Real name: Henry "Hank" P. McCoy
Occupation: (current) Adventurer, (former) Biochemist, college lecturer
Identity: Publicly known
Legal status: Citizen of the United States with no criminal record
Other aliases: None
Place of birth: Dunfee, Illinois
Marital status: Single
Known relatives: Norton (father), Edna (mother), Robert (uncle)
Group affiliation: (current) X-Men, (former) X-Facto 15515i819p r I, Avengers,
Defenders Extent of education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry
Base of operations: (current) Xavier Institute, Salem Center,
Westchester County, New York State; (former) Brand Corporation facilities, Long
Island; Avengers Mansion, New York City; Defenders Mansion, Colorado; X-Factor
I headquarters, New York City; "Ship"
First appearance: X-MEN (first series) #1, (in furry form) AMAZING
ADVENTURES #11
History: Henry McCoy's father, Norton, worked at a nuclear power plant
where he was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during an accident. Norton
was unharmed, but the radiation affected his genes, and as a result his son
Henry was born a mutant. Unlike most superhuman mutants, Henry showed signs of
mutation from birth: unusually large hands and feet.
Thanks to his superhuman agility, strength, and speed, Henry
became a star football player as a teenager. His remarkable athletic abilities
attracted the notice of both Professor Charles Xavier, who was forming the
original X-Men, and a costumed criminal named El Conquistador (Professor X).
The Conquistador captured McCoy's parents in order to force McCoy to aid him in
his criminal schemes. However, with the help of Xavier and the X-Men, Henry
defeated the Conquistador, and he then joined the X-Men, taking the code name
"Beast."
A brilliant student, McCoy completed his doctoral studies under
Xavier's tutelage, and finally left the X-Men and Xavier's school to take a
position as a genetic researcher with the Brand Corporation. There he developed
a serum that acted as a catalyst for activating latent mutations. On drinking
the serum McCoy underwent radical physical changes. He grew fur over his entire
body, his ears became larger and pointed, and his canine teeth became larger,
resembling fangs. The serum also further increased his superhuman agility,
endurance, speed, and strength.
Eventually, McCoy left Brand, joined the Avengers, and
publicly revealed his dual identity. After years of service with the Avengers
(during which he also aided the X-Men against Dark Phoenix), the Beast took it
upon himself to reorganize another super-hero group, the Defenders, into a more
formal combat organization. His X-Men cohorts Angel and Iceman served in the
Defenders along with him, but the team collapsed after a climactic battle in
which several other members seemingly perished.
Subsequently, the Beast and
his fellow members of the original X-Men formed a new organization, the
original X-Factor, which publicly appeared to hunt down allegedly dangerous
mutants but secretly taught them how to use their superhuman abilities. Shortly
after the formation of X-Factor, the Beast was captured by the geneticist Dr.
Carl Maddicks, who performed an experiment that
caused the Beast to revert to his original, more human appearance. Some time
later, however, the mutagenic powers of the mutant Infectia triggered the Beast's return to his furry, more
animalistic appearance.
After Professor Charles Xavier returned to Earth following
an extended period in outer space with the Starjammers,
the Beast and his fellow X-Factor founders returned to the X-Men (see Starjammers). At present the Beast remains an active member
of the X-Men as well as serving as a research scientist at the Xavier Institute
for Higher Learning.
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 355 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: (originally) Brown, (currently) Blue-black
Other distinguishing features: Covered with fur, unusually large hands
and feet, pointed ears, fang-like teeth
Strength level: Superhuman Class 10
Fighting skills: Excellent hand-to-hand combatant, employing a unique
style of acrobatic combat
Special skills and abilities: High expertise in genetics and
biochemistry, extensive knowledge in a variety of other fields Known superhuman
powers: Superhuman agility, endurance, speed, and strength
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