Janet Van Dyne was the daughter of a renowned scientist, Dr. Vernon Van Dyne, who was working on a way to detect signals of intelligent life on other planets using gamma radiation. Completely obsessed, Van Dyne unknowingly neglected his daughter. Bored and lonely in her father's huge lab, Janet spent her time fantasizing about living a different life -- one with glamorous parties and friends that she didn't really have. She began to design clothing for the imaginary parties, drawings her father found lying around the lab. Without her knowledge, he sent the designs off to a friend who happened to have contacts in the Paris fashion scene. Impressed with her design sense, he invited Janet to enroll in a top fashion institute in Paris, France.

Today, Janet is one of the world's top fashion designers and owns a fashion design firm in Paris. She is most famous for designing Ms. Marvel's uniform and is the first person most respectable mutants turn to for their hero uniform or party wear.