Along the chronological spine
Where the guide talks about them (8)
1987 — Hank Pym, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s original Ant-Man, and his wife Janet van Dyne, the Wasp, work covert missions. On one, Janet shrinks past the subatomic limit to disarm a Soviet missile and vanishes into the Quantum Realm. Pym believes her dead, quits S.H.I.E.L.D., and raises their daughter Hope alone and badly.
Thanos snaps his fingers. Half of all life in the universe disintegrates. Among the dead: Bucky, Wanda, T'Challa, Groot, Drax, Mantis, Quill, Strange, Sam Wilson, Peter Parker, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, Hope van Dyne, Nick Fury, Maria Hill.
How are Hank and Scott both Ant-Man? They aren't, simultaneously. Hank was the original in the 1980s, retired, and handed the suit to Scott in 2015. Hope takes her mother's identity as the Wasp. Hank stays out of the suit entirely.
[Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](/title/ant-man-quantumania/) (FILM, 2023) — The Lang and Pym families are pulled into the Quantum Realm, revealed to contain an entire hidden civilisation. Kang the Conqueror is imprisoned there; Janet helped him rebuild his ship decades ago before learning what he was. They defeat him. Cassie Lang becomes a hero in her own right and is confirmed for Doomsday.
| Character | First appeared in | Route to Valentina |
|---|---|---|
| Yelena Belova | Black Widow (FILM, 2021) | Recruited in the post-credits, pointed at Barton |
| John Walker | Falcon and the Winter Soldier (SERIES) | Approached right after he's stripped of the shield |
| Ghost / Ava Starr | Ant-Man and the Wasp (FILM, 2018) | Not shown; recruited offscreen |
| Taskmaster / Antonia | Black Widow (FILM) | Not shown |
| Alexei Shostakov | Black Widow (FILM) | Not a recruit — Yelena's fake father, freed from prison |
| Bucky Barnes | The First Avenger (FILM, 2011) | Not a recruit — investigating her as a congressman |
| Bob Reynolds / Sentry | Thunderbolts* (FILM, 2025) | Her test subject, not her employee |
| Character | Premiered | Appeared in | Status now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelena Belova | Black Widow (2021) | Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thunderbolts, Brand New Day | Alive — leads the New Avengers from the Watchtower. D |
| Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian | Black Widow (2021) | Black Widow, Thunderbolts | Alive. D |
| Melina Vostokoff | Black Widow (2021) | Black Widow | Alive, not seen since |
| John Walker / U.S. Agent | FATWS (2021) | FATWS, Thunderbolts | Alive. D |
| Ava Starr / Ghost | Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) | Ant-Man 2, Thunderbolts | Alive, stabilised but not cured. D |
| Bob Reynolds / Sentry | Thunderbolts* (2025) | Thunderbolts | Alive, with the Void contained rather than gone. D |
| Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster | Black Widow (2021) | Black Widow, Thunderbolts | Dead — killed early in Thunderbolts*. Not in Doomsday |
| Valentina Allegra de Fontaine | FATWS (2021) | FATWS, Black Widow (post-credits), Thunderbolts, Brave New World | Alive — CIA Director, nominally in charge and actually controlled by the team |
| Character | Premiered | Appeared in | Status now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Lang / Ant-Man | Ant-Man (2015) | Ant-Man 1–3, Civil War, Endgame | Alive. D |
| Hope van Dyne / Wasp | Ant-Man (2015) | Ant-Man 1–3, Endgame | Alive |
| Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne | Ant-Man (2015) | Ant-Man 1–3 | Alive |
| Cassie Lang | Ant-Man (2015, as a child) | Ant-Man 1–3 | Alive — a hero in her own right. D |
Phase Three (2016–2019): Civil War · Doctor Strange · Guardians Vol. 2 · Spider-Man: Homecoming · Thor: Ragnarok · Black Panther · Infinity War · Ant-Man and the Wasp · Captain Marvel · Endgame · Far From Home