Marvel’s Ultimate universe version of the Wasp mastered an incredibly effective finishing move that her mainstream counterpart rarely used.
The Ultimate Marvel universe had a knack for imagining some of the most brutal applications of its heroes’ powers, and Ultimate Wasp was no exception. Janet van Dyne had many changes from her original counterpart in the 616 Marvel universe, but perhaps one of the best was her effectiveness in combat.
Though the insectoid hero often has limited options in a fight, Ultimate Wasp knew exactly what her best move was when the chips were down and never forgot it, using it time and time again throughout Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s Ultimates and beyond.
Insect-sized heroes are commonplace in superhero universes, but their contributions to a fight are often limited. At such small sizes it can be difficult to pack as much of a punch as Iron Man or Thor, but when Ultimate Wasp shared membership on a super team with those two she found her niche by pulling a trick nobody else was capable of. Rather than overpowering her enemies with brute force, Wasp would instead combine her ability to shrink with her ability to produce a bio-electric shock to infiltrate the head of her opponent and electrocute their brain directly.
She first pulled the trick in Ultimates and it immediately proved its effectiveness. Whereas every other hero sent up against the Hulk either only served to increase the monster’s rage as he rampaged through New York City or else were demolished in his wake, the Wasp used a different tactic and flew into his ear canal. From there she crawled into his brain and attacked the portion responsible for the rage fueling his transformation, forcing the Hulk back into his human form of Bruce Banner and thus ending his threat to the city. And yet while this may not be the very first time the Wasp ever did it (she and Ant-Man pull the trick periodically in the mainstream 616 universe) what is notable is that she never forgot it.
The ability to circumvent a super strong opponent’s durability or evasiveness altogether and simply paralyze them with a single attack is invaluable, and yet few shrinking heroes remember that it’s an option. Whereas the mainstream Wasp will only pull out the ability intermittently and sporadically forget it, Ultimate Wasp made it her signature move and utilized it consistently throughout her run in the Ultimate Marvel universe. She used it in Ultimates against Hulk, Ultimates 2 against Thor, Ultimates 3 against Mystique, and even Ultimate Six against Doctor Octopus.
Narratively it’s understandable why writers dispense with such a useful ability as its utility could mean sapping out the dramatic value of many fight scenes. At the same time, it is refreshing to see a version of the character who does not randomly forget her most valuable asset. The narrative intrigue even plays differently in every instance of the power’s usage. In Ultimates 2 she flies into Thor’s mouth only for the Norse god to swallow her and vomit her back up a moment later, but in Ultimate Six it provides a handy knockout against Doctor Octopus while the rest of her team battles Spider-Man’s deadliest foes.
Her sting packs quite a punch even when it’s not aimed at such a sensitive area. In Ultimate X-Men it managed to knockout Iceman even through his ice armor. Wasp may be a tiny hero, but she packed quite a punch in the Ultimate Marvel universe.
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