Dr. Heny Pym and The Pym Particle

THE TOP 10 GREATEST SUPERHERO INVENTORS

Superhero Inventor #5

~Mighty Avengers #25 (2009)

There's a rule of thumb in science, and it goes something like, "If first you fail to succeed, try, try, again." This also - by happenstance - becomes the credo of the hero, and doubly important for the inventing superhero. Can you imagine how life would be if it they quit?

Look no farther than the end of your thumb to Dr. Henry Pym, sometimes known as "Hank". Why the thumb? Well, it seems he's another scientist that figured out how to grow small. Much in the venue of DC's Atom, Pym is a scientist of great renown and the creator of the Pym Particle, which can distort dimensional physics and allow objects to increase or decrease in size.

If you want to shake Pym's hand, though, that might be a task. Sure, he's a glutton for approval, but he tends to be hard to find. In the last year, he created a "Pym Pocket" to hide his mansion and the only way to get there was to find "anchor doorways". Oh, yeah; that's another one of his tricks; he can end up anywhere on earth by linking anchors.

Don't bother asking how he got this smart. He's been doing this since his first appearance back in Tales to Astonish #27 (1961) in the story "The Man in the Ant Hill". Pym's only real problem is that his ideas, while beyond the understanding of normal men, tends to take on a life of their own. (Ask the super-villain, Ultron, whom he accidentally created. The Avengers are still dealing with that mess today.)

The Top 10 Greatest Superhero Inventors is a Countdown sponsored by The Superheroes List, giving you a look at some of the most brilliant minds, working their way with gadgets and innovations. It's also a tribute to the 2012 coming of Labor Day. If you like this kind of thing, head on over and check it out!

Avenger #9: Quicksilver

Never taking a major role among Earth's Mightiest Heroes, one man, a mutant gifted with the ability to move at blinding speeds, has spent a majority of his career with the supergroup and been a constant presence throughout the Avenger's franchise. His name: Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver, an imposing, silver-haired mutant, and he was added to their roster in Avengers #16 (1965).

Pietro's adventure wasn't always one of a hero...and this is well-known to Avenger's fans; with his twin sister, Wanda (aka The Scarlet Witch), the misguided souls were tricked into joining The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, a team organized by Magneto back in X-Men #4 (1964). Coupled with his super-fast running, their mission was to raise mutants to superiority over the human race. This ended very quickly, though, when the two showed less than villainous motives.

Quicksilver has had on and off relationships with The Avengers, but over time he has been recognized as a presence that consistently returns to their ranks of membership. Not only is he one of their earliest members, but he is their trademark speedster. He has also embarked on numerous appearances with other heroes such as Spider-Man and The X-Men, but always winds up back at Avengers Mansion. (Partly because his sister also played a major role in the group.)

Currently, Pietro has slowed down and is now working side by side with Dr. Hank Pym, another member of the supergroup. He can be seen teaching these young students in the Marvel comic book series Avengers Academy.


The Top 10 Greatest Avengers is a countdown list provided by The Superheroes List. This is an event coinciding with the release of the 2012 Avengers Movie premiering May 4th. If you're big with Avengers trivia or superheroes, then Check out this List!