Hank Pym: Is he Schizophrenic or Insane?
Henry "Hank" Pym is one of the most well known characters in comic book history. He was the first Ant-Man, discovering the Pym Particles that allow anything they touch to shrink or grow. Heck, he experiences growth from the tiny ant to the colossal Giant-Man and Goliath. He even shrunk back down to become Yellowjacket and also the Wasp. Although his time as Yellowjacket seems to be the source of some of the most controversial topics about him.
Welcome to Comic Theory where I offer a plausible explanation on why things act the way they do.
Hank Pym: A Not-so-Tiny Background
Now with Marvel's Ant-Man movies; people will be proud to know that Marvel Studios is not making Hank Pym into his mentally unstable persona. I mean, they gave the Yellowjacket identity and mental degradation to Darren Cross in the first Ant-Man movie; the supervillain whose actions had Scott Lang become the next Ant-Man. After all, what's worse than wearing a tacky costume other than one made out of CG?
Hank's still a patronizing jerk in the movies; but when it comes to the comics, Hank Pym has a lot of issues. from creating the menacing AI known as Ultron to attacking his then wife Janet van Dyne. The early comics say that this is because of Pym Particle induced schizophrenia. However there is a problem with this. Several other characters like the other Ant-Men and Wasps have been exposed to the same amount of Pym Particles; some of them even naturally generate Pym Particles. Yet Hank is the only one who suffers mental breakdowns.
Time to Re-Hypothesize
Comics on later dates suggest that Hank might have actually developed schizophrenia naturally. While schizophrenia has no known key cause; studies show that family history, environment, and altered brain chemistry play roles. We'll be skipping the brain chemistry as people hand-wave that too many times.
For most of his childhood and early career as a scientist Hank is idealistic and imaginative. He is even encouraged by his loved ones to enjoy himself; safe to rule out inherited schizophrenia then. Meanwhile Hank is pushed by people to keep his hopes and dreams low, with changing the world being a pipe dream; obviously that comes with some burdens. Hank also had a wife before Janet until her death (and had a daughter he never knew). By the time he becomes Ant-Man after initially wanting to get rid of the shrinking Pym Particle formula, it seems he was able to relieve some of that stress.
Colonizing the Data
When he shares his adventures with Janet as she becomes Wasp, and later founds the Avengers; Hank begins to feel inferior to his colleagues. Comparing yourself to the charming Captain America, tech billionaire Iron Man, and a God of Thunder almost guarantees the feeling of being an extra. By that point Hank experiments in different methods; becoming bigger than himself as Giant-Man and Goliath and later creating an AI using his own mind as a base. Unfortunately it seems Hank put more of his insecurities and need to be better into one of the Avengers' greatest enemies, Ultron.
Ultron takes the time to hypnotize Hank into forgetting about the robot as it wreaks havoc. Now despite what people tend to think, hypnotism only works if the person being hypnotized wants to give in. Meaning Hank Pym chooses to compartmentalize a more unstable part of himself and scapegoats it into the mechanized monstrosity. It's only when Hank's inhibitions are removed in a Mr. Hyde fashion that his instabilities manifest again as the new identity Yellowjacket. While it allows Hank to confess and marry Janet, it eventually leads to the downfall of Hank Pym.
The Hornet's Sting
Despite the lack of limitations, Hank still has his insecurities in mind. With his mental instabilities and the juggling between his identities, this causes a period of depression that leads to his court martial after a mission goes wrong. Desperate to regain his reputation and going through a mental breakdown; Hank creates a robot to attack the Avengers that he would later defeat. Janet however tries to stop him which lead to the infamous scene that labeled Hank a "wife-beater".
Accidental Point
Now before I go into more story detail; Jim Shooter explains that the above scene was supposed to be an accident. It was meant to be a gesture of dismissal that accidentally strikes Janet. But Bob Hall misinterprets the act and instead shows Hank losing his temper and lashing out at Janet. Which brings up a point that could be used as a reference.
Justified Case
One of the effects of schizophrenia is actually thoughts and experiences that seem out of touch with reality. Due to Hank's mental breakdown; it's possible Hank doesn't remember what exactly happens. Since Janet was the only other witness and was the victim of being struck; her fears might've caused her to exaggerate what occurred. This could have lead to Hank accepting that Bob Hall's interpretation of events is the real thing rather than Shooter's.
Now before any of you start trolling in the comment section; you should know that I'm not the only one who thinks this might be the case. Another blog called The Comic's Cube writes a post explaining that the issue trivializes domestic violence and disregards mental illnesses; something that Pym clearly is. Another blog by Colin Smith describes how the writers (and by their writing Janet) make mistakes regarding Hank's mental wellness. In real life emergency situations, staying in duty post-trauma can affect a person in the worst ways.
What Could've Been
While Hank Pym hit Janet, a real life court decision would make a full investigation into the causes. The comics never even bring a therapist to take notes on the situation. Hank and Janet even had a real life relationship outside of the superhero costumes; meaning they could've explained to a judge about their marital problems without compromising their status as Avengers.
Treatment and Future for Hank Pym
But back to Hank, he was at the end of his rope and went through a lot of therapeutic situations to better himself; especially his rise back up in West Coast Avengers. It is through genuine love, affection, and the will to forgive himself that Hank manages to pull through.
Unfortunately, schizophrenia is a lifelong affliction that can rear its ugly head at some crucial points in a person's life. For Hank Pym it came back in the form of his worst creations; first as Yellowjacket joining the Illuminati during an event that brings out the worst in people and then through Ultron. Not only did Ultron nearly succeed in wiping out organic life; he showed how Hank's mental illness will leave scars that will never go away. This all came full circle when Hank actually combines with Ultron into a cyborg. Hank's mind eventually interfaces with Ultron becoming the darkest version of himself. Hank has been battling with himself and this time can't scapegoat it on Ultron or Yellowjacket.
Hank Pym: Ultimatum
So to answer the question of how schizophrenic Hank is; he's certainly aware of his identity and became even more aware of the worst parts of him. Unfortunately, Hank doesn't seem to be able to control that dark part of him. By the time Hank inevitably comes back with Ultron out of his system; it's going to take a lot of therapy. I wonder if Doc Sampson can help in this sense. Hank Pym just might have to go the route of his MCU counterpart; retire from being a superhero and live a long life surrounded by the people who actually care about him.
But that's a theory... a theory that should be taken with serious consideration... But I'm not a Marvel staff member, so I hope they're reading this! Thanks for coming to the end and I hope you come back for more.
Okay quick note: Marvel officially calls Hank Pym's condition Biploar Disorder. Medically wise this seems to be the Other-type since the symptoms are all over the place. Also his state passes onto his daughter Nadia; oh the possibilities of it all.