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"I think the world needs the X-Men."
―Beast to Mystique[src]

Beast (born Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy) is a mutant that has the ability to transform into a blue skinned creature with fangs and claws. He was one of Charles Xavier's students and was also a teacher in the Xavier Institute.

Biography

X-Men: First Class

Beast 11

The first photo of Hank McCoy/Beast.

"I promised myself I'd find a cure ever since I was a little boy. You have no idea what I'd give to feel normal."
―Hank McCoy[src]

Henry "Hank" McCoy was a child prodigy, having graduated Harvard at age 15. He was eventually hired to work as a researcher for the CIA, wherein he investigated supersonic flight and built the Cerebro prototype. One day in 1962, he was approached by the CIA, Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, Moira MacTaggert, and Raven Darkholme during the early formation of the X-Men as a black-ops group.

When Charles accidentally exposed him as a mutant, the urbane Hank displayed his physical mutation of prehensile feet and agility; greatly impressing Raven. He became instantly smitten with her, and a budding attraction was evident between them. Hank revealed that he had been working on a serum to cure his physical mutation but leave his abilities intact. He believed that Raven's ability to alter her appearance would hold the key to perfecting it. He requested a sample of her blood, during which they shared each others' wish to appear "normal", as well as a kiss.

Using Hank's creation, Cerebro Charles and Erik begin searching for other mutants including Havok, Angel Salvadore, Darwin and Banshee. The young mutants are taken to top secret CIA base, where they form Division X and throw a party, although Alex and Hank form an initial dislike for each other. Soon the facility is attacked by Azazel, Riptide and Shaw, with all the guards being killed. Shaw successfully recruits Angel, with Darwin feigning joining him. Havok attempts to attack Shaw, with everyone taking cover, but he absorbs Havok's attack and kills Darwin by forcing him to ingest a massive amount of energy.

The remaining group are forced to retreat to Xavier's Mansion. Professor X begins training the mutants, including Hank who unlocks his true potential. Hank also invents special suits for Alex and Banshee, enhancing their control of their powers. While Lehnsherr and Xavier train the mutants, Raven is conflicted about hiding her natural form. Erik's constant validation of her true beauty and self overturned her opinion, and when Hank finished the serum she refused to take it. He returned to his lab and injected himself and his animal-like feet seemed to revert to normal. However, they quickly changed back and McCoy underwent a radical transformation which resulted in him manifesting blue fur all over his body and taking on a more bestial appearance with the addition of fang-like teeth, pointed ears, and claws. The serum had the opposite effect he'd intended, it enhanced his mutation instead of dampening it. After trashing his lab, he left a note and a box containing the team's suits and met them at the hangar holding the Blackbird of his design.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, before taking off, Hank arrived and explained that the serum had the opposite effect he'd intended: it enhanced his mutation instead of dampening it. Though initially ashamed, Raven assured Hank that it was okay, as he is now his true self, and he shouldn't be ashamed. Hank nods in agreement, just before Erik says Hank never looked better. Hank, however, takes this as an insult and grabs Erik by the throat in rage, snarling at him not to mock him, until Charles orders Hank to let Erik go, and he complies; Erik reassures Hank that he wasn't mocking him. Havok then came up with a new name for Hank: Beast. The X-Men then take off in the Blackbird Beast designed, with him piloting and MacTaggart as his co-pilot.

The X-Men arrive at the battle sight, and after a crash-landing, due to Riptide, the team takes battle positions with Havok defeating Riptide, Magneto searches for Shaw, and Beast battling Azazel. During the fight against the enemy mutants, after Beast and Azazel engage in a brutal fight, and, as Azazel prepares to kill Beast with his prehensile tail, Mystique, in the disguise of Shaw orders Azazel to stand down. With Azazel distracted, Beast finally knocks him out with the help of Mystique.

Instrumental in stopping the Cuban Missile Crisis and foiling the Hellfire Club's bid for world domination, the team eventually split when Lehnsherr asserted that humans would never accept mutants and opted to assert rule over them instead of waiting to be interred and executed. When the remaining mutants of the Hellfire Club left to form the Brotherhood of Mutants with Lehnsherr, Raven told a saddened Hank to remember to be proud that he was a mutant before being teleported away.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

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In 1965, when Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters opened, it is likely that McCoy took up a teaching position there, partly due to the fact he stated he and the Professor help create the school as well as the labs when the school was opening up. During that year, however, America assumed a direct military role in the Vietnam War. As the war escalated throughout the mid-late 1960s, many students and staff at the school were drafted into the military, and ultimately, the school was unable to function. It is uncertain if McCoy was drafted or not. By the early 1970s, Xavier's school was defunct, and Xavier reverted his mansion to a private residence once again. His estate had also fallen into considerable neglect and disrepair.

By the early 1970s, McCoy resided at the mansion, helping a reclusive Xavier tend to the affairs of his estate. Also during this time, McCoy developed a serum that not only regulated his own mutation but enabled Xavier to walk again.

Original Timeline

X-Men: The Last Stand

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"I hear you're quite an animal."
"Look who's talking."
―Beast and Wolverine[src]

Sometime prior to the development of the Mutant Cure, Hank had stopped taking the serum repressing his mutation and was working in a government position as the Secretary of Mutant Affairs.

In his office of the Department of Mutant Affairs, Secretary Hank McCoy, a blue-furred mutant, is hanging upside-down from the ceiling, reading a book. A woman walks into his office and tells him the meeting has begun, and he jumps to the floor and thanks her.

In the meeting room, Hank enters and takes a seat by the president. The president hands him some papers and tells him that Homeland Security was tracking down Magneto. Secretary Bolivar Trask says that they had hits on several cities – they lost him, but got a consolation prize – Mystique. They picked her up breaking into the FDA of all places. He turns on a screen showing two interrogators questioning Mystique. The president tells Hank she was imitating Secretary Trask, and Hank says she can do that. Not anymore, says Trask – they got her. McCoy doubts they can hold her, but Trask says they'll keep her mobile.

The president turns off the screen, and Hank states that capturing Mystique will only provoke Magneto, although having her does give them some diplomatic leverage. The president responds that, on principle, he can't negotiate with these people. McCoy turns to him and says he thought that's why he appointed him. The president says that's true – but that's not why he called him. He hands Hank some more papers – what Mystique stole from the FDA. Hank looks at the paper before him: a document from Worthington Labs about a young bald mutant boy nicknamed Leech, who can suppress mutant powers. Shocked, Hank asks if it's viable, and the president says they believe it is. McCoy says this will have a huge impact on the mutant community, and the president explains that's exactly why they need some of Hank's diplomacy now.

At the X-Mansion, Storm and Professor X walk into another room to find Hank McCoy examining a painting on the wall. Ororo is thrilled to see her old friend and they hug and compliment each other on what they did with their hairs. Hank thanks Xavier for seeing him on such short notice, and the professor tells him he's always welcomed there – he's a part of this place. McCoy says he has news, and Xavier asks if it's Erik. Beast says no, although they have been making some progress on that front – Mystique was recently apprehended. Just then, Logan walks in and asks, "who's the fur ball?" Hank introduces himself as Secretary of Mutant Affairs, and Logan sarcastically compliments him on his suit. Xavier introduces Logan to Hank, but Beast has already heard of Wolverine.

Storm interrupts and says Magneto will definitely come to get Mystique, but Beast says Magneto's not the problem – at least not the most pressing one. He tells the X-Men that a major pharmaceutical company has developed a mutant antibody – a way to suppress the mutant X-gene, permanently. They're calling it a "cure." For a moment, everybody is quiet, taking in the news, until Storm breaks the silence, saying that's ridiculous – they can't "cure" being a mutant – since when have they become a disease? Xavier stops her, sensing that they're announcing it now.

X-Mansion Room (The Last Stand)

In the other room, Storm asks who would want this cure? What kind of coward will take it just to fit in? Beast asks if it's cowardice to save oneself from persecution, reminding her that not all of them can fit in so easily. Wolverine suggests that the government helped cook this up, but Beast assures him that the government had nothing to do with it. Logan argues that he heard that before, and Hank angrily tells him he's been fighting for mutant rights since before Logan had claws.

In Worthington Labs at Alcatraz, a helicopter lands in the yard. Out of it steps Hank McCoy. He is greeted by Dr. Kavita Rao. McCoy comments that it's not an easy place to get to, and Dr. Rao explains it's the safest location they could find – that's why they keep the source of the cure there. Hank asks her if they understand the government's concerns about the fact that this "source" is a mutant, but she assures him they're working according to his department's policy. He asks how long they intend to keep the boy there, and she answers it'll be until they can fully map the boy's DNA – they can replicate it, but they can't generate it. Hank asks about the range of the boy's powers, and Dr. Rao invites him to see for himself.

They enter the room of the boy named Jimmy, AKA Leech. Hank greets Jimmy and steps closer to him. He introduces himself and reaches out his hand to shake Leech's but, to his amazed eyes, once his hand get close to the boy, it loses its furry animal appearance and looks completely human. Leech apologizes, but Beast says that it's okay, staring at his human-looking hand. Beast tells Jimmy he has an amazing gift and thanks him. As he turns back to Dr. Rao, his hand regains its animal appearance. Dr. Rao says Leech is extraordinary, and McCoy agrees.

Leech reverting Beast's mutation

A short while later in the White House, the president asks Hank McCoy if he thinks resigning is going to make a difference, telling him that's no way to influence policy. Beast tells the president that policy is being made without him – the decision to turn the cure into a weapon was made without him. What happened on that convoy was inexcusable, Hank says. The president asks Hank to understand that was an isolated incident – those mutants were a real threat.

McCoy asks the president if he's even begun to think what a slippery slope he's on, and the president sadly admits he has, but he worries about how democracy survives when one man can move cities with his mind. Beast admits he worries about it too. The president says they both know it's only going to get worse, and Beast says that's all the more reason why he needs to be where he belongs. Beast then leaves the president's office, having resigned from the cabinet.

Later at the X-Mansion, outside on the front yard, Ororo Munroe is eulogizing Charles Xavier in a memorial service in front of all his students: "We live in an age of darkness," she says, "a world full of fear, hate and intolerance. But in every age, there are those who fight against it. Charles Xavier was born into a world divided, a world he tried to heal – a mission he never saw accomplished. It seems the destiny of great men to see their goals unfulfilled."

In the crowd sit Rogue, Iceman, Shadowcat, Colossus, Beast, and many other students and friends of Xavier's. Logan isn't sitting with them, as he is standing and listening from afar, a loner as always. Rogue looks at him, as Ororo continues her eulogy: "Charles was more than a leader, more than a teacher, he was a friend. When we were afraid he gave us strength, and when we were alone he gave us a family. He may be gone, but his teachings live on through us, his students." Ororo finishes: "Wherever we may go, we must carry on his vision, and that's a vision of a world united." Logan walks away. All other people present stand up, and one walks to his memorial and puts a flower on it.

The next day, at the school, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Iceman and Shadowcat gather to decide about the school's future. Hank thinks Professor Xavier started this school and perhaps it's best that it ends with him. He tells Bobby they'll have to tell all the students they'll have to go home, but Bobby says most of them have no home to go to. He thinks they should fight for this school. Before anyone can respond, a young man walks in. It's Warren Worthington III, the mutant Angel. He apologizes for coming at a bad time, but he was told this is a safe place for mutants. Beast sadly tells him it was, but Ororo corrects him that it's still is. She tells Warren they'll find him a room and tells Hank to tell all the students the school stays open, much to Iceman's delight.

Meanwhile back in the school, Wolverine runs in after his encounter with Magneto and calls for Storm hysterically. He finds her, and she asks him what he's doing back there. He tells her he needs help – he found Jean with Magneto, and they're on the move – and he knows where they're going. Beast joins them, asking Logan if he really saw Magneto. Logan tells them he has, and they must go now, before the Brotherhood attacks Alcatraz. Hank reminds him that the government's got troops stationed out there, but Wolverine doesn't think it's enough to stop Magneto. As they walk hurriedly to get set, Angel overhears them, realizing his father's in danger.

A few minutes later, Beast and Wolverine are already in uniforms in the mansion's tunnels. Logan tells Hank that if Magneto gets hold of the cure he'll be unstoppable. Hank asks how many Magneto has, and Logan says he has an army. They meet up with Storm, Iceman, Shadowcat and Colossus, and Bobby reminds Logan that there are only six of them. Wolverine pauses and tells the young students that he won't lie to them – they're outnumbered, they lost Scott, they lost the professor – but if they don't fight now, everything these men stood for will die with them, and he's not gonna let that happen. Iceman nods in agreement, and Logan says they stand together, X-Men, all of them. Bobby looks at Kitty and Piotr, and they both sign they're ready. He then turns back to Logan, and tells him they're in. Ready for the battle of their lives, the X-Men walk towards the Blackbird.

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The Blackbird too is approaching the battle scene at high speed, and the X-Men are amazed to see the bridge and what's happening – it's worse than they ever dreamed of.

Lightning falls on the battle scene as Storm descends from the sky. Next, Beast jumps from the roof and lands like a true animal. Iceman and Shadowcat jump together, phasing into the ground to avoid getting squashed, and then phasing right back up. Colossus jumps down too, his metal form protecting him. Lastly, Wolverine jumps down the wall, using his claws to scratch the wall and slow down his fall. Storm lands too, and Wolverine yells to the humans to go back and lock the doors. He then orders the X-Men to stand together and hold a line. Instantly, the six mutants line up in front of the Brotherhood to form a strict line of defense, ready for the battle of their lives.

When Wolverine sees Juggernaut run straight through the wall, Beast realizes he's going for the boy. "Not if I get there first", Shadowcat replies and runs at the same direction, phasing through anything in her way. While battling outside, Beast and Wolverine both go into berserker rages and take down Brotherhood members in large numbers. Logan tells Beast he thought Hank was a diplomat. Hank explains that there comes a time when all men must… he stops mid-sentence to beat up some more mutants and just yells to Logan "Oh, you get the point!"

After Wolverine is thrown at Magneto by Colossus, Magneto uses his powers to stop Wolverine, causing him to fall to the ground and slide on his stomach, stopping right before Magneto's legs. Erik then flips Logan on his back, telling him he never learns. "Actually," Wolverine answers, "I do." Just then, Beast jumps at Magneto from behind and injects him with the cure they took from the gun. Magneto drops to his knees, realizing he's now human, and then falls back.

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Beast and Wolverine during the Battle of Alcatraz

Later, as Jean Grey unleashes a telekinetic storm is starting to rage, Beast yells for everybody to run out of the building and escape, and they all flee in panic. Shadowcat and Leech too get out of the building and find Iceman, and together they run away.

Sometime later, Logan watches the president on TV giving a speech in the White House: "So it is with the thanks of a grateful nation, that I introduce our new ambassador to the United Nations and a representative to the world for all United States citizens – human and mutant alike: Dr. Hank McCoy." The president then shakes Hank's hand. "Way to go, fur ball," Logan thinks to himself.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

In 2015, Beast was dragged outside of his home in Upstate New York and murdered by an angry mob of Human Majority Protesters.

Revised Timeline

X-Men: Days of Future Past

"I probably shouldn't be asking this sort of thing, but in the future, do I make it?"
―Beast to Wolverine[src]

When Wolverine arrived in 1973, he drove to the decrepit school that has been shut down. He knocks on the door anyway and a human looking Hank opens to answer the door. Hank asks Logan to leave but he refused and gets in. He tells Hank that they will be good friends in the future and punches him in the face. Hank was provoked by Logan's arrogance and transformed into his mutant form. When Logan starts to look for the professor, a transformed Hank attacks him, fighting him until Charles intervened and stops the fight.

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Beast in the Revised Timeline.

After the rough encounter with Beast, Logan then tells them both that he's sent into the future by Charles, which they obviously don’t believe. Logan explains what happens in the future but Xavier simply laughs until Logan then tells Charles something that Charles tells Wolverine years in the future. How Charles powers manifested at an age of 9 and how he thought he had gone mad. But at the age of twelve he understood that the voices in his head actually came from the minds of the people around him. This makes Charles wonder if Logan might be telling the truth, as how Charles discovering his powers was something no one else knew at the time, but still says he's busy and walks away. After Xavier explained his personal dilemma to Logan, causing Hank to state that "there is no professor", Wolverine asks Beast how Charles can still walk and he answers that the serum he used to control his powers could be modified to fix Charles's spine. But it had the side-effect of changing Charles' DNA in a way that sapped him of his powers. Charles had misused the serum over the years to shut out the voices in his head.

Charles changes his mind, however, and reluctantly agrees to help Logan. Logan then says that they will need Magneto as well. Learning that they would need Charles and Erik's help, Charles reveals that Erik is held prisoner beneath the Pentagon in a concrete and plastic prison for being involved in the assassination on John F. Kennedy. Wolverine knows someone that could help with breaking out Magneto. After Xavier was finally convinced to assist Logan in freeing Magneto, the trio picked up Quicksilver, a mutant with the power of super speed that says that he is willing to help and join them. At the Pentagon, Charles, Wolverine, and Hank take a tour of the Pentagon, acting as tourists, but Charles and Wolverine sneak away as Hank shuts down the cameras. Hank continued to act as a tourist while the other three infiltrated the lower floors. Hank assisted them with rescuing Magneto, by fiddling around with the Pentagon's security systems, and activated a fire alarm throughout the building.

Soon afterward, the group would go to Paris to prevent Mystique from assassinating the Sentinels' creator, Bolivar Trask. As Hank piloted the group's jet on a flight to the Paris Peace Accords, Charles and Erik engaged in a brief fight that almost resulted in Erik's anger and fury almost crashing the plane, but he eventually calms his mind and they get safely to Paris.

When the group reached the summit, Bolivar Trask was giving a presentation on the Sentinels when he identified Mystique, who was disguised as a South Vietnamese general. Erik was able to save Trask, and paralyzed William Stryker with taser darts. Magneto understands that Mystique could be a danger to all mutants and he tries to kill her with the gun. Deciding that the dark future could be prevented if Raven were simply killed, Erik shot at her, but doesn't succeeds though as Mystique jumps out the window. Although he manages to bend the bullet so that it hits her in the leg and wounds her. Shrugging off Charles, Erik chases after Mystique by gliding to the front of the building in the presence of a large crowd, dragging Raven towards him, removing the bullet and preparing to throw it into her head and kill her, but he is attacked by an enraged Hank, who mutated himself, and stopped Erik from doing so, while Mystique escapes. Almost being drowned by Hank in a fountain, Erik manipulates several metal artworks, restraining Beast for the public to see. But when the police arrive the mutants are forced to scatter.

Returning to the X-Mansion without Erik, who had gone on the run, Charles resolves his issues and chooses to not suppress his powers any longer. Xavier is accompanied by Logan and Hank as he uses Cerebro to locate Raven, and he finds Mystique in an airport and uses the people around her to talk to her, trying to convince her to come to her senses, but to no avail, she refuses to listen. Charles does, however, learn that she is going to Washington D.C. Hank had been monitoring the channels and found out that that's where the Sentinels will be revealed, which is where Raven attempts to kill Trask again. Hank says that there still might not help whatever they do. Hank briefly addressed the prospect that the future could not be changed saying that time is unchangeable. That it's like a river and a pebble; throw a pebble into the water and the water will just go around it. But Charles doesn't believe in that. They take the jet to D.C. and on the way there Logan makes Charles promise that no matter how it goes he will still bring together the X-Men in the future.

The trio make it to DC, where Trask is preparing to present his creations. Raven disguises herself as a Secret Service agent, waiting to strike, but it once again foiled by Charles, who speaks to through telepathy, pleading with her to consider her choices. As the Sentinels activate, a still-disguised Raven joins the cabinet, Trask, and President Nixon in a bunker inside the White House. Unknown to them, Magneto had taken control of the Sentinels, as Magneto places an entire stadium around the building, placing seven of the Sentinels as guards and ordering a lone one to preoccupy Wolverine and Hank. Beast asks Wolverine if he makes it in the future and Wolverine says no, but he also states that they can change that. They get assaulted by a Sentinel and Beast says he's got it.

Hank defeats one, tearing out its fuel lines, and is thrown into the wreckage of a car by another. As another Sentinel approaches him, Hank injects a pocketful of the mutation-suppressing drug, altering his appearance, making the Sentinel ignore him.

Using the serum, Hank managed to avoid being detected by a Sentinel and encouraged Charles with persuading Raven from killing Trask and showing the humans a better future. Before departing, Raven gave Hank a fond smile. Following the apparent "malfunctioning" of the Sentinels, Trask was placed in prison while society began to think more positively about mutants, thus changing the future.

X-Men: Apocalypse

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Hank continued using his serum to maintain human form since the events of 1973. He became a teacher at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters when it re-opened. In 1983, Hank greeted long-time friend of his, Alex Summers, as the latter was bringing his younger brother Scott to the school. Hank took Alex and Scott to meet with Professor Charles Xavier, where the four of them tested the extent of Scott's power outside on the school grounds.[1]

Apocalypse-Beast

Later that night, while he was in his lab, Hank picked up an energy source that originated from Cairo. Unbeknownst to him at the time, it was the first mutant - En Sabah Nur - awakening from a millennia-long slumber. Jean Grey, a student at Xavier's School and a powerful psychic, reacted to the energy surge and had nightmares about the world being destroyed. Hank waited for Charles to attend to Jean, whose nightmares were causing her powers to flare up and melt the walls in her room.[1]

Hank and Charles decided to investigate the source of the energy surge using Cerebro. After putting in the coordinates, Hank learnt from Charles that Moira MacTaggert was in Cairo, preparing to leave for Langley to compile a report about what had occurred there.[1]

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Nine years later in 1992, Professor X is now an adviser to the President of the United States as he and the X-Men are revered as worldwide superheroes. Xavier and Hank witness the space shuttle Endeavor encountering problems in space. Xavier is then telephoned by the President to provide assistance to the astronauts. Xavier dispatches Beast, Mystique, Quicksilver, Storm, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey and Cyclops to head to space, with Beast piloting the X-Jet.

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After the astronauts are saved and brought back to Earth safely, Hank gives Jean a medical evaluation, discovering that she is literally off the charts and therefore cannot accurately pinpoint if anything is wrong with her. Later that evening, Mystique has a conversation with Hank where she asks him to leave with her and live a life together, adding that Xavier lost his way, although Hank refuses, claiming the world needs the X-Men.

Following Jean's psychic attack on her fellow mutants, Beast operates Cerebro so that Xavier can read her mind, although he is rendered unconscious in the process. As Jean leaves the X-Mansion to locate her father, Beast joins the X-Men on their trip to Red Hook to bring her home. After Jean proves to be a hostile force, Storm and Beast attempt to attack her, the latter with a firearm; while Cyclops knocks Storm aside, Professor X mentally freezes Beast. Mystique decides not fight Jean and instead calm her down. As she approaches her, Jean notifies Mystique to get away from her, although this causes Jean to unleash a psychic wave that propels Mystique back into the damaged houses, impaling her on wooden pieces. Beast is unfrozen by Xavier and he rushes to Mystique's dying side; Mystique tells Beast she loves him, although he doesn't hear her. She attempts to repeat it, although the dying Mystique succumbs to her injuries before she can.

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Back at the X-Mansion, Xavier gives a speech as they bury Mystique's body. In the kitchen, Hank berates Xavier for his actions, blaming him for Mystique's death and demanding Xavier accept his role in it. He then leaves the X-Mansion and steals the X-Jet, flying to Genosha and informing Magneto of Mystique's death, knowing Magneto would try to kill Jean in revenge. He joins Magneto along with Selene and Ariki in heading to New York City, and fights his fellow X-Men in the process. He is eventually rendered unconscious by the U.S. military, who place mutant ability dispersing collars on him. On the train headed to a mutant internment facility, Hank is convinced to let go of his vendetta by Xavier and Cyclops, who inform him that Mystique would not have wanted them to kill Jean.

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As the D'Bari attack the train, Hank is freed from his restraints and transforms into Beast. He witnesses the D'Bari's demise at the hands of Jean, who flies into space with their leader Vuk before exploding, seemingly killing them both. Returning to the X-Mansion, Beast becomes the new Headmaster of the school, now renamed Jean Grey's School for Gifted Youngsters, as Xavier retires to Paris.

Deadpool 2

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When Deadpool blew himself up after blaming himself for the death of Vanessa Carlysle, Colossus brought him to the X-Mansion to recover. While there, Deadpool began complaining that he never saw other X-Men around the mansion apart from Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. While ranting, Deadpool was unaware that Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Beast, and Quicksilver were in a room behind him. Beast quietly closed the door so that he did not notice them.

X-Men: Days of Future Past 2023

"Morning Logan. Late start."
―Hank McCoy[src]

After Wolverine's consciousness returns from time-traveling and wakes up in the X-Mansion, he goes into the hallway and sees Hank walking. Hank greets Wolverine and notes the latter has a late start, chuckling as he continues walking.

The Westchester Incident

In 2028, Charles Xavier developed Alzheimer's and suffered a massive seizure that injured 600 people, and killed 7 mutants, including several members of the X-Men. It is unknown if Beast was among those who were either killed or injured.

Personality

"My boy, I have been fighting for mutant rights since before you had claws."
―Beast to Wolverine[src]

While mostly on the side of good, during much of his youth, Hank was ashamed of his mutant heritage. McCoy tried to hide his abilities, in fear others would judge him, even going so far as to create a cure that would strip him of his mutant DNA. Eventually, with the help of Charles Xavier, he learned to accept his mutant nature and became a very important figure in the mutant world. Hank changed throughout the years, going from a shy, timid and afraid teen, letting others walk all over him, to a confident and brave man wanting to help the world.

Over many decades (and in both timelines), Hank has protected both human and mutant-kind, both on the battlefield and in the courtroom. He helped Charles build his school for Mutants, serving as a teacher and mentor for many years. Hank eventually left the school and has been working for mutant rights, even taking up a government position, becoming the head of mutant affairs to the President.

Hank is brave and selfless, willing to sacrifice his own life for the protection of his friends and family. Usually, Hank carried himself with a very polite demeanor unless aggravated. His greatest attribute is his near-superhuman intelligence, which has gotten himself and the X-Men out of many bad scenarios. Hank has a brother-like relationship with Xavier, remaining by his side even at a time when Xavier did not believe in himself, helping him create the X-Men and staying with Charles to help his school grow. He also formed a close friendship with Scott Summers, designing special glasses and a visor for the boy and working closely with him during the battle against Apocalypse and his horsemen. This friendship is probably due to Hank's friendship with Scott's brother, Alex.

Despite his nobility, Hank also has a bit of darkness, as when Mystique was accidentally killed by Jean, he blamed Xavier for what he did and went to team up with Magneto to kill Jean.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

"You're pretty strong for a scrawny kid."
Wolverine to Beast[src]
  • Superhuman Strength: Beast has always possessed some degree of superhuman strength, the limits of which have varied at times due to subsequent mutation. After mutating into his simian form, his strength was increased. Initially, he could press one ton. After his secondary mutation, he can press 10 tons, capable of knocking out Azazel, easily overpowering and throwing Wolverine (who weighed 195 pounds at the time without his adamantium skeleton)[2] and subdue multiple mutant adversaries with a few hits during the assault on Alcatraz Island. During the X-Men's battle against the four Horsemen, Hank was able to catch and throw a car and was easily able to toss Psylocke on to the top of a building from the ground with one hand.
  • Superhuman Durability: Beast is able to take hits will continue to fight back. He shrugged off several hits from the mutant assassin Azazel, who is a highly skilled fighter.
  • Superhuman Speed: Beast can run and move at speeds that are slightly beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. He can run at speeds up to 40 miles an hour over short distances. Before his second mutation, he ran around the entire X-Mansion in seconds.
"You're amazing."
Mystique[src]
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  • Superhuman Agility: Beast's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. His agility has varied at times due to ongoing and subsequent mutations. While in his simian form, his agility is much more pronounced. He can also walk on his hands for many hours, or perform a complicated sequence of gymnastic stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs without any difficulty whatsoever.
  • Retractable Claws: Beast sports retractable, razor-sharp claws at the tip of each finger and toe. Their natural edge, coupled with his strength, are sufficient to rend most conventional materials, including flesh, wood, stone, and even some types of metals.
  • Longevity: Beast is a very youthful man, as he appeared to have not aged one day between 1962 and 1992 like fellow mutants Professor X, Magneto, Mystique and Havok.

Abilities

"Hank here graduated Harvard at the age of 15."
Professor X[src]
  • Genius-Level Intellect: McCoy's greatest asset is his keen scientific mind. He possesses a genius-level IQ, with extraordinary expertise in genetics, biochemistry, electronics, mechanics and other subjects. His intellect is almost superhuman and has greatly benefited the X-Men over the years, designing suits, vehicles and gadgets for them. The Man in Black described him as one of the agency's most talented young researchers.
    • Master Engineer: Hank turned a radar installation into a transmitter designed to amplify brainwaves and enhance Professor X's telepathic powers. He also designed suits for Banshee and Havok, including sensors in the latter's suit to measure his energy output and a panel focuses it and absorbs the excess energy. Hank also designed the X-Jet.
    • Master Scientist: Hank isolated a marker in Mystique's DNA sample to create a serum like an antibiotic, attacking the cells that cause his physical mutation, although it failed. At some point, between 1962 and 1973, he created a serum to control his mutation so he would appear human as long as he was not aggravated or felt any animal instinct or urges, that kind of brings him out.[3]
    • Expert Pilot: Beast is capable of flying most aircrafts; such as the Blackbird, a war plane and the X-Jet respectively.
Beast vs Morlocks

Beast fighting Magneto's henchmen

  • Master Combatant: During his stay in the X-Mansion, Beast has proven himself to be an excellent hand-to-hand combatant. His combat skills combined with his superhuman physical attributes make Beast a formidable opponent. He has bested several combatants such as Azazel, Magneto, and several members of the brotherhood. He utilizes his speed, agility, and strength while fighting. He was able to hold his own in a duel with Psylocke who is one of the greatest mutant combatants in the world.

Relationships

Original Timeline

Friends

Enemies

Revised Timeline

Friends

Enemies

Trivia

  • Beast was supposed to appear in X-Men, but was cut. Elements of Beast were incorporated into Jean Grey (she serves as a medical doctor as well as a political supporter of mutant rights).
  • In the Dark Cerebro scene, Beast was supposed to appear turning blue in agony on the TV seen in the bar, this was cut and did not make it to the DVD. However, the event is incorporated in the X2 novelization.
  • In X-Men: First Class, he has yellow eyes, but in X-Men: The Last Stand, he has green eyes. This would be because of his mutation after he tried to go back normal (as seen in X2) and then when he went back to blue form, the eyes would have stayed the same color.
  • Actor Benjamin Walker was originally cast in the role, but dropped out of the film to star in the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.
  • Lucas Till was originally cast as Beast, but decided not to because of the amount of time for makeup, but was later cast as Havok instead.
  • Beast was supposed to appear in Deadpool, with him defecating on Deadpool's lawn. The scene was ultimately cut from the film, but it is referenced when Deadpool asks Colossus to tell Beast to "stop shitting on [his] lawn".
  • Beast was planned to be the main character in a film titled X-Men: Fear the Beast.[4]

Behind the Scenes

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Bryan Singer (director) & Simon Kinberg (writer). 20th Century Fox.
  2. "X Facts". X-Men Origins: Wolverine. 2009. Blu-ray. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
  3. Set Visit: X-Men: Days of Future Past – Part Two
  4. X-Men: A 'Beast' Spinoff Was Pitched to Fox Before 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix'

External links

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