Henry McCoy

"Even I got to admit you look pretty bad-ass. I think I got a new name for you: Beast."

Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy was one of Charles Xavier's mutant heroes known as the X-Men. The blue-furred Beast possesses superhuman agility, strength, endurance, and dexterity.

Biography

X-Men: First Class

"Don't mock me!"

―Beast to Magneto ^[src]

Henry McCoy was a child prodigy, having graduated Harvard University at age 15. He was eventually recruited to work as a researcher for the CIA's "Division X", wherein he investigated supersonic flight and built the Cerebro prototype. One day, he was approached by the Man in Black, Charles Xavier, Erik Lensherr, Moira MacTaggert, and Raven Darkholme during the early formation of the X-Men as a black ops group. When Charles accidently 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 appearence 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. However, 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 beastial appearence 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 hanger holding their stealth jet of his design. Mystique remarked that he was "beautiful" and this was "truly who he was meant to be." After lashing out at Erik when he remarked "Never looked better", Hank was given the codename "Beast" by Havok. He piloted the team to stop Sebastian Shaw from starting WWIII between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After they crashed on a nearby beach, he and Havok battled Azazel until Lehnsherr managed to infiltrate the Hellfire Club's damaged submarine and kill Shaw. When the remaining mutants 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.

Original Timeline

X-Men: Days of Future Past

After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Hank became a teacher at the X-Mansion. However, Xavier's school shut down in the late 1960's when most of the faculty and students , such as Havok were drafted to fight in Vietnam. During those events, Hank also created a serum in order to control his beast form while Xavier used it to help him walk again with the side effect of stopping his powers all together.

X2: X-Men United

"Maybe it would be easier to round up mutants by the truckload."

―Hank McCoy^[src]

At some point, Hank left the school and was recruited in the government. As an expert of the Mutant Affair, Dr. Hank McCoy appears in a TV show along with "Mr. Shaw", debating on the necessity of registrating the mutant citizens. McCoy declares that a registration act is not a possible solution and defends the rights of the mutants, as well as proposing a peaceful way of cohabitation between mutants and humans.

X-Men: The Last Stand

"Hard to believe this once fit me."

―Hank McCoy^[src]

Hank McCoy is now the Secretary of Mutant Affairs in the U.S. Government. When Magneto and Callisto join forces and attack the truck in which Mystique was held prisoner, McCoy becomes acknowledged of the existence of a "cure" for mutants developed by Worthington Industries' Dr. Kavita Rao. He visits the facility and meets Jimmy, a mutant whose DNA is the fount of the cure. Later, he comes back to his old school, Xavier's Mansion, to warn his ex teammates about the threat that the cure represents. Dr. McCoy says he could understand why some mutants would want to be free of persecution, citing his lingering desire to be normal.

Once the weaponization is made without his knowledge, McCoy resigns from his position in the government and returns to Xavier's mansion, where he feels he should be due to his principles. When Professor Xavier is killed by the Phoenix, Beast attends his former mentor's funeral. He is then contacted by Wolverine, who has discovered that Magneto is heading to Alcatraz Island to kill Jimmy and destroy the cure. Beast joins the team and participates in the battle at Alcatraz, donning his old uniform and commenting on how it feels smaller than before. During the fight, he seems to revert to a more primal state, often roaring as well as defeating his opponents with a savage fighting style. While Wolverine is acting as a distraction, Beast ultimately injects Magneto with the cure, so rendering him powerless. After the battle, McCoy is appointed by the President as the United States ambassador to the United Nations.

Death

In 2015, Hank McCoy was dragged from his home and murdered by an angry mob of Human Majority protesters outside his home in upstate New York.

New 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 Logan arrived in 1973, he drove to the decrepit school, where Hank answered the door, telling Logan to leave. Hank was provoked by Logan's arrogance and transformed into his mutant form, fighting him until Charles intervened. Xavier explained his personal dilemma to Logan, later causing Hank to state that "there is no more professor".

After Xavier was finally convinced to assist Logan in freeing Magneto, the trio picked up Quicksilver, who agreed to join them. Hank acted as a tourist while the other three infiltrated the lower floors, and activated a fire alarm throughout the building. 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 Lehnsherr crashing the plane in anger.

When the group reached the summit, 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 Stryker with taser darts. Deciding that the dark future could be prevented if Raven were simply killed, Erik shot at her, bending the bullet so that it wounded her. Shrugging off Charles, Lehnsherr glided 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, but is attacked by an enraged Hank.

Almost being drowned by Hank in a fountain, Erik manipulates several metal artworks, restraining Beast for the public to see. Back at the X-Mansion, 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, who is in an airport. He speaks to her, trying to convince her to come to her senses, but to no avail. After Xavier receives a message from his older self by reading Logan's mind, he finally gains hope and decides to stop Raven from killing Trask in Washington.

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. 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.

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.

X-Men: Apocalypse

To be added

X-Men: Days of Future Past

"Morning Logan, late start!"

―Hank McCoy^[src]

As Wolverine walks down the hallway of the school, he sees Hank, who greets him, reminding him that he has a class to teach.

Character traits

Henry is a brilliant scientist and researcher. One of the earliest recruits to the X-Men, Henry proved invaluable both on the field of battle, and in the laboratory, where his vast intelligence and insight into mutant genetics quickly distinguished him from the rest of the team. Henry took the name of "Beast" after the nickname he'd gained during his college football years. Despite his surprising strength, agility and talent as a fighter, he prefers his refined intellect to his brutish fists when attacking a problem.

As a talented negotiator and diplomat, Henry is the first known mutant to hold a position in the United States government, with the Department of Mutant Affairs. As an advisor to the President, Henry does his best to ensure the government's mutant policies are as informed and fair as possible. He is at once embarrassed by and defensive of his mutant nature, but he believes humans and mutants are capable of living together in peace, and will fight to preserve that vision.

Powers and Abilities

Beast possesses superhuman strength and agility.

Relationships

Professor X - Friend and mentor.
Havok - Friend and teammate.
Banshee - Friend and teammate.
Jean Grey - Friend and teammate.
Cyclops - Friend and teammate.
Storm - Friend and teammate.
Wolverine - Teammate.
Colossus - Teammate.
Iceman - Teammate.
Shadowcat - Teammate.
Mystique - Teammate and love interest.
Magneto - Teacher turned enemy.
Brotherhood of Mutants - Enemies.
Azazel - Enemy.
Sebastian Shaw - Enemy.
Human Majority Protesters - Killers

Behind the scenes

Beast was supposed to appear in the first X-Men movie, but the character was cut due to problems with make-up.
Beast was supposed to be one of the protagonists in X2: X-Men United, but Bryan Singer thought that there were too many characters and cut him.
Broadway actor Benjamin Walker was previously cast as Beast. He turned down the role to star in the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.
Lucas Till (Alex Summers aka Havok) was cast to play Beast, but decided not to because of the amount of time for makeup.
Grammer was going to return as the elder Beast in Days of Future Past, but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts with Transformers: Age of Extinction. However, he did film a cameo during post production.^[1]

Appearances/Actors

Canon (3 films)
- X-Men: First Class - Nicholas Hoult
- X-Men: Days of Future Past - Nicholas Hoult and Kelsey Grammer
- X2: X-Men United (First appearance) - Steve Bacic
- X-Men: The Last Stand - Kelsey Grammer

Trivia

In the X2 novelization, when Professor X attacked the mutants under the influence of Mastermind, the psychic attack started the second mutation of Beast, explaning why, from the human appearance in X2, he had his furry appearance in The Last Stand. In a deleted scene of X2 his mutation is similarly triggered by Dark Cerebro.
In both a deleted scene of X-Men: The Last Stand and this film's novelization, Beast joins his teammates at the school as a teacher.
Also, in First Class, when Henry attempts to inject Raven with his serum, a bowl of Twinkies is visible. This is a subtle nod to his comic book counterpart, whose favorite food is Twinkies.
In The Last Stand, as he witnesses the destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge before he arrives to confront the Brotherhood with the other X-Men, Beast utters "Oh, my stars and garters", his classic catchphrase from the comics.