The Mutations of Hank McCoy

Born This Way

Hank McCoy was a mutant from birth, instead of it manifesting when he reached puberty.  I covered this a little in Early Years.  When he joined the X-Men, as one of the original five, he was 5'-11" and 402 lbs.  His mutation ended up with him being overly muscular with extra large feet and hands, dexterity of feet, highly agile, highly intelligent, very durable, can jump up to 32 feet, can run on all fours up to 40 mph for short sprints.

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Uncanny X-Men.  Issue #50

Hank's abilities, while making him a little bit of an outcast due to his smarts and musculature, also gave him the social aspect that helped him with his peers.  It was right after this football incident that Hank had a run in with The Conquistador, which led Charles Xavier to recruit him to the X-Men.  At this point, he was just a super smart, super muscular, super agile type of guy.   If you have been reading the new batch of various X-Men titles with all the time traveling, young Hank is from this phase of life.

Second Mutation

Hank's second mutation came while he was working for Brand Corporation, after he left the X-Men.  We get the story in Amazing Adventures issue #11.  We learn that Hank was working in a genetic research lab doing classified work.  During his work, Hank believes he has isolated the hormone that causes mutations and he then believes that he has created a temporary anti-mutation compound.  A second drink will supposedly change him back to his mutant self.  A sort of potential Jekyll and Hyde thing.

This goes rather poorly for Hank.  This second mutation gives him an increase of energy, a beast-like personality (easily reactive, emotional, loss of self-control, etc), grey fur (which will later become blue), claws, heightened senses, and (as we find out later) the ability to control his sex pheromones.  We'll get into that last one later.  It gets bad enough that Hank almost kills his boss in issue #11.  Amazing Adventures #12 dives further into his new transformation.  We see the self-loathing of testing the compound on himself and the refusal to let Charles Xavier help him.

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Amazing Adventures Issue #11

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Amazing Adventures #12

In Amazing Adventures #12 and #13, Hank goes up against Iron Man.  In a rage, he believes he has killed Iron Man (he doesn't).  In issue #13, Hank takes enough hits and is emotionally and mentally split over believing he has killed Iron Man that he suffers from temporary amnesia.  He also runs into the Brotherhood of Mutants, which is made up of the Blob, Unus, and Mastermind.  If you're worried, don't be, Hank gets ahold of himself and deals with things. Amazing Adventures #14goes more into Hank's psyche again.  He questions himself - is he an animal?  Is he a man?  Does he need to conceal his new look?

It's not until Amazing Adventures #15 (1972) that Hank becomes blue instead of grey.  This is also his first interaction with Angel, the first X-Man to see him in this new secondary mutated state.  He does stay away from the X-Men, but he remains in contact with them - showing up on video calls and stuff, more like a guest appearance.

It wasn't too much longer after this that Hank joined the Avengers in The Avengers issue #137 (1975).  I will totally be getting into that mask that Hank pulls off his face in a later post.  I mean WOWZA! there's a load of issues to unpack there.  He doesn't officially get accepted as an Avenger until issue #151 (1976).  He stayed with the Avengers until issue #211 (1981), where they reduced their team to six members.  The Avengers help him get past the whole "wearing masks" thing and he openly becomes Beast.  His secondary mutation really brings out his emotional control issues with the primary three being: increased libido, goofy prankster, and anger management.  It's almost like Hank has to go through a second round of puberty.  He spends the next span of time kind of figuring himself out and shows up here and there in the comics.

The Avengers #137

The Avengers #151

During this second mutation phase, Hank joins back up with his original X-Men team members for X-Factor #1 (1986).  He has more control of himself.  He retains a bit of goofiness and does the occasional prank, but he is back to being his highly intelligent scientist self.

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X-Factor issue #3 (first and last pages)

Right off in X-Factor, Hank is kidnapped by Dr. Carl Maddicks - who he knew from his time working at the Brand Corporation.  Dr. Maddicks ran a number of experiments on Hank to reverse his secondary mutation, nearly killing Hank.  He did this because his son Arthur (or Artie) was a mutant who can only communicate via telepathy and image projections.  At this time, Hank was seeing new wave-phase Vera, who was doing her own search for Hank.  By the end of issue #3, Dr. Maddicks' experiments left Hank...human looking!

Dr. Maddicks' experiments kept Hank human looking until issue #31.  In this issue, there was a villain named Infectia who really wanted to take out Iceman (with a deadly kiss).  Hank saved him by intercepting the kiss, turning him back to his blue furry self.  It put him in medbay for issue #32, but the cover of issue #33...blue Beast.

X-Factor #31

X-Factor #33

Hank sticks with X-Factor until Legion pops up.  He leaves to go back to the X-Men by X-Factor issue #70 (1991).  This is also where we see a more updated common version of Hank.  From here, he went right into Uncanny X-Men (July 1990) #264 and X-Men (1991) #1.

X-Factor #70

Hank stayed his wonderful blue furry self during this time, except when he started using a copy of Nightcrawler's image inducers in X-Men #4.  He uses the image inducer on occasion, but not all the time.  It just helps him be out among people without attracting attention.

X-Men #4

Third Mutation

Hank's third mutation occurs during New X-Men #114 (2001) when he took on a feline form.  Sage tried to boost Hank's healing factor and it resulted in this new mutation form.  In this form Hank had 4 fingers per hand and had dexterity trouble because of it.  His legs are also changed to mimic the hind legs of a cat.

As a little side note, New X-Men #116 is where Emma Frost was given her "secondary mutation" diagnosis by Hank - diamond form!

New X-Men #116

This is also the issue where Cassandra Nova pops up to cause malfeasance upon the X-Men (and over the next few issues).  Issue #117 shows that he is trying to be comfortable with his new form, but Trish Tilby breaks up with him via voicemail, using the phrase "...and the Enquirer ran a story about us...The word 'beastiality' was used three times..." [That's ice cold, Trish!]

When Cassandra Nova rolls out the shit show, she starts by taking over Charles' mind.  Then brings the mess down on Hank.

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New X-Men #117

The mess Nova brings to Hank is the threat of "de-evolution" by rolling on Hank's psyche and making him a little more animalistic in nature (temporarily).  To make it worse, Beak comes into the lab and Nova latches onto him, forcing him to beat Hank with a bat until he has to be hospitalized.

New X-Men #118

Hank recovers by issue #122.  He also has an emotional moment with Jean where he expresses his concern about Nova's "de-evolution" tirade.

New X-Men #122

There was another "de-evolution" threat in Astonishing X-Men starting in issue #14.  I do love the art for Astonishing X-Men.  In issue #3 we get another perspective of Hank not being settled with this feline form.  He gets into a big fight with Logan because he secures a working sample of a mutant reversal serum.  Logan tells him to flush it.  Thus, FIGHT!  Emma breaks it up.

Astonishing X-Men Issue #3

Going back to Astonishing X-Men #14-18, Nova hits again.  Hank turns very animalistic and starts hunting down Logan.  Eats part of his leg.  Kills and eats a deer.  Logan fixes himself by drinking a beer - which is something tangible his brain can latch onto.  Hank does the same sort of thing but with a ball of string that is laced with his own pheromones.

Astonishing X-Men #18

Fourth Mutation

Hank's fourth mutation, which reverted him back to his simian blue furry self, occurred during Dark Avengers #7.  Dark Beast and Norman Osbourn had Hank imprisoned on Alcatraz Island.  They forced him into a machine that Dark Beast had constructed.  

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Dark Avengers #7

This mutation is physically changing for Hank.  As we can see in the (2009) Dark Avengers panels, there is hair loss and his fingers revert back to 5 per hand and his legs return to normal.  His new look, as we can see in All-New X-Men #25 (2012), he has less head hair.   This continues on, but in some recent 2024-current comics, he has been seen sporting more head hair.

All-New X-Men #25

Also, it should be mentioned that during these newer X-Men comics, there is a time travel story going on.  We get young Hank, current Hank, old Hank.

Source:

• Allan, Scoot. (Sept 24, 2024) "Beast's Mutant Evolutions, Explained." CBR (Valnet Publishing Group, Montreal, Canada). https://www.cbr.com/xmen-beast-transformations/

• Beast (Henry McCoy). Marvel Comics. (2026). https://www.marvel.com/characters/beast-henry-mccoy

• Bendis, Brian Michael. (April 2014) All-New X-Men. Issue #25. (Illustrator D. Marquez). Marvel Comics.

• Conway, Gerry. (Mar 1972) "The Beast." Amazing Adventures. Issue #11. (Illustrator T. Sutton). Marvel Comics.

• Conway, Gerry; Shooter, Jim; Englehart, Steve. (Sept 1976) "At Last: The Decision!" Avengers. Issue #151. (Illustrator G. Perez). Marvel Comics.

• David, Peter. (Sept 1991) "Day of Decision." X-Factor.  Issue #70. (Illustrator K. Jarvinen). Marvel Comics.

• Drake, Arnold. (Nov 1968) "This Boy--This Bombshell!" Uncanny X-Men.  Issue #50. (Illustrator W. Roth). Marvel Comics.

• Englehart, Steve. (May 1972) "The Beast: One Avenger: Dead On Arrival." Amazing Adventures. Issue #12. (Illustrator T. Sutton). Marvel Comics.

• Englehart, "Stainless" Steve. (July 1972) "The Beast: Evil Is All In Your Mind." Amazing Adventures. Issue #13. (Illustrator "Titanic" T. Sutton). Marvel Comics.

• Englehart, Steve. (September 1972) "The Beast: Behind The Mask--A Monster!" Amazing Adventures. Issue #14. (Illustrator T. Sutton). Marvel Comics.

• Englehart, Steve. (Nov 1972) "The Beast: Murder in Mid-Air!" Amazing Adventures. Issue #15. (Illustrator T. Sutton, F. Giacoia, and J. Tartag). Marvel Comics.

• Engelhart, Steve. (June 1975) "We Do Seek Out New Avengers!!" Avengers. Issue #137. (Illustrator G. Tuska). Marvel Comics.

• Fraction, Matt. (July 2009) "Chapter Three." Dark Avengers.  Issue #7. (Illustrator L. Ross). Marvel Comics.

• Layton, Bob. (Apr 1986) "Regression Obsession" X-factor. Issue #3. (Illustrator J. Guice). Marvel Comics.

• Morrison, Grant. (July 2001) "E Is For Extinction. 1 of 3" New X-Men. Issue #114. (Illustrator F. Quitely). Marvel Comics.

• Morrison, Grant. (Aug 2001) "E Is For Extinction. 2 of 3" New X-Men. Issue #115. (Illustrator F. Quitely). Marvel Comics.

• Morrison, Grant. (Sept 2001) "E Is For Extinction. 3 of 3" New X-Men. Issue #116. (Illustrator F. Quitely). Marvel Comics.

• Simonson, Louise. (Aug 1988) "Kiss Off!" X-Factor.  Issue #31. (Illustrator W. Simonson). Marvel Comics.

• Whedon, Joss. (July 2004) "Gifted part 3." Astonishing X-Men. Issue #3. (Illustrator J. Cassaday). Marvel Comics.

• Whedon, Joss. (Aug 2004) "Gifted part 4." Astonishing X-Men. Issue #4. (Illustrator J. Cassaday). Marvel Comics.