THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 10 (193)
STRENGTH 9
STAMINA 8
AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 8
AWARENESS 3
PRESENCE 4
Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+16)
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Psychiatry) 1 (+9)
Expertise (The Finer Things) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+20) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Insight 7 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 7 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+10)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 7 (+15)
Treatment 10 (+18)
Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Biology), Startle, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Acrobatics & Biology)
Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animal Physiology"
Movement 4 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed 2) [8]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +6
Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +8
Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- A symbol of the mutant community, Hank stands out in a crowd unless he's using a holographic disguise.
Rivalry (Cyclops)- There is a growing rift between Hank and the mutant community led by Cyclops. A much more moralistic person, Hank can't stand the dark road his old friend is moving down.
Responsibility (The Original X-Men)- Hank shares a common comraderie with the original team, having basically grown up with them.
Relationship (Wonder Man)- The two were inseparable buddies in the old
Avengers book. Alas, they were split up by the varying editors when Hank got called back to the X-Men.
Relationship (Trish Tilby)- He dated the spunky reporter for a few years, but they split up when he turned into a lion.
Relationship (Abigail Brand)- The antagonistic head of S.W.O.R.D. is nonetheless Hank's new girlfriend, as she's a beast-fetishist.
Enemy (The Dark Beast)- An Alternate-Reality version of Hank came to the mainstream reality, and even took Hank's place for a while.
Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 88--44 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 15 (193)
The Beast- Iconic X-Man & The Face of Mutants:
-The Beast is awesome. I mean, who doesn't love the eloquent, agile, super-strong, blue-furred monster-man who's also a genius scientist? For that reason, despite his lower power levels (well, not really- he should theoretically be much better than Wolverine, being MUCH stronger with a similar power-set), nearly every writer wants him above all others on their team. He's the dry wit to counterpoint Cyclops' stodginess or Logan's grumpiness. Plus, he brings a bit of culture to the books. I mean, he even took turning into a grey (later blue) ape-man in stride! The Beast is, arguably, the most popular Mutant in the Marvel Universe (canonically, I mean), and sort of the "recognizable" face of Mutancy in much of the supporting fiction- movies & cartoons seem to feel at at least ONE GUY in the team must look inhuman, and with his sophisticated personality betraying his looks, Hank is ideal for that position. Occasionally (
X-Men 2,
X-Men: Evolution), Nightcrawler takes that role.
Early & 1970s Hank:
-He was initially a subversion of the old "Dumb Brute" thing, by making the brainiest guy on the X-Men also the burly strong one, but it wasn't until Steve Englehart got a hold on him in the 1970s that he got popular. Hank, free from the cancelled
X-Men comic, would experiment on himself, turn into a gray-furred creature, and adopt a much more happy-go-lucky attitude ("he discovered pot", sez Englehart, though this would obviously not be stated in the books. Or even implied, anymore). This proved popular enough that Hank soon became an AVENGER, forming a bromance with Wonder Man and generally acting more like Team Joker than someone who was a smart powerhouse- it's actually VERY weird for me to read old
Avengers books from this time period, because Hank is so utterly unrecognizable to what came before, or after.
-The curious thing is that his Avengers run wasn't very long, yet is often referred to- The Beast is considered one of the most popular Mutants in the Marvel Universe, lacking the untrustworthiness of other Avenger Mutants like Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch. He's sort of like their Wayne Brady, I guess- a non-threatening, friendly face. Hank eventually left The Avengers and joined The Defenders, becoming central to the book under a few writers- he would eventually take charge of the team, turning it from the "Non-Team" that only got together out of necessity, and into a REAL team... which unfortunately made it so the book didn't really need to exist anymore, as Marvel already HAD several real teams. In modern comics, Hank is OFTEN referred to as an Avenger, but typically only in passing- his Defenders run (which teamed him up with Iceman and The Angel again) is basically forgotten.
Hank Rejoins the X-Books:
-Eventually, Marvel REALLY, REALLY wanted another X-Spinoff, and so Hank looked human again (the effects of his serum were reversed) and was put onto
X-Factor, which mostly reverted Hank to his old personality. He'd later get furry again, forming the Beast we all recognize today- loquacious, irreverent, sophisticated and full of dry wit. He hasn't joined a non-X-team in eons- that book hit its stride just as
The Avengers was faltering and
The Defenders was almost entirely forgotten- and his importance to the X-Books in the supporting materials is extreme.
-Relegated to background roles alot of the time by the mid-90s (
The X-Cutioner's Song & the whole Legacy Virus thing pretty much made him a "tries to cure stuff in his lab year-round" guy), he was rarely a major battlefield character. Honestly, that decade wasn't really good for him. He was still a funny, whacky guy in addition to the team's official scientist, though (his awesome reaming of Graydon Creed on national television was a thing of brilliance- comparing his Friends of Humanity to Hitler before that was a common insult to EVERYBODY, then sticking his tongue out at him, then MOONING HIM once the live feed was out).
Hank, Post-Morrison:
-He'd been brought back to some prominence by his controversial Leonine Form, created by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. Well, actually, it's an ape form. Or like The Beast from that live-action TV series starring Linda Hamilton. Or a Pelican. Or whatever the hell the next artist drew him as. See, he was apparently REALLY HARD TO DRAW, much like Tom "Wildcat" Bronson of the JSA, so like Tommy, he ends up looking different with every single penciller alive (John Romita Jr. even hilariously just ignored his new look COMPLETELY, and just made him "Old Beast" again). Eventually they just gave up and turned him back into more or less what he was before, but with less Wolverine-like hair.
-Eventually, he had a falling-out with the more militaristic Scott Summers, which is sad, since the two of them had a great "Old Soldiers" type of relationship going, but it makes sense: Hank is more idealistic and nice, while Scott was forced by fate to bunker down and do some dirty things to keep mutantkind alive. This set Hank first on the road to The Avengers (where he's still linked to the Illuminati, in Xavier's old role- Hickman said that role WAS going to Xavier, but then the X-writers killed him off, so Hickman had to use Hank in that position instead), then Logan's Jean Grey School For Higher Learning. But... then things went sideways- Hank brought the ORIGINAL X-Men to modern times to "show Scott his old self" and shock him into reality. Not only did THAT not work, but the KIDS stayed along, and thus Hank was now responsible for F-ing with the timtestream. That, plus his work with the Illuminati (which consisted of DESTROYING POPULATED PARALLEL EARTHS), ended up making him a pretty negative character (moreso than SCOTT, actually, which makes his moral virtue-signalling seem pretty shitty and stupid in retrospect- he was angry at Scott for creating a WETWORKS squad, and Beast was killing BILLIONS?), to the point where a recent X-story featured an "intervention" with nearly EVERY MUTANT coming down and telling him that he was an immoral douchebag.
The Beast's Power:
-Beast is a PL 10 who is impossible to properly put down to 150 points (I tried in 2nd Edition, and it was the most mind-numbing of ALL the X-Builds to do so), so I didn't even bother trying. Problematically, he's smart, agile, strong AND tough, and also a capable fighter with TONS of scientific skills. Hank is tough but not TOO tough, being PL 9.5 on offense, and PL 10 with his great defensive skills. That kinda fits, though, as despite being a bruiser, he's always been shown as weaker than the Colossus/Rogue power team, and more of a team player who hangs back and helps out with his pretty-high stats. Actually, his true strength levels are nigh-impossible to place, as he usually fights like a Scrapper, but is also super-strong. I've read more than one forum debate about it, and the various handbooks put him around Class 10-20 (though you know how THOSE tend to be... but most of them UNDER-score powerhouses rather than over-do it). I figured he was a notch above Spidey, but had similar lifting potential- I left the claws & teeth unstatted since I don't buy them as adding to the power of a Class 12-ish Powerhouse.
-He's also one of those rare heroes who is Sure-Footed, and can use his feet like they're hands (a Feature that I thought I was a genius for coming up with... but others turned out to have had the same idea). His agility was once a big factor in 1970s books, but it's been pushed so far down that it seems weird he was ever a "6" on the old Marvel scale. Like, when was the last time you even saw him do a backflip? Now he just charges forward like an animal. Back in the day it was a thing that he was using his feet like hands and being super-dextrous.
-Hank's scientific specialty is Biology, pushing to near-Reed Richards level in just that one aspect (making him one of the leading experts in diseases on Earth), and I actually increased his mental capabilities by a lot, since my old build felt WAY below what he is today- a true peer of Reed, Tony and other geniuses. I mean, I once had him with only a SIX in Intelligence! Hank is a genius medical whiz as well... though as one doctor has pointed out, Hank DOES NOT have a Doctorate in Medicine, and thus it is QUITE ILLEGAL for him to practice medicine on people. Hank is nonetheless very, very skilled in the sciences, though not capable of the "Sudden Fight-Winning Invention" stuff that Stark or Reed can.
THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- WEIRD ANIMAL FORM
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (192)
STRENGTH 9
STAMINA 8
AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 8
AWARENESS 3
PRESENCE 4
Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 4 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Psychiatry) 1 (+9)
Expertise (The Finer Things) 4 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 10 (+18)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+20) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Insight 7 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 7 (+10)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 7 (+15)
Treatment 10 (+18)
Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Biology), Startle, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill 2 (Acrobatics & Biology)
Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animal Physiology"
Movement 4 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed 2) [8]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Regeneration 4 [4]
"Animal Senses" Senses 4 (Low-Light Vision, Acute & Extended Scent, Extended Hearing) [4]
"Pheromones" Affliction 2 (Fort; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle 2) (Extras: Area- Scent Perception, Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Limited Emotions- Attraction in Women) [4]
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +6
Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +8
Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- A symbol of the mutant community, Hank stands out in a crowd unless he's using a holographic disguise.
Responsibility (Devolving)- Henry's appearanace is in flux, and he fears that he will possibly lose his intelligence.
Rivalry (Cyclops)- There is a growing rift between Hank and the mutant community led by Cyclops. A much more moralistic person, Hank can't stand the dark road his old friend is moving down.
Responsibility (The Original X-Men)- Hank shares a common comraderie with the original team, having basically grown up with them.
Relationship (Wonder Man)- The two were inseparable buddies in the old
Avengers book. Alas, they were split up by the varying editors when Hank got called back to the X-Men.
Relationship (Trish Tilby)- He dated the spunky reporter for a few years, but they split up when he turned into a lion.
Relationship (Abigail Brand)- The antagonistic head of S.W.O.R.D. is nonetheless Hank's new girlfriend, as she's a beast-fetishist.
Enemy (The Dark Beast)- An Alternate-Reality version of Hank came to the mainstream reality, and even took Hank's place for a while.
Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 84--42 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 15 (192)
-This is Hank from his time as a... Lion... thing. It grew on me after a point, but I didn't like it at first (but then, I hated all of Frank Quitely's art except his "Big Screen" feel), but Jon Cassady and others have made me like it, and now I can barely picture him as a split-haired proto-Wolverine anymore. His powers were a slight bit different, giving him worse Dexterity ("I used to have HUMAN HANDS..."), Sleight of Hand and Agility, but some different Powers, including Regeneration and Pheromones that I never saw even ONCE, despite having read TONS of Beast stuff when he was in this form... methinks a writer casually came up with it, and later ones just forgot.
THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- Mid-70s Newly-Beastly Version
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse, Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 9 (159)
STRENGTH 8
STAMINA 8
AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6
AWARENESS 3
PRESENCE 4
Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 2 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10)
Deception 2 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+14)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 2 (+6)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 5 (+11)
Treatment 4 (+10)
Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 2 (Various), Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork, Ultimate Skill (Acrobatics)
Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Animal Physiology"
Movement 4 (Wall-Crawling 2, Sure-Footed 2) [8]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]
Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +6
Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +8, Fortitude +9, Will +7
Complications:
Prejudice (Obvious Mutant)- A symbol of the mutant community, Hank stands out in a crowd unless he's using a holographic disguise.
Rivalry (Cyclops)- There is a growing rift between Hank and the mutant community led by Cyclops. A much more moralistic person, Hank can't stand the dark road his old friend is moving down.
Responsibility (The Original X-Men)- Hank shares a common comraderie with the original team, having basically grown up with them.
Relationship (Wonder Man)- The two were inseparable buddies in the old
Avengers book. Alas, they were split up by the varying editors when Hank got called back to the X-Men.
Total: Abilities: 90 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 11 (159)
-The Beast in his 1970s-80s appearance is a much different animal than I recognize from my 1990s-era comics. Seriously, it's a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHARACTER. Steve Englehart took a somewhat-bombastic, super-intelligent strongman and basically turned him into a bounding whacky prankster who couldn't be serious for a second. Barely a mention of his genius is made in any comics I have from this era, and he spends more time using then-modern slang and being a goof than being super-erudite like he was under Stan (in the early days), and Claremont/Nicieza (in the '90s). Englehart bluntly says that "Hank discovered pot", which I GUESS makes sense- it's easy to forget given his grizzled appearance that he's a contemporary of Peter Parker, and was in college around the same time- a lot of button-down types let loose at College. Hank eventually becomes the leader of The Defenders in this era, but the book ended not too long after reuiniting Hank with his Original X-Men pals Iceman & The Angel. By the time he joins X-Factor only a couple years later, he's effectively become the character we'd recognize today.
-Hank at this point is only a PL 9- effective, but not really a great Scrapper, nor a great Powerhouse. He's just kind of "Filler" in team battles, as a matter of fact.
THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- Debut
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 8 (134)
STRENGTH 7
STAMINA 7
AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4
AWARENESS 2
PRESENCE 3
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+13) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Insight 5 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 5 (+9)
Treatment 6 (+10)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Set-Up, Teamwork
Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Advanced Physiology"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling, Sure-Footed) [4]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +5
Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +7
Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 12 (134)
-'60s-Era Beast is a big, jolly, bombastic fighter, being very capable, but less so than his later versions.
THE BEAST (Henry "Hank" McCoy)- Teen in Modern Times
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: The X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963)
Role: The Smart Guy, Team Powerhouse (X-Factor/Early X-Men), Subverted Stereotype (Smart Powerhouse)
Group Affiliations: The X-Men, X-Factor, The Avengers, The Defenders, S.W.O.R.D.
Avengers Grade: B-Level
PL 8 (141)
STRENGTH 7
STAMINA 7
AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 6
AWARENESS 2
PRESENCE 3
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 2 (+9)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+9)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Philosophy/Theology) 3 (+7)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+15) -- Flaws: Limited to Biology
Expertise (Magic) 2 (+8)
Insight 5 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 7 (+13)
Treatment 6 (+10)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages (Various), Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Ritualist, Set-Up, Teamwork
Powers:
"Mutant Powers: Advanced Physiology"
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling, Sure-Footed) [4]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]
Features 1: May Use Feet as Hands [1]
Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +5
Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +7
Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 16 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 12 (141)
-Recent years have seen the Original X-Men brought forward in time, though it's been revealed that they were an offshoot, and the originals are still there. This has led to a lot of eye-rolling and "what the hell are they still doing here?", especially with there being two Icemen, two Beasts and more, especially once the kids started "splitting off" and showcasing some new powers and abilities. I call it "The Best Book That Has No Reason To Exist", because seriously, I found both the Bendis book and the one drawn by Mark Bagley to be quite good and interesting.
-This version of Hank is less intelligent than he'd later become, but he is very, VERY smart, and has also developed some low-level Magical abilities, owing to some time with Doctor Strange. Seriously, they're really shaking up the status quo with these kids, having a freedom that the "Mainstream" versions lack- why, most writers are stuck with only RUINING those characters by turning them into immoral monsters!