Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp, will return to the Avengers to lead a new team of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers Inc. from writer Al Ewing and artist Leonard Kirk, as just announced by Marvel Comics.
Janet Van Dyne was one of the founding Avengers alongside Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man, and is even the hero who named the team. In the decades since the team's 1963 debut - 60 years, to be exact - she's come and gone from the team a few times. But now she's back, and once again leading an incarnation of the team.
But what team? Aside from being called Avengers Inc. and being billed as "blending noir and superheroes," we know very little about the title, including which characters will actually join the new team.
One thing we do know is that Janet's first recruit is Victor Shade, as in the alias once used by the Vision, though in this case he seems to be a totally different person from Vision, who is himself part of the just relaunched core Avengers title.
"[Avengers Inc.] kicks off with a deadly conspiracy rooted in the ghosts of the Avengers’ past that only founding Avenger Wasp can solve. But she won’t be alone as she finds a new partner in Victor Shade!" reads Marvel's official announcement. "This former alias of Vision mysteriously resurfaces just as Janet discovers a score of super villain murders. Will he guide Wasp to the truth or is his familiar guise hiding the very clues Janet needs to crack the case?"
As one may expect from Al Ewing, who is well known for adding layers of cosmic intrigue to his titles, Avengers Inc. seems to have a bit of a meta-mystery at its heart.
"Her name is Janet Van Dyne. She’s a hero. She’s a celebrity. She’s hunting a killer. His name is Victor Shade," the announcement teases. "He’s a villain. He’s an enigma. He just got killed. And together, they’re out to solve every mystery in the Marvel Universe...starting with their own."
From there, it seems the story will revolve around Wasp and Victor Shade working together to solve mysteries around the Marvel Universe.
"Avengers Inc. takes the beating, buzzing heart of the original Avengers, teams her up with an undead mystery man with an identity so secret even he doesn't know it, and sends them both out to solve the most amazing, fantastic and uncanny whodunnits the Marvel Universe has to offer!” Ewing explains in the announcement. "It's kind of a classic 'will-they-won't-they' crime-solving partnership - or it would be if the 'will-they' in question was 'save the world from...' well, that'd be telling. See you in September!"
Avengers Inc. #1 goes on sale September 13 with a cover from Daniel Acuña, seen above.
The Wasp is one of the best Avengers members of all time.
