Way back in 2010 when the Avengers (2012) movie was first announced and rumors started to fly, I was very excited at the prospect of seeing Janet van Dyne as the Wasp on the big screen (and of course getting lots of cool toys). Janet was one of the original Avengers from 1963 so I (wrongfully) assumed her presence would be a given. But no, in her place was Black Widow, a non-powered espionage-based character who didn't join the Avengers until 1991. I was baffled and upset. I eventually grew to really like the MCU Black Widow, but Wasp was a glaring absence to me. The character eventually appeared in the Ant-Man movies (not donning a costume until 2018) but as a new character, Hope van Dyne, the daughter of Janet and Hank. Janet eventually appeared in the MCU played by Michelle Pfeiffer and got decent costumed screentime in Quantumania (but almost no merch). In the time, a classic helmeted Wasp figure rose to the top of my most-wanted Legends list. It took years but she is perfect.
This 2-Pack of Hank Pym (Giant-Man) and Janet van Dyne (Wasp) was a Hasbro Pulse exclusive that listed on April 9, 2024 and sold out (but listed for another pre-order in May). The standard-size Hank in his Giant-Man costume is also a great never-before-seen addition to the Legends lineup. This 2-Pack is an unofficial companion to the Giant-Man Haslab figure that should ship in Fall 2024.
I feel like a lot of recent Marvel Legends figures have portraits based on celebrities. If this is true, it's smart. It will give realistic detail and variation to the line (for a while, there was a certain "Marvel Legends face" that every figure I bought seemed to have). This Wasp reminds me of Virginia Madsen, and I can't unsee it.
Wasp comes with two heads, two sets of hands, and removable wings.
The box set also comes with other accessories that are interchangeable between Giant-Man and Wasp: a mini Quinjet, a computer tablet, and two laboratory flasks.
Time for some Group and Comparison Pics!
Here is Janet Van Dyne Wasp with her packmate Hank Pym Giant-Man.
And here are the three comic-based modern Marvel Legends Wasps so far: Ultron Wave (2014), Avengers 60th Classic Wasp (2024), and Vintage Series (2018).
And here are all my classic Wasps. From Left to Right: Minimate (2008), Eaglemoss Fact Files (2018), Toy-Biz (1999), Marvel Legends (2024), Heroclix (2015), Heroclix (2007), Bowen Mini-Bust (2007), Jada Nano Metals, and Centauria Figurine (2017).
Cheers!
So I feel compelled to note that Black Widow officially joined 1973, not 1991. Truthfully, thanks to her Hawkeye relationship, she had been in orbit around the team for years before that and was even offered membership as early as #37/38 in 1967, she just turned it down at the time for plot reasons.
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