Beast / Hank McCoy

Beast / Hank McCoy Hank McCoy's first appearance is built around movement. In X-Men #1, he works through an obstacle course using his feet to grip a wire. He needs strength, balance and precise timing. This Beast has a human-looking face and skin, oversized hands and feet, and a uniform that leaves those feet free. Kirby gives him a way of moving that separates him from the others immediately. An obstacle designed for somebody standing upright becomes a different problem when Hank can grab, hang and change direction with his whole body. The opening also puts him right in the middle of the classroom friction. He's quick to get drawn into the horseplay. Xavier has to teach a room full of teenagers whose arguments can turn physical with very little warning, and Hank is an active part of that room. His more elaborate vocabulary and intellectual interests become a larger part of his characterization as the original run continues. In this debut, Hank spends more time arguing with Bobby and getting put through his exercises. Xavier even grades the work. Hank can make a difficult maneuver look easy and still have another part of the assignment to improve. Issue: X-Men #1 (1963).