First Appearance Of
Tales to Astonish #27 (1962). Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. Hank Pym's size-shifting serum debuts (the canonical 'Pym Particles' name comes later).

1st Appearance

First Appearance of Pym Particles

Tales to Astonish #27

January 1962 · Marvel · Silver Age

Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby's 1962 size-altering technology. Pym Particles allow the wielder to shrink to subatomic size or grow to giant size. Foundational to Ant-Man, Wasp, Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, and the broader Pym-related characters across Marvel.

Key Issue

Created by Stan Lee · Larry Lieber · Jack Kirby

By Atomm Updated

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Marvel Comics Concept Hank Pym's size-shifting subatomic particles.

Pym Particles first appear in Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962), Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. Hank Pym's size-shifting serum debuts in 'The Man in the Ant Hill'; the canonical 'Pym Particles' designation came later in Avengers #93 (November 1971). The particles allow the wielder to shrink to subatomic size or grow to giant size. The MCU's Ant-Man (2015) extensively adapted Pym Particles as a foundational element of the Ant-Man and Wasp films.

Firsts Timeline

  1. Tales to Astonish #27 cover
    First Appearance January 1962

    Tales to Astonish #27

    By Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby

    Lee, Lieber, and Kirby. Hank Pym's size-shifting serum debuts in 'The Man in the Ant Hill.' The substance is not yet named 'Pym Particles' (that designation comes later); the issue establishes the size-shifting framework that becomes foundational to Ant-Man, Wasp, and the broader Pym-related characters.

  2. Canonical 'Pym Particles' Designation November 1971

    Avengers #93

    By Roy Thomas, Neal Adams

    Roy Thomas writes; Neal Adams pencils. The canonical 'Pym Particles' name enters Marvel continuity. Earlier appearances had used various provisional names; the Avengers #93 designation has been canonical since.

What Pym Particles are

Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby introduced Hank Pym’s size-shifting serum in Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962) in ‘The Man in the Ant Hill.’ The substance was not yet called Pym Particles; that canonical designation came in Avengers #93 (November 1971), Roy Thomas and Neal Adams. The particles have been foundational to Ant-Man, Wasp, Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, and the broader Pym-related characters.

Collector context

Tales to Astonish #27 is the canonical first-appearance key for Pym Particles and Hank Pym. CGC 9.0 and above is in the four-to-low-five-figure range.

Frequently asked questions

The questions readers and collectors ask most.

What is the Pym Particles' first appearance?

Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962) for the size-shifting substance; Avengers #93 (November 1971) for the canonical 'Pym Particles' name.

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Linked characters

2 characters that originate in or use this.