The Cold War was littered with economic and technological scares that would haunt many Americans for over four decades. Between the Red Scare, the Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, paranoia was somewhat expected and even justifiable. Specifically, the fear of technological advances, whether nuclear, firearms, or espionage-assisting, from the Soviet Union or other communist states was the root cause of much of the anxiety. The creation of Ant-Man and themes within the comic speak directly to the fears shown in the late forties through early nineties.
In many ways, Ant-Man is different from the traditional superhero in that his greatest power is mental, not physical. He has the ability to shrink himself but I predict many do not lay in bed at night wishing for that “superpower.” His greatest power is the fact that he can communicate and control ants, mindless entities that will destroy and conquer ruthlessly given the order. Sure, Ant-Man can throw a few good punches, but he defeats his enemies only through the use of his well-trained, ultra-obedient army of ants. What is scarier: One dude with superpowers, or one dude plus a million little minions following his every order? This concept alludes to the Red Scare. Americans were so paranoid about the potential spread of communism that many believed its expansion was inevitable due to the mass of brainwashed believers of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, many believed that the seed of communism needed only to be planted by one man for an army of followers to transpire, an anxiety that stemmed from the recently ended War World II.
The Cold War was also a race of technological advancements. Tensions were high between the Soviet Union and the United States to identify the world’s leader. This recognition was almost completely dependent on the countries’ technological advancements since the Cold War was not necessarily a war of physical battles. Science and technology were touchy subjects due to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis that quickly followed. Nuclear technology had inspired widespread fear. Thus, when Ant-Man created a serum that could shrink people, one’s imagination regarding the Soviet Union’s research and inventions was unleashed. Fear dwelled within the known, nuclear technology, as well as the unknown.
Along with research, espionage was a war tactic used by both the Soviet Union and the United States that caused many citizens anxiety. Nuclear espionage was at the center. People like Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and Harry Gold, Americans who provided or attempted to provide nuclear intelligence to the Soviet Union, aided the idea that the Soviets and communism were creeping into the country while American intelligence was creeping out. Fear of the unseen was quickly spreading. Simply put, Ant-Man’s ability to shrink to the size of an ant did not ease this fear.
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/a-centennial-history/world_war_cold_war_1939-1953
2016: A. Bass Blog 
I like that you are connecting Ant Man’s creation with the public’s fears. I think it is safe to say that most forms of entertainment are based off of these, whether the media seek to exploit it such as horror films or seek to ease it via distraction. I find it interesting that you conclude that Ant Man didn’t ease fears at all because in a sense, I think that any form of distraction is somewhat successful, even if that be temporary.
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annabassblog, I particularly enjoy the way you draw a parallel between ants and the “fear of the unknown…and unseen”, described as a product of the type period when Ant Man was released. Ants deeply represent this fact by the way they are often too small to see easily and we do not completely understand their power or their functionality of ant societies. You are correct in the idea that Ant Man’s greatest feat is that he can control a civilization of unknowns, something Americans of his time could only wish to be able to do. In this way, he finds a place of significance in his time period by feeding the imaginations and desires of his country’s population.
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