Beast had had some radical physical transformations, but none of these mutations were as devastating as the time Hank McCoy nearly lost his mind.
Out of all the X-Men, Beast has endured some of the strangest changes over the years. Undergoing several different mutations, Hank McCoy has been physically altered time after time. Beast’s most startling transformation, however, impacted his mind more than his body.
Hank’s radical devolution occurred following the events of 1989’s X-Factor #19, by Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson. Beast and the rest of X-Factor were engaged in battle with the Horsemen of Apocalypse. Pestilence touched Hank, leading him to collapse instantaneously. Fortunately, X-Factor took Beast back to their headquarters to recover. By the time he awoke, however, Hank was very different. Beast became much stronger than before and far more aggressive. For example, when Cameron Hodge entered X-Factor’s headquarters, Beast tackled him out of blind rage. Initially, it seemed that Hank’s strength and aggression levels were the only things that changed. Yet over time, Beast grew less mentally stable. The more he used his strength, it was revealed, the more Beast lost his usual intelligence. Hank would make mistakes, acting more rashly the more he used his newfound power.
When Apocalypse arrived, Beast’s strength was pushed to its limit in the ensuing battle. Risking everything to help his teammates, Hank lost more of his intelligence as the days went by. In X-Factor #25, by Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson, Beast destroyed the gyroscope on Apocalypse’s ship, sending it out of control. Moreover, this show of strength significantly reduced his intelligence.
At a certain point, Iceman had to make Beast promise not to fight anymore, as it would risk more of his mind. In Fantastic Four #312, by Steve Englehart and Keith Pollard, Beast’s promise was put to the test. Doctor Doom kidnapped Beast and Sharon Ventura, holding them hostage so X-Factor and the Fantastic Four would fight his rebellious ward, Kristoff. Beast did everything he could to not fight, but he eventually attacked Doom and went into a berserker rage. The Thing ultimately had to hold Beast back.
It wasn’t until X-Factor #31, by Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson, that Beast regained his intelligence. When Iceman was endangered by Infectia, whose kiss could alter someone’s molecular structure, Hank wasn’t smart enough to warn his friend. Beast risked his life for Bobby, taking Infectia’s kiss instead. As a result, Beast returned to his blue, furry form, while regaining his intelligence.
While Beast’s devolution was a trying time for him, it wasn’t without its perks. Physically, Beast was doing quite well. Since X-Factor #3, by Bob Layton and Jackson Guice, Hank had returned to his original, more human-like form. While Hank’s hands and feet were still enormous, at least he appeared more human.
This appearance helped Hank, especially since he’d always struggled with his looks in his blue, furry form. Pestilence’s touch also made Beast much stronger than ever, initially making him more useful to X-Factor. Still, Hank lost his most important trait: his intelligence. Beast has always been the resident genius of Marvel’s Mutants, with Hank’s brain becoming his defining characteristic. Even during his more dramatic transformations, during Amazing Adventures #11, by Gerry Conway and Tom Sutton, X-Treme X-Men #3, by Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca and All-New X-Men #5, by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen, Beast retained his intelligence. Hank’s appearance may have changed over time, but his mind remained as sharp as ever. It’s true that Beast has lost some of his morality, but his intelligence has stayed the same.
Beast’s transformation in the pages of X-Factor was far more devastating because Hank nearly lost his identity. Beast wasn’t smart enough to warn his teammates of danger, and he couldn’t fight at the risk of losing more of his intelligence. Despite looking more human, Beast lost more of his humanity than he did during any of his physical transformations. Ultimately, it’s fortunate that Beast had good friends like Iceman to help him through this trying process. It was this friendship that eventually returned Beast to his furry, intelligent state. By saving Iceman, Beast became whole once again.
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