Issue(s): Tales To Astonish #55 (Giant-Man/Wasp story only)
Cover Date: May 64
Title: "On the trail of the Human Top! / The gypsy's secret!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Larry Lieber - Script and Pencils on Wasp back-up
Dick Ayers - Penciler
Dick Ayers / George Roussos - Inker

Review/plot:
The return of Giant-Man's best foe, the Human Top, has the Top stealing Pym's growing pills and going on a super-sized rampage.

One of the problem's with Pym's power set is that anyone can gain access to his powers, as we see here and as we'll see again quite a bit.

Pym is able to defeat the Human Top thanks to his previously-unseen ability to talk to termites.

The Top demonstrates the ability to fly this issue, something he couldn't do in his last appearance when he was stumped by fences.

Pym is operating out of a New York lab this issue. The last time i noted a location, it was in New Jersey. And before that, "Central City". Pym either has a lot of labs, or he's moved closer to the Avengers. Neither is implausible.

With the new lab, there's also a strange new method of transportation. He's got a flagpole with a high tension-cable installed off the top floor. And to get around the city he jumps out the window, grabs the wire, and swings down to wherever he wants to go. While in giant form. This has the effect of terrifying whoever sees him jump out the window (Jan in this case) and whoever's around where he lands.

It's really bizarre. It does recall Pym's ant-sized catapult from the earliest days but it would seem to have an even smaller range. Nonetheless it'll be a feature of the series for a while.

There's a panel in this issue where Hank acknowledges Janet's better aspects and suggests that her empty-headed behavior is an act. I really wish i could say this was a turning point in the series, but it really won't be.

Earlier in this issue, the Wasp declares that the Human Top is "handsome" in his civilian identity. Worth noting since the Top eventually disguises himself as Janet's chauffeur.

In the back-up, the Wasp tries to tell a story about an alchemist in an attempt to get Pym to take her out to dinner, but instead he drops his current project and begins working on trying to convert lead to gold.

The Wasp back-ups are silly, but it's kind of an interesting idea that she likes to tell stories, and usually for charity. Aspects of her character that, like her later knack for clothing design, might have been brought forward to add to her depth.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: See the note in Avengers #5 for more on this, but according to the MCP and the Marvel index, TTA #54-56 take place during that issue. While i'm avoiding that, i am keeping these three TTA issues close to each other and before the run from FF #25 - Avengers #6.

References:

• Giant-Man and the Wasp fought the Human Top previously in Tales To Astonish #50 and Tales To Astonish #51.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Ant-Man vol. 1

I think Stan & Jack believed termites were ants. No really, a lot of ppl did. "Wood ants" and "white ants" were common names for termites, misnomers leading to misunderstandings.

I also place these last two issues of Tales to Astonish in the gap in Avengers#5.