Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
This is the man that tried to be better, not be to confused with his villainous LMD: Eric O’Grady
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Appearances in Heroclix: Smash and Destroy
First Appearance: The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 (December 2006)
Team Affiliations: Damage Control, Secret Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., Thunderbolts
Powers/Abilities: G.I.Ant-Man armor allows: Size manipulation, Insect communication, Flight via jetpack, Robotic arms with magnetic grapples, Flame projection from arms
Created by: Robert Kirkman – Phil Hester
Eric O’Grady lives most of his life as an average person. He eventually joins SHIELD and is left to guard a newly developed Ant-Man suit in a SHIELD base during an attack by Wolverine. In the ensuing chaos, Eric steals the suit and uses it for less than reputable means. He also ends up dating his friend’s widow and impregnating her. He begins saving women, but only if he finds them personally attractive. He also tries to sneak into Carol Danvers’ purse.
O’Grady tries stealing from a jewelry store only to run into the Black Fox that was already robbing the store. O’Grady manages to secret the jewels away only to see a young girl about to be crushed by falling rubble and saves her. He eventually gets a fake ID under the name Derek Sullivan and joins Damage Control as “Slaying Mantis.” He begins forging a new life with a new apartment while working for Damage Control and hiding from SHIELD.
Black Fox tracks O’Grady down later and the two form a new friendship, after another daring robbery. As O’Grady is dealing with his latest romantic tryst, the Hulk attacks Manhattan. O’Grady joins the battle only to be knocked unconscious and wake back up in SHIELD custody. O’Grady is torturted by a fellow SHIELD agent, that he had previously disfigured, only to be saved by Iron Man. Eric tries to frame the other agent for the stolen Ant-Man suit only for the Black Fox to arrive and try to rescue Eric. Eric then betrays Black Fox, leading to Black Fox’s arrest and Eric being reinstated as a SHIELD agent.
Eric ends up helping Black Fox escape just before Hank Pym and Iron Man offer him the Ant-Man suit in exchange for him being part of the 50 State Initiative. Eric quickly makes friends with Taskmaster and slanders Scott Lang, blaming Scott for many of O’Grady’s own lewd behavior. This leads to a battle with Scott Lang’s daughter, who overhears the conversation. Eric ends up helping foil a Skrull plot to pull the United States into the Negative Zone after trying to hide from a battle. After this, he is promoted to the Thunderbolts.
O’Grady does not enjoy his time in the Thunderbolts but is advised by Paladin to just bide his time until Osborn “inevitably goes insane.” Eric helps capture Luke Cage and then helps Luke escape, when Eric’s teammates don’t help extract him from Cage’s body. Eric also helps Captain America escape, hoping that Capt. will remember this in the future.
The Thunderbolts attempt to steal Gugnir from Asgard, but the mission goes sideways. Eric fights Stature again, Paladin refuses to turn the spear over to Iron Patriot. Grizzly tries to kill Paladin, but Eric helps bring the villain down. After the dust settles, Eric decides to try and do something right for a change.
Eric joins the Secret Avengers and starts using a suit that resembles Hank Pym’s original Ant-Man outfit. He is paired with War Machine, who does not like him. Eric continues his debauchery and it brings him into conflict with several other Secret Avengers. When the Secret Avengers track down Father, the creator of the World facility, Eric is beaten to death while defending a child’s life. Father then creates a Life Model Decoy of Eric, with all of his memories intact but reset to his more amoral personality. This LMD goes on to become the Black Ant.
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