Core Identity: Cassandra “Cassie” Lang is the daughter of the second Ant-Man, Scott Lang, who uses her own biologically ingrained Pym Particle abilities to become the size-changing superhero
Stature, a founding member of the Young Avengers.
* Key Takeaways:
* Role in the Universe:
Stature represents the next generation of Marvel heroes, a legacy character deeply motivated by the heroism and loss of her father, Scott Lang (Ant-Man). She is a cornerstone of the young_avengers, often serving as the team's heart and moral compass.
* Primary Impact:
Cassie's journey is one of tragedy and resilience, marked by her father's death, her own heroic sacrifice, and her eventual resurrection. Her story explores themes of grief, living up to a heroic legacy, and the immense pressures placed on young heroes in a dangerous world. Her death in the Children's Crusade storyline was a major turning point for the young_avengers and the Scarlet Witch.
* Key Incarnations:
The primary distinction between her comic and MCU versions lies in the source of her powers. In the Earth-616 comics, Cassie's powers are innate, a result of prolonged childhood exposure to pym_particles and triggered by her emotions. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, her abilities are entirely derived from a technologically advanced suit she helped design.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Cassandra Lang first appeared as a civilian character in Marvel Premiere #47
(April 1979), created by writer David Michelinie and artist John Byrne as part of the introduction of her father, Scott Lang. For decades, she remained a supporting character in stories featuring Ant-Man and the Avengers, primarily serving as Scott's primary motivation for his heroic deeds.
Her transformation into a superhero was a product of the post-Avengers Disassembled era in the mid-2000s. Seeking to fill the void left by the disbanded Avengers, writer Allan Heinberg
and artist Jim Cheung
created a new team of teenage heroes with ties to classic Avengers. Cassie Lang, now a teenager orphaned by the events of Disassembled, was a natural fit for this new generation. She made her official debut as the hero Stature in Young Avengers #6
(September 2005), quickly becoming a fan-favorite and a central figure in the team's dynamic. Her creation reflected a broader trend at Marvel of exploring legacy characters and the consequences of major universe-spanning events on the families of established heroes.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Cassandra “Cassie” Lang's origin as Stature is deeply rooted in tragedy and a fierce desire to honor her father's legacy. From a young age, Cassie lived with a congenital heart condition and was surrounded by the extraordinary world of superheroes. Her father, Scott Lang, stole Hank Pym's Ant-Man equipment specifically to rescue the surgeon who could save her life. Growing up, she idolized her father and his teammates in the Avengers and Fantastic Four, often living at Avengers Mansion.
Unbeknownst to her and Scott, years of ambient exposure to pym_particles had a profound effect on her physiology. The particles saturated her cells, granting her the latent ability to alter her size and density. For years, this ability lay dormant, only manifesting subtly. However, Cassie's world was shattered during the catastrophic events of Avengers Disassembled. A maddened Scarlet Witch attacked the Avengers, and a magically-created version of Jack of Hearts appeared at the mansion, detonating and killing Scott Lang.
Devastated by her father's death, a grief-stricken Cassie became determined to carry on his work. She planned to join the Runaways in Los Angeles, but was intercepted by Kate Bishop. Their plans were upended by the arrival of a new group of young heroes modeled on the classic Avengers: Patriot and Hulkling, led by the mysterious Iron Lad. During their first confrontation with Kang the Conqueror, Cassie's powers fully manifested for the first time. In a moment of intense stress and anger, she grew to giant size, instinctively lashing out at the villain. She discovered that her size-changing abilities were directly linked to her emotions: feeling angry or aggressive caused her to grow, while feeling guilty or sad caused her to shrink.
Adopting the codename Stature
, she became a founding member of the young_avengers. Her journey was no longer just about honoring her father, but about forging her own heroic identity alongside a new found family who understood the weight of legacy.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cassie Lang's journey to becoming a hero is driven by scientific curiosity and youthful idealism rather than grief. Portrayed as a child by Abby Ryder Fortson, as a teenager by Emma Fuhrmann, and as a young adult by Kathryn Newton, Cassie's origin is inextricably linked to the events of the Ant-Man films and the Blip.
As a child, she adored her father Scott Lang and his stories of being Ant-Man, seeing him not as a criminal but as a hero. Her unwavering belief in him was a constant source of his strength. After Scott was trapped in the Quantum Realm during Thanos's snap, Cassie survived and grew up for five years believing her father was gone. During this time, she developed a keen interest in science, particularly quantum physics, inspired by the work of her father, Hank Pym, and Hope van Dyne.
By the time of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Cassie is a brilliant young activist who has been using a modified Pym suit for minor acts of civil disobedience. Critically, she has also been secretly working on a sophisticated satellite-like device—a Quantum Relay—designed to map the Quantum Realm and send a signal into it. Her motivation is to explore this unknown frontier and reconnect with the science that defined her family.
Her “origin” as a costumed hero is not a gradual, emotional discovery but a trial by fire. When her device inadvertently pulls the entire Ant-Family into the Quantum Realm, they come face-to-face with the exiled despot, Kang the Conqueror. To survive and fight back, Cassie dons a new, advanced size-changing suit, similar in function to her father's but with its own unique design. She quickly masters its abilities, fighting alongside her family to spark a rebellion against Kang's forces. Unlike her comic counterpart's innate powers, the MCU Stature's abilities are entirely technology-based, a testament to her own scientific genius and the legacy of Pym-Van Dyne technology. Her transformation into a hero is about taking action and applying her intellect, solidifying her place as a next-generation hero in a much more direct and immediate fashion.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
==== Powers and Abilities ====
Stature's powers stem from the permanent absorption of Pym Particles into her cellular structure, granting her the ability to manipulate her size, mass, and density.
* Size Alteration (Growth):
Stature's primary ability is to rapidly increase her height and mass.
* Scale:
She can comfortably grow to heights of 40-50 feet, but has been shown to exceed 100 feet and, under extreme duress, reached a colossal height of 250 feet during the Civil War event. The upper limits of her growth are not definitively known and may be tied to her emotional state and physical stamina.
* Superhuman Strength:
As she grows, her strength increases exponentially. At 50 feet, she can easily lift over 75 tons. Her strength level is proportional to her current size.
* Superhuman Durability:
Her body's density and resilience increase with her size, granting her enhanced resistance to physical injury, energy blasts, and extreme temperatures. She is capable of withstanding high-caliber gunfire and significant blunt force trauma with little to no injury.
* Size Alteration (Shrinking):
While she initially focused on growing, Cassie later mastered the ability to shrink, much like her father.
* Scale:
She can shrink to the size of an insect (approximately half-an-inch) and potentially smaller, entering subatomic realms with technological assistance.
* Proportional Strength:
When shrunk, she retains the full strength of her normal-sized self, allowing her to deliver surprisingly powerful blows.
* Emotional Link:
Initially, Cassie's powers were unstable and directly tied to her emotions. Anger and adrenaline would trigger her growth, while shame and guilt would cause her to shrink. Through training and experience with the Young Avengers, she gained conscious control over her abilities, though strong emotions can still influence them.
==== Equipment ====
* Unstable Molecule Costume:
Stature wears a costume composed of unstable molecules, a material invented by Reed Richards. This “smart fabric” automatically adapts to her changes in size, growing or shrinking with her so she is never left without protection. Her initial costume was a unique design, but she has since worn several variations, including one that mimics her father's Ant-Man suit.
==== Personality ====
Cassie Lang is defined by her immense heart, unwavering loyalty, and impulsive nature. Having grown up in the shadow of her heroic father, she possesses a deep-seated desire to do good and prove herself worthy of his legacy. She is often the most emotionally open member of the Young Avengers, acting as a binding agent for the team's disparate personalities. However, her passion can sometimes manifest as recklessness, leading her to charge into situations without fully considering the consequences. She is fiercely protective of her friends, particularly Kate Bishop and her former romantic partner, the Vision (Jonas). Her heroic sacrifice in The Children's Crusade is the ultimate testament to her bravery and selflessness.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
==== Powers and Abilities ====
The MCU version of Stature derives all her superhuman abilities from her specially designed suit. She has no known innate powers.
* Suit-Bestowed Size Manipulation:
The Stature suit grants her the full range of Pym Particle abilities.
* Growth:
By manipulating the suit's controls, she can grow to giant sizes, as seen during the battle against Kang's forces in Chronopolis. Her strength and durability increase proportionally with her size, allowing her to smash through structures and swat away enemy ships.
* Shrinking:
The suit also allows her to shrink to diminutive sizes, enabling stealth and infiltration.
* User Interface:
The suit appears to be highly intuitive, allowing Cassie, a first-time user in a combat scenario, to quickly grasp its functions and effectively use both size-changing modes.
==== Equipment ====
* The Stature Suit:
Cassie's primary piece of equipment is her advanced combat suit.
* Design:
It features a purple, black, and silver color scheme, distinguishing it from the red-and-black motif of the Ant-Man and Wasp suits.
* Technology:
The suit incorporates the latest Pym-Van Dyne technology, including its own regulator and Pym Particle matrix. It is a self-contained system that allows for rapid and stable size-shifting.
* Helmet:
Like other suits, it features a retractable helmet that protects her from the environmental hazards of the Quantum Realm and provides a sealed atmosphere.
==== Personality ====
The MCU's Cassie Lang is a brilliant, principled, and rebellious young woman. Having spent her formative teenage years during the Blip, she developed a strong sense of social justice and a desire to help those the system forgets. This passion often puts her at odds with her more cautious father, whom she feels isn't using his powers and platform to their full potential. She is a scientific prodigy, capable of understanding and advancing quantum mechanics on a level that impresses even Hank Pym. While she can be headstrong and a bit naive about the dangers of the universe, she is also incredibly brave and compassionate, risking her own life to start a revolution and save the people of the Quantum Realm. Her personality is a blend of her father's earnestness and a modern youth activist's fire.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
* Scott Lang (Ant-Man):
Cassie's relationship with her father is the defining bond of her life. In the comics, she becomes a hero to honor his memory, and their eventual reunion after his resurrection is a cornerstone of her later development. In the MCU, her admiration for him and her desire to push him to be a better hero form the core of their dynamic. He is her inspiration, her responsibility, and her closest family.
* Kate Bishop (Hawkeye):
Kate is Cassie's best friend and closest confidante on the Young Avengers. They share a sisterly bond, supporting each other through personal crises and superhero battles. Their relationship is one of mutual respect and playful banter, providing a grounding, human element to the team's often cosmic-level adventures.
* Vision (Jonas):
In the comics, Cassie's most significant romantic relationship was with the new Vision, whose personality was built from the brain patterns of Iron Lad and the android's original programming. Their young love was a central subplot of the early Young Avengers series. It was a complex and ultimately tragic romance, as Vision struggled with his identity and Cassie dealt with the pressures of her life. Vision's attempts to “fix” things often created more problems, but his devotion to Cassie was absolute.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
* Doctor Doom:
Victor von Doom is, without question, Stature's most significant nemesis, not through prolonged rivalry but through one single, devastating act. During the climax of The Children's Crusade, an empowered Doom sought to steal the Scarlet Witch's reality-warping powers. When the Young Avengers confronted him, Doom effortlessly overpowered them and murdered Cassie with a powerful energy blast. This act cemented him as the team's greatest foe and haunted the heroes for years. Ironically, it was a later, “inverted” heroic version of Doom who would resurrect Cassie out of guilt during the AXIS event.
* Kang the Conqueror:
As the arch-enemy of the Young Avengers' founder, Iron Lad (a younger version of himself), Kang has been a persistent threat to the entire team. He was the first major villain they faced together and his temporal machinations have repeatedly endangered their lives and timelines. In the MCU, this connection is even more direct, with Kang serving as the main antagonist of Cassie's debut film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, making him her first and most formidable foe.
==== Affiliations ====
* young_avengers:
This is Cassie's primary team and found family. As Stature, she was a founding member and a vital part of the group's power set and emotional core. She served on the team from its inception until her death, fighting alongside them in major conflicts like Civil War and Secret Invasion.
* The Initiative:
Following the Superhuman Registration Act, Cassie, along with the other Young Avengers, was briefly registered and trained with the government's official hero program at Camp Hammond. She was deeply uncomfortable with the pro-registration stance and eventually left to rejoin Captain America's underground resistance.
* Mighty Avengers:
During a period when the Young Avengers were less active, Stature briefly joined a new iteration of the Mighty Avengers led by Hank Pym, serving alongside her hero and gaining valuable experience.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
==== Young Avengers: Sidekicks (2005) ====
This is the foundational storyline that introduces the world to the Young Avengers. The arc details Iron Lad's arrival from the future and his recruitment of Patriot, Hulkling, and Wiccan. Cassie Lang and Kate Bishop are introduced shortly after, initially as outsiders trying to join the cause. The story culminates in Cassie discovering her powers during the team's first battle with Kang the Conqueror. It establishes her motivations, her emotional connection to her abilities, and the formation of the found family that would define her life as a hero.
==== Civil War (2006-2007) ====
The Civil War event was a major test for the still-young team. Torn between the law (Tony Stark's Pro-Registration side) and their ideological beliefs (Captain America's Anti-Registration side), the Young Avengers ultimately chose to join Captain America's Secret Avengers. Stature's role was significant; her giant-sized form was a major asset in battles. The event's most traumatic moment for Cassie was witnessing the death of Bill Foster (Goliath), another size-changing hero, at the hands of a Thor clone. This loss deeply affected her, solidifying her resolve to fight against Stark's forces and forcing her to confront the lethal reality of their conflict.
==== The Children's Crusade (2010-2012) ====
This is arguably the most important and tragic storyline in Stature's history. The plot revolves around Wiccan's search for his mother, the Scarlet Witch. The Young Avengers' quest puts them in conflict with both the Avengers and the X-Men, who fear Wanda's return. The journey leads them to Latveria, where they discover Doctor Doom holding Wanda captive. In the climactic battle, Doom absorbs a portion of Wanda's reality-altering “Life Force.” As the combined forces of the heroes fight back, an overconfident Stature charges at the cosmically-powered Doom. He retaliates with a single, overwhelming energy blast, killing her instantly. Her heroic sacrifice is the emotional climax of the series, a devastating blow to the Young Avengers and a moment that would define her legacy for years to come.
==== AXIS & The Astonishing Ant-Man (2014-2016) ====
Years after her death, the AXIS event saw a “moral inversion” of many heroes and villains. A now-heroic Doctor Doom, wracked with guilt over his past sins, sought to atone. His greatest regret was killing Cassie Lang. Using a combination of magic and science, he successfully resurrected her, presenting her to a stunned and overjoyed Scott Lang. Her story continued in The Astonishing Ant-Man series, where she struggled to readjust to life. She was traumatized by her death and found her Pym Particle powers were now unstable. For a time, she retired from being Stature and eventually adopted a new heroic identity, Stinger
, using a technologically-advanced suit given to her by the villain Power Broker.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
* MC2 (Earth-982) - Stinger:
In the alternate “Marvel Comics 2” future, the heroic identity of Stinger is used by Shannon Carter
, the niece of Sharon Carter. This version is a member of the future team of Avengers. This is notable because, after her resurrection in the main Earth-616 continuity, Cassie Lang would later adopt the Stinger identity herself, creating a direct link to this alternate future concept.
* The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Animated Series):
Cassie Lang appears as a young girl in this beloved animated series. Her storyline closely mirrors her early comic appearances, including her heart condition and Scott Lang's heroic efforts to save her. The series ended before she could ever become Stature, but her presence established the deep father-daughter bond that is central to the character.
* Marvel's Voices: The Vitals (Earth-TRN890):
In this one-shot comic, an alternate future is shown where an adult Cassie Lang operates as the superhero Giant-Woman
. This version is a member of the Avengers and works closely with Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl).
* What If? The Runaways had become the Young Avengers?:** In this alternate reality, Cassie is approached by the Vision (Jonas) instead of Iron Lad. This version of Cassie, overcome with guilt and sadness over her father's death, accidentally shrinks herself into nothingness, a tragic demonstration of how unstable her powers were initially.