Why Domestic Abuse by Ant-Man Will Never Be Retconned
Over the years, the Avengers have had their fair share of divisive events; now, one of Marvel's most important editors has just clarified why one particular Ant-man sequence that certain fans despise won't be changed. It's a fantastic illustration of all the behind-the-scenes creative thought required in comics. It's also an opportunity to examine the more general ideas of Retcons and when they work—more especially, when they don't.
Marvel Comics Senior Editor Tom Brevoort details in his most recent Substack newsletter why Ant-man's domestic violence will never be retconned—more especially, why it shouldn't be. Brevoort is referring to the reveal in Secret Invasion where a Skrull replica replaced Hank Pym. Some supporters hoped that this Skrull, who had been there for decades, absolved Hank of memorably striking Janet Van Dyne in Avengers #213, a moment that has characterized him ever since. But as Brevoort notes, there are 40 years of narratives around this event, hence it is useless to toss the baby with the bathwater.
Hank's Abuse Cannot and Should Not Be Eliminated
Hank's replacement, a Skrull, really embraced the awkward sides of Hank and Janet's marriage as it stands. Only a Skrull replaces Hank in Mighty Avengers #15 since she poses a gorgeous woman luring Hank away after Hank and Janet argue. The Skrulls subsequently inflict more mistreatment on Janet; weaponizing her via an implanted explosive that "Hank" pretends as a present to make up for the fight stated above. The moment some fans hoped would clear Hank just revealed him as more complicated, self-loathing and messy.
Retcons force many inquiries to be initially posed. As Brevoort notes, the first questions should be whether it's worth even attempting and how a retcon alters prior stories. This is especially true in situations like Hank's, where the element fans wish to modify has grown to be fundamental to a character. Here, intentionality is really crucial. Editors among other comic book creators have to consider the effects of a change and discuss possible consequences. That's part of the work at a mainstream comics publisher that tells continuing storylines, as Brevoort's reflections highlight.
This Ant-Man Plot Raises More Interesting Issues About Retcons Themselves
Sometimes something can also be "changed" without really retconning it. Not necessarily a bad thing, mainstream comics abound with small errors and storyline deviations that 99 percent of their viewers will never find. Writers and editors decide how to present stories; occasionally they will deliberately choose to overlook something in order to strengthen the whole fabric of their own narrative. Though that's not how popular comics now operate, it's interesting to picture a world in which individual authors had greater say on what happens to their characters and stories.
One phrase writer Jonathan Hickman uses is "additive retcons." As Hickman has shown in several interviews, an additive retcon—that which gives a past story dimension and depth—is not purposefully negated or changed. From Hickman's own output, an excellent example is him turning Moira MacTaggert a mutant in House of X/Powers of X, a shift that adds depth and purposely unpleasant undertones to her prior appearances, all of which, crucially, still happened. Changing Ant-Man's mistreatment in Avengers wouldn't be additive and would instead destroy every story including him, hence it just cannot happen.
Retcons' Effect on Comic Book Storytelling
Retconning events in Comic Books is a difficult concept overall. It can disturb the established continuity of a character's history even if it might be utilized to solve narrative gaps or add fresh components into a story. Retcon an incident should be decided upon with great thought given the possible effects on the narrative and the people engaged.
Regarding Ant-Man, Hank Pym's choice to preserve the domestic violence incident as a defining feature of his character is evidence of the need of tackling challenging subjects in narrative. It reminds us that characters may be imperfect and make mistakes even in a universe of super heroes. Even in the realm of comics, it's crucial to understand the worth of making characters answerable for their deeds and investigating the complexity of human nature even if some fans would want a clean slate for their favorite characters.
