Warning: spoilers ahead for Wasp #4!In a dark twist on Avengers lore, Wasp is proving that she could be capable of being one of Marvel's deadliest villains. In Wasp #4, both generations of Wasp - Janet and Nadia Van Dyne - are given the chance to show off their skills in the solo series. However, in trying to uncover the truth about Nadia's past, fans are shown a reality where Nadia is a major threat to her Avengers family.
Despite being a founding Avenger, Wasp #4 (by Al Ewing, Kasia Nie, and K.J. Díaz) concludes Janet Van Dyne's first solo comic series since her debut as the original Wasp in 1963's Tales to Astonish #44 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Wasp miniseries follows Janet and her stepdaughter Nadia, who's also taken on the Wasp mantle. On a mission to solve the apparent disappearance of Nadia's birth mother and grandfather, Janet, Nadia, and longtime Avengers ally Edwin Jarvis are trapped by the Creature of the Kosmos in a false reality called "The Invented World," which shows a dark alternate version of Nadia who became an agent of the Red Room known as the Orphan.
Wasp Was Almost the Next Black Widow
The daughter of Henry Pym (the first Ant-Man) and political prisoner Maria Pym, Nadia was raised in the Russian super-soldier facility known as the Red Room. Eventually, she was able to use her genius to escape, and became a hero and member of the Avengers, being mentored by the original Wasp - who also stopped her from being recaptured. However, in the Inverted World, Nadia never escaped. Instead, Nadia has been sent to kill Janet for her association with the Avengers. As part of her warped identity, Nadia has traded in her Wasp uniform for a Black Widow suit and gauntlets, and taken on a codename derived from her lack of family. This dark twist on Nadia's true origin emphasizes how different her life could have been had she not found Janet and the rest of the Avengers to help her on her path to heroism.
Wasp Confronts Her Villainous Potential
Despite the false memories of the Invented World, Janet is still able to break through and her motherly connection to Nadia. With the help of Jarvis, the Wasps are able to gain full control over their memories and are eventually returned to reality. The contrast between the real world and the false reality where Nadia completed her Red Room training to become an enemy of Janet and the rest of the Avengers highlights the importance of Nadia and Janet's relationship, and the noticeable absence of Janet's ex-husband and Nadia's father Hank Pym (now merged with Ultron) allows the story to focus on the Wasps' fierce bond and sense of shared identity.
The Orphan Shows Wasp's Darkest Possible Path
In showing the dark path Nadia could have gone down without the guidance of Janet and the Avengers, the Wasp miniseries gives credit to the founding Avenger that's long overdue. The Invented World not only proves that the Wasps are formidable heroes, but shows readers how important Janet and Nadia's relationship is. With the series ending with a promise that "Janet Van Dyne will return," the latest adventure from both generations of the Wasp will undoubtedly not be their last.
Wasp #4 is now available from Marvel Comics!
