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In Ant- Man, it is implied that prolonged exposure to the Pym Particles can begin to affect your brain.

This is demonstrated in a scene where Hope Van Dyne tells Darren Cross that he is going insane, and that it may be the Pym Particles that are doing it.

Is this true in the comics? Does exposure to Pym Particles make people insane?

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  • I've heard compelling arguments in support of a theory that Henry Pym is a mad scientist who has a delusion that he is a superhero (instead of a supervillain). The argument is compelling, from a certain point of view, and would explain many things.
    – Jeff
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 13:23

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Yes, it can. Hank Pym himself repeatedly has mental stability issues thanks to exposure to the particles.

In one of the most (in)famous parts of his character's backstory, at one point Hank (having taken on the Yellowjacket role at the time) screws up bad, and comes up with an insane plan to redeem himself. He sends a robot to attack the Avengers, building in a secret weakness so he can fly in and defeat it. When Janet (Wasp, his wife) tries to stop him, he strikes her.

It's interesting to note, though, that not everyone who experienced prolonged exposure to the particles went crazy. In addition to Hank, both Janet, and Scott Lang's daughter Cassie, absorb so many Pym Particles that their body begins to naturally produce them. As far as I know, only Hank suffered any mental health issues. (One obvious explanation is that the particles only serve to exacerbate a problem that already exists.)

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    I wonder would being in close proximity to Hank, Janet or Cassie cause you to start to lose your mind, since their bodies are producing Pym Particles.
    – Daft
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 12:22
  • When Bill Forrester started out as a growing superhero in 1975 he claimed to have removed all harmfull side effects from Pyms original particles making them safe to use. Since he and Hank Pym were good friends i guess we can assume he shared the formula for the refined particles and therefor only Pym got mad because he used the original particles the longest. Pyms madness also got helped along by an lab accident in Avengers 59 where he breathed some toxic gas that made him more insane than ever, it never quite wore off.
    – Bjorn Eriksson
    Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 16:04

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