| Eric O'Grady Ant-Man / Black Ant | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
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| Created by | Robert Kirkman (writer) Phil Hester (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Eric O'Grady |
| Species | Irishhuman (originally) Life Model Decoy |
| Team affiliations | Damage Control Initiative Secret Avengers Shadow Initiative S.H.I.E.L.D. Thunderbolts |
| Notable aliases | Slaying Mantis, Derek Sullivan, G.I. Ant-Man |
| Abilities | G.I.Ant-Man armor allows: Size manipulation Insect communication Flight via jetpack Robotic arms with magnetic grapples Flame projection from arms via redirecting jet flame |
Eric O'Grady is the name of two fictional characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The first is an immoralIrishhumansuperhero who is the third character to use theAnt-Man name, created by writerRobert Kirkman and artistPhil Hester, andfirst appears inThe Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (December 2006), while the second is aLife Model Decoy made of the original O'Grady's corpse created after his death, revived with a more outwardly villainous mindset and initially continuing as Ant-Man before becoming thesupervillainBlack Ant, created by writerRick Remender and artists Gabriel Hardman and Matteo Scalera, and first appearing inSecret Avengers #24 (March 2012).
Eric O'Grady was the main character in the ongoing monthly seriesThe Irredeemable Ant-Man, with the "Irredeemable" title given to the comic's title to indicate the character's immoral attitude and behavior.[1] The series was canceled after issue #12, though no official cancellation notice was given (as Marvel Comics simply opted to not solicit issues ofThe Irredeemable Ant-Man beyond #12, though the final issue did mercilessly mock the idea of cancellation while concluding its main storyline, such as having Eric scream in spite towards a massive assault of canceled comic characters).[2]
Though canceled, the series ended with the character becoming enrolled inthe Initiative. WithAvengers: The Initiative #8, O'Grady joined the title's cast.[3] He departed from the title afterAvengers: The Initiative #20, and as ofThunderbolts #128, is a member of the new Thunderbolts team. After the events ofSiege, he becomes a member of theSecret Avengers, beginning with issue one.[4] Beginning in November 2010, he starred alongsideHenry Pym in the three-issue mini-seriesAnt-Man and the Wasp, byTim Seeley.[5]
Ant-Man appeared as a regular character throughout the 2010–2013Secret Avengers series, from issue #1 (July 2010) through the character's death in issue #23 (April 2012); the character's corpse was used to create aLife Model Decoy (LMD) with all of his memories in the following issue, who renaming himself theBlack Ant in issue #32 on his status as an LMD being revealed, revealing himself as an antagonist in issue #36, before disappearing in his final issue #37 (March 2013). Over the 2010s and 2020s, Black Ant returned in supporting roles as a supervillain and henchman.
Eric O'Grady is a low-level Irish agent ofS.H.I.E.L.D. who stumbles uponDr. Henry "Hank" Pym's latest incarnation of the Ant-Man suit in the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.[6] A man of very few morals with a willingness to lie, cheat, steal and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, O'Grady immediately steals the Ant-Man suit for his own selfish plans, which include using his status as a "super-hero" to stalk women and facilitate his thievery. A running theme with the character is his evil side clashing with a desire to be accepted by others, which leads to O'Grady vowing to renounce his evil ways and become a proper hero, causing a cycle of the character relapsing and vowing to "change".
Mitch Carson is a S.H.I.E.L.D. security agent underDum Dum Dugan and someone whom O'Grady looks up to. During the "Enemy of the State" story, when Wolverine attacks the S.H.I.E.L.D.Helicarrier, Carson orders O'Grady and his roommate Chris McCarthy to guardHank Pym and the new Ant-Man suit. Pym walks out and they panic and knock Pym out. McCarthy accidentally runs off with the suit to escapeWolverine,[6] but whenElektra attacks the Helicarrier a month later, McCarthy is killed by aHydra agent and O'Grady steals the Ant-Man suit from his dead body.[7] Instead of returning the suit, he uses it to steal stuff and spy on the women's showers. When O'Grady joins fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Veronica King, McCarthy's girlfriend in mourning his death, they start a brief relationship with Veronica getting pregnant.[8] Carson, originally trained to be the stolen Ant-Man suit's wearer, was forced to wear a hastily built prototype suit and track down the thief. In the ensuing battle, O'Grady disfigured Carson's face by accident with his suit's jets, burning the left half of Carson's face and leaving him deaf and blind on that side. O'Grady took Carson to a nearby infirmary but Carson still vowed revenge. After escaping the helicarrier, O'Grady then uses his powers to continue peeping and only saves attractive woman who he then tries to bed. He eventually tries to sneak intoMs. Marvel's purse.[9]
During a battle, O'Grady tries looting a jewelry store and encounters the thiefBlack Fox who steals his bag of jewels. He reluctantly saves a girl's life from rubble and encountersDamage Control's new "Search and Rescue" team.[10][11]
After he obtains a fake ID under the nameDerek Sullivan and comes up with the new superhero nameSlaying Mantis, this organization offers him a job and he consents. He meets Abigail and they start dating. He leases an apartment under his new name, and with Damage Control's help, begins to establish a new identity while continuing to hide from S.H.I.E.L.D. However, as Abigail begins to fall in love with O'Grady, she reveals to him that she is asingle mother with a son. This in turn triggers O'Grady dumping Abigail over keeping her son's existence a secret from him while pursuing a romantic relationship with him.[12]
Black Fox later shows up looking for the jewels. O'Grady, however, had already sold them to a pawn shop. The two work together, getting the $150,000 back and splitting the proceeds, with O'Grady keeping 15 percent. They form a close friendship afterward.[13]
During a later confrontation with Abigail, she reveals that she possesses the power to read people's emotions telepathically. She promptly states that her power reveals that O'Grady truly loves her. Before he can answer, theHulk begins anattack on Manhattan. O'Grady reluctantly joins the fray by attacking Hulk from the inside of his body. However, the Hulk's stomach and innards proved to be just as tough and O'Grady ended up being discharged through one of the nostrils. He awakes in a S.H.I.E.L.D. infirmary, with Mitch Carson standing by his bed, stating that he is under arrest.[14]
Carson takes O'Grady to a secret room aboard the helicarrier, and proceeds to torture him. While doing so, Carson reveals shocking secrets to O'Grady regarding his own sociopathic nature and abusing being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to cover up murders over the years. Just as Carson is on the verge of burning O'Grady's face with the Ant-Man suit's jet boosters,Iron Man arrives and subdues Carson. O'Grady uses Carson's confessions of past misdeeds to frame his captor for the stolen Ant-Man suit fiasco, saying that he was only trying to stop the Ant-Man suit for being used for evil. Iron Man refuses to believe O'Grady, though Iron Man is quickly sidetracked by the arrival of the Black Fox (now friends with O'Grady after their first encounter). Black Fox demands that O'Grady be released and claims to have placed explosives on the helicarrier in order to extort his friend's freedom. O'Grady refuses Black Fox's claims to protect him from Iron Man, leading to Black Fox being arrested.[15]
Several weeks pass and it is shown that O'Grady has resumed his post upon the Helicarrier, having been offered his own job under unknown circumstances.[15] Feeling guilty for Black Fox being in jail, O'Grady helps the elderly thief escape from the Helicarrier, with O'Grady admitting that he was sorry for putting Black Fox through the ordeal of being arrested. Later on, O'Grady refuses Veronica's attempt to work out an arrangement for raising their child together, in part because of his inner fear that he would be a horrible father due to his utter lack of morals or ethics. Meanwhile, despite their misgivings, Iron Man and Pym reluctantly offer O'Grady the Ant-Man suit back after determining that none of the other candidates can control the suit to the degree that O'Grady has already demonstrated, on the condition of him becoming part of theInitiative, which O'Grady accepts.[16][17]
O'Grady also has one last meeting with Abigail and tells her that he does, indeed, love her. However, he tells Abigail that he will be leaving for a while and wishes to be with her. While doing so, he hopes that he can be a better person. Before leaving, he tells her his real name.[16]
In spite of his vows to Abigail, O'Grady continues his lewd and irredeemable ways upon joining the Initiative.[18] In particular, during his first meeting withTaskmaster, O'Grady attempts to slander the Ant-Man name of his predecessorScott Lang by passing off stories of his lewd stalker behavior regarding Ms. Marvel onto Lang, as well as claiming that Lang was never really an official member of theAvengers and that Lang was simply hiding inside the Avengers mansion during his tenure with the team and following the group around as a hanger-on. WhenStature overhears Taskmaster and O'Grady laughing at these lies, Stature attacks by growing to giant size and attempts to step on the human-sized O'Grady. Using his Ant-Man suit to increase his size to fight back, O'Grady tricks Stature into thinking the heroStingray had been stepped on and killed in order to knock down with a cheap shot, mocking yelling "Who's Your Daddy Now?". This in turn causes Pym to grow giant-sized and attack O'Grady. However, as their fight begins to attract the attention of people outside the Initiative compound, Taskmaster brings all three of the giants down with his shield.[18]
O'Grady is defeated by a clone ofMVP, along with most of the recruits in his class.[19] He hid from the rest of the action along with Taskmaster.[20]
O'Grady is later seen having a counseling session withTrauma, helping him with a repressed "nakedSanta" memory from his childhood.[21]
When theSkrulls begin aninvasion in New York City, the Initiative are ordered to fight. O'Grady decides to avoid this by shrinking down and hiding.[22] He soon discovers that the Skrulls have taken over Camp Hammond.[23] He aids the Shadow Initiative in a failed attempt to assassinateQueen Veranke.[24] Escaping by once again shrinking down, O'Grady discovers the Skrulls' last resort plan: to open a giantNegative Zone portal, and have the entire United States removed from this dimension. During this time, O'Grady muses that the Skrulls planned for every possible complication that Earth's heroes might have created, but did not plan on a "one-inch tall coward" running around underfoot. Escaping the Skrulls on the back of one of their shock troopers, Eric brings the information to some of the remaining Initiative members, and they set out to stop the plan from happening.[25]
Following the Skrulls' defeat, O'Grady is commended for his good work, and is promoted to a position in theThunderbolts during the "Dark Reign" storyline.[26]Quasimodo even researched O'Grady forNorman Osborn and suggests that O'Grady's activities be monitored closely.[27]
In their first mission, Ant-Man hides in the newBlack Widow's cleavage to sneak aboard and take control ofAir Force One with Norman Osborn,Doc Samson and the new president aboard. O'Grady secretly plants a gamma emitter on Doc Samson, causing the doctor to increase in strength and anger, and attack the President.[28]
However, O'Grady began to regret his actions in the Thunderbolts but can not do anything since Osborn would have him killed.Paladin advised that he wait until Osborninevitably goes insane and is taken down.[29] Ant-Man later secretly witnesses Paladin,Ghost andHeadsman turn againstMister X andScourge when they are ordered to execute the originalBlack Widow andSongbird, then erase their teammates' memories.[30] He later assists in the capture ofLuke Cage by entering Cage's nervous system. However, when his teammates make no effort to extract him, O'Grady helps Cage to escape.[31]
O'Grady becomes increasingly disgruntled with the Thunderbolts, and concerned for his future. In order to earn some goodwill, he helpsCaptain America escape from custody, asking that he keep this in mind in the future.[32] Later, when sent with the rest of the team to infiltrateAsgard and stealGungnir, he once again faces off with Stature.[33]
After Scourge finds Gungnir, he attempts to take it to the Iron Patriot, but is stopped by Paladin finally having enough of serving a madman. Grizzly attacks Paladin to kill him for treason but O'Grady shrinks down and enters Grizzly's ear canal, incapacitating Grizzly and saving Paladin's life. As the Mighty Avengers defeat what remains of the Thunderbolts, O'Grady finds Gungnir and gives it to Paladin, who hides it from the Iron Patriot. After the battle, O'Grady decides to re-evaluate the choices he has made and to do something good with his life.[34]
Eric O'Grady is later seen to be a member of theSecret Avengers, using the real Pym's classic Ant-Man gear.[35] He was invited bySteve Rogers, believing that O'Grady can be a better person.[36] O'Grady is positioned as the rookie of the group and is teamed up withWar Machine, who believes O'Grady is not worthy of the Ant-Man name.[37]
In the arc of the opening four issues, O'Grady inadvertently stumbled upon a group ofShadow Council agents planning to blow up his teammates with a bomb,[37] but was able to defeat them by detonating it early.[38]
The story opens to Eric O'Grady using his position with the Secret Avengers as a tool for sexual encounters with various women.Black Fox comes to him with info regardingA.I.M. to hopefully boost O'Grady's relationship with Hank Pym. When Abigail comes by, Eric admits his longing for a relationship with the intention of starting one, only for Abigail to find evidence of him being unfaithful. She leaves commenting he is improving as a superhero but sucks at being a person. O'Grady goes to Pym's lab, as Hank andReed Richards discuss how to save their reality from being overwritten. Eric offers to help but is told to wait with his info. Eric waits and talks withTigra, who knows about him using his powers to peep on women, warning him not to try it with her. Running intoStriker,Finesse andVeil, O'Grady talks the ladies into a private drinking party, where he passes out and they put shaving cream on his face before leaving him. After a bizarre break-in, O'Grady is awakened to find Striker standing over him, who he blames for the shaving cream and starts a fight. Tigra saves O'Grady from Striker's powers, just as Pym then finally explains the situation believing O'Grady brought in an alien who stole from Pym. When it is revealed that Fox used O'Grady to create an entrance and exit for a thief to steal an object from Pym's lab, O'Grady takes responsibility and teams up with Pym to retrieve the stolen object.[39] They travel together into the mindscape and awaken through an old man's dream. The thief uses dreams to travel and is being manipulated by A.I.M. agentMonica Rappaccini to steal "Heaven", a virtual reality created to protectBill Foster's consciousness, and to recruit Pym into A.I.M. While Pym spends hours escaping Monica's traps and torture devices, O'Grady manipulates Anethesia into helping him save Foster by pretending to sell out the Avengers. They stall enough for the Avengers to attack the cell and rescue them before Pym causes the enemy ship to teleport to Earth-9939.[40]
On a mission against Father (the creator of the World facility) with the Secret Avengers, O'Grady is beaten to death by Father's henchmen while defending a child's life.[41] While he initially seems to have survived, it is later revealed that Father created a Life Model Decoy of him (with all of his memories and returned to a amoral mindset) to replace him, who later becomes the supervillainBlack Ant.[42]
While wearing the Ant-Man suit, Eric O'Grady has the ability to shrink to the size of aninsect while retaining full-sized strength. He also possesses two robotic arms he can release from his Ant-Man suit's back when he is shrunk. The Ant-Man suit's main mode of transportation is a jetpack that can be detached and used as a weapon by turning the jet's flames onto an enemy. He also has the ability to talk to insects while wearing the Ant-Man suit. However, he has not quite trained in this ability and is somewhat lacking in skill. After joining The Initiative, it was revealed that O'Grady's Ant-Man armor was the prototype "G.I. Ant-Man" suit that could also increase O'Grady's size. During this time, his Ant-Man helmet seemed to become more of a close-fitting piece of fabric, as it moulded itself to his facial expressions, and could even be peeled upwards to allow him to drink.
As a member of the Thunderbolts, his Ant-Man suit gets redesigned and recolored to better fit his new position in covert operations.[28]
As a member of the Secret Avengers, his redesigned Ant-Man costume resembles the original Ant-Man suit.[36] It was also fitted withWasp-like stingers in the gloves.[38] The Ant-Man suit retains the original version's 'cyberlegs' not visible when retracted.[43]
IGN listed Eric O'Grady as the 82nd greatest comic book hero of all time stating that he is another hero who faces the challenge of living up to a huge legacy but he is truly good at heart, and he has made great strides when it comes to doing justice to the venerated Ant-Man name,[44] and as #43 on their list of the "Top 50 Avengers".[45]
InMarvel Universe Vs. The Punisher, set a world where a plague turned heroes and villains into zombies, Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady) was among the infected. He was later killed by thePunisher to which his head was displayed as a hunting trophy.
| Title | Material Collected | Date Published[46] | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Irredeemable Ant-Man: Low-Life | Irredeemable Ant-Man #1–6 | July 11, 2007 | ISBN 978-0785119623 |
| The Irredeemable Ant-Man: Small-Minded | Irredeemable Ant-Man #7–12 | December 26, 2007 | ISBN 978-0785119630 |
| The Irredeemable Ant-Man Omnibus | Irredeemable Ant-Man #1–12 | July 1, 2009 | ISBN 978-0785140863 |
| Ant-Man and Wasp: Small World | Ant-Man and Wasp #1–3 and material fromTales to Astonish #44–48 | June 22, 2011 | ISBN 978-0785155676 |
| Ant-Man: Ant-Niversary | Ant-Man (vol. 3) #1–4 and material fromTales To Astonish #37, #43 | January 2023 | 978-1302945428 |
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