Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which promises to spotlight one of Marvel’s greatest villains, Kang, is about to hit theaters. So, it seems like the perfect time to look back at some of the more iconic characters that the various Ant-Men have taken on over the character’s long life in the comics.
Ant-Man is certainly not the highest-profile Marvel superhero these days, but he’s faced off against some fascinating bad guys, and some of them have even made it to the big screen. We rank the best villains the Avenger has faced both in comic books and his solo MCU movies.
6. Ghost
In the MCU proper, Ghost is one of the characters who first introduced us to the quantum realm, and she’s also the rare Marvel villain to survive the movie she’s featured in. A character who is capable of changing her molecules at will, what made her such an interesting antagonist is the way her own tragic life informs her goals.
She wasn’t really a villain at all, and that’s long been the case in the comics as well. She’s set to show up in a Thunderbolts project whenever that gets made, and until then, we’ll always have Ant-Man and the Wasp to remember her by.
5. Black Ant
Black Ant is the only character on this list that MCU fans may know nothing about. He’s actually a clone of Eric O’Grady, the third Ant-Man, and he assumes Eric’s role within the Avengers for some time.
Although Black Ant does some occasional good while he’s pretending to be Ant-Man, we eventually learn that he’s been sent by a villainous being known as Father for nefarious ends. He ultimately appears as a member of Hydra’s Avengers, and wreaks a good bit of havoc on the real Avengers because his powers are so similar to the real Ant-Man’s.
4. Egghead
No list of Ant-Man villains would be complete without Egghead. Despite the ridiculous code name and underwhelming appearance, Egghead has been a thorn in Ant-Man’s side for years, ever since the supervillain debuted in Tales to Astonish No. 38 in 1962. A fellow scientist, Egghead, otherwise known as Elihas Starr, can match Ant-Man’s scientific prowess, only without the morals and code of honor that Hank Pym has.
Egghead is notable for causing the downfall of Pym in the 1970s, when the Avenger was cast out of his superhero team due to his unstable behavior. Egghead framed Ant-Man, kidnapped him, and used him to help form an iteration of the Masters of Evil. Although deceased, Egghead created enough damage in Hank Pym’s life to warrant a high placement on this list.
3. Darren Cross/Yellowjacket
Anyone who saw the first Ant-Man is familiar with Darren Cross. He’s the Obadiah Stain to Ant-Man’s Tony Stark, an ultra-successful businessman who wants to use the technology of Ant-Man’s suit to his own ends.
Although he may not be the most domineering presence in the first Ant-Man, Darren Cross has a long history of existing as Scott’s primary foe in the comics. Due to a heart condition that keeps him battling for his own life, Darren is sympathetic in his way, even if his goals typically put him at odds with Scott.
2. Taskmaster
Although Taskmaster was introduced in Black Widow in the MCU, the character has had their fair share of run-ins with Ant-Man in the world of the comics. Because of his ability to mimic the fighting styles of any one of the Avengers, Taskmaster as made for a good opponent for a wide array of Avengers over the years.
When he goes up against Ant-Man, he’s usually unable to replicate Ant-Man’s signature ability. More recently, he’s managed to do just that, making the battles between the two of them even more interesting.
1. Ultron
Another foe who has troubled numerous Avengers over the years, Ultron is actually a creation of Hank Pym’s, which explains why he so often gave the original Ant Man so much trouble. Ultron and Scott Lang never even crossed paths in the movie universe, but in the comics, Ultron has a bit of a thing about his creator.
Even once Hank stepped away from the role of Ant-Man, he continued to battle regularly with Ultron. Of course, other iterations of Ultron have battled with a wide array of different characters over the years, but Ant-Man has always been one of his primary foes.
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