The Beast (nom de guerre for Dr. Henry "Hank" Philip McCoy) is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a mutant and a member of the X-Men, and was formerly associated with the The Avengers, the Defenders and X-Factor. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in X-Men #1 (September, 1963). Fighting his feral urges and fears of loneliness and rejection, the blue-furred Beast has dedicated the totality of his physical gifts and brilliant mind to the creation of a better world for man and mutant.
| Beast | |
|---|---|
| File:NEWX148.jpg Art by Phil Jimenez. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men #1 |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Henry Philip McCoy |
| Team affiliations | X-Men Xavier's School science and math teacher, (X-Treme) X-Men, Avengers, Defenders, X-Factor |
| Notable aliases | Blue Beast |
| Abilities | Agility, Strength, Speed, Intelligence |
Character biography
Henry Philip McCoy was born in Dunfee, Illinois, United States, to Norton and Edna McCoy, who eventually rejected him for his uniqueness. His father was employed at a local nuclear power plant and was subjected to radioactive contamination in an accident at work that has been implied to be the cause of his son's mutation. Hank was born with a vast intellect and unusually large hands and feet for a human; in fact, his limbs were comparable to those of a gorilla and later stories reveal his nickname in school was "Magilla Gorilla."
Henry's mutation fully manifested itself in his adolescence and although he used his powers to excel in athletics for a time he was quickly forced to seek refuge from the inevitable ostracism and irrational hostility of normal humans. He was approached by Professor Charles Xavier who knew of his mutant powers. He was given the option of joining the "Westchester School for Gifted Youngsters," which was actually a front for the benevolent instruction of mutants like himself, and, as a prestigious, private institution, offered limitless academic opportunities and personalized study amid a small, select student body, appealing to Hank who excelled in the classroom. With his insatiable thirst for knowledge and need for sanctuary, he joined the school and the X-Men, where, under Xavier's tutelage, his days were rich with differential equations, Proust, and workouts in the Danger Room. He was given the code-name: The Beast.
Some years later (in Amazing Adventures (volume 2) #11), McCoy left the X-Men after completing a doctorate in biophysics at the Xavier Institute and became a research scientist at Brand Corporation, a genetics research facility. He isolated a chemical catalyst in hope of reducing the freakish aspects of his appearance, but it instead mutated him further, as he grew gray fur all over his body (which later turned blue), and acquired sharp ears, elongated canine teeth, claws, enhanced senses and an accelerated healing factor. Despite this, McCoy came to accept his fate and is one of the most upbeat and cheerful of superheroes, although at times acting the role of the "class clown." Further contrary to the suggestions of his primitive and feral appearance, he is an intellectual whose speech and mannerisms are quite eloquent and formal in nature and, along with Iron Man and Henry Pym, has become one of the most respected scientific minds in the Marvel Universe.
Not long after this, he was recruited to join the Avengers, where he remained a member for many years, becoming a close friend of Wonder Man.
He later joined the Defenders and was one of the final surviving members of the team at the time it disbanded. He and fellow surviving Defenders Archangel and Iceman were shortly after contacted by Cyclops and Jean Grey to form X-Factor. He served this team for years, while being a college lecturer, and later returned to the X-Men, where he remains.
As of recently, Beast has evolved into a more feline form due to his secondary mutation. This has made him very self-conscious; he has fears he may be devolving, and his long-time girlfriend Trish Tilby has broken up with him. When news of a 'cure' that would reverse mutations came out, he seriously considered taking it but decided against it (for now), after vigorous "urging" by fellow team member Wolverine, because it would send out a bad message to other mutants.
Hank McCoy also has an evil doppelganger known as the Dark Beast, who escaped from the Age of Apocalypse shortly before it ceased to exist (though it has recently been revealed that the AoA timeline somehow managed to survive). The Dark Beast has all of the powers and intelligence of Hank McCoy, but none of his ethics, and learned biochemistry and genetic engineering from his timeline's Mister Sinister.
Powers and abilities
Hank McCoy has superhuman strength and endurance, as well as superhuman coordination (he can perform many tasks with his feet as easily as a human would do with his hands) and speed. The physical manifestations of his mutation are his elongated limbs and oversized extremeties, which were evident since birth. Experimenting with his mutation, Hank inadvertently gave himself blue (originally grey) fur and a more simian posture. Following a critical injury, he mutated even further, changing from a primate to a more feline appearance. His level of superhuman strength and speed have been augmented moderately over the years by these various physiological changes, but it should be noted that they remain purely a product of his enhanced physiology, rather than of any higher power source.
Hank is doubly gifted, not only having the fantastic abilities granted by his mutation, but also possessing a brilliant intellect. He is a world-renowned biochemist, and the man who cured the Legacy virus. His extraordinary intelligence and expertise in genetics rival that of Professor X. Despite this, he has never received a Nobel Prize or been invited to the National Academy of Sciences, as his colleagues in the science community see him for his beastly appearance, rather than for the gentle scientific genius he is (his fears realized). A Renaissance Man, McCoy is well-versed in linguistics, literature, philosophy, history of ancient cultures, art history, and musicology, with a special affinity for science and technology and a penchant for quoting literary classics. Hank is a (keyboard) piano virtuoso that enjoys an occasional game of chess. He also has a strong sense of humour and a million-dollar vocabulary.
Appearances in other media
Beast was a regular in the original X-Men animated series, and, from the second season onwards, in X-Men Evolution. The characters were voiced by George Buza and Michael Kopsa, respectively.
In X-Men Evolution, Hank McCoy attended high school in Bayville, New York, United States, and was even approached by Professor Xavier when he was a teenager. At the time, though, Hank turned down Xavier's offer of help and went on to become a chemistry and gym teacher. During the years, Hank had managed to control his mutation through a serum he developed. The serum started to fail however and he eventually lost control and mutated into the "Beast." As the "Beast" he caused massive destruction and is now a wanted fugitive. After his first transformation he was able to regain control, but he has now become permanently trapped in the physical form of the "Beast." Unable to return to his life as Hank McCoy he has chosen to join Xavier's school and now helps to teach the New Mutants.
In the movie X2: X-Men United, Dr. Hank McCoy was seen in his normal human appearance on a television talk show that was playing in a bar. He was played by Steve Bacic.
In the upcoming movie X-Men 3, Kelsey Grammer has been signed to play the role of Beast [1], when it was also confirmed that the character would be "the 355-pound, blue-furred version."
Beast has also appeared in the X-Men Legends video game and the X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 video game.