or Goliath... or Yellowjacket! I'm Henry Pym! And it was Henry Pym who beat the Masters of Evil! You, Egghead... you turned to crime because you thought your scientific knowledge made you better than everyone else... put you above the law! But you were wrong. You weren't above the law, and you weren't better! I'm the better scientist... I just proved that! I assembled the pieces of your downfall -- Right under your nose!

Sorry... No outside influences. It would have changed a lot of things if there had been, wouldn't it? But no, I made my own mistakes... And I have to live with them.

And now, Mr. Rhodes, let's look into these headaches of yours.

It's time I stopped hanging onto a world I've written myself out of. It's time I killed myself...

Cap has to be told to stop all activity at once and come in for treatment.

I've lost count of the number of times I've tried to retire from the business.

But here's the kicker -- comparing it to the sample you gave me, the skeleton's DNA shows evidence of genetic drift. In short-- --it's a clone of you!

So lemme get this straight. The Avengers got led around... by a stick?

No-- You don't know the truth-- Not the whole truth. No one does-- No one but me. It's worse-- Worse than anyone ever thought--

Well, now. That was fun. But I wonder-- What kind of trouble can I get into next--?

Hi there. I'm you. And you've got something I want. Namely-- You're life!

I believe the consensus is "Cap knows best".

But we really did something good here. Something lasting. How many people can claim that...?

Ideas are cheap. Theories... hypotheses... mind traps. Just ways to avoid getting your hands dirty...! Pym... what a waste playing his his stupid toys... that's not living. He's better off dead.

For me, Ant-Man wasn't enough, now I'm Giant-Man. I figure if that doesn't make me tough enough, someday I'll invent another persona.

Over the years, I've reinvented myself as a super hero so many times... Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket...always trying to carve out a legacy for myself. But now...? ...I can think of nothing more appropriate...than taking up someone else's mantle. The greatest hero I've ever known. Call me...the Wasp!

So...fate of the world. And me and the also-rans have to defeat the god of chaos...before Iron Man and "The Avengers" blow us all up. That about cover it?

I know we don't view this in the same way. You're an adrenaline junkie, through and through. Meanwhile, I'm still looking for some sort of greater purpose in all of this. The costumes, the code names...the specific application of scientific achievement to acts of heroic responsibility. And a whole army at our command. No one's 'playing super hero' hero. We are super heroes. Ant-Man and the Wasp. Let's ride.

One last time! Let's fight the good fight! Let's do the impossible! Avengers assemble!

Up til now, my 'mark on tomorrow' has been a human-hating robotic 'son' and a new Ant-Man who uses his shrinking powers to spy on girls in the shower. I'd like to think I can do better.

No matter how smart I am, or how much I think I know, there's only one thing I can say for certain. Hank Pym is not always right.

What have I been saying? No more making decisions out of fear. And I'm afraid of living without you, Janet. I always have been. But I'm going to have to learn. I'm not giving up on you. On finding a way to bring you back. But when it's best for you. If it's best for you. I love you, Jan. Goodbye.

I wish you could stay off the front lines for years. Train slowly. Let things sink in. But I'm afraid we don't have that luxury. There will come times when every adult hero on the planet isn't enough. When the survival of the world -- of the universe requires every hand on deck. It's my job to get you ready for that moment. And clearly I haven't. You have no idea how hard this life can get. How high the price is for simple survival. And I wish you never had to find out. But because you have powers...because of whats' been done to you...because you're who you are -- you will. All I can do is try my best to give you the tools to survive it. And I've failed that. So we'll try harder. Combat drills before school, strategy sessions after. Weekend classes from now on. Once again...I'm sorry. Sorry that I didn't prepare you for today...and that I can't spare you tomorrow.

God, devil...I don't care what you call yourself. Because of you, my students are fighting a war alone. All you are to me -- is what I have to smash through to get to them!

I believe in the Avengers. We came together to face threats no single individual could withstand. To make the world a safer place. Perhaps it was a simpler time. Perhaps we were naive. Jocasta just asked me were I'd be without the Avengers. I've thought long and hard about that. And I know, without question... I'd dead. Or insane. Or in prison. Or just not doing anyone much good. The Avengers have saved the world countless times. But they have also saved me. Have I faced hard times as a result of being an Avenger? Definitely. But I've also experienced some of the greatest moments of my life. Seen and done thing no other scientist can ever imagine. I've had the privilege of fighting beside some of the greatest heroes--and best friends--the world's ever seen. And I've found happiness. More than I probably deserve. If I'd never become an Avenger, I might have lived a quiet, contented, productive life as a researcher. But it's just as likely I'd have struggled with the same demons---depression, mental illness, suicidal thoughts--and not make it out the other side. And I wouldn't have had the great honor of teaching you. [...] What I take issue with is the idea that the Avengers are an outdated concept. The Avengers made me a far better man than I would have been without them. And I have yet to meet a person involved with the Avengers who is not better for that association. [...] Yes, we save the world. Yes we fight enemies no other force could battle... Certainly not a corporation. But beyond that... The Avengers inspire people. To preserve when every fiber of their being says, "give up." We are a symbol of people of different races, nations, even different species working together for the common good. We make the world a better place. We make those who join us better people. I will believe that until the day I die.

Welcome to the inaugural flag football game between Avengers Academy and the X-Men's Jean Grey School!

You, sir, are a blemish on the good name of science!

That's it! I know what I did wrong now. I know what I have to do.

Since I was seven years old, I've let myself be a slave to other people's expectations. Leashed to a life that drags me nowhere worth going. Roboting soullessly through my days in the most colorless, thuddingly unimaginative, least frivolous way possible. All because I let people convince me that I was inconsequential without a necktie on and breakers in both hands. Well, they were wrong. So when I say I've finally lost it-- "it" is the yoke around my neck. The pressure to be practical, to conform to some 1950s notion of what an inventor is. The fear of being spontaneous. The social thermostat that keeps me from expressing myself fully through my chosen artform-- --SCIENCE. I feel as if I've been given a second chance at... at everything. As if this is the beginning of a whole new way of life for Dr. Hank Pym. Who matters.

It appears a human/A.I. war is coming, and we might be the only ones who care to prevent both sides from eradicating each other.

It is with great pride that I introduce the new annual intramural competition known as... The Contest... of Champions! Meta-Human schools from around the globe will all be selecting their best students to go into head-to-head competition. For the first time, Avengers Academy, Future Foundation, the Jean Grey School. Braddock Academy, the Wakandan School for Alternative Studies, the Pan-Asian School for the Unusually Gifted, and the Latverian School of Science will all be competing for the ultimate title of... Champion!

He didn't want to go but I talked him into it! He was just a kid and I pushed him--

Good lord, Bruce, what is it with you and bombs?

We made it! We're the first organic intelligences to step foot in the Diamond!

I ran as hard and fast as I could. I ran here to tell you... It's over, my friend. Done. The gods spent billions of years building something... All of the Multiverse... And these things destroyed it on a whim. What hope does man have now?

It's nice to see a friendly face. I'm grateful that intelligent apes haven't taken over since I've been off in space.

Conversations with Henry Pym (Earth-616)

Wait! Before we separate, the Wasp and I have something to say! Each of us has a different power! If we combined forces, we could be almost unbeatable!

Iron Man

Work as a team? Why not? I'm for it!

Thor

There is much good we might do!

Hulk

I'm sick of bein' hunted and hounded! I'd rather be with you than against you! So, whether you like it or not, I'm joining the... the... Hey! What are you callin' yourselves?

That's right! We need a name! It should be something colorful and dramatic, like... the Avengers, or...

"Or" nothing! That's it! The Avengers!!

Iron Man

We'll fight together, or separately, if need be!

Hulk

I pity the guy who tries to beat us!

Thor

We'll never be beaten! For we are... the Avengers!

— Avengers #1

Iron Man

I tell you we've got to find the Hulk! So long as he's running wild, there's no telling what he'll do!

Thor

Iron Man is right! So says Thor!

But how do we find him??

He's one joker you can't find in the classified ads!

— Avengers #3

Colossus (Vegan)

You arrogant fool!! Did you think you could elude someone twice your size??

Say! I ought to remember that line! It's a good one for me to use when I get home!

— Tales to Astonish #58

What's buzzing around me? Oh, Jan... it's you!

How nice! You remembered my name!

Forgive me, pretty girl! I was concentrating so hard I didn't hear you! C'mon, make yourself large enough for me to put my arm around you!

Mmmmm! Now you're talking my language, handsome!

— Tales to Astonish #65

Captain America

Guess I was too deep in thought... thoughts about Bucky!

Bucky? But… he's dead!!

Captain America

Is he, Hank? Is he??

— Avengers #56

Hank... have you noticed how silent the Vision has been?

Yellowjacket

Small loss... that inhuman voice of his gives me the creeps anyway! Perhaps it's just as well!

— Avengers #66

What about the race that built the citadel? Will they ever come back?

Hank Pym

If they do, Honey, then Hank Pym will fight them with a test tube-- the Avengers with super-powers.

And a prayer, old buddy. Don't forget that.

— Avengers #91

Henry Pym

Good job, Henry.

Hank

Couldn't have done it without you, Henry.

Henry Pym

We are rather impressive, aren't we?

— Avengers #335

Any regrets, Hank?

Giant Man

Always. But as long as you're with me, they don't matter. Let the new team have the spotlight -- I'm still the luckiest man alive!

Awww!

— Avengers Vol 3 #4

Songbird

Sorry, Immortus. But we're the Avengers.

We've never been very good at surrendering. Maybe we'll fall--

Captain Marvel

-- But we don't fold.

— Avengers: Forever #10

I worried about who I was -- How I was perceived for so long. But it was stupid. There'll always be someone braver out there -- Someone more powerful--

Yellowjacket

Always be someone smarter too. Someone who messes up less. But thats no what counts. No more pretending -- Or hiding. No more tryin' to be someone else. All we need to be --

Is Hank Pym. The best Hank Pym we can be.

— Avengers Annual Vol 2 #2001

You know what, Hank?

Yellowjacket

Yeah?

Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)

I haven't been able to say any of this... the way I've wanted to for a long, long time. I trust you, Hank. And I love you.

— Avengers Vol 3 #57

I'm glad it's you, Hank. Dark times are coming. And if you let me, I'll help you be the light that fights through the darkness. I've gathered an army for you. An army of heroes. But I can't release them. That's not how it works. You have to summon them.

Wasp (Hank Pym)

What? A spell? Some kind of incantation?

Edwin Jarvis

Sir, if I may, you're thinking too hard. You know the words. Go on, say them. Say them at the top of your lungs!

Wasp (Hank Pym)

Avengers Assemble!

— Mighty Avengers #21

Dr. Richards?

Reed Richards

Hank?

It's on, bitch.

— Mighty Avengers #25

Iron Patriot

So, still slapping women around?

You still throwing 'em off bridges?

— Mighty Avengers #32

Tigra

I know, proud papa, but don't get too carried away. This group still has a lot of problems.

Oh, sure. But not at this exact moment. And I'll take that.

— Avengers Academy #13

Quicksilver

It's a bit big for just five students, though, don't you think?

I do indeed. Which is why I'm opening our facilities to any young superhuman who wants instruction. Jocasta's been busy recruiting. And this is just the start. Our full-time students will continue to be our focus. But why limit ourselves? Why limit them? Greer, Pietro...welcome to a new era for Avengers Academy!

— Avengers Academy #20

You two are going on a field trip.

Striker

Yes!

Accompanied by me, Striker.

Striker

Less yes.

— Avengers: Solo #1

Scott, given what happened, it occurs to me...with our separate schools, we may be fostering isolation, an 'us vs. them' mentality. Maybe we should promote more fraternization between our students. Baseball games, say, like the East and West Coast Avengers used to have.

Cyclops

No offense, Hank, but I'm not running a school, I'm preparing my kids to survive genocide. We don't have time for baseball. Wolverine feels differently. He took half the kids and reopened our old school in Westchester. You may want to call him. He might think it's a good idea.

— Avengers Academy #22

There's about to be some vomit to analyze.

Cyclops

This place just lost its health board rating anyway.

— A + X #15

All right, fine -- well, I know someone was going to become the next Ant-Man eventually.

Obviously.

And here's the thing -- you don't want the next guy to become the world's greatest super hero or whatever, you know? I mean I never would've lived that down. So when you came along, I thought, oh, thank God -- he'll be perfect.