Hank's recovery isn't settled the instant Infectia kisses him. There is an unstable period afterward, and his full return to his blue, furry appearance and restored intelligence…

Hank's recovery isn't settled the instant Infectia kisses him. There is an unstable period afterward, and his full return to his blue, furry appearance and restored intelligence comes in X-Factor #33. By then, getting that familiar Beast back means something very different from merely changing his design again. The human-looking version has been suffering through a loss of abilities that are fundamental to how he lives. The furry version returns with the mind and personality his friends have been afraid of losing. It makes a simple before-and-after comparison pretty inadequate. Looking more conventionally human wasn't a guarantee that Hank was doing better. You have to follow what was happening to him, rather than decide which version should be happier based on a picture. And the friendships carry the consequences of that experience. Bobby has seen Hank put himself in danger for him. The children have seen him frightened and struggling, and have tried to help. He's a very capable adult without being an invulnerable one. Hank can explain himself again. He can participate in a conversation without fighting to recover the thought he needs, and the others can hear that familiar intelligence in what he says. After watching him struggle, that is a real change in his day-to-day life. The blue fur comes back too, but the relief is in seeing him able to think and communicate as himself again.