| Darren Cross | |
|---|---|
 Darren Cross asYellowjacket withEgghead as seen inThe Astonishing Ant-Man #12 (September 2016). Art by Brent Shoonover. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
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| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations |
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| Notable aliases | Yellowjacket |
| Abilities | Skilledtactician,scientist, andbusinessman Size-shifting Superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, senses, and healing Via Yellowjacket suit:
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Darren Agonistes Cross is asupervillain appearing inMarvel Comics properties. He is thearchenemy ofScott Lang (the secondsuperhero to be calledAnt-Man), the father ofAugustine Cross, and the cousin ofCrossfire.
In theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the character was portrayed in live-action byCorey Stoll in the 2015 filmAnt-Man asYellowjacket (a concept later integrated into the comics with the character as the third version of Yellowjacket in theMarvel Universe),[1][2] and in the 2023 filmAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania asM.O.D.O.K. (MechanizedOrganismDesignedOnly forKilling).[3]
Darren Cross debuted inMarvel Premiere #47 (April 1979), and was created byJohn Byrne andDavid Michelinie. The character made his first appearance as Yellowjacket inThe Astonishing Ant-Man #12 (September 2016), which was written byNick Spencer and illustrated by Brent Shoonover.
Darren Cross is a millionaire and the founder of a successful corporation, which rivals top competitors. He is the first cousin ofCrossfire (William Cross) and the father ofAugustine Cross.[4]
Cross was diagnosed with a heart condition due to overwork, and had to use an experimental nucleorganic pacemaker to save his life. The pacemaker was a success but enhanced Cross's circulatory system, mutating his body and giving him superhuman abilities. With a side effect that overuse causes the burning out of his heart, Cross went through various heart transplants, which led him to capture surgeon Dr. Erica Sondheim to replace his heart and to abduct "donors" from the slums.[5] This attracts the attention ofScott Lang, who is looking for Sondheim in order to save the life of his daughterCassie Lang. To infiltrate Cross' facility, Lang steals and employsHank Pym's oldAnt-Man equipment. The resulting battle with Lang burns out Cross's heart, as Sondheim had reimplanted his old, worn-out heart prior to Lang crashing the surgery.[6]
Darren's body is later revealed to have been kept in a cryonic state, as Augustine forces Dr. Sondheim to help revive him.[7] Augustine enlists Crossfire's help to orchestrate Cassie Lang's capture, as the girl's heart is required to withstand the unique conditions when transplanted into Darren. While infiltrating Cross's company to rescue Cassie, Ant-Man comes across his nemesis.[8] Darren engages in combat against Ant-Man, who buys time for Sondheim to transplant another heart to Cassie. Darren is ultimately forced to flee with his son when the Pym Particles now in his body cause him to shrink down.[9]
In "All-New, All-Different Marvel", Darren Cross is approached byPower Broker to demonstrate his latest "Hench" App by hiring someone to kill Ant-Man. However, Cross is unwilling to give Power Broker the 1.2 billion dollars demanded for investment in the Hench app, causing Power Broker to cancel the demo and cancelWhirlwind's assassination on Ant-Man.[10]
Cross later represents his own company when he attends a meeting at the Universal Bank withTiberius Stone ofAlchemax,Wilson Fisk of Fisk Industries,Sebastian Shaw of Shaw Industries,Zeke Stane of Stane International, Frr'dox ofShi'ar Solutions Consolidated, and Wilhelmina Kensington of Kilgore Arms. They discussDario Agger andRoxxon Energy Corporation's plans to exploit the Ten Realms of Asgard.Exterminatrix of the Midas Foundation arrives, knocks out Agger, and declares herself a new member of their assembly.[11]
In order to more effectively face Ant-Man in combat, Cross recruitsEgghead to work for his company to help Cross control his Pym Particle abilities with the Yellowjacket battlesuit.[12] Yellowjacket, Egghead, and Crossfire attack during his nemesis's trial in Cassie's place, but are engaged by Ant-Man,She-Hulk,Ms. Thing,Grizzly,Machinesmith, and Stinger. Yellowjacket is defeated by Stinger, which leads toPeggy Rae's final approval of Lang's superhero life and acquittal in court.[13]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Yellowjacket appears as a member ofHelmut Zemo's Army of Evil.[14]
During the "Hunted" storyline, Yellowjacket is among the animal-themed characters who are captured byTaskmaster andBlack Ant forKraven the Hunter's Great Hunt. When the Great Hunt is over, Yellowjacket finds Black Ant in the bushes as he,Human Fly,Razorback,Toad, andWhite Rabbit plan to take revenge on him. However, Black Ant is saved by Taskmaster.[15]
Yellowjacket later joins theHellfire Club in their assault onKrakoa.[16]
Darren Cross possesses a keen scientific mind and is a successful businessman. The experimental nucleorganic pacemaker that saved Cross from his heart condition also granted him superhuman abilities such as enhanced physical attributes, increasedsensory perception, and a regenerative healing factor on the same level of power (and physical appearance) as theHulk, with apink physical hue.[6] After acquiring a Pym Particle-equipped heart during a heart transplant, Cross gained near uncontrollable size-shifting abilities; he is at risk of growing when angered and shrinking when calm.
The Yellowjacket battlesuit helps Cross control his Pym Particle quantum powers. The Yellowjacket battlesuit grants Cross enhanced durability and flight, in addition to featuring "stingers" that can discharge powerful blasts of bio-electrical energy.[12]
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Darren Cross / Yellowjacket appears inAnt-Man (2017), voiced byWilliam Salyers.[27]
Darren Cross / Yellowjacket, based on the MCU incarnation, received a figure as part ofGameStop-exclusive two-pack alongside Ant-Man inHasbro'sMarvel Studios: The First Ten YearsLegends Series.[31]