Henry McCoy

"I wish that what it was." - Hank McCoy

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

X-Men: First Class
Hank is a brilliant scientist with only a few mutant features until a serum intended to cure mutations unexpectedly mutates him further into the blue-furred Beast.

X2: X-Men United
As an expert of the Mutant Affair, Dr. Hank McCoy appears in a tv show along with Sebastian Shaw, debating on the necessity of registering 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
Hank McCoy becomes 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. 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, for warning his ex teammates about the threat that the cure represents.

When Professor Xavier is killed by the Phoenix, Beast comes again at the mansion and assists his former mentor's funeral. He is then contacted by Wolverine, who has discovered that Magneto is heading to the Alcatraz Island for killing Jimmy and destroying the cure. Beast joins the team and participates to the battle at Alcatraz. During the fight, while Wolverine is acting as a distraction, Beast 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.

Character traits
Dr. McCoy is a brilliant scientist and researcher. One of the earliest recruits to the X-Men, McCoy 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. Dr. Henry McCoy 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, Dr. McCoy 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, Hank McCoy 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.

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 - Enemy.
 * Azazel - Enemy.

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.

Appearances/Actors

 * Canon (3 films)
 * X-Men: First Class - Nicholas Hoult
 * 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 X-Men: The Last Stand, Beast joins his teammates at the school as a teacher.

Gallery
Images in chronological order of the film timeline:

Videos
Video:X-Men: First Class Beast Trailer|Beast Trailer for First Class.