Beast (character)

The Beast (Hank McCoy) is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a founding member of the team of mutant superheroes known as the X-Men. When he was first introduced, Beast was a mutant who possessed superhuman strength and agility, with oversized hands and feet, although he otherwise appeared to be a normal human. Throughout his history, Beast undergoes progressive transformations of his physiognomy, permanently gaining increasingly bestial physical characteristics. These included blue skin and feline features in his first transformation and simian features in his last. His physical level increased to even greater levels, as did his senses.

Despite Hank McCoy's wild appearance, he is depicted as a brilliant and well-educated man in the arts and sciences, known for his witty sense of humor and characteristically uses biting witticisms with long words and intellectual references to distract his enemies. He is a world authority on Biochemistry and Genetics, the X-Men's doctor, and the Mathematics and Science instructor at the Xavier Institute (the headquarters of the X-Men and a school for young mutants). He is also a mutant political activist. Fighting against his bestial senses and his fear of social rejection, Beast dedicates his physical and mental gifts to create a better world for man and mutant. He also has a witty sense of humor.

As one of the original X-Men, Beast has appeared regularly in X-Men-related comics over the years. He has also been a member of other teams, such as the Avengers and the Defenders.

The character has also appeared in media adaptations, including animated television series and feature films. In X-Men 2 (2003), Steve Bacic portrayed him in a brief cameo in his human appearance, while in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), he was played by Kelsey Grammer. Nicholas Hoult played the younger version of the character in the prequel X-Men: First Class (2011) and reprized his role as Grammer in the sequel X-Men: Days of Future past (2014). Hoult reprized his role in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), a cameo in Deadpool 2 (2018) and Dark Phoenix (2019).).

Post history

Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in X-Men #1 (September 1963). Stan Lee writes in the foreword to X-Men: The Ultimate Guide that he made Beast the most articulate, eloquent and cultured of the X-Men to contrast with his brutal exterior. Furthermore, the book opines that Werner Roth – Roy Thomas. The team gained admiration for their "engaging and sensitive characterizations of the original X-Men." Roth, under the alias Jay Gavin, had taken over Kirby completely in issue #18, and Thomas was a new talent. Beast received a new, individualized and colorful costume, along with the rest of the X-Men in issue #39 to attract new readers. During Jim Steranko's tenure, which added 'exciting art', Roth returned, working with Neal Adams, who blended Kirby's style with 'realism, idealized beauty and epic grandeur.'

In Amazing Adventures #11 (March 1972), written by Gerry Conway, Beast underwent a radical change and mutated into his now-familiar furry, blue (originally gray) appearance. The concept originated with Roy Thomas, an effort to make the character more flashy, and Beast also became more werewolf-like to capitalize on the success of Werewolf by Night. Steve Englehart, who wrote the rest of the Beast's short-lived performance in Amazing Adventures, emphasized the character's ingenuity rather than the tragedy of his transformation into a more monstrous form, reasoning that the character's intelligence and sense of humor of the Beast would allow him to put his misfortune in perspective. Over the next decade, the Beast would appear on the roster of several teams in titles ranging from The Avengers to The Defenders and X-Factor. It wasn't until 1991, in X-Factor #70/ X-Men #1, that the Beast finally returned to the X-Men.

Fictional biography

Childhood and youth

Henry Phillip "Hank" McCoy was born in Dundee, Illinois, in the United States, the son of Norton and Edna McCoy. His father was employed at a local nuclear power plant before Henry's birth, and was once exposed to intense nuclear radiation, which appears to have caused his son's mutation. Henry was born with a great intellect, arms and legs unusually long for a human; In fact, the proportions of his body are comparable to those of a gorilla (later stories revealed that his nickname at school was & # 34; Maguila Gorilla & # 34; ). Henry's mutation manifested itself more fully during his adolescence, giving him great strength and agility, and although his powers allowed him to briefly excel in athletics during his remaining time at school, he soon attracted the animosity of his fellow students and other beings. non-mutant humans.

X-Men

Henry was contacted by Professor Charles Xavier, who invited him to study at his School for Gifted Youngsters. Henry recognizes the opportunities that this institution can offer him and accepts the invitation. He finds school both a source of scientific knowledge and a place of refuge. Henry joins the X-Men, the superhero team formed by Xavier, taking the code name Beast.

Beast makes his official debut along with the rest of the X-Men, fighting the mutant Magneto at the Cape Canaveral base.

Some time later, Beast fell into an episode of stress due to having to maintain his secret identity with the X-Men, so he briefly left the team to become a professional wrestler. While a fighter, Beast met Unus the Untouchable and helped him build a ray gun to make Unus completely invincible. He eventually rejoined the X-Men.

Solo career, Avengers and Defenders

Beast leaves the X-Men shortly after turning twenty, following a battle against the entity known as Krakoa, the Living Island. He takes a job as a scientist at the Brand Corporation, a genetic research center.. His assistant, Linda Donaldson, soon becomes his girlfriend. Beast isolates a hormonal extract, allowing anyone to become a mutant for a short period of time, and uses the mutagenic serum on himself to disguise his appearance while foiling a theft of his research. However, he waits too long to reverse the process, leaving it permanently transformed. His body became covered in gray fur (which later turned blue), his ears became pointed, he developed sharp fangs and claws, he gained the ability to run up walls and ceilings, enhanced senses, an accelerated healing factor, and a side wild that he strives to control. In his confused state, Beast briefly joins the Brotherhood of Mutants, when Mastermind erases his memory. Beast is helped by Patsy Walker and manages to free himself from the Brotherhood. Returning to Brand Corporation, Beast discovered that her girlfriend, Linda Donaldson, was an agent of the Secret Empire and breaks off her relationship with her.

Beast is recruited to join the Avengers as a provisional member. He is later granted full membership of the team. During his time on the team, Beast receives personal training from Captain America and befriends Wonder Man. Eventually leaves the team.

Later, Beast joins The Defenders, He is then chosen to lead a new incarnation of the team. The team eventually disbands as a result of the battle against Lunar Dragon and the Moon Dragon. He and his original X-Men companions, Angel and Iceman, are contacted shortly after by Cyclops and Jean Gray to form a new team of mutants in government service.

X-Factor

Beast joins the government team X-Factor. On the team's second mission, Beast is captured by Tower. Beast is given to Dr. Carl Maddicks and used in an attempt to develop a cure to reverse the mutation of Maddicks' son, Artie. Maddicks develops a serum based on Beast's original serum and tests it on him. As a result of this, Beast suffers cardiac arrest. X-Factor arrives on the scene and rescues Beast, but not before he has been injected with the serum. When the bandages on his face are removed, it is revealed that he has lost his blue skin.

Finally, X-Factor confronts the villain Apocalypse when he turns Angel into his Archangel of Death, the most powerful of his four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. During the battle, Beast is touched by the Pestilence Rider, whose touch often causes great pain and a viral infection. The infection interacts with Maddicks' recent treatment, and instead of killing him, Beast is affected in such a way that every time he uses his superhuman strength, his intelligence decreases. Although they win the battle, the victory comes at the cost of Beast's diminished intelligence and Angel's loss of humanity, both of which would not return for some time. Beast's condition worsened by weeks, and he gave an interview to Trish Tilby, a reporter, not realizing that he could use the information for television. Out of respect for Beast's situation, Trish does not mention his name when she reports on the latest X-Factor battles; she only mentions that one of them lost his intellect while heroically defending New York. Beast still felt harmed by the information used, but she is able to convince him that he had good intentions.

When Beast's intellect has been reduced to that of a child, he faces a mutant called Infectia. Infectia has the ability to manipulate molecular structures through touch, creating "monsters" mutated. When she kisses Beast, he becomes feverish and begins alternating between her normal and furry forms. Finally, he stabilizes his furry appearance, maintains his intelligence, and has more strength than ever.

Back with the X-Men

The original X-Men quit X-Factor and return to the X-Men. Beast was enlisted in the blue team, led by Cyclops. One of Beast's greatest challenges comes with the appearance of the villain Stryfe's deadly Legacy Virus, an alien germ that began killing mutants. Bestia and Dr. Moira MacTaggert dedicated themselves body and soul to eradicating the virus. Beast is even forced to exchange information with the villain Mr. Sinister, equally determined to end the virus. Although he decides to retire a little from the activity to dedicate himself to fighting the virus, he agreed to replace Cyclops as team leader. blue while he was on his honeymoon.

Sometime later, Beast will be kidnapped and supplanted within the X-Men by his evil alter-ego originating from the dimension known as the Age of Apocalypse, the Dark Beast. Beast is kept prisoner of the villain for a few weeks. Eventually the imposter is discovered during Onslaught's attack, and Beast is rescued by the new X-Factor.

Finally, Moira MacTaggert manages to obtain the formula to cure the Legacy Virus. Unfortunately, Moira is attacked and mortally wounded by the metamorph mutant Mystique. Fortunately, before she dies, Dr. MacTaggert manages to psychically transfer the formula to Beast, and he finally develops the cure. Unfortunately, to spread the cure, her partner, the x-man Colossus, had to sacrifice his life.

New X-Men and Astonishing X-Men

Shortly after, Storm forms a special team of X-Men to find the diaries of the mutant seer Destiny. Beast is enlisted in the team. Unfortunately, on their first mission in Valencia, Spain, the team is attacked by the assassin Vargas, who kills Psylocke and leaves Beast severely injured. Beast would have died, had it not been for his fellow X-Man Sage, who used her powers to accelerate a secondary mutation in Beast, a mutation that gave him a new feline appearance.

Beast decides to return to the X Mansion to adapt to his new appearance and lifestyle. Additionally, his physical alteration caused his long-time girlfriend, Trish Tilby, to break up with him after being accused of bestiality in an article.

Beast was the only resident of the Manor to discover that Professor X had been supplanted by Cassandra Nova. He barely survived an attack from the young student. Beak, who was manipulated by Cassandra Nova. Eventually Beast recovered and helped the X-Men defeat the villain.

Some time later, when news of a "cure" that would reverse the mutations came to light, Beast seriously thought about taking it, but decided to do the opposite after a vigorous "shake" from her partner Wolverine, because if she did she would be giving the wrong message to other mutants. After learning that the cure was developed by her fellow geneticist Kavita Rao, through experimentation on mutant corpses as well as her fellow X-Man Colossus, Beast helped put an end to Rao's operation..

When the Hellfire Club attacked the X-Men, Cassandra Nova ripped Beast of his human consciousness, leaving him alone with his animal instincts, resulting in Beast chasing Wolverine around the Mansion. The situation was resolved with Nova's defeat and Beast returned to normal.

X-Club and S.W.O.R.D.

The X-Men and several other mutants attend the funeral of a young mutant named Matt Landrú, who has died in a traffic accident. Beast plans to find a way to reverse the effects of 'M-Day', originating when the mutant species was decimated by Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch. Despite the "help" From his other self (the Dark Beast), and from several other renowned scientists such as Kavita Rao, Arnim Zola, the High Evolutionary, Spiral and the Scarlet Witch herself, Beast does not get any response.

Finally, Beast, along with the other X-Men, moves to San Francisco. During this time, he becomes romantically involved with Agent Abigail Brand of the spy agency S.W.O.R.D., a subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. that controls and monitors extraterrestrial life forms on Earth. Bestia, along with Madison Jeffries and Kavita Rao, form the scientific team called X-Club, whose objective is to continue investigating the loss of mutant powers. However, when Cyclops accepts Magneto as a member of the X-Men, Beast shows his disagreement and leaves the group.

Beast joined his girlfriend, Agent Abigail Brand, as a member of S.W.O.R.D. However, shortly after joining this group, Brand's commander, Henry Peter Gyrich (hired by Norman Osborn) begins rounding up the aliens residing on Earth, in a xenophobic attempt to prevent another Secret Invasion. As a result, Beast, Brand, and the alien dragon Lockheed turn against Gyrich and S.W.O.R.D.

Beast reunites with the X-Men at Nightcrawler's funeral, where he confronts Cyclops. Despite her problems with Cyclops, Beast decides to settle in Utopia to help the X-Men.

Later, Beast joins Captain America's Secret Avengers team, and travels with the team to Mars to assist in the rescue of Shang Chi.

After the X-Men split into two teams, Beast decides to be part of Wolverine's group and helps him open the Jean Gray School for Gifted Youngsters in New York.

During the battle between the X-Men and the Avengers, Beast teams up with the Avengers to investigate and stop the return of the Phoenix Force to Earth. Later, however, she changes her attitude, believing that the actions of the Phoenix Five (the five X-Men that the Phoenix has possessed) are benevolent. Later, she recants her mistake and joins in the fight against the Dark Phoenix.

New mutation, time travel and Inhumans

After the battle against the Phoenix, Beast apparently begins to die due to the side effects of his artificially accelerated second mutation. Faced with the negative and reactionary actions that Cyclops and his team of rebel X-Men are taking, Beast travels back in time to the early days of the Xavier Institute to bring the original five X-Men to the present, in the hopes that Cyclops' past may convince his present self to withdraw from the fight. Beast falls into a coma shortly after bringing the team to the present. Jean Grey's telepathy, artificially accelerated by the trauma of her trip to the future, manages to connect the minds of the two Beasts, the one from the past and the one from the present. This allows the young Beast to detect an error in the calculations of 'his future of her and me of her'. and stabilize his physiology by returning him back to his original ape-like state.

Later, Beast reunites with Cyclops and they both discover the existence on Earth of the Terrigen Mists of the Inhumans, which are toxic to mutants. Hoping to bridge relations between Inhumans and mutants in light of this new conflict, Beast works with the Inhumans to find a way to make the Terrigen Mists safe for mutants. He becomes a trusted ally of the Inhumans and joins their council. When Beast discovers that he cannot find a cure for the Mists' toxicity, he visits the rest of the mutants and advises them that the best course of action is for all mutants to leave Earth, but his companions object and imprison him before he can. that he can warn the Inhumans that war is coming. Eventually, the threat of the Mists will be neutralized by Queen Medusa, and Beast is reunited with his friends.

Disunited

Beast settles in with the X-Men at their base in Central Park. He begins to investigate a mysterious vaccine that appears in public life and that promises to prevent the development of the X-Factor gene that grants powers to mutants. However, Anole ends up disrupting Beast's investigations by stealing the vaccine. Beast later joins forces with the X-Men to combat a deranged Nate Gray and is part of the X-Men who are disappeared by Grey.

Beast and the rest of the X-Men are sent by Nate Gray to a parallel world from which they eventually return. Eventually, Beast, along with other X-Men, becomes an inhabitant of Krakoa, which has been declared by ProfessorX as the new home of the mutants. Beast accompanies Xavier and Emma Frost to the UN when Krakoa is recognized as a sovereign nation.

The Beast displaced in time

The young Beast who was transported from the past provides crucial help in saving the original Beast, who was dying from his new mutation. This young Beast has traveled to the Ultimate Marvel universe and has allied himself with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

This youthful version of Beast develops feelings for Jean Grey. He was also trained by Doctor Strange in the use of magic.

Finally, the time-displaced Beast and the rest of his companions are returned to their original timeline, with no memory of what they experienced in the present.

Powers and abilities

It is possible that the Beast mutation is a genetic atavism. In any case, he also possesses neotenic traits (neoteny), which explains his large brain despite his animal psyche.

Anthropoid physique

Originally, Hank McCoy maintained the basic features of a normal human but in conjunction with the physiology of an ape, long limbs and large limbs. This mutation gave him superhuman strength, speed, agility and coordination. He could perform many tasks with his feet as easily as with his hands, drawing further similes with his monkey-like appearance. Due to his gifts and his training in the Hall of Danger, Beast had the ability to perform at any level of Olympic athletics, contorting his body and performing aerial tricks with outstanding grace. Beast used his abilities to scale bridges and walls, linking his fingers and toes into small crevices, much like a mountain climber does.

His physiology was so strong that it allowed him to survive a three-meter fall by landing on his feet, without breaking any bones or suffering sprains. Beast's legs were powerful enough to allow him to jump about 15 feet high by leaping from the ground, and about 25 feet by leaping sideways. He could also run on all fours at approximately 40 miles per hour in short races. The experiments he did on himself caused his mutated fur to first be gray as it began to grow and then blue. The fur covered his body completely. He gained sharp nails, fang-like teeth, and his overall appearance became more beastly.

Feline physique

After being critically injured, Hank's body suffered a secondary mutation. The result was a more feline appearance. His strength, agility, speed increased with that change.

Genius Intellect

Hank is doubly gifted, not only having the fantastic abilities resulting from his mutation, but also having a brilliant intellect.

He is a world renowned biochemist, and is also known as the man who cured the Legacy virus. His extraordinary intelligence and skill in genetics rival that of Professor propensity for citing literary classics.

Alternative versions

Age of Apocalypse

In this reality, Beast became a disciple of Mr. Sinister, and is part of the "X-Factor" of prelates at the service of Apocalypse. This version of Beast managed to escape to the "regular" from Marvel, where he became the supervillain Dark Beast.

Dynasty of M

Beast, along with Forge and Hank Pym, is a scientist under Tony Stark.

Ultimate Beast

Beast is one of the founders of the X-Men, and has a relationship with Storm.

Amalgam Comics

Beast merges with DC Comics' Changeling to form X-Patrol's Beastling.

In other media

Television

• Beast makes her first animated appearance in The Marvel Super Heroes, with the original grouping of the X-Men (Angel, Cyclope, Iceman and Jean Grey).
• Beast looked like a monkey and appears, along with the other original X-Men, in the episode "The Origin of Iceman" of the animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
• Beast is a regular character and member of the X-Men in the animated series X-Men (George Buza). It appears in its form of blue ape throughout the series.
• Beast appears in the series Spider-Man (crossover with X-Men) in the episode of two parts "The Mutant Agenda" / "Mutant's Revenge".
• Beast appears in the second season X-Men: Evolution with the voice of Michael Kopsa. He begins as a professor of chemistry and gymnastics of high school attended by young X-Men, suppressing his mutation through a serum he developed. Eventually, the serum begins to fail, and mutates in the blue hairy "Bestia", then joins the X-Men.
• Beast appears in the series Wolverine and the X-Men (Fred Tatasciore). He is the first man X recruited by Wolverine in the series, being the only one left behind after the destruction of Mansion X and the disappearances of Professor X and Jean Grey.
• Beast appears in the Marvel Anime series: X-Men, with the voice of Hideyuki Tanaka in the Japanese version and Fred Tatasciore in the English double. In this version Beast is shown with a lion look.
• Beast also looks like lion in the anime series Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers.

Cinema

• Beast was included in the first drafts of the film X-Men of 2000, but had to be removed for the film to be approved by the studio, due to budgetary concerns. Elements of his person, including his medical experience and political activism, were transferred to the character of Jean Grey.

• Steve Bacic appears for a few seconds as Dr. Hank McCoy in his human form in the movie X-Men 2 of 2003, on a TV screen of a bar.

• In the movie X-Men: The Last Stand of 2006, Kelsey Grammer interprets Dr. Hank McCoy already turned into a Beast. Hank McCoy is a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States, serving as the Secretary of Mutant Affairs. After a “cure” for human mutation is developed and converted into a weapon, it renounces its position in the government and helps the X-Men to fight the Magneto forces on Alcatraz Island. In the last battle, Beast injects Magneto the cure, causing him to lose his powers for a while. After the incident, he is appointed Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations.

• In the first preschool film of the group entitled X-Men: first generation and premiered in 2011, appears a young version of Bestia interpreted by Nicholas Hoult. Originally actor Benjamin Walker was chosen for the role, but left the film to starve Bloody Bloody Andrew JacksonBroadway musical. The most remarkable facet of McCoy in the franchise since this moment is his lasting love for Mystique. In the film, it originally only possesses prensile feet, improved speed, agility and reflexes. Try to heal from your mutation with a serum derived from Mystique's DNA, but this causes it to become the Beast with its well-known blue fur animal shape and a feline face.

• In the movie X-Men: days of the past future premiered in 2014, Nicholas Hoult returns to interpret Bestia's younger version, while Kelsey Grammer returns to last interpret Bestia's older version in a cameo at the end of the film. The actor Hoult revealed to Joblo that Hank created a serum that controls his mutation, making it look human, but it becomes angry. When the young version of Beast of the past asks Wolverine if he is still alive in the future, he says no. A viral marketing website for the film shows that Bestia was killed in 2015 by an angry crowd of human demonstrators in front of her home in New York state. The actions of Wolverine in the past of 1973 – during which he interacted with the younger version of Bestia and warned him and Xavier about the future – alter the future and Bestia revives. At the end Wolverine wakes up in the future changed and sees the older version of Bestia walking quietly by Mansion X.

• Nicholas Hoult again interprets Bestia's youth version in X-Men: Apocalypse 2016. Here he still uses his serum to remain human, Hank has also built a new jet in the mansion basement, respecting Xavier's dream of making the mansion a complete university for mutants and humans but preparing for war. He becomes a beast again after the mansion is destroyed in the first clash against the Apocalypse in which Havok caused an explosion, then Beast is captured by William Stryker and loses his serum, then rescued and piloted a stolen jet from Stryker's own fleet to go to Cairo and fight against Revelation. Upon arrival, he faces Psylocke who is one of the Four Horses with telekinetic powers increased by Revelation. At the end of the film, Bestia is presented as one of the masters of the mansion along with the leader Mystique and train the X-Men team revived.

• Hoult reinterprets the youth version of Beast of the past in a brief cameo in Deadpool 2 2018. While Deadpool is in Mansion X and complains of how empty it looks, Beast and the other young X-Men are briefly shown behind a wooden sliding door, which is closed by Beast before Deadpool notices.

• Hoult played his role in Beast for the last time Dark Phoenix 2019. After the powers of her teammate Jean Grey increase to uncontrollable levels, which leads her to accidentally kill Mystique, McCoy, outraged, resorts to Magneto in search of help to kill Grey. After the D'Bari attack the Earth by their powers, McCoy and Magneto join forces with the X-Men to repel aliens. After this, Xavier leaves McCoy in charge of the Xavier School for Young Superdotados while he is absent.

Video games

• X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse
• X-Men 2: Clone Wars
• X-Men: Mutant Academy
• X-Men: Next Dimension
• Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
• X-Men Legends
• X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
• X-Men: The Official Game
• Marvel Super Hero Squad Online
• Marvel Avengers Alliance