Black Ant, the Insector Kinslayer
Insector was created by MarkerBeam, it can be read on Webtoon
Welcome back to the blog! It's been a long time since I researched a manhwa character, hasn't it? No matter, as the wait is over! Insector is another one of my favorite webcomics I read last year, so I highly recommend it.
Background
"Time to eat."
Bugs. Love them or hate them, you can't deny they're a crucial component in maintaining the planet. Pollinators, decomposers, even spindly spiders all have their place on this planet. Insectors however, do not.
Insectors are a race of ferocious insectoid monsters that crave human flesh. First spotted in 2005, they've become an unseen, yet dominant menace across the world. Sporting superpowers based on insects' natural abilities, it's no wonder they view themselves a superior race. When they aren't trying to stalk and eat humans, they prolong it by trafficking them or turn people into giant grubs to consume and boost their powers.
What's most terrifying about them is that insectors disguise themselves as average humans, preying on anyone naive enough to trust them. Insectors can be your high school teacher, your neighbor, even a kid at a playground can be an insector looking for a quick bite. You'll never know it before it's too late.
While humans have been able to fight back with military-grade exterminators like the organization Bug Reaper, insectors are simply too strong and abundant to wipe out. That's not even mentioning the apex insects, the absolute strongest insectors who have become the de facto untouchable leaders of their race. Their goal is to eliminate humanity and become the top of the food chain. Shockingly, no one could have anticipated that the best solution to the insector threat would be another insector.
Meet Miseong Ga, an aloof high school student from Seoul, South Korea, who lives with his grandma. While he is a great athlete and gets exceptional grades, his emotionally distant demeanor and bottomless appetite make him appear eccentric to his peers. His ravenous hunger is especially off-putting, as he eats ten times more than anyone at his school without any effect on his body. These bizarre traits lead to some peers suspecting him of being an insector and hassle him for it.
While their treatment of him is uncalled for, their accusations aren't wrong. However, Miseong isn't just any insector, but Black Ant, an ant insector that hunts and eats his own kind. Dubbed the Kinslayer by other insectors, he has an urban legend among his kind. For ignoring the rules instilled by the apex insects, he has a massive target on his back. It's easy to assume he's simply fighting to protect humans, but that doesn't line up with his antisocial attitude. No, the reason goes far deeper than that.
Miseong is actually half-insector housing an entire ant colony inside his body that can turn into body armor and be weaponized by him. The ants crave insectors, nothing else satisfies. If he goes too long without satisfying their gluttony, the ants will start to eat HIM from the inside out. A life like that sounds like endless torture and exposure to constant violence and trauma— how the hell did Miseong end up this way?!
As it turns out, Miseong inherited his insector ant traits from his mother. She was Specimen Zero/Red Ant in a top secret program known as the Ant-Castle Project to create an insector that would fight on humanity's behalf. The man responsible for the project was Red Ant's father Dr. Sicheol, therefore Miseong's grandfather. As a kid, Miseong developed the same powers as his mom. Since she wound up too injured in the field to continue testing, Miseong was the next logical target of experimentation as Specimen One. It was fun for him at first, being able to manipulate ants with ease, but he had no idea the amount of pain he'd have to experience to continue surviving.
Miseong also had twin brother named Michan. He thankfully didn't share his brother's plight, but he viewed it as a gift rather than a burden, and wanted powers just like him. Instead of an ant colony inside him, he developed the power to absorb insects and insectors and transfer his powers to another person. Since this also gave him the potential to turn more people into insectors, Dr. Sicheol viewed him as an immediate threat to humanity. After forcefully attempting to take Miseong's ants for himself, he was locked him up and dubbed the name Case. This would inspire him to get his vengeance on humanity. He'd easily break free, leading to him accidentally killing his and Miseong's mom, but he'd eventually be recaptured and hidden from the world—Miseong aware of his current whereabouts.
His main goal is to destroy the leader of the apex insects, Kijima. He too was part of the Ant-Castle Project, made to be the greatest defense against insectors, only to become humanity's greatest menace. Miseong's mother died trying to protect her son from him. Now, he seeks out Case to insanely boost the insector population. As for his brother, Miseong wants to rid him of his power instead of kill him.
In his pursuit to track him down, Miseong has gained insector allies like Silk and Red who align with his goals. Even if he isn't all that buddy-buddy with them and they hardly know a thing about his true nature, they respect him enough to fight alongside him and turn against their kind. Not to mention his grandma is the freaking director of Bug Reaper, so he has all the backup he needs! It doesn't seem like life will get any easier for Miseong, but only one thing is for certain: as long as there are insectors in the world, Miseong will always be starving for more.
Experience and Skill
Miseong doesn't remember much of his childhood, but a majority of it likely involved testing the limits of his powers at the research facility. Even after just discovering his powers, his control over ants was unnaturally great compared to the two adults that were part of the Ant-Castle Project. As a teenager, his control of them has only drastically improved. He once commanded them to crawl down Silk's throat and successfully disarmed a bomb inside her stomach.
Black Ant has become such a notorious figure in the world of insectors, that he's gained the attention of the apex insects, viewing him as a threat. And they wouldn't be wrong. He's fought insectors of all shapes and sizes. Some of his victims include a soldier dragonfly armed with guns, a cage-fighting behemoth larger than a shed, a bombardier beetle human trafficker, and even at least one apex insect at the time of writing this! It's easy for insectors to underestimate him due to how frequently they look down on others, but Miseong will never show them mercy unless they prove useful to him. Then they're emergency food like his teammates! He's brutal, methodical, and his killing aura is intense.
While he is strong on his own, his fighting prowess expands as he gains new forms throughout the series, able to adapt to his new abilities really quickly. While there aren't many scenes that demonstrate his intellect, he is known for receiving good grades at school.
Miseong doesn't remember much of his childhood, but a majority of it likely involved testing the limits of his powers at the research facility. Even after just discovering his powers, his control over ants was unnaturally great compared to the two adults that were part of the Ant-Castle Project. As a teenager, his control of them has only drastically improved. He once commanded them to crawl down Silk's throat and successfully disarmed a bomb inside her stomach.
Black Ant has become such a notorious figure in the world of insectors, that he's gained the attention of the apex insects, viewing him as a threat. And they wouldn't be wrong. He's fought insectors of all shapes and sizes. Some of his victims include a soldier dragonfly armed with guns, a cage-fighting behemoth larger than a shed, a bombardier beetle human trafficker, and even at least one apex insect at the time of writing this! It's easy for insectors to underestimate him due to how frequently they look down on others, but Miseong will never show them mercy unless they prove useful to him. Then they're emergency food like his teammates! He's brutal, methodical, and his killing aura is intense.
While he is strong on his own, his fighting prowess expands as he gains new forms throughout the series, able to adapt to his new abilities really quickly. While there aren't many scenes that demonstrate his intellect, he is known for receiving good grades at school.
Equipment
Bandaid
The ants inside him leave from a hole on the right side of his neck. Removing it allows him to send ants out to do his bidding as well as transform into an insector.
The ants inside him leave from a hole on the right side of his neck. Removing it allows him to send ants out to do his bidding as well as transform into an insector.
Larvae
Insectors are able to temporarily boost their powers by eating humans turned into giant grubs with larva-storing pills. An insector consuming the pill grants them powers without the risk, but Miseong figured out how to isolate the larvae from the body and eat them to upgrade his powers. Unlike Silk who relies on the pills, he has only consumed the grubs themselves to boost his powers. He can repeatedly eat more larvae to improve his powers even further. I'll get more into the specifics of what they affect in a later section.
Insectors are able to temporarily boost their powers by eating humans turned into giant grubs with larva-storing pills. An insector consuming the pill grants them powers without the risk, but Miseong figured out how to isolate the larvae from the body and eat them to upgrade his powers. Unlike Silk who relies on the pills, he has only consumed the grubs themselves to boost his powers. He can repeatedly eat more larvae to improve his powers even further. I'll get more into the specifics of what they affect in a later section.
Abilities
Black Ant Transformation
Such a menacing a foreboding insector! Transforming into an insector is more akin to forming body armor around himself made out of ants. Said armor boosts his natural physical capabilities. He's also able to form the armor on specific parts of his body like gauntlets. The armor itself is completely hollow, allowing him to move his body out of the way or jump out of it like he’s molting to dodge attacks.
Such a menacing a foreboding insector! Transforming into an insector is more akin to forming body armor around himself made out of ants. Said armor boosts his natural physical capabilities. He's also able to form the armor on specific parts of his body like gauntlets. The armor itself is completely hollow, allowing him to move his body out of the way or jump out of it like he’s molting to dodge attacks.
Ant Manipulation
Miseong's body is home to an entire colony of experimental ants known as "insector anti-ants," the black model specifically. Miseong can control them in swarms to devour a full-grown insector in an insant, or send a few out from his body to keep track of them regardless of distance. Compared to the red and blue ants tested in the Ant Castle Program, they have a vastly higher accumulation rate and quicker responsiveness to his commands. Since eating a special larva, the amount of ants he can control has grown too plentiful for his body, so he can store excess in a tiny ball.
Miseong's body is home to an entire colony of experimental ants known as "insector anti-ants," the black model specifically. Miseong can control them in swarms to devour a full-grown insector in an insant, or send a few out from his body to keep track of them regardless of distance. Compared to the red and blue ants tested in the Ant Castle Program, they have a vastly higher accumulation rate and quicker responsiveness to his commands. Since eating a special larva, the amount of ants he can control has grown too plentiful for his body, so he can store excess in a tiny ball.
Possible Technology Manipulation
During his fight with his teacher insector, all recording technology were tampered with. Dashcams, surveillance cameras, even a person's cell phone weren't able to record any footage of Black Ant. No explanations have been brought up yet.
During his fight with his teacher insector, all recording technology were tampered with. Dashcams, surveillance cameras, even a person's cell phone weren't able to record any footage of Black Ant. No explanations have been brought up yet.
Enhanced Senses
Miseong's ears are attuned to hear the noises undisguised insectors make from far distances. In the above image, he hears the buzzing of an insector a few minutes away from his school, and immediately tracks it down to the bridge it was hiding under.
Miseong's ears are attuned to hear the noises undisguised insectors make from far distances. In the above image, he hears the buzzing of an insector a few minutes away from his school, and immediately tracks it down to the bridge it was hiding under.
Red Ant
Almost positively connected to his mom, the Red Ant acts as a failsafe to keep Miseong from losing himself to his hunger. It ceases all pain he endures from starving, as well as reverting him back from any of his most treacherous transformations.
Almost positively connected to his mom, the Red Ant acts as a failsafe to keep Miseong from losing himself to his hunger. It ceases all pain he endures from starving, as well as reverting him back from any of his most treacherous transformations.
Transmutation Reversion
Some insectors use pills to transform unassuming humans into giant grubs to become more powerful after eating them. While seemingly permanent, Miseong figured out that he can use the ants to reverse the mutation and draw out the larva inside the pill that causes it.
Some insectors use pills to transform unassuming humans into giant grubs to become more powerful after eating them. While seemingly permanent, Miseong figured out that he can use the ants to reverse the mutation and draw out the larva inside the pill that causes it.
Weapon Construction
Miseong can form weapons out of ants, usually based on ones he has already seen like this tokusatsu blade
Miseong can form weapons out of ants, usually based on ones he has already seen like this tokusatsu blade
Possibly Limited Biology Manipulation
Miseong states that it may be possible for him to remove Case's biological abilities by making his ants consume his insect genes within him
Miseong states that it may be possible for him to remove Case's biological abilities by making his ants consume his insect genes within him
Transformations & Summons
Rally
Miseong can enhance the strength of parts of his ant armor by rallying ants into different body parts. This comes at the cost of exposing another body part in its place. As seen here, he is rallying the ants from his legs into his arms, making them bigger and able to deliver piercing damage, and also act as shields. Verily, this leaves his legs without any protection. He can rally the ants even when he's outside his armor.
Miseong can enhance the strength of parts of his ant armor by rallying ants into different body parts. This comes at the cost of exposing another body part in its place. As seen here, he is rallying the ants from his legs into his arms, making them bigger and able to deliver piercing damage, and also act as shields. Verily, this leaves his legs without any protection. He can rally the ants even when he's outside his armor.
Speed Mode
Look at them grasshopper legs! With them, he's able to run way faster than he normally can.
Look at them grasshopper legs! With them, he's able to run way faster than he normally can.
Starved Mode
When starved, Miseong acts more animalistic and his ants swarm out of him to form an incomplete set of armor covered in nerves. He has to actively fight for control in order to quell their wrath.
When starved, Miseong acts more animalistic and his ants swarm out of him to form an incomplete set of armor covered in nerves. He has to actively fight for control in order to quell their wrath.
Gunner Mode
In this form, his helmet becomes an arm cannon that shoots formic acid projectiles to melt through opponents.
In this form, his helmet becomes an arm cannon that shoots formic acid projectiles to melt through opponents.
Armor Doubles
After consuming the larva, Miseong's ant colony grew exponentially to the point where he can make an entire duplicate of his armor to control. Each armor double is able to use any of Miseong's superpowers. The more larvae he consumes, the more clones he can produce.
After consuming the larva, Miseong's ant colony grew exponentially to the point where he can make an entire duplicate of his armor to control. Each armor double is able to use any of Miseong's superpowers. The more larvae he consumes, the more clones he can produce.
Assemble
With ten larvae consumed, he calls forth all his disassembled ants to devour him. He’s surrounded as the pain sets him into a frenzy, becoming this monstrous oversized form. While it is powerful thanks to its size and the acid it can fire from its tail, what makes this form extremely terrifying is when you factor in how this body is completely made out of ants. The more he receives physical attacks, the more ants get on his opponent, leaving them to be chipped away over course of the fight. Reminder that these ants are strong enough to collectively chew through limbs. Once he reverts into his human form, he's in a frenzied gluttonous state afterwards that only the red ant can fix.
With ten larvae consumed, he calls forth all his disassembled ants to devour him. He’s surrounded as the pain sets him into a frenzy, becoming this monstrous oversized form. While it is powerful thanks to its size and the acid it can fire from its tail, what makes this form extremely terrifying is when you factor in how this body is completely made out of ants. The more he receives physical attacks, the more ants get on his opponent, leaving them to be chipped away over course of the fight. Reminder that these ants are strong enough to collectively chew through limbs. Once he reverts into his human form, he's in a frenzied gluttonous state afterwards that only the red ant can fix.
Blobbie
Miseong can control a small ant cluster he named Blobbie, often sending them to fight at a range. He can also make an even tinier and cuter version of Blobbie to send allies messages written in ants.
Miseong can control a small ant cluster he named Blobbie, often sending them to fight at a range. He can also make an even tinier and cuter version of Blobbie to send allies messages written in ants.
Flight Mode
Did you know that some ants can grow wings? The same applies to Black Ant. Yep, he can fly not.
Did you know that some ants can grow wings? The same applies to Black Ant. Yep, he can fly not.
Techniques
N/A
Feats
Overall
- Feasted on an insector teacher who tried to gobble up his students
- Easily beat up a young insector who gave Bug Reaper exterminators serious trouble with his blinding speeds
- Killed Jang-Yeol, the insector human trafficker who tricked Silk into partnering with him
- Used his ants to disarm a bomb inside Silk’s stomach
- Held his own against the water strider apex insect Zigna
- Beat the Lawless Frontier champion Red, the ladybug insector in a fight
- Devoured the powerhouse apex insect and owner of the Lawless Frontier Igerzit. He’s so jacked that he’s unstoppable even in his human form. Miseong got him to transform into his true form during their fight.
- Completely defended himself against Nan, a skilled exterminator with electricity powers
- Surpassed his mother’s proficiency in being able to form constructs out of ants
Feats
Strength
- Ate through the arm of a large insector, punched said insector through a wall, and later crushed and completely devoured his body in one fell swoop
- Cracked a wall by kicking Zigna into it
- Cracked part of a bridge with a single punch
- Melted through a giant stick insect insector's arm
- Exploded the giant Queen Zac with acid
- Created this big tunnel by wrecking a VIP elevator
- Fought Igerzit. The force of his punch alone made this crater in an underground arena
- Scales to Silk, who while larva-empowered killed the antlion apex insect Mercer that sunk an entire street, causing surrounding buildings to crumble
- Scales to Yang-Yeol, who caused this big explosion
- Scales to Red, who wrecked a nearby bridge
Speed
Durability
- Survived getting crushed under a large pillbug insector
- Endured a bridge exploding
- Blocked a small explosion
- His armor can block slashes that cut through stone
- Was thrown into stone, causing a crater
- Scales to Red, whose reflector blocked the wind of a punch that made a big dent in the wall behind him
- Ant clusters can shield people from building-level explosions, like what Red Ant did for young Miseong
Weaknesses
- Miseong has to constantly feed himself in order to keep the entire colony of ants inside his body from eating him. He’s always gobbling up tons of food, but eating a living being is the only thing that can truly satisfy the ants for a while. In his case, other insectors.
- When starved, he cannot control his insincts
Matchup Potential
Black Ant vs Suchan Jang (Insector vs Jungle Juice)
(thumbnail by Vibe Check)
(thumbnail by Vibe Check)
Vibe Check
If I had a nickel for every bug-centric action web-manhwa I've read focusing on insect-hybrid guys who try to stop members of their own race from trying to eradicate humanity, I'd have two nickels. It isn't much but it's weird it happened twice.
Beyond the general comparisons between both webtoons, there is a bit more to it. Although they protect the innocent against the villainous insect humans, both ultimately have self-centered motivations (Suchan wants to become human again and Miseong wants to stop the ants inside him from eating him alive). Also a neat contrast is that Suchan is making efforts to stop the cannibalization of other insect humans and has bested his urges to eat others, while Miseong cannot function without eating other insectors.
I'm a huge Jungle Juice fan. It's one of my favorite webtoons and I hope to make a blog on it sometime soon, and I've been searching for a good matchup for Suchan opponent for a whiiiiile. When I saw the promotional pic for Insector, I knew I had to read it and was not disappointed. However, it took a bit for me to fully get invested in the matchup due to the dynamic. As a dragonfly insect human, Suchan's fighting style is mostly aerial. That isn't to say Miseong hasn't fought flying oppoents before, but it didn't really feel ideal for either. And then Black Ant got wings and everything clicked into place (Miseong gained said powers while fighting a dragonfly insector so that's a big coincidence lol). I also really dig the vibe of a toku-inspired character like Black Ant going against a more shonen-inspired character like Suchan.
While Black Ant is the protagonist of Insector, he'd feel right at home as a villain in Jungle Juice. Sure, his goals align with saving humans, but any cannibal in Jungle Juice who hasn't tried to change their ways are definitely a threat in the verse. Then take in to consideration the sheer versatility of his powers compared to the typical insect humans and now he's a serious threat. The whole theme of how human Suchan and Miseong are compared to their bug halves would absolutely play a major role throughout the fight, and be best represented in its conclusion.
As it stands, I believe Suchan wins. Miseong has way more devastating and versatile abilities, and has more experience using his powers, but Suchan handily takes the stat trinity (at least until Black Ant reasonably scales to Kijima, then speed is equal) so I can't see Miseong getting past that.
NEXT TIME ON WCAB… whenever I feel like it
