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Commission by

Big problems need big heroes.

An elite task force of female SHIELD agents, empowered with the ability to become unstoppable titans, the Giant-Woman Squad was amongst America's greatest protection against threats of both mundane and fantastical origins until the rouge A.I. Ultron destroyed it, leaving only Captain Yuri Watanabe as the unit lone survivor.

Determined to restore the Giant-Woman Squad to its former glory, Yuri assembled a crack team of specialists to join the newest incarnation of the Squad, only to have foreign agents steal the last samples of growth serum and then land in the hands of a group of three young, female adults; the brilliant and ambitious Mary Jane Watson, the athletic and temperamental Gwen Stacy, and the sweet and spirited Kitty Pryde. The trio now have the power to tower over skyscrapers, despite being barely old enough to vote.

Unable to reverse the girl's transformation, Yuri has recruited them against her better judgement as junior agents of the Squad. Alongside her science advisor, Doctor Rio Morales, Yuri must forge this inexperienced and desynchronized trio into an elite fighting team, able to overcome any threat of any size. Mary Jane, Gwen, and Kitty face the most significant challenge in their young adult lives yet, as they become… Giant-Woman Squad 2.0.

Brand-new artwork featuring the Giant-Woman Squad (GWS) of Earth-2620. While designing the idea for the image and the story behind it, I thought of making it as if it was a trade paperback collecting the first storyline of a hypnotical Giant-Woman Squad comic series, with the story being the bulb on the back. This allowed me to explain the basic premise of GWS while featuring things that have only so far appeared in text forms, such as Doctor Rio Morales, and the Ant-Farm, the base of operation for GWS. Overall, I'm happy with how this image turned out, though I'm weirded by some of the artist's choices. Such as the lack of background, which I admit was kind of vague in the description I sent, but at least I had one. Also, the lizard-dragon thing on Kitty's shoulder (which I'm pretty sure is supposed to be Lockheed), which I didn't mention anywhere in my commission idea nor appeared in any of the reference images I sent. At least it gives me an idea for a story to include in the next bio for Earth-2620, featuring the friends and foes of Giant-Woman Squad 2.0, so look forward for that.

A more detailed look at the backstory and members of GWS is here available here:
Earth-2620: Project Giant Woman Squad 2.0An offshoot of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate) Super-Soldier research program, Project: Goliath's purpose was to create superhuman operatives with the ability to alter their size at will. The project was headed by the husband-and-wife team of Henry "Hank" and Janet Pym-Van Dyne. Much of the project groundwork was based on genetic studies on Dr Janet Pym's biology. Janet was a mutant with several insect-like properties and the power to reduce her physical size to a height of four inches. Because much of Project: Goliath's research was produced during a time of intense anti-mutant hysteria after the Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy terrorist attack on the U.S. capitol, Hank and Janet choice to create a fake backstory that their research was based on fictitious extradimensional particles, named Pym Particles. After three-year work, Hank and Janet were able to develop a serum that simulated Janet's shrinking abilities (the Pym Particles supposedly empowered the serum, but in reality, Janet's blood was the catalyst). Hank and Janet presented the capabilities of their creation to visiting S.H.I.E.L.D. director Alexander Pierce and other high-ranking officials by having Hank shrink himself in front of their very eyes. However, director Pierce proved very dismissive of Hank's "Ant-Man" stunt, as the Project: Goliath's other goal had been to enlarge person, something that Hank failed to do so far, only able to grow to a height of 12 feet using the serum before his body collapsed from the strain put on itself. With their project in danger of being shut down, Janet made a snap decision to inject herself with the serum right here and now, astounding herself, her husband, and their guest when she grew without any effort to a gigantic height of 60 feet, five times larger than Hank's previous record. Later research would reveal that though the shrinking effect of the serum worked on both male and female genders equally, the growing effect only worked on the female genome, gaining superhuman strength, durability and healing ability needed to maintain a gigantic body frame to a female specimen body. In contrast, a male specimen would get none of those required abilities. Janet's action saved Project: Goliath but her relationship with her husband became estranged, with Hank feeling humiliated over Janet getting all the credit for their scientific breakthroughs, with him starting to isolate himself in his private lab while searching for ways to make the growth serum work effectively on the male genome. Despite Janet´s and their other coworker's best efforts to reach out to Hank and help him with his struggles, he kept pushing those offer away, refusing any help until his death by fire from a lab accident while working alone one night. (It was later revealed to be the work of Hank's robotic assistant Ultron, but at the time, it was speculated that Hank had committed suicide after learning that Janet had chosen to be a founding member of the government's new superhuman strike force, the Avengers, while he had been rejected from the team for "lacking the same versatility" as his wife).Following Janet's success as Avengers member Wasp, new S.H.I.E.L.D. director Monica Rambeau expressed interest in duplicating more of the growing serum (now known as the Giant Woman Serum) as part of the Reserve program, creating additional units of superhuman operatives serving as support to the Avengers. Because the effects of the G.W. serum depended on Janet Pym's blood to work, plus some unfortunate side effects experienced by the early volunteers, it was determined that the eventual Giant-Woman Squad (G.W.S.) should be limited to max six members at any given time. As an extreme crisis response taskforce, G.W.S.'s role was to aid the Avengers during attacks on American soil, eliminate threats of extreme size, search and rescue work in disaster areas, and help rebuild those areas afterwards. Commanded by Captain Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe, the original roster of Giant-Woman Squad also included Lt. Katherine Glover (second in command and the team's weapon specialist), Dr Jemma Simmons (medic and science expert), Cpl. Cary St. Lawrence (pilot and covert warfare expert), Special Agent Bethany Cabe (martial artist and search-and-rescue expert), and Special Agent Angela Del Toro (intelligence and stealth specialist). Under Captain Watanabe's leadership, the G.W.S. proved their worth on numerous occasions, from the Chitauri invasion of the earth to the Liberator's attack on America, from rescue efforts during hurricane Victor to breaking the siege of New Valhalla. However, these brave actions did not come without a cost. Corporal St. Lawrence was killed in an ambush during Magento and his Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy attack at S.H.I.E.L.D. central headquarters, the Triskelion. Not long after, Dr Simmons became missing in action after the time vortex crisis. Despite these setbacks, the G.W.S. continue to serve their country with valor, recruiting two new members to replace their fallen comrades with Msg. Katrina Van Horn (wilderness specialist) and Lt. Sybil Tan (pilot and science expert). Tragically, the very existence of G.W.S. nearly came to an end after a massive attack by Dr Hank Pym's final creation, the malevolent A.I. Ultron. Determined to eradicate everything and everyone connected to his late creator, Ultron unleashes a massive horde of robotic drones targeting Janet Pym and her teammates on the Avengers, members of Project: Goliath, S.H.I.E.L.D. Ant-Man program and Giant-Woman Squad at their home base, the Helicarrier Jeffrey Mace. By the time the threat was over, G.W.S. was nearly eradicated by Ultron minions, with Captain Yuri Watanabe being the only survivor.For a long time after the Ultron disaster, the very future of the Giant-Woman Squad was uncertain. Having lost most of its members, their support staff dead or severely injured, and Janet Pym missing in action after seemingly eliminating Ultron for good. Unwilling to let her squamate's sacrifice be for nothing, Captain Watanabe was resolved to restore G.W.S. to as effective a task force as before to protect the nation and the world. Establishing a new headquarters for the Squad at the Ant Farm, one of Project: Goliath's former labs, alongside a few of the program's previous support staff. Soon, Captain Watanabe was able to find two candidates for the Squad who had already been injected with the G.W. serum. The first was Dr Rio Morales, who had worked as an assistant to Dr Janet Pym during Project: Goliath's early days and had been one of its test subjects before returning to civilian life to spend more time with her family. The other one was Cassandra "Cassie" Lang, a newly graduated S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that had just a month left on her Giant-Woman training with intended of replacing retiring agent Del Toro when Ultron attacked. The reaming ranks would be filled with three candidates handpicked by Captain Watanabe herself. The selection process for the last three members of reformed G.W.S. had been extensive, as the Ant Farm only had three samples left, as the rest had been destroyed during the Ultron attack, and no more could be made since Janet Pym's disappearance, lacking her all-important mutant blood that gives the serum its effect. Unfortunately, the serum shipment was hijacked while in transport by the high-tech Latverian supervillain Beetle and his team of mercenaries. Before the villain could return with the serum to Latveria, the theft was tracked by the teenage superhero Spider-Man, who confronted the Beetle and his minions at their hideout in an abandoned subway tunnel under New York City. Unbeknownst to both heroes and villains, Spider-Man had been secretly followed by three of his female friends, Kitty Pryde, Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy. All three girls injected themselves with the G.W. serum through a series of bizarre circumstances during Spider-Man's fight with the Beetle. Though having trouble adapting to their new massive form at first, the girls were able to help Spider-Man defeat the Beetle and his mercenaries right before Captain Watanabe arrived with a team of heavily armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. After things had settled down and the girls and Spider-Man were taken into government custody, Yuri was furious over what had happened. Not only had the G.W. serum been stolen and was now unretrievable, but it had also been used on inexperienced teenagers. Knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. high command would dismantle the G.W.S. program if she did not assemble a complete squad, Captain Watanabe was forced against her better judgement to make Kitty, Mary Jane, and Gwen into junior agents of Giant-Woman Squad.Current members of Project Giant Woman Squad 2.0: Captain Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe: The tough-as-nails commander of Giant Woman Squad and mentor of the new agent to the team. A highly decorated member of the U.S. army, Yuri's exemplary service in both the Middle East and Central America earned her nomination in what would become the G.W.S. Amongst the first women to receive the Giant Woman serum, Yuri has proven to be the most powerful member in G.W.S. history, able to grow to incredible heights unmatched by her other squad mates, even beating Janet Pym personal record of 150 feet by reaching 300 feet in height. Unfortunately, as the G.W. serum was still in its experimental stage when she got her injection, it significantly altered her body chemistry, leaving her always trapped in her giant form. Currently, shrinking below 30 feet causes Yuri to experience severe migraines and pain, intensifying with every foot she shrinks, and she can only maintain a minimum height of 7 feet for a few hours at a time with the help of special medication. Living in a world too small for her, Yuri was helped to adjust to her condition by teammates in G.W.S., whom she eventually came to view as close as sisters, which proved devasting to her when every member of the Squad except her perished in the Ultron attack. Still processing her teammates' deaths, Yuri is somewhat resentful towards the trio of young girls she has been forced to train as agents, feeling their immaturity and lack of discipline would endanger the future and legacy of the G.W.S. program. Nonetheless, she is determined to make these girls into respectable agents, and over time, she has grown to respect the capabilities and willpower of her three students. Callsign: GW (Giant-Woman) Purple.Doctor Rio Morales: Second in command of the Squad and head of the Ant Farm science team. Previously an assistant to Doctor Janet Pym during Project: Goliath research on the growing serum. Fascinated by the medical possibilities of the serum and believing that the program results would better humanity as a whole, Rio even volunteered to be a test subject for the serum. However, Rio grew disillusioned with the entire project as attention shifted more to military application, quitting when the project was fully absorbed into the S.H.I.E.L.D. Reserve program. Afterwards, Rio became a doctor at Brooklyn General Hospital and had not used her growing abilities for years until Ultron drones attacked her workplace, unleashing her true might when the robots endangered her visiting son, Miles, and her patients. Disturbed by the unexpected threat her family had been put through when Captain Yuri Watanabe approached Rio to help restart Giant-Woman Squad, Rio agreed under the condition that she had a say in decision-making, ensuring that the program carrying on its mission of rescuing and protecting regular people from danger, rather becoming another of S.H.I.E.L.D. black-ops division. Healer and scientist at heart, Rio dislikes fighting and rarely partakes in direct combat encounters unless necessary. Consequently, she often serves as part of mission control for Captain Watanabe and the junior agents when they are out on the field. Her caring nature helps her contract with Captain Watanabe's strict discipline, enabling her to assist the junior agents with more emotionally related problems. Callsign: GW Blue.Junior Agent Mary Jane "MJ" Watson: Quick-witted, proud, and sociable yet possessing a fiery temper, Mary Jane was amongst the brightest students at Midtown High School in the Queens borough of New York City. Mary Jane possessed a strong talent in the fields of languages, sociology and acting, being an avid reader of both classical literature and science fiction, as well as being a major film buff. Though fun-loving, Mary Jane had trouble making friends because of her ego and habit of lording her intelligence over others, primarily as a defence mechanism resulting from her parents' failing marriage. Her best friend was her fellow nerd Peter Parker, whom she met first in the second grade, and they had been almost inseparable from each other ever since. Mary Jane was the first person to whom Peter revealed his secret identity as Spider-Man. Helping Peter in his superhero efforts, he and Mary Jane started dating at this time, but the frequent stress and challenge of Peter's life as Spider-Man caused the couple to break up and get back together numerous times. During that period, Mary Jane's body started to mature, turning a dorky and awkward girl into a stunning beauty, something she was very well aware of and did nothing to subdue her massive ego. Yet despite her growing social standing at school, Mary Jane still became friends with new transfer students Gwen Stacy and Kitty Pryde, forming close bonds with the two girls despite a complex web of relationships between each girl and Peter Parker. It was Mary Jane was the one that insisted that the girls follow Spider-Man into the subway tunnels that fateful day when they were empowered by G.W. serum, worried that Peter was still emotionally distrusted after his recent falling to save the life of his friend and mentor, Dr Curt Connors, at the hands of the supervillain Lizard. Since joining the G.W.S., Mary Jane has taken on an unofficial leadership role amongst girls, partly out of guilt of her choices derailing Gwen and Kitty's future. Despite that, Mary Jane is eager to impress her supervisors with her talents and become a top Giant-Woman agent. Callsign: GW Green.Junior Agent Gwendolyn Maxine "Gwen" Stacy: Opinionated, aggressive, and headstrong young woman with a strong sense for justice, Gwen had a lot of unresolved anger issues stemming from her mother Helene's death and her father George, recurring absence in her life because of his job as a police captain with N.Y.P.D. Though loving her father dearly and apricating the importance of his job, she still came into frequent conflict with her father because of Gwen's feisty nature, especially after she got herself expelled from her school after she broke the arm of a bully that was picking on smaller students. After that incident, George arranged that Gwen should stay with relatives in Queens for a while, hoping that the different scenery would help Gwen process her emotional problems. While in Queen, Gwen enrolled in Midtown High School, where she found release for her anger through sports, joining her school football team and becoming a star player known for her roughness. Also, during her time in Midtown, Gwen met and became friends with Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Kitty Pryde. Gwen was very protective of her new friends, defending them from any harassment by bullies and popular students, especially geeky Peter. Unbeknownst to Gwen for a long time, Peter was secretly the superhero Spider-Man. Gwen eventually discovered Peter's secret, and they dated each other for a few weeks before coming to the mutual conclusion that their relationship was not working and decided they were better of as friends. She was, however, still very protective over the dork and therefore needed little incentive to take the G.W. serum to save Peter from the Beetle and his minions. Of the three girls, Gwen is the one that most enjoys her new life with Giant-Woman Squad. Though disliking having to follow rigid rules and orders, Gwen nonetheless relishes in the sense of power her towering size gives her and also apricating the opportunity to use her powers to help others. Callsign: GW Red. Junior Agent Katherine "Kitty" Pryde: Sweet and cheerful girl who wants to see the best in everything from Chicago, Kitty was a good student and loyal friend, though her trusting nature left her a bit naive and allowed others to exploit her trust. Kitty's life was changed forever when she was fifteen when she discovered that she was a mutant with the power to phase through soiled objects. Intrigue by her abilities, Kitty was eager to use them to help others, but because of the prevailing anti-mutant sentiment in America, Kitty was forced to do so secretly. Creating a costumed identity called Shadowcat, Kitty spent a few months doing acts of minor superheroics (such as stopping purse snatchers and rescuing cats from trees) when fellow mutant Tanya Sealy approached her to save a few of her friends that bigoted police officers had arrested for the crime of being mutants. Though hesitant about breaking the law, Kitty was convinced by Tanya that she was doing the right thing, so she used her intangibility to cause the police van transporting the arrested mutants to crash, only to discover then that Tanya and her friends were part of a terrorist cell associated with Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy. Furious over being tricked, the normally docile and peaceful Kitty knocked out Tanya before she could free her associates, leaving the scene in panic as more police officers arrived. Later that night, Kitty came clean to her parents about her status as a mutant and how she was involved in an attempted prison break. Worried that their daughter would be arrested or forced to join the X-Men, Kitty's parents decided it would be best for her to be with their family friend Stevie Hunter in Queens while things cool down in Chicago. Trying to keep a low profile at her new school of Midtown High, Kitty still managed to make friends with fellow school weirdos Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker, with them being acceptive of Kitty's status as a mutant and, in turn, told her Peter´s secret of being Spider-Man. Kitty dated Peter for a while and occasionally assisted him as Spider-Man in her Shadowcat identity. Still, overall, Kitty was very resultant in becoming a superhero again, afraid of repeating her earlier mistake. She was the most hesitant of the three to use the G.W. serum to help Spider-Man that fateful day in the subway tunnels, only injecting herself because of an accidental reflex during the fight. Having difficulty adjusting to her new life with the G.W.S., especially because the G.W. serum weakens her mutant abilities, rendering her mostly unable to phase while in giant form, Kitty is determined to stick with her friends no matter hard things will get. Callsign: GW Yellow. Senior Agent Cassandra "Cassie" Lang: Daughter of Scott Lang, S.H.I.E.L.D. foremost Ant-Man agent, Cassie high ranking score while at S.H.I.E.L.D. training academy earned her place as a top candidate to join the Giant-Woman Squad. Away on a training program in Australia to adjust herself better to her gigantic size brought by her powers when the Ultron attacks occurred, Cassie was spared from the destruction that almost ended the G.W.S. for good. Recruited into Captain Watanabe's new incarnation of the Squad, Cassie expected to take some time to earn the respect of her other squad mates, being a newly graduated agent in her early twenties while they would be experienced professionals in their fields. But through unlikely circumstances, half the Squad turned out to be even younger than Cassie and lacking any training as an agent. Because of that fact, Captain Watanabe promoted Cassie to the status of the senior agent, letting her perform independent covert missions while she focused on training the new recruits. As a solo Giant-Woman agent, Cassie's impressive fighting skills and uncover abilities have made her an idol for Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Kitty Pryde, with Cassie forming a sort of big sister relationship with the junior agents. Callsign: GW Grey.Agent Black: Classified information, codename Giant-Woman Black does not exist. Support staff on Project Giant Woman Squad 2.0:Doctor Anna Maria Marconi: A senior figure in the Ant Farm science team, a former teacher in chemistry with Empire State University. Doctor Marconi oversees efforts to find ways to recreate the G.W. serum without the use of Janet Pym's blood. Though unsuccessful so far in that quest, a lab accident has resulted in Anne Maria being double her previous height, nearing 8 feet in height but keeping the bodily proportion brought by her dwarfism. Anna Maria remains primarily unfazed by her new status, finding that her new size helps with her passion for cocking, and now she least doesn't need a footstool anymore to reach the top shelves in the Ant Farm's kitchen. Recently, she has taken Junior Agent Gwen Stacy as her cooking assistant, hoping that it would allow the rebellious young woman to find an alternative venue to manage her inner rage through methods other than punching things. Thomas "Tom" Foster: Nineteen-year-old nephew of William "Bill" Foster, a former researcher on Project: Goliath and head of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Ant-Man program, Tom was studying at M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) before being offered an internship at the Ant Farm. Serving as an assistant to Dr Morales and Dr Marconi, besides partaking in cutting-edge science, Tom and Junior Agent Kitty Pryde have engaged in mutual and very, very awkward flirting. Counselor Andrea "Andie" Sterman: The Ant Farm resident psychiatrist, offering support and guidance for mental well-being for members of Giant Woman Squad and its support staff. Captain Beverly "Bev" Sykes: Head of security for the Ant Farm, Bev is a childhood friend of Captain Yuri Watanabe, having met through their father's work as police officers with the N.Y.P.D. Serving together in the army, Bev became a detective with the N.Y.P.D. after being discharged from the service. She joined the Giant-Woman program after Yuri asked her, as she needed someone she trusted to help her reform the Squad. Bev keeps a close but teasing friendship with Yuri, insisting that even though her old friend is at most times taller than a three-story building, Bev can still defeat her in a fight.Special Agent Jacob "Jake" Oh: The combat instructor for the Squad, Jake is a highly decorated S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Jake was reassigned to the Ant Farm after disobeying a direct order from director Rambeau while on a mission in Sokovia, costing in losing a vital asset needed to expose a network of Latverian sleeper agents spread across Europe. Jake oversees the training for the three recruits to the Squad in the field of hand-to-hand and how to employ those skills effectively in their giant form, as well as the use of firearms and driving of the squad ground vehicles (though no longer to agent Kitty Pryde, saying that her mad driving to the scariest event that has experienced in his entire life).Analyst Eric Koenig: A veteran data analyst for S.H.I.E.L.D., gathering vital mission information and other details for the squad operations. A longtime friend of former G.W.S. member and presumed missing-in-action Doctor Jemma Simmons, Koenig is determined to find and save his old friend from whatever danger she has found herself trapped in. Koenig has formed a special friendship with Junior Agent Mary Jane Watson, a fellow pop-culture aficionado, often engaging in intense and heated debates about merits and flaws of various works, from the hidden themes of the Wonder Man tv series from the 1970s to whether the original or the remake of Tomb of Dracula is superior. Ceres Goldstein: Gadget designer and caretaker of the squad equipment. Ceres works for the Giant-Woman program as part of a plea bargain. Previously an apprentice to the Tinkerer, a weapon supplier and a repairman for New York's supervillain community, Ceres got apprehended during a S.H.I.E.L.D. raid at one of Tinkerer's workshops. Offered a choice between a lengthy prison sentence in the Raft or a five-year house arrest working at Ant Farm, Ceres has started to regrate not selecting a small cell over her creations being used by reckless and immature teenagers....

Artwork of the Squad by , and

Patreon: www.patreon.com/misterbigred

Description
Commission by

Big problems need big heroes.

An elite task force of female SHIELD agents, empowered with the ability to become unstoppable titans, the Giant-Woman Squad was amongst America's greatest protection against threats of both mundane and fantastical origins until the rouge A.I. Ultron destroyed it, leaving only Captain Yuri Watanabe as the unit lone survivor.

Determined to restore the Giant-Woman Squad to its former glory, Yuri assembled a crack team of specialists to join the newest incarnation of the Squad, only to have foreign agents steal the last samples of growth serum and then land in the hands of a group of three young, female adults; the brilliant and ambitious Mary Jane Watson, the athletic and temperamental Gwen Stacy, and the sweet and spirited Kitty Pryde. The trio now have the power to tower over skyscrapers, despite being barely old enough to vote.

Unable to reverse the girl's transformation, Yuri has recruited them against her better judgement as junior agents of the Squad. Alongside her science advisor, Doctor Rio Morales, Yuri must forge this inexperienced and desynchronized trio into an elite fighting team, able to overcome any threat of any size. Mary Jane, Gwen, and Kitty face the most significant challenge in their young adult lives yet, as they become… Giant-Woman Squad 2.0.

Brand-new artwork featuring the Giant-Woman Squad (GWS) of Earth-2620. While designing the idea for the image and the story behind it, I thought of making it as if it was a trade paperback collecting the first storyline of a hypnotical Giant-Woman Squad comic series, with the story being the bulb on the back. This allowed me to explain the basic premise of GWS while featuring things that have only so far appeared in text forms, such as Doctor Rio Morales, and the Ant-Farm, the base of operation for GWS. Overall, I'm happy with how this image turned out, though I'm weirded by some of the artist's choices. Such as the lack of background, which I admit was kind of vague in the description I sent, but at least I had one. Also, the lizard-dragon thing on Kitty's shoulder (which I'm pretty sure is supposed to be Lockheed), which I didn't mention anywhere in my commission idea nor appeared in any of the reference images I sent. At least it gives me an idea for a story to include in the next bio for Earth-2620, featuring the friends and foes of Giant-Woman Squad 2.0, so look forward for that.

A more detailed look at the backstory and members of GWS is here available here:
Earth-2620: Project Giant Woman Squad 2.0An offshoot of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate) Super-Soldier research program, Project: Goliath's purpose was to create superhuman operatives with the ability to alter their size at will. The project was headed by the husband-and-wife team of Henry "Hank" and Janet Pym-Van Dyne. Much of the project groundwork was based on genetic studies on Dr Janet Pym's biology. Janet was a mutant with several insect-like properties and the power to reduce her physical size to a height of four inches. Because much of Project: Goliath's research was produced during a time of intense anti-mutant hysteria after the Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy terrorist attack on the U.S. capitol, Hank and Janet choice to create a fake backstory that their research was based on fictitious extradimensional particles, named Pym Particles. After three-year work, Hank and Janet were able to develop a serum that simulated Janet's shrinking abilities (the Pym Particles supposedly empowered the serum, but in reality, Janet's blood was the catalyst). Hank and Janet presented the capabilities of their creation to visiting S.H.I.E.L.D. director Alexander Pierce and other high-ranking officials by having Hank shrink himself in front of their very eyes. However, director Pierce proved very dismissive of Hank's "Ant-Man" stunt, as the Project: Goliath's other goal had been to enlarge person, something that Hank failed to do so far, only able to grow to a height of 12 feet using the serum before his body collapsed from the strain put on itself. With their project in danger of being shut down, Janet made a snap decision to inject herself with the serum right here and now, astounding herself, her husband, and their guest when she grew without any effort to a gigantic height of 60 feet, five times larger than Hank's previous record. Later research would reveal that though the shrinking effect of the serum worked on both male and female genders equally, the growing effect only worked on the female genome, gaining superhuman strength, durability and healing ability needed to maintain a gigantic body frame to a female specimen body. In contrast, a male specimen would get none of those required abilities. Janet's action saved Project: Goliath but her relationship with her husband became estranged, with Hank feeling humiliated over Janet getting all the credit for their scientific breakthroughs, with him starting to isolate himself in his private lab while searching for ways to make the growth serum work effectively on the male genome. Despite Janet´s and their other coworker's best efforts to reach out to Hank and help him with his struggles, he kept pushing those offer away, refusing any help until his death by fire from a lab accident while working alone one night. (It was later revealed to be the work of Hank's robotic assistant Ultron, but at the time, it was speculated that Hank had committed suicide after learning that Janet had chosen to be a founding member of the government's new superhuman strike force, the Avengers, while he had been rejected from the team for "lacking the same versatility" as his wife).Following Janet's success as Avengers member Wasp, new S.H.I.E.L.D. director Monica Rambeau expressed interest in duplicating more of the growing serum (now known as the Giant Woman Serum) as part of the Reserve program, creating additional units of superhuman operatives serving as support to the Avengers. Because the effects of the G.W. serum depended on Janet Pym's blood to work, plus some unfortunate side effects experienced by the early volunteers, it was determined that the eventual Giant-Woman Squad (G.W.S.) should be limited to max six members at any given time. As an extreme crisis response taskforce, G.W.S.'s role was to aid the Avengers during attacks on American soil, eliminate threats of extreme size, search and rescue work in disaster areas, and help rebuild those areas afterwards. Commanded by Captain Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe, the original roster of Giant-Woman Squad also included Lt. Katherine Glover (second in command and the team's weapon specialist), Dr Jemma Simmons (medic and science expert), Cpl. Cary St. Lawrence (pilot and covert warfare expert), Special Agent Bethany Cabe (martial artist and search-and-rescue expert), and Special Agent Angela Del Toro (intelligence and stealth specialist). Under Captain Watanabe's leadership, the G.W.S. proved their worth on numerous occasions, from the Chitauri invasion of the earth to the Liberator's attack on America, from rescue efforts during hurricane Victor to breaking the siege of New Valhalla. However, these brave actions did not come without a cost. Corporal St. Lawrence was killed in an ambush during Magento and his Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy attack at S.H.I.E.L.D. central headquarters, the Triskelion. Not long after, Dr Simmons became missing in action after the time vortex crisis. Despite these setbacks, the G.W.S. continue to serve their country with valor, recruiting two new members to replace their fallen comrades with Msg. Katrina Van Horn (wilderness specialist) and Lt. Sybil Tan (pilot and science expert). Tragically, the very existence of G.W.S. nearly came to an end after a massive attack by Dr Hank Pym's final creation, the malevolent A.I. Ultron. Determined to eradicate everything and everyone connected to his late creator, Ultron unleashes a massive horde of robotic drones targeting Janet Pym and her teammates on the Avengers, members of Project: Goliath, S.H.I.E.L.D. Ant-Man program and Giant-Woman Squad at their home base, the Helicarrier Jeffrey Mace. By the time the threat was over, G.W.S. was nearly eradicated by Ultron minions, with Captain Yuri Watanabe being the only survivor.For a long time after the Ultron disaster, the very future of the Giant-Woman Squad was uncertain. Having lost most of its members, their support staff dead or severely injured, and Janet Pym missing in action after seemingly eliminating Ultron for good. Unwilling to let her squamate's sacrifice be for nothing, Captain Watanabe was resolved to restore G.W.S. to as effective a task force as before to protect the nation and the world. Establishing a new headquarters for the Squad at the Ant Farm, one of Project: Goliath's former labs, alongside a few of the program's previous support staff. Soon, Captain Watanabe was able to find two candidates for the Squad who had already been injected with the G.W. serum. The first was Dr Rio Morales, who had worked as an assistant to Dr Janet Pym during Project: Goliath's early days and had been one of its test subjects before returning to civilian life to spend more time with her family. The other one was Cassandra "Cassie" Lang, a newly graduated S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that had just a month left on her Giant-Woman training with intended of replacing retiring agent Del Toro when Ultron attacked. The reaming ranks would be filled with three candidates handpicked by Captain Watanabe herself. The selection process for the last three members of reformed G.W.S. had been extensive, as the Ant Farm only had three samples left, as the rest had been destroyed during the Ultron attack, and no more could be made since Janet Pym's disappearance, lacking her all-important mutant blood that gives the serum its effect. Unfortunately, the serum shipment was hijacked while in transport by the high-tech Latverian supervillain Beetle and his team of mercenaries. Before the villain could return with the serum to Latveria, the theft was tracked by the teenage superhero Spider-Man, who confronted the Beetle and his minions at their hideout in an abandoned subway tunnel under New York City. Unbeknownst to both heroes and villains, Spider-Man had been secretly followed by three of his female friends, Kitty Pryde, Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy. All three girls injected themselves with the G.W. serum through a series of bizarre circumstances during Spider-Man's fight with the Beetle. Though having trouble adapting to their new massive form at first, the girls were able to help Spider-Man defeat the Beetle and his mercenaries right before Captain Watanabe arrived with a team of heavily armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. After things had settled down and the girls and Spider-Man were taken into government custody, Yuri was furious over what had happened. Not only had the G.W. serum been stolen and was now unretrievable, but it had also been used on inexperienced teenagers. Knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. high command would dismantle the G.W.S. program if she did not assemble a complete squad, Captain Watanabe was forced against her better judgement to make Kitty, Mary Jane, and Gwen into junior agents of Giant-Woman Squad.Current members of Project Giant Woman Squad 2.0: Captain Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe: The tough-as-nails commander of Giant Woman Squad and mentor of the new agent to the team. A highly decorated member of the U.S. army, Yuri's exemplary service in both the Middle East and Central America earned her nomination in what would become the G.W.S. Amongst the first women to receive the Giant Woman serum, Yuri has proven to be the most powerful member in G.W.S. history, able to grow to incredible heights unmatched by her other squad mates, even beating Janet Pym personal record of 150 feet by reaching 300 feet in height. Unfortunately, as the G.W. serum was still in its experimental stage when she got her injection, it significantly altered her body chemistry, leaving her always trapped in her giant form. Currently, shrinking below 30 feet causes Yuri to experience severe migraines and pain, intensifying with every foot she shrinks, and she can only maintain a minimum height of 7 feet for a few hours at a time with the help of special medication. Living in a world too small for her, Yuri was helped to adjust to her condition by teammates in G.W.S., whom she eventually came to view as close as sisters, which proved devasting to her when every member of the Squad except her perished in the Ultron attack. Still processing her teammates' deaths, Yuri is somewhat resentful towards the trio of young girls she has been forced to train as agents, feeling their immaturity and lack of discipline would endanger the future and legacy of the G.W.S. program. Nonetheless, she is determined to make these girls into respectable agents, and over time, she has grown to respect the capabilities and willpower of her three students. Callsign: GW (Giant-Woman) Purple.Doctor Rio Morales: Second in command of the Squad and head of the Ant Farm science team. Previously an assistant to Doctor Janet Pym during Project: Goliath research on the growing serum. Fascinated by the medical possibilities of the serum and believing that the program results would better humanity as a whole, Rio even volunteered to be a test subject for the serum. However, Rio grew disillusioned with the entire project as attention shifted more to military application, quitting when the project was fully absorbed into the S.H.I.E.L.D. Reserve program. Afterwards, Rio became a doctor at Brooklyn General Hospital and had not used her growing abilities for years until Ultron drones attacked her workplace, unleashing her true might when the robots endangered her visiting son, Miles, and her patients. Disturbed by the unexpected threat her family had been put through when Captain Yuri Watanabe approached Rio to help restart Giant-Woman Squad, Rio agreed under the condition that she had a say in decision-making, ensuring that the program carrying on its mission of rescuing and protecting regular people from danger, rather becoming another of S.H.I.E.L.D. black-ops division. Healer and scientist at heart, Rio dislikes fighting and rarely partakes in direct combat encounters unless necessary. Consequently, she often serves as part of mission control for Captain Watanabe and the junior agents when they are out on the field. Her caring nature helps her contract with Captain Watanabe's strict discipline, enabling her to assist the junior agents with more emotionally related problems. Callsign: GW Blue.Junior Agent Mary Jane "MJ" Watson: Quick-witted, proud, and sociable yet possessing a fiery temper, Mary Jane was amongst the brightest students at Midtown High School in the Queens borough of New York City. Mary Jane possessed a strong talent in the fields of languages, sociology and acting, being an avid reader of both classical literature and science fiction, as well as being a major film buff. Though fun-loving, Mary Jane had trouble making friends because of her ego and habit of lording her intelligence over others, primarily as a defence mechanism resulting from her parents' failing marriage. Her best friend was her fellow nerd Peter Parker, whom she met first in the second grade, and they had been almost inseparable from each other ever since. Mary Jane was the first person to whom Peter revealed his secret identity as Spider-Man. Helping Peter in his superhero efforts, he and Mary Jane started dating at this time, but the frequent stress and challenge of Peter's life as Spider-Man caused the couple to break up and get back together numerous times. During that period, Mary Jane's body started to mature, turning a dorky and awkward girl into a stunning beauty, something she was very well aware of and did nothing to subdue her massive ego. Yet despite her growing social standing at school, Mary Jane still became friends with new transfer students Gwen Stacy and Kitty Pryde, forming close bonds with the two girls despite a complex web of relationships between each girl and Peter Parker. It was Mary Jane was the one that insisted that the girls follow Spider-Man into the subway tunnels that fateful day when they were empowered by G.W. serum, worried that Peter was still emotionally distrusted after his recent falling to save the life of his friend and mentor, Dr Curt Connors, at the hands of the supervillain Lizard. Since joining the G.W.S., Mary Jane has taken on an unofficial leadership role amongst girls, partly out of guilt of her choices derailing Gwen and Kitty's future. Despite that, Mary Jane is eager to impress her supervisors with her talents and become a top Giant-Woman agent. Callsign: GW Green.Junior Agent Gwendolyn Maxine "Gwen" Stacy: Opinionated, aggressive, and headstrong young woman with a strong sense for justice, Gwen had a lot of unresolved anger issues stemming from her mother Helene's death and her father George, recurring absence in her life because of his job as a police captain with N.Y.P.D. Though loving her father dearly and apricating the importance of his job, she still came into frequent conflict with her father because of Gwen's feisty nature, especially after she got herself expelled from her school after she broke the arm of a bully that was picking on smaller students. After that incident, George arranged that Gwen should stay with relatives in Queens for a while, hoping that the different scenery would help Gwen process her emotional problems. While in Queen, Gwen enrolled in Midtown High School, where she found release for her anger through sports, joining her school football team and becoming a star player known for her roughness. Also, during her time in Midtown, Gwen met and became friends with Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Kitty Pryde. Gwen was very protective of her new friends, defending them from any harassment by bullies and popular students, especially geeky Peter. Unbeknownst to Gwen for a long time, Peter was secretly the superhero Spider-Man. Gwen eventually discovered Peter's secret, and they dated each other for a few weeks before coming to the mutual conclusion that their relationship was not working and decided they were better of as friends. She was, however, still very protective over the dork and therefore needed little incentive to take the G.W. serum to save Peter from the Beetle and his minions. Of the three girls, Gwen is the one that most enjoys her new life with Giant-Woman Squad. Though disliking having to follow rigid rules and orders, Gwen nonetheless relishes in the sense of power her towering size gives her and also apricating the opportunity to use her powers to help others. Callsign: GW Red. Junior Agent Katherine "Kitty" Pryde: Sweet and cheerful girl who wants to see the best in everything from Chicago, Kitty was a good student and loyal friend, though her trusting nature left her a bit naive and allowed others to exploit her trust. Kitty's life was changed forever when she was fifteen when she discovered that she was a mutant with the power to phase through soiled objects. Intrigue by her abilities, Kitty was eager to use them to help others, but because of the prevailing anti-mutant sentiment in America, Kitty was forced to do so secretly. Creating a costumed identity called Shadowcat, Kitty spent a few months doing acts of minor superheroics (such as stopping purse snatchers and rescuing cats from trees) when fellow mutant Tanya Sealy approached her to save a few of her friends that bigoted police officers had arrested for the crime of being mutants. Though hesitant about breaking the law, Kitty was convinced by Tanya that she was doing the right thing, so she used her intangibility to cause the police van transporting the arrested mutants to crash, only to discover then that Tanya and her friends were part of a terrorist cell associated with Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy. Furious over being tricked, the normally docile and peaceful Kitty knocked out Tanya before she could free her associates, leaving the scene in panic as more police officers arrived. Later that night, Kitty came clean to her parents about her status as a mutant and how she was involved in an attempted prison break. Worried that their daughter would be arrested or forced to join the X-Men, Kitty's parents decided it would be best for her to be with their family friend Stevie Hunter in Queens while things cool down in Chicago. Trying to keep a low profile at her new school of Midtown High, Kitty still managed to make friends with fellow school weirdos Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker, with them being acceptive of Kitty's status as a mutant and, in turn, told her Peter´s secret of being Spider-Man. Kitty dated Peter for a while and occasionally assisted him as Spider-Man in her Shadowcat identity. Still, overall, Kitty was very resultant in becoming a superhero again, afraid of repeating her earlier mistake. She was the most hesitant of the three to use the G.W. serum to help Spider-Man that fateful day in the subway tunnels, only injecting herself because of an accidental reflex during the fight. Having difficulty adjusting to her new life with the G.W.S., especially because the G.W. serum weakens her mutant abilities, rendering her mostly unable to phase while in giant form, Kitty is determined to stick with her friends no matter hard things will get. Callsign: GW Yellow. Senior Agent Cassandra "Cassie" Lang: Daughter of Scott Lang, S.H.I.E.L.D. foremost Ant-Man agent, Cassie high ranking score while at S.H.I.E.L.D. training academy earned her place as a top candidate to join the Giant-Woman Squad. Away on a training program in Australia to adjust herself better to her gigantic size brought by her powers when the Ultron attacks occurred, Cassie was spared from the destruction that almost ended the G.W.S. for good. Recruited into Captain Watanabe's new incarnation of the Squad, Cassie expected to take some time to earn the respect of her other squad mates, being a newly graduated agent in her early twenties while they would be experienced professionals in their fields. But through unlikely circumstances, half the Squad turned out to be even younger than Cassie and lacking any training as an agent. Because of that fact, Captain Watanabe promoted Cassie to the status of the senior agent, letting her perform independent covert missions while she focused on training the new recruits. As a solo Giant-Woman agent, Cassie's impressive fighting skills and uncover abilities have made her an idol for Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Kitty Pryde, with Cassie forming a sort of big sister relationship with the junior agents. Callsign: GW Grey.Agent Black: Classified information, codename Giant-Woman Black does not exist. Support staff on Project Giant Woman Squad 2.0:Doctor Anna Maria Marconi: A senior figure in the Ant Farm science team, a former teacher in chemistry with Empire State University. Doctor Marconi oversees efforts to find ways to recreate the G.W. serum without the use of Janet Pym's blood. Though unsuccessful so far in that quest, a lab accident has resulted in Anne Maria being double her previous height, nearing 8 feet in height but keeping the bodily proportion brought by her dwarfism. Anna Maria remains primarily unfazed by her new status, finding that her new size helps with her passion for cocking, and now she least doesn't need a footstool anymore to reach the top shelves in the Ant Farm's kitchen. Recently, she has taken Junior Agent Gwen Stacy as her cooking assistant, hoping that it would allow the rebellious young woman to find an alternative venue to manage her inner rage through methods other than punching things. Thomas "Tom" Foster: Nineteen-year-old nephew of William "Bill" Foster, a former researcher on Project: Goliath and head of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Ant-Man program, Tom was studying at M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) before being offered an internship at the Ant Farm. Serving as an assistant to Dr Morales and Dr Marconi, besides partaking in cutting-edge science, Tom and Junior Agent Kitty Pryde have engaged in mutual and very, very awkward flirting. Counselor Andrea "Andie" Sterman: The Ant Farm resident psychiatrist, offering support and guidance for mental well-being for members of Giant Woman Squad and its support staff. Captain Beverly "Bev" Sykes: Head of security for the Ant Farm, Bev is a childhood friend of Captain Yuri Watanabe, having met through their father's work as police officers with the N.Y.P.D. Serving together in the army, Bev became a detective with the N.Y.P.D. after being discharged from the service. She joined the Giant-Woman program after Yuri asked her, as she needed someone she trusted to help her reform the Squad. Bev keeps a close but teasing friendship with Yuri, insisting that even though her old friend is at most times taller than a three-story building, Bev can still defeat her in a fight.Special Agent Jacob "Jake" Oh: The combat instructor for the Squad, Jake is a highly decorated S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Jake was reassigned to the Ant Farm after disobeying a direct order from director Rambeau while on a mission in Sokovia, costing in losing a vital asset needed to expose a network of Latverian sleeper agents spread across Europe. Jake oversees the training for the three recruits to the Squad in the field of hand-to-hand and how to employ those skills effectively in their giant form, as well as the use of firearms and driving of the squad ground vehicles (though no longer to agent Kitty Pryde, saying that her mad driving to the scariest event that has experienced in his entire life).Analyst Eric Koenig: A veteran data analyst for S.H.I.E.L.D., gathering vital mission information and other details for the squad operations. A longtime friend of former G.W.S. member and presumed missing-in-action Doctor Jemma Simmons, Koenig is determined to find and save his old friend from whatever danger she has found herself trapped in. Koenig has formed a special friendship with Junior Agent Mary Jane Watson, a fellow pop-culture aficionado, often engaging in intense and heated debates about merits and flaws of various works, from the hidden themes of the Wonder Man tv series from the 1970s to whether the original or the remake of Tomb of Dracula is superior. Ceres Goldstein: Gadget designer and caretaker of the squad equipment. Ceres works for the Giant-Woman program as part of a plea bargain. Previously an apprentice to the Tinkerer, a weapon supplier and a repairman for New York's supervillain community, Ceres got apprehended during a S.H.I.E.L.D. raid at one of Tinkerer's workshops. Offered a choice between a lengthy prison sentence in the Raft or a five-year house arrest working at Ant Farm, Ceres has started to regrate not selecting a small cell over her creations being used by reckless and immature teenagers....

Artwork of the Squad by , and

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