Beast

Beast's History

Early Years

Henry Phillip McCoy's father, Norton McCoy, 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 and Edna's son, Henry, was born a mutant. Unlike most mutants, Henry showed signs of mutation from birth: unusually large hands and feet. A prodigy, Hank was also endowed with an innate superhuman intellect and during adolescence, he gained the power of simian-like augmented agility, reflexes, and strength.

Thanks to his powers, Henry became a star football player as a teenager and earned the nickname Magilla Gorilla. Hank hid his mutation and thirst for knowledge in plain sight - until the school asked him to leave after he was exposed as a mutant. Hank's remarkable athletic abilities and brilliance attracted the notice of Professor Charles Xavier, who was forming the original X-Men, and offered Hank, who excelled in the classroom, the chance for unlimited academic opportunities at his prestigious School for Gifted Youngsters. The costumed criminal, named El Conquistador, however, also took note of his abilities and captured McCoy's parents, in order to force McCoy to aid him in his criminal schemes. With the help of Prof. Xavier and the X-Men, Henry defeated the Conquistador and then joined the X-Men, as its fourth member, taking the codename "Beast".

X-Men

Under Prof. Xavier's tutelage, Hank's days were rich with differential equations, Proust, and workouts in the Danger Room. Hank immediately became friends with Bobby Drake. During this time, Hank dated Vera Cantor, a librarian. The first battle for the X-Men was with Magneto. With the X-Men, Hank battled the Vanisher, the Blob, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Namor, Unus, and Lucifer. After being controlled, by the Puppet Master, Professor X ordered the X-Men to battle the Fantastic Four, until Beast destroyed his doll and the two teams battled the Awesome Android, who Professor X defeated from afar. They journeyed to the Savage Land and later battled the Juggernaut. Around this time, while the X-Men were battling the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants at Hammer Industries, Magneto and his troops withdrew from battle, after the arrival of a Sentinel. Back at the X-Mansion, the X-Men were approached, by the Evolutionaries, who informed them they were there to ensure the survival of Homo Superior. After a brief battle with the young X-Men, the Evolutionaries sought the help of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, viewing Magneto as the leader of all mutantkind. After the Brotherhood kidnapped Emma Frost, Magneto took her to Xavier's School, to use Cerebro. Hank created a device, that shut-off their access to cosmic rays and accidentally killed two of them. When Cyclops vowed to protect mutantkind, the remaining Evolutionary reluctantly left, but not before erasing the memory of their presence from the minds of the X-Men and Brotherhood and vowing to return one day. The X-Men went-on to battle Dr. Bolivar Trask�s Sentinels, Mimic, Count Nefaria, the Locust, El Tigre, Puppet Master, the Factor Three, the Super-Adaptoid, The Warlock, Cobalt Man, Mole Man and Tyrannus, Mekano, Mutant Master, and Grotesk.

When the Changeling, posing as Prof. Xavier, was killed by Grotesk, the X-Men, again, battled Magneto, with the Avengers, and when they returned home, were ordered to disband by Fred Duncan of the FBI. All five members believed they could better help by working under the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Later Hank and Bobby briefly battled Maha Yogi, again, while on another double date. The team would soon join together again, against Mesmero and a robot Magneto. The X-Men were able to destroy the organization from both outside and within. They, then, went on to battle Blastaar, The Living Pharaoh, Larry Trask's Sentinels, Sauron, returned to the Savage Land and battled Magneto and his Savage Land Mutates, briefly battled Sunfire, stopped the invasion of the Z'Nox, and survived an encounter with an angry Hulk. Next, Professor Xavier sent the X-Men back to the Savage Land to make sure that Magneto actually perished, where the team met Ororo Munroe, and helped her battle Deluge. The team, then went-on to aid the Fantastic Four in ending the threat of the Z'Nox.

Hank was sought out by Kraven the Hunter, who wanted to hone his skills in battle against the Beast. Kraven drugged Beast to dull his reflexes, but it caused Hank to regress to a more feral nature and he went into a berserker rage. Hank would have killed Kraven, if his teammates hadn't separated them. Hank was, later, captured, by the mutant island being Krakoa, and was rescued by a new team of X-Men. Upon returning to the mansion, Hank and a majority of the original team decided to pursue a chance at a normal life, leaving the X-Men behind them.

Bouncing, Blue Beast

A brilliant student, McCoy completed his doctoral studies and finally left the X-Men and Professor Xavier's school to take a position as a genetic researcher, with the Brand Corporation, a division of Roxxon Oil, working with Dr. Carl Maddicks and his assistant Linda Donaldson. Hank began a romance with Miss Donaldson and developed a machine that isolated the hormonal extract that created mutation. The resulting serum acted as a catalyst for activating latent mutations for short periods of time (this serum would become the basis of the Mutant Growth Hormone). Dr. Maddicks grew increasingly envious of Hank and witnessed his discovery. Eager to inform his superiors of his discovery, Hank overheard Dr. Maddicks plotting to steal his research. Unaware of the consequences, Hank drank the serum, trying to disguise his appearance, and underwent radical, physical changes. Hank grew gray fur over his entire body, his muscles expanded, ears became larger and pointed, claws sprouted, and his canine teeth became larger, resembling fangs. The serum, also, further increased his superhuman agility, endurance, speed, and strength, as well as enhanced his senses, and granted him an extraordinary healing factor. Hank stopped Bennie, the security guard, from stealing his work for Dr. Maddicks and was shot in the torso. After stopping Bennie, Hank realized that he had neglected to observe the time. An error on his part resulted in Hank, permanently, remaining in this state. Dr. McCoy was now a beast, in fact as well as in in name. Angry, Hank attempted to exact revenge on Dr. Maddicks, getting shot by a police officer, but stopped short of strangling him. No one at the Brand Corporation was able to connect that the Beast and Hank were the same person, despite the many attempts by the head of security, Robert "Buzz" Baxter. Also at this time, Vera continuously attempted to see Hank, but would always miss him. In an attempt to continue a normal life, McCoy began wearing a synthetic mask and gloves and harness, to correct his posture. Hank worked tirelessly to correct his condition, even shunning the help of Professor X and Marvel Girl. After Tony Stark showed interest in Hank's work, Hank attacked him in his Iron Man armor, assuming that he was attempting to hound Linda, and thought he killed him. It was later revealed that Iron Man was alive and that Mastermind had created the illusion. Unable to remember meeting Blob, Unus, and Mastermind before, Mastermind convinced Hank to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, until he remembered the truth and single-handedly defeated them.

An encounter with Quasimodo, who was attempting to steal Beast's metabolic abilities so that he could get a step closer to becoming more human, caused a majority of Dr. McCoy's life force to be expelled, which resulted in the gray fur becoming blue, the loss of his new found healing factor, and the apparent death of Quasimodo. While healing from his battle with Quasimodo, Hank found himself at the home of Buzz and Patsy Walker, where he revealed his dual identity to Patsy. Patsy had long idolized "super heroes", and she elicited the promise from him that in exchange for keeping his secret, he would help her become a "super heroine". After hearing that an old colleague, Professor Hans Jorgenson, had been kidnapped, Professor X summoned the X-Men to track down Spider-Man, but Hank refused. Attempting to check-in on Hank, after hearing of all of the Beast disturbances, Angel arrived and aided Beast in battling Griffin and creating a story to explain Hank's recent disappearances. Depressed about his appearance, Hank returned home for a time, thanks to Cyclops, but he returned, after reassurance of his importance from his old girlfriend, Jennifer Nyles. Hank, finally reunited with Vera and learned that she was seeking his help, but they were interrupted, by the Juggernaut. Hank battled the Juggernaut alone and was losing, until taking-off his synthetic mask scared the Juggernaut and rapidly de-aged him, due to the mystics that bond him to Earth. Hank and Vera traveled to Canada, where Vera's dilemma revealed itself, Mimic's mutant powers were out-of-control and sapping the energies of people to the point that it was killing them. Hank attempted to cure Mimic, but was interrupted, by the Hulk, who was finding the source of what was draining his strength. The Hulk left, after Mimic drained his gamma radiation, seemingly committing suicide. Later, the X-Men and a number of mutants were kidnapped, by the Secret Empire, to harness their energy to power an "Electorn-Gyro". After Number One landed the saucer on the White House lawn and defeated Moonstone, the Secret Empire was defeated by Cyclops, Captain America, the Falcon, and Marvel Girl.

Avengers

Eventually, Dr. McCoy left Brand, answered an ad, and applied to the Avengers. During his interview, the Avengers were attacked by Toad, impersonating the Stranger, and Hank aided the team. Beast and Moondragon were then accepted on a probationary status. Next Hank aided Yellowjacket battle Whirlwind. After the battle, Hank returned to Brand, to steal a formula and aid Yellowjacket, who over-taxed himself in the battle. Around this time, Hank fished Spider-Man and a scientist out of a harbor and learned that Griffin had escaped. Together, Beast and Spider-Man defeated the villain. After Patsy returned, to make right on Hank's promise to make her a super hero, Beast accompanied the Avengers to Brand, where they were defeated by the Squadron Supreme. After escaping their bonds, at the Brand Corporation, the Avengers were sent the the Squadron Supreme's reality. After finding a device to return them to their own reality, Hank impersonated that reality's President of the United States and convinced the Squadron Supreme to allow them to escape. When they arrived home, the Avengers were attacked, by Orka, and later rescued, by Thor.

After enough adventures with the Avengers, Hank was finally accepted as a member, publicly revealing his secret identity. After becoming an Avenger, Hank soon realized that his popularity with the women immediately grew. With the Avengers, Hank battled Black Talon, Whizzer, Wonder Man, and Tyrak. After the Avengers were enslaved, by Attuma, Hank retreated to Whizzer and Wonder Man and asked for their help. Together with Namor, the Avengers beat Attuma and Tyrak. The Avengers went-on to battle the possessed statue of Black Knight, Graviton, Grim Reaper, a mind controlled Ant Man, and Ultron. After being beaten and taken hostage, by Typhon, who ordered Iron Man to call the Champions and defeat Hercules, Beast was reunited with his old teammate and best friend, Iceman. Magneto traveled to the Avengers and briefly battled, before he informed them of Dr. Doom's plans to take over with world with a neurogas. The Avengers were then ordered, by Doom, to kill Magneto and Magneto realized that Beast was fighting the control. After rescuing Beast and erasing the effects of the gas, Magneto and Beast went to the Champions, for assistance. After arriving, the Champions also attacked the duo and they went to Washington, D.C. and confronted Doom, who had the Hulk attack them. After the arrival of the Champions, Ghost Rider shed the effects of the gas and aided the duo. Magneto was poised to defeat Dr. Doom, until Dr. Doom reversed the effects of Magneto's powers and he withdrew from battle. The Champions, Hulk, and Hank defeated Doom, after Ghost Rider burned him to the point that he removed his mask and lost control over everyone. After returning to his team, Hank and the Avengers battled Thanos, Count Nefaria, Jocasta, and followed her to battle Ultron again. After calling Dr. Strange for assistance with the Avengers, Hank received a distress call, from Polaris, stating that she and Havok had been kidnapped, by The Living Pharaoh, and left the Avengers to find the X-Men. Hank tracked down the X-Men and found them working in a circus, enthralled by Mesmero. Hank managed to snap the X-Men out of the illusion, just before Magneto arrived and transported them to his Antarctica base. After battling Magneto and his robot, Nanny, the Beast and the Phoenix ended up separated from the other X-Men, each group mistakenly believing the other to have died.

After returning to the Avengers, they battled the Squadron Sinister, to remove Dr. Spectrum's Power Prism that had grafted itself to Wasp's nervous system. Hank spent a lot of time in nightclubs, and was approached, and manipulated, by Manipulator, to steal a box that, when opened, placed Hank under the Manipulator's mental control. Hank was simply released from his control, to prove it could be done. Next, the Avengers battled Bloodhawk and later Thor, Vision, and Hank accompanied him back to Maura, to battle Monolith. Hank suggested that Bloodhawk join Professor Xavier, at the School for Gifted Youngsters, and Bloodhawk accepted, but upon returning to the mansion, Bloodhawk sacrificed himself to save Thor from a blast from Stinger. After returning from a movie with Wonder Man, Hank and the Avengers were shocked to hear, from Henry Gyrich, that the team was only allowed seven members: Captain America, Iron Man, Wasp, Vision, Scarlett Witch, Falcon, and Hank. The new Avengers team battled Django Maximoff, to return the souls of Quicksilver and the Scarlett Witch. Later, Hank and Wonder Man were among the Avengers invited to Thing's first Super-Hero Poker Game, that was interrupted, by an attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier, by General Pollock. Later, while attending the Empire State University Technology 1980 science exhibit, Hank aided Spider-Man in battling Killer Strike and Modular Man. Returning to the Avengers, they battled Absorbing Man, Chthon and Modred, and the Elements of Doom. Detecting activity at the X-Mansion, Beast returned to his old home to find that the X-Men he thought were dead were alive and well. Hank informed Scott Summers that Jean was still alive and staying on Muir Island. While checking a hidden complex beneath Avenger's Mansion, Hank and Hawkeye were captured, by Arsenal, and rescued by the Avengers. While at a Senate hearing on the disbanding of the Avengers, the Avengers teamed-up with Daredevil, to battle Grey Gargolye. After the Senate hearing, the Avengers were absolved of Gyrich's restrictions and Beast suggested the Wonder Man's membership.

After battling Inferno and Taskmaster, Hank intercepted a distress call that the X-Men were in trouble, at the Hellfire Club. After erasing the log of the call, Hank raced to aid his old teammates. Hank arrived after Phoenix underwent another transformation into the Dark Phoenix and soared through the universe, where she devoured an entire star and the five billion inhabitants of one of its planets. When she returned to Earth, Phoenix threatened to kill everyone. Hank designed neural inhibitors, but Phoenix simply shorted them out. Professor Xavier was able to keep Phoenix under control and helped her will herself back to normal. The X-Men and Beast were, then, teleported away by the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar Empire had witnessed Dark Phoenix consuming the star and Beast and the X-Men were forced to battle with the Imperial Guard over Phoenix's fate. The battle triggered her transformation into Dark Phoenix once more. Phoenix understood that she would never be able to fully control the dark hunger inside and sacrificed herself on the moon.

After attending "Jean Grey's" funeral, Hank returned to the Avengers to battle Red Ronin. During his time with the Avengers, Hank became the best of friends with Wonder Man and the two of them journeyed into the sewers to rescue Hugo Lopez. The Avengers went-on to battle Yellow Claw and Pyron. Around this time, Hank took the opportunity to introduce himself to Dazzler and suggested she apply for a job at a nightclub. Later, Hank attended Dazzler's first show at Numero Uno and battled Amora The Enchantress' Nightgaunts. Later, the Avengers battled Shadow Lord and Berserker. After attending another of the Thing's poker games, the Avengers traveled to the Negative Zone, to battle Annihilus, Blastaar, and the Super-Adaptoid. Hank reunited with Vera and a Skrull, posing as Edwin Jarvis, poisoned her, to blackmail the Avengers into retrieving a powerful gem called Resurrection Stone for him. Using Mr. Fantastic's time machine, Vision, Scarlett Witch, and Wonder Man accompanied Hank into the past to retrieve the stone. After returning, Hank decided that it was too powerful and destroyed it, leaving Vera in the care of Mr. Fantastic. After the Avengers battled the Weathermen, Hank was reunited with Iceman and Angel, after they and a group of heroes were manipulated to join the Avengers. After it was revealed that Moondragon was manipulating all of them, to strengthen the Avengers, Hank left the Avengers. Hank briefly returned to the Avengers, after Rogue attacked Ms. Marvel, Thor, and Captain America, and battled the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Defenders

Seeking a cure for Vera's condition, Hank went to Dr. Strange and aided the Defenders in battling the mad sorcerer, Ian Fate. Dr. Strange enlisted the aid of Reed Richards and together they deduced that the Resurrection Stone had to be reassembled. After being transported into the stone, the three heroes were turned into crystalline statues by the Giver of Life until they were freed from the stone by Daimon Hellstrom. Hellstrom offered his assistance and, seeing no further course of action, Beast agreed, reviving Vera. With the Defenders, Hank battled August Masters, Amora the Enchantress, and aided the Squadron Supreme in battling Grom and Null. After being convinced that Nebulon would destroy the world and enthralled the Avengers, by Nebulon's wife Supernalia, the two teams battled. After realizing that Supernalia wanted Nebulon dead, due to his dishonor by his choice of exile over death, and Nebulon had secretly been draining the heroes' energies, Cap managed to turn the machine against Nebulon, accidentally killing them both. After the Defenders battled Miracle Man, the Tribunals used their agents, the android Luann Bloom and a mysterious Elf with a Gun, to lure the four founding Defenders (Dr Strange, Prince Namor, The Hulk, and The Silver Surfer) to an extradimensional location where they convinced them that if they continued to band together as Defenders, a great catastrophe would occur. After years of service with the Avengers, Beast took it upon himself to reorganize the Defenders into a more formal combat organization. Beast's X-Men cohorts, Angel and Iceman, served in the Defenders along with him and Warren Worthington III funded the team and provided his Colorado penthouse, as a headquarters.

With the New Defenders, Hank stopped Cloud, Harridan, and Seraph from kidnapping Vision. Later, when the Defenders attempted to rescue Seraph and Cloud from the Secret Empire, Professor Power became the new Number One and sought to trigger a nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, but the Defenders defeated him, the Secret Empire, as well as their agents Mad-Dog and the Mutant Force. After a misunderstanding, the Defenders even battled the New Mutants. Later, they battled Walrus, Manslaughter, and teammate Gargoyle. When the Dire Wraiths homeworld, Wraithworld, began to approach Earth through hyperspace, the Defenders went to aid ROM and, with the help of Forge, banished them from existence. Another of the teams' adventures was when the Grandmaster and Death had them battle with all of Earth's heroes. Later, Candy Southern, Angel's girlfriend, was asked to lead the squad.

Hank took a vacation, to check on Wonder Man and Dazzler. While meeting Wonder Man in Hollywood at a cast party on a studio back lot, Hank met Dazzler. Beast attempted to defend Alison Blaire's honor, when a fellow band member, Max Rocker, disrespected her, but Alison harshly yelled at him and left with Hugo Longride, the theater owner, her band. After hearing that she went missing, Beast beat her location out of Rocker and found Dazzler, in the Heartbreak Hotel, being cared for by seven mutant children. After sharing a kiss with Alison, Alexander Flynn, Alison's employer, arrived to retrieve her. Beast battled Flynn's "actors", but Dazzler stopped him, before he could attack Flynn, and told him that she would leave with Flynn. Sickened by this sight, Beast told them both to get out of sight. Convinced that Flynn had some control over Ali, Hank attended one of her "Underground Theatre" shows and witnessed her battling, gladiator-style in an arena. Dazzler was battling Horns to the death and, when it seemed she was in danger, Hank jumped-in to assist her. Attempting to appease the crowd, Flynn ordered the other Gladiators into the pit and one of them was killed. Dazzler left the battle and returned to her dressing room. Beast followed and demanded that she leave, but Ali's powers began to flare-out again and she decided to stay. After Hank's feelings for Ali became serious, he returned to the Gladiator show and asked her to leave again. After Dazzler refused, Hank discovered Flynn was using a drug that caused Alison to lose control of her powers to stay with the Gladiators. After being drugged to fight each other, Hank and Ali brought an end to the gladiator ring. Later, Moondragon, who was possessed by Dragon of the Moon, seemingly killed most of the members of the Defenders, in a climactic battle, and the team disbanded.

X-Factor

Around this time, the Mutant Registration Act was passed, which called for all mutants to register with the government, forfeiting their civil rights and illegalizing an unregistered mutant. After the end of the Defenders, Hank was looked-over in a position at Boston�s Harvard Medical School and visited Warren with Bobby, and, after Warren learned that Jean Grey was alive, joined his former teammates and founding members of the X-Men in the formation of X-Factor, an organization that intended to seek out and aid other mutants, under the pretense of hunting down those perceived menaces to society, believing that the X-Men were no longer following the dream. The public assumed they were humans hunting mutants, when in fact, as X-Factor, they were training young mutants in the use of their powers at the X-Factor Complex. Convinced that they needed a good leader to function properly, Hank was the reason Scott decided to stay on. Warren asked his best friend and college roommate, Cameron Hodge, to act as the team's PR adviser, unaware that Cameron actually despised mutants, was the leader of the anti-mutant group, The Right, and was simply waiting for the time to strike. With X-Factor, Hank first rescued troubled mutant Rusty Collins from the Navy. After Dazzler was captured, to awaken a latent drug in humans, which would give them meta-human abilities, Hank teamed-up with bounty hunter O.Z. Chase to rescue Alison and Barbara London, her mother. After killing one of her attackers, Hank asked Ali to join X-Factor, but she declined.

No More Fur

At this time, Hank looked-up his old girlfriend Vera, who had made a drastic change becoming a political activist, amongst others, for the pro-mutant cause and was captured by Tower for the geneticist Dr. Maddicks. Dr. Maddicks performed an experiment, trying to cure mutation, that caused the Beast to revert to his original, more human appearance, after sending him into cardiac arrest. Hank refused, but Artie Maddicks, Dr. Maddicks' son, convinced him otherwise. The team was contacted to silence Tower and, after a battle, the team rescued Beast and Artie, while Dr. Maddicks perished, distracting the guards. After battling Tower, X-Factor rescued Rusty, from Frenzy. The team went-on to battle Apocalypse and his Alliance of Evil and Bulk and Glow Worm, where the media referred to their non human guises as X-Terminators, and next, Doppelganger and Crimson Dynamo. After being accused of capturing William Evans, Jr. by his father, X-Factor journeyed to Project: PEGASUS and briefly battled Iron Man, before teaming with him to stop a rampaging Willie, at the cost of the young mutant's life. After attending Willie's funeral, X-Factor was hired, by J. Jonah Jameson, to capture Spider-Man and, after a misunderstanding, they briefly battled the Wall Crawler, until he rescued Marvel Girl from a fall and X-Factor returned the fee, stating that they only hunt mutants. Rusty was again pursued, this time by the Freedom Force, where Blob recognized X-Factor as the original X-Men, and the team was aided by a girl named Skids, and invited her to the Complex. Shortly after, Hank met television news reporter Trish Tilby. Rusty had been greatly injured by the Blob and needed medical attention, and Artie had went into the Morlocks' tunnels looking for him. While Marvel Girl and Angel rushed Rusty to medical attention, Beast, Cyclops, and Iceman stayed in the tunnels, while the Marauders began their massacre of the Morlocks, where Hank was injured by Harpoon. At this time, Trish shattered X-Factor's illusion, from Mystique's tip by leaking that Warren, a mutant, financially backed the group. After Hank and Bobby rescued Leech and Caliban, they were briefly attacked by the Tunnelers, a group of Morlocks that believed Hank and Bobby were Marauders.

While Warren was in the hospital, Bobby and Hank received a call from Boom-Boom, stating that she was being harassed by Vanisher, and brought her back to the Complex, despite her penchant for practical jokes. After the Morlocks decided to return to the Alley, Hank was attacked by Masque and his face horribly disfigured, until Caliban beat him and demanded he change Hank back. After having his wings amputated, Warren seemingly perished when his plane exploded, as Hank witnessed the destruction and later attended his funeral. Next, Caliban accompanied X-Factor on a mission to battle The Right and rescue and recruit Rictor. After searching for Boom-Boom, with Caliban and Bobby, X-Factor battled three of Apocalypse's Horsemen. During X-Factor's battle with the Horsemen, Pestilence's touch, coupled with Dr. Maddicks' experimentation, resulted in Hank gaining tremendous strength, but losing intelligence; his strength continued to grow with every exertion, but his intelligence would decline. After meeting with Franklin Richards and the Power Pack, Franklin was kidnapped by Quicksilver, and X-Factor was transported to the Blue Area of the Moon, in Attilan, to rescue him from Maximus. While at the reading of Warren's will, Scott attempted to tell the truth of X-Factor being mutants, but they were attacked by The Right and forced to display their powers in the view of the public. Upon returning home, X-Factor found Caliban tranquilized and the children were all kidnapped by The Right. Caliban accompanied X-Factor to rescue the children and, after, they were all teleported aboard Apocalypse's Celestial Ship, where they battled the Horsemen and Warren, as Death.

Living on Ship

Revealed as Death, the fourth Horseman of Apocalypse, Warren fought the rest of X-Factor and captured them. After X-Factor's defeat, the Horsemen were sent into Manhattan to incite chaos and Hank and Bobby remained on Ship battling Apocalypse. Apocalypse teleported War and Death back to the Ship and X-Factor brought Warren out of his brainwashing, after Iceman faked his own death at Warren's hands. After their defeat of Apocalypse, his Ship crash landed on their Complex and X-Factor began living on Apocalypse's sentient Ship, which had a barrier only mutants could enter, and Caliban left with Apocalypse. Unable to face anyone, Warren left the team and X-Factor was approached by the media and finally revealed the truth of their mutant origins and disguise of mutant hunters. After saving the city from a series of fires from their battle with Apocalypse, X-Factor was given a ticker-tape parade.

Later, X-Factor witnessed the X-Men sacrificing themselves in Dallas, Texas on television and gave gifts to the children who lost their homes during their battle, where Hank dressed as Santa Claus. While sleeping, X-Factor was attacked by Ship, still under the control of Apocalypse, until Rusty freed its consciousness and X-Factor expelled a bomb and Ship, now able to speak, asked to join them. Ship had complete control over every part of its structure and could fashion rooms, weapons, and vehicles as needed from various storehouses and parts it had. Ship was able to design and run training programs for X-Factor, as well as make living quarters and workshop areas for them. While rebuilding the Empire State Building, Marvel Girl was alerted by an intense telepathic cry for help and X-Factor traveled underground to rescue the Moloids from the genocide that the High Evolutionary's Purifiers were attempting. X-Factor discovered a telepathic mutant Moloid named Val-Or, and, together with the Moloids, Tyrannoids, and Lava Men, defeated the Purifiers and proved to the High Evolutionary that the Moloids were fit for evolution. Upon returning to Ship, Hank went through old photos of X-Factor and recited their history as the original X-Men to the students.

Return to the Fur

Later, Hank witnessed Infectia transform a police officer and attempted to warn Bobby, who was being seduced by her, but due to his lack of intelligence, Bobby couldn't understand him. After saving Bobby from her kiss, however, the powers of the Infectia's kiss, on Hank, reverted Dr. Maddicks' and Pestilence's change and triggered the Beast's return to his intelligent, blue, furry, more animal-istic look, but much stronger. Upon hearing Rusty being proposed to join the Alliance of Evil, Hank awoke from his sickness and Ship teleported him and Cyclops to aid X-Factor and the students against the Alliance of Evil. After defeating the Alliance of Evil, Freedom Force showed-up and ordered X-Factor and Rusty to register, to which X-Factor accepted, under the condition that they register under their code-names (as Hank had already registered as an Avenger), and Rusty turned himself into the Navy. Responding to a priority-one distress call from the Avengers, Hank returned to their Hydrobase, with the Gray Hulk. After meeting with the Captain, Falcon, Yellowjacket, and Hercules, the reserve Avengers rescued Jocasta from the Purifiers and learned of the High Evolutionary's plan to detonate a genetic bomb in the Sunda Strait, the location of the island Krakoa. After ceasing a war between the Atlanteans and Lemurans, the Avengers defeated the High Evolutionary, his Purifiers, and New Men. While Cyclops and Marvel Girl searched for Cyclops' son, Hank and Iceman battled an invasion of demons to save the citizens of New York, including Trish. After reuniting with the rest of X-Factor and Death, X-Factor fought countless demons, searching for baby Christopher Summers, Cyclops' son. X-Factor's search lead them to the demon, N�Astirh, who teleported with the baby, and Madelyne Pryor-Summers, Cyclops' wife, reappeared with him, calling herself the Goblin Queen and calling baby Christopher Nathan. The Goblin Queen battled X-Factor and instigated a battle between X-Factor and the X-Men, having the X-Men under her demonic influence and believing that X-Factor was attempting to kidnap Nathan. After N'Astirh attacked, X-Factor and the X-Men combined efforts to defeat him, assuming that he was controlling the Goblin Queen and Havok, calling himself the Goblin Prince.

At that moment, Marvel Girl was captured by Maddie, and another battle was instigated between X-Factor and the X-Men. The Goblin Queen attempted to sacrifice baby Nathan atop the Empire State Building to permanently open a gateway between Earth and the demonic Limbo. The Goblin Queen locked herself, Nathan, and Jean inside a psionic barrier. Both X-Factor and the X-Men's combined efforts seemed to be futile in an effort to break through the telekinetic bubble. The invasion was thwarted after Madelyne committed suicide in combat with Jean, attempting to kill everyone in her power, but the X-Men and X-Factor protected each other while Jean protected Nathan Christopher. After taking baby Nathan and Jean's parents to Ship, Hank arrived at the School for Gifted Youngsters just in time to see it destroyed by Mister Sinister. While the X-Men and X-Factor battled Sinister and Malice, Sinister attempted to claim Marvel Girl, but Cyclops seemingly killed Sinister with an unchecked optic blast. After attending Candy and Maddie's funerals, X-Factor was attacked, by Nanny and Orphan-Maker while taking the mutant babies to the authorities, and rescued Jean's niece and nephew. X-Factor returned home to find the New Mutants, X-Terminators (their old students), and Namor after a battle with a sea creature and the New Mutants began to live on Ship. X-Factor next battled the Troll Associates to rescue a young mutant named Thomas Jones and, after being recalled across space by Gammenon the Gatherer, Ship took to space, with X-Factor unwittingly along for the ride.

After Gammenon sensed their presence, X-Factor was sent to the alien planet below, where they were split-up during a battle between the Chosen and Rejects. After saving Zharkah, Hank left with the Rejects.

During this time, Hank began dating Trish. Hank and Trish bickered, back and forth, about her reporting of X-Factor and his need for disclosure, a problem they had for the entirety of their relationship. Hank returned home to battle Mesmero, the Ravens, and an immortal Cameron Hodge. After Professor Xavier returned to Earth, following an extended period in outer space with Lilandra and the Starjammers, to battle the Shadow King, the Beast and his fellow X-Factor founders returned to the X-Men.

Return to the X-Men

Beast remained an active member of the X-Men's Blue Team, as well as serving as the resident technological and medical genius at Professor Xavier's, working on everything from advanced alien technology to a mutant-killing virus and even becoming field leader at one time. At this time, Hank began calling Scott "Fearless Leader". Returning to the X-Men, Beast battled Magneto and his Acolytes, Omega Red and the The Hand, a Brood Warrior Ghost Rider and Brood Queen, Mojo, Hazard, and Stryfe.

Legacy Virus

Beast and Dr. Moira MacTaggert, via video conference, worked diligently to cure Prof. Xavier, of the Techno-Organic Virus ravaging his body, after being shot by Stryfe, until Apocalypse stepped-in and provided the cure. Hank found the challenge of his career, once Stryfe tricked Mr. Sinister into releasing the deadly Legacy Virus. Hank and Warren, later, rebuilt Harry's Hideaway together and Hank went on to smear political candidate and mutant hater, Graydon Creed, on a televised political debate. Hank, then, traveled to Lord Nyoirin�s house and battled Silver Samurai. At this time, Hank and Gambit informed the Upstarts that the X-Men knew of their existence.

After a brief attack by a super-powered, recently returned Magneto, at Illyana Rasputin's funeral, and aiding the Avengers in rescuing Quicksilver's daughter, Luna, Hank and Bobby visited a dying Infectia in San Francisco. There, they met a young mutant, Threnody, and Hank decided to leave her in Sinister's care, hoping that with his lack of morals, Sinister could find a cure to the Legacy Virus with her help. Hank held the dying Infectia in his arms to watch her final sunrise.

After months with no results on the Legacy Virus, Hank instructed Sabretooth, who was at the time a prisoner/patient at the mansion, for information on Mr. Sinister. Hank led a small team of X-Men, Rogue, Gambit, and Psylocke, to Scott's old orphanage, The State Home for Foundlings in Omaha, Nebraska. After defeating a poorly cloned Riptide and Sabretooth, the team found Threnody in a workshop, working to cure the Legacy Virus for Sinister. This time, Hank had a change of heart and refused to let her stay in Sinister's care. Threnody promised the X-Men that she would work for them while gaining Sinister's trust, stating they should leave before Sinister became aware of their presence, a move Hank disagreed with, but was forced to accept. Hank was among the X-Men captured by the Phalanx. After moving the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters to the Massachusetts Academy, the mansion was renamed the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. After everyone was back to normal from the Age Of Apocalypse, when the event was reset correctly by Bishop, Bishop mistook Hank and Scott for their AOA counterparts and briefly attacked them, while Hank's actual AOA counterpart had been brought to the mainstream timeline twenty years prior. At this time, Trish reported the news of the Legacy Virus being a mutant virus that was now affecting humans, putting more strain on Hank and her relationship. While leaving a movie with Bishop, Hank found an unconscious Juggernaut. When he regained consciousness, Juggernaut stated that he was recently attacked, by Onslaught in Canada. Hank, then, saved Graydon Creed from an attack, from Gene Nation, at which time, Vessel referred to him as "the first one". Hank entered a press conference with Professor Xavier to calm the populace over the threat of the Legacy Virus in San Francisco and returned home to help to recapture an escaped Sabretooth.

Dark Beast

While attempting to rid all evidence of his existence, Dark Beast stalked Bishop and was startled to see his counterpart working with the X-Men. After Dark Beast researched Hank, from visiting (and killing) his elementary school principal, his old girlfriend Mindy, his priest, his parents (who he couldn't bring himself to kill, but killed an innocent bystander instead), and apparently members of his high school, Hank was kidnapped by his alternate self in an attempt to hide from this reality's Sinister. Hank was kept alive at the abandoned Brand Corporation building, for the chance that Dark Beast would need more information while impersonating him. Hank was trapped for almost a year, while Dark Beast took over his life as an X-Man and his research, including the work on the Legacy Virus. Hank escaped at the same time that Dark Beast was discovered by Onslaught. Upon returning to the team, Hank met Trish and the two reconciled their relationship. Professor Xavier, who was left powerless after Onslaught's defeat, was arrested for his part, leaving Scott and Jean as leaders and co-headmasters of the school.

Hank once again battled the Phalanx, when Gladiator teleported Hank, Rogue, Gambit, Bishop, Joseph, and Trish to the Shi'ar Empire and upon their return home, they escaped from Nanny and Magneto, in the guise of Erik the Red. Hank, then, journeyed, with the X-Men, to the N'Garai homeworld to battle the Ru'Tai and Pilgrimm, to clear the name of fellow teammate, Maggott, of murder charges.

Dr. MacTaggert, the only human to contract the virus, discovered a cure to a certain strain, after Mystique's irresponsible manipulation to the viroid, and died delivering the data to Professor Xavier's, leaving her work incomplete. Based on Moira's notes and his work combined, Beast finished the anti-virus, but in order to work, he needed a sample of an infected mutant. Acting before anyone could stop him, Colossus decided to sacrifice his life.

X-Treme X-Men

Hank spent a short time with Storm's X-Treme team, in search of Destiny's diaries. Hank underwent a Secondary Mutation, that caused him to mutate further into a more feline creature, after having his "latent genetic potential" jump-started, by Sage. After Vargas killed Psylocke, Beast returned to the Institute.

New X-Men

The combination of a loss of a friend and his further mutation caused Beast to become very insecure, feeling that he was devolving into an animal. Hank entered deep into his work, helping Prof. Xavier build a stronger Cerebro, named Cerebra. Prof. Xavier opened the school to a larger student base and publicly announced that he was a mutant. Hank, finally, ended his relationship with Trish, as she was afraid what would happen to her image if she was seen with him in public. After he discovered Cassandra Nova was inhabiting Prof. Xavier's body, Nova manipulated Beak into beating Beast into a deep coma. Nova, also, left him with the thought that his secondary mutation was actually de-evolution and that he would soon have the intelligence of a house cat. Hank eventually woke up, just in time for Jean and Emma to perform a psychic surgery and keep Prof. Xavier alive. Over time, Beast struck up a strong friendship with Emma, even collecting her shattered diamond form and arranging thousands of pieces into place, after she was attacked by Esme Cuckoo. Hank, also, began, falsely, claiming he was gay to the public, in the hope of inspiring wider support for tolerance.

Here Comes Tomorrow

Falling for John Sublime's trap, Hank uncovered that the human race would be extinct within a few generations. Working hard to keep the X-Men together and solve the human extinction problem, Hank turned to the drug Kick and got infected by Sublime. Corrupted, Hank caused a chain of events leading the world to ruin resulting in the Here Comes Tomorrow timeline. Phoenix disinfected Hank of the Sublime parasite and traveled back in time to end the bleak timeline.

Astonishing X-Men

Hank was still an active X-Man, working with Cyclops on his squad, and once again served as the team's resident genius, as well as an active teacher to dozens of young mutants at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, in-which Hank finally found his place as a guidance counselor. Hank also had, recently, questioned his intentions, as far as mutant rights went, firstly during Dr. Kavita Rao's so-called cure, then after the events of House of M. Emma found that he was considering taking the serum, but after a fight, with Wolverine in front of the students, and Cyclops asking him to wait on it, Hank decided otherwise.

After further analyzing the serum, Beast learned that it was derived from experimenting on dead mutants. The resulting mission ended with the rescue of the resurrected X-Man Colossus. After facing the Danger Room, mutated to a sentient being, and Cassandra Nova, influencing Emma, the team was sent to the alien Breakworld. After their return from Breakworld, Beast began dating S.W.O.R.D. agent, Abigail Brand.

Civil War

During the Civil War, Beast, was among the original X-Men that helped Bishop rescue the trapped 198 and also provided Spider-Man with a holographic disguise, then enlisted in the Initiative program.

Endangered Species

Hank endeavored to find a way to reverse the de-powering effects of M-Day, and thus prevent the extinction of the mutant race, as not only had most of the current mutants lost their powers, but no new mutants were developing powers. To this end, Beast enlisted numerous villains, after having exhausted the help of the likes of Reed Richards and Tony Stark, to help him understand the situation. Hank traveled to Transia, in search of the High Evolutionary, whose earlier cryptic comments aroused Hank's curiosity. Scaling Mount Wundagore, Hank and his group of travelers were confronted by the Knights of Wundagore. Hank began working with Dark Beast, until at the Guthrie home, the Dark Beast injected one of the non-mutant children with a serum as a test subject. Hank eventually decided to track down the Scarlet Witch, whom he found amnesic of her past life and abandoned his quest. Due to his experience, intellect, physical abilities and fierce determination, ONE considered the Beast a significant threat if a mutant-human conflict emerged in light of recent events.

Messiah CompleX

After the first mutant child was born since M-Day, Hank assisted at the mansion. Following the destruction of the mansion, Hank was present during the battle on Muir Island. When Cyclops disbanded the X-Men, Hank found himself at the ruins of the X-Mansion, picking up Martha Johansson, who had apparently been left behind. After the team set-up in San Francisco, the Skrulls Invaded. Hank adapted the Legacy Virus to infect the Super-Skrulls and, without testing of an antidote, Cyclops decided to use it on them.

X-Club

In order to save mutantkind from the effects of M-Day, Beast and Angel decided to gather a team of specialists, the X-Club. They gathered Madison Jeffries, Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi, Dr. Nemesis, and Dr. Kavita Rao. During the recruitment drive, Hank learned that Warren had returned to his Death/Archangel persona. Beast and the X-Club traveled back to 1906, in order to find Dr. Nemesis's parents and discover the origins of modern mutation. During the mission, they also fought an early version of a Sentinel, created by the Hellfire Club, and inadvertently caused the San Francisco earthquake. However, when they returned to the present, they found that their DNA evidence had been buried beneath where the Dreaming Celestial was standing in the park. Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi died of natural causes, shortly after, and Beast spoke at his funeral. Cyclops then asked him to locate Cable and Hope in the timestream, as well as provide time machines to send a group of X-Men to aid them. Although Beast was unaware of the formation of X-Force, he warned Cyclops that he did not agree with the plan if they were to assassinate Bishop in the future and further protested when Cyclops pulled X-Force from a mission to save the lives of Boom-Boom, Hellion, and Surge.

Dark Reign/Utopia

After being arrested by H.A.M.M.E.R, for protesting in San Fransisco, Beast became a test subject for the Omega Machine (designed by Dark Beast to eradicate mutant powers and place them in Weapon Omega), while being held prisoner on Alcatraz Island, by Norman Osborn, along with Professor X. Hank was tortured daily, until Cyclops sent Magik and X-Force to rescue the captive mutants. After they settled-in on Utopia, Beast informed Cyclops that he was quitting the X-Men. Cyclops begged him to stay, saying he needed Hank to tell him when he would go too far, to which Beast replied, "Scott, you've gone too far".

Fall of the Hulks/World War Hulks

Reed Richards took the liberty of assembling five of the eight smartest people on the planet to help analyze Bruce Banner's condition after becoming unable to change into the Hulk, including Hank McCoy, Hank Pym, T'Challa, Amadeus Cho, and himself. McCoy ran DNA tests and reported no mutant or mutate cells in Banner's bloodstream.

The super-villain scientist cabal known as the Intelligencia plotted to kidnap the world's eight smartest people to remove their opposition. To this end, Red Ghost and his Super Apes captured Hank and T'Challa, while Reed, Doctor Doom, Pym, and Banner were captured by other means, Cho evaded capture, and Tony Stark was already brain-dead. Hank was one of the heroes gamma irradiated, but Banner released Beast, Mister Fantastic, Black Panther and Wasp to help him re-tool the Cathexis Ray Generator so that he could draw the gamma energy out of the heroes, and once restored as the Hulk, destroyed the Intelligencia Hellicarrier.

SWORD/Second Coming

Beast joined his girlfriend Abigail Brand as a member of SWORD. Not long after, he was made a fugitive by Henry Gyrich and returned to the X-Men to attend Nightcrawler's funeral and stayed on as a doctor, during Bastion's attack on Hope. Hank and Prodigy briefed the team about the timesphere Bastion was using to send the horde of over 170,000 Nimrods to Utopia and was instrumental in finding Bastion's timeline and attuning Cable's time-travel device. Hank tended to the wounded, when they returned, then, once again, left the team, despite Namor's insulting him as a deserter.

Heroic Age

Beast returned to the Avengers, helping Steve Rogers with his team of Secret Avengers. The team first battled a resurrected Fu Manchu and the Shadow Council.