Super Serious 616 Presents: WHAT IF... Marvel was real
What If Marvel was Real?
Episode 30: Yes, the ants are listening to you - Ant-Man and the police state (Tales to Astonish #38) - Dec 1962
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In this episode:

Mike and Ed discuss the ramifications of Ant-Man eavesdropping on everyone in the city through his network of ants and insects.

Tales to Astonish (1959) #38 | Comic Issues | Marvel

In this issue:

The criminal underworld is petrified of Ant-Man. They resort to hiring Egghead, a brilliant but corrupt scientist, to figure out how to defeat their tiny nemesis. Egghead studies ants and figures out how to communicate with them much like Ant-Man. He then sets up a fake robbery and spreads the word to Ant-Man through the ants, who lead Ant-Man into a trap. Ant-Man escapes the trap and takes the fight to Egghead and his accomplices, easily besting them. It turns out that Ant-Man knew of Egghead’s plans - the ants were loyal to Ant-Man and told him all about it. Defeated and disgraced, Egghead wanders away towards a life of irrelevance.

Assumed before the next episode:

The public, having learned that Ant-Man is spying on the entire city, is wrestling with the notion of security vs. freedom, and considering whether living in a city effectively run by a masked vigilante working with the police is a good idea.

This episode takes place:

After the public has learned of Ant-Man’s extensive spy network throughout the city.