Marvel Revives the Most Despised X-Men Character

A legendary figure who had fallen from grace is back, and is quickly proving to be a major challenge.

Recent issues of X-Men (#24, by Jed MacKay, Tony S. Daniel, Mark Morales, Fernando Sifuentes, and Clayton Cowles) show internal conflict within the mutant terrorist group 3K. However, the fighting stops abruptly with the unexpected arrival of their Chairman: the original Beast, Hank McCoy. What’s worse, this version of Beast is already aware of everything that’s coming in the Age of Revelation.

Hank McCoy, known as Beast, first appeared in Marvel’s X-Men #1 back in 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. From the start, he’s been a key member of the X-Men, consistently proving himself as both a powerful fighter and one of the smartest mutants around.

Throughout his history, Hank has transformed significantly, both physically – changing from a regular appearance to the iconic blue-furred Beast, and even sporting two different white-themed looks. He’s also experienced major shifts in personality, with the most controversial occurring during the recent Krakoan period.

Beast played a key role in Krakoa’s success, developing life-saving cures and ensuring its security first as leader of X-Force, and later as its intelligence head. However, the constant stress eventually overwhelmed him, leading him to secretly work on ambitious projects like creating an army of Wolverine clones and a team of his own clones for research.

What Happens To Beast In The X-Men Comics?

One of the cloned Beasts ultimately rejoined the X-Men, but not without significant changes. X-Force used Cerebro to restore a backup of the original Hank McCoy from before the events that transformed him. At first, this Beast was confused and frightened, but he quickly adapted and became a powerful hero once again.

Despite seemingly dying in a fight between his clone and Wonder Man, the original Beast actually transferred his mind into an artificial body. It was this original, evil version of Beast who sent his consciousness forward in time to the Age of Revelation, and he’s now returned as the leader of 3K.

Beast now commands a formidable group of mutant villains and possesses information about the future, decades ahead of his time. This gives him a significant advantage, allowing him to strategically maneuver through the present and secure victory later, particularly since he understands key events and can replicate them to his benefit.

X-Men #24 from Marvel Comics is on sale now.

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2026-02-07 17:11