When the X-Men were first formed, it was with the help of several mutants, including Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Marvel Girl (better known as Phoenix) and Beast. Beast, who also goes by the name Henry "Hank" McCoy, is one of the most influential characters in the Marvel Universe. McCoy is a renowned genius and is credited with many amazing accomplishments and inventions. However, one of the things that he invented was a serum that transformed him into the Beast after he failed to take its antidote in time.

McCoy has taken on many challenges throughout his life. However, thankfully he has many abilities that were enhanced when he turned into the Beast. This transformed him into one of the strongest X-Men members. While he might not be able to recover from broken ribs as quickly as someone like Wolverine, you are going to be hard-pressed to find another superhero out there who has a more impressive combination of intelligence and athleticism.

With that said, here are the 20 Strange Things About Beast’s Anatomy.

20. He's Been a Mutant Since Birth

McCoy may have undergone incredible physical changes when he transformed into Beast, but this is not the reason why he is considered a mutant. McCoy displayed different mutant abilities from birth. For example, he had longer legs and arms, as well as bigger hands and feet. McCoy was born a mutant as a result of his father, Norton, who was involved in a radiation accident at the nuclear power plant where he worked.

McCoy was also reportedly gifted with extreme intelligence, superhuman strength, and amazing levels of agility as a result of his mutant abilities.

Because of this, McCoy became a top athlete in school before he turned his attention to tasks more fitting of one of the founding X-Men members.

19. He Created (and Consumed) a Serum That Altered His Appearance

McCoy can perhaps take solace in the fact that he developed fur all over his body - as well as other things, like claws and elongated ears - for noble reasons. When working as a scientist at Brand Corporation, McCoy managed to create a serum that would turn anyone into a mutant.

This was a brilliant invention. However, after realizing that his co-worker Carl Maddicks was going to steal his research, McCoy took the serum in order to hide his appearance and attempted to put an end to Maddicks' efforts. While he was successful in stopping Maddicks, it did come with some serious ramifications.

18. He Originally Wore a Mask

When McCoy first joined the X-Men, which was prior to his furry transformation, he wore a mask to hide his appearance. However, he ditched this when he transformed into Beast. He adopted a mask again when he joined the X-Factor and reverted to his human form. However, McCoy later stopped wearing the mask once he transformed back into the furry Beast we know and love.

When McCoy first transformed, he believed that the change would be permanent since he hadn't taken the antidote within the required amount of time. In order to successfully transform back into his human form, McCoy would have had to consume the antidote less than an hour after taking the serum.

17. He Temporarily Suffered from a Virus That Made Him Dumber When He Utilized His Strength

One of the biggest advantages that Hank McCoy has, especially in comparison to some of the other superheroes, is his high level of intelligence. In X-Factor #24, Beast battles one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, Pestilence, who has a few interesting powers.

One such ability allowed him to infect Beast with a virus that makes him become dumb whenever he utilizes his amazing superhuman strength - which, as you can imagine, happens pretty often for a superhero. Thankfully for Beast, he does eventually get his intelligence back, though it takes a few weeks for him to fully recover.

16. He Lost His Fur (and Got It back) 

In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Nicholas Hoult takes on the role of Beast. In the movie, he creates a serum that allows him to transform when he becomes overly agitated. Beast's transformation back into a human is one of the dominant story arcs in the comic series X-Factor. After the Alliance of Evil captures Beast, the group performs an experiment on him that transforms him back into a human.

It was not until issue #28 that Beast was able to transform back into his furry self. In the issue, Infectia possesses the ability to transform people into monsters by kissing them. As she's about to kiss Iceman, Beast swings in and saves Iceman. However, he is kissed in Iceman's place. Beast is hurt, but after he emerges from his coma, he is once again blue and furry.

15. He Underwent Physical Changes To Look More Feline 

There are some series in which Beast has undergone physical changes that have made him look more like a feline. This includes the New X-Men series that was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely and ran from 2001 until 2004.

This transformation led to several adjustments. After this change, his finger count was reduced from four to three.

Beast also lost his superhuman dexterity. However, he did gain some new abilities as a result of the transformation. For example, he no longer needed to sleep. Despite the many changes, though, Beast was still a genius in this form. In fact, he was successful in helping to create a new Cerebro, called Cerebra, with Professor X. This Cerebro was considered to be even better than the first one.

14. He Can Run With His Hands and Feet

Beast is incredibly proficient when it comes to using both his hands and feet. Beast has the ability to walk and run on all fours, which can be especially beneficial when he needs to travel somewhere quickly or escape enemies. Beast can also run extremely quickly. In fact, by running, he can reach close to 40 miles per hour.

However, Beast isn't just a fast runner - he's also a high jumper. He can use the strength in his legs to propel himself over 32 feet in the air and has an equally impressive 50-foot broad jump. All of these traits are surely helpful when it comes to fighting bad guys.

13. He's Resilient To Cold Temperatures & Harmful Foreign Substances

There are some superheroes, like Iceman, who are able to freeze their opponents. However, thankfully for Beast, this would never be something that he would have to worry about, as he is able to survive extremely cold temperatures. One of the reasons why he is able to survive in cold temperatures is because of is fur. This means that, at least in his human form, he might want to avoid the cold and stay in warm temperatures.

However, the cold isn't the only thing that doesn't bother Beast - he also has a resistance to foreign chemicals. Because of this, he is able to survive tranquilizers and poisons. Such chemicals were used by Kraven the Hunter, who tried to defeat him in the past and failed.

12. He Can Send Out Pheromones To Attract Others

Beast has countless unique powers. One of his abilities allows him to manipulate his own pheromones. This allows him to attract others, which can help him find suitable mates. Beast has had several romantic interests, including Jean Grey in X-Men: Forever, Storm in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, and Abigail Brand, who said that she wanted to start a family with Beast in Avengers Vs. X-Men. In X-Men: The End, Beast married to Cecilia Reyes and had three children with her.

Sadly, Beast's furry affliction has also hurt him in relationships. For example, Beast's appearance was hard for reporter Trish Tilby to accept. Though she tells Beast that she "could get used to the fur" in X-Factor #36, the two ultimately split up later on.

11. His Healing Factor Has Changed Over Time 

When McCoy first transformed into Beast, he could heal from any injury instantaneously. However, Beast lost this healing ability after a significant battle with Quasimodo. During this battle, Beast's fur was also changed from grey to black.

Over the years, Beast has undergone many changes. One of these changes allowed him to recover from minor injuries in only a few hours. Unlike characters like Deadpool, however, Beast is unable to regenerate different parts of his body. This means that, if he were to lose a limb, he would not be able to grow it back. Beast also possesses an enhanced immune system that prevents him from getting sick for a long period of time.

10. He is extremely intelligent

Hank McCoy is one of the smartest characters in the Marvel Universe. There are only a few other superheroes, such as Tony Stark and Reed Richards, who are considered smarter than Best. Among his accomplishments is the fact that McCoy has obtained six different PhDs.

McCoy has several different areas of expertise, including genetics and electronics.

McCoy is also the person responsible for finding the cure that solved the Legacy Virus. While Cerebro - which is used in part to help locate other mutants by Professor X - was created by Magneto and Professor X in the comics, McCoy's work has been influential in helping repair Cerebro, which we see in X-Men: Messiah Complex.

9. He Has Claws and fangs

Wolverine is definitely the most iconic X-Men character who uses claws. However, Beast is able to use his 3 inch claws, which are located on both his hands as well as his feet. His claws are able to cause some serious damage to those who are unfortunate enough to get on his bad side. They also provide him with an advantage when it comes to climbing, as he can use his claws to scale walls. His claws are even strong enough to cut through several different types of material, including steel.

McCoy's teeth also became much larger when he transformed into Beast. During this transformation, McCoy obtained fangs that he can also use to attack - and even intimidate - enemies.

8. Many Of His Senses Have Been Enhanced 

Prior to his transformation into the Beast, Hank McCoy possessed superhuman strength. He was able to lift 1 ton. This strength was increased tenfold after his transformation. Beast became even stronger when he emerged from the coma that he suffered as a result of Infectia's kiss.

Beast has also displayed a level of resistance when faced with mutants who tried to manipulate him using their telepathic abilities, which has helped him in more than a few cases. In addition to this, Beast's outstanding sense of smell has also been useful when he has been required to track down his opponents. Not only that, but Beast's vision was also enhance. Because of this, he is able to see things when there is little to no light.

7. He's Over 400 Pounds

In the X-Men universe, one of the largest characters is Blob, who, at one point, weighed over 500 pounds. While Beast may not be quite as heavy as Blob, he does weigh 402 pounds. However, it is interesting to note that Beast has never been slowed by his weight. Instead, it makes him even more powerful, as he can lunge at enemies who wish to take him on.

Beast is 5'11 and his athletic abilities make him an intimidating force in battle. He also has large feet, as his shoe size is 20. We can only imagine how painful it would be to be kicked in the face by a 402-pound Beast.

6. He Used To Lose Control a Lot Easier 

After Hank McCoy's first transformation into Beast, he had several new issues that he had to learn how to deal with. One of these issues involved short-term amnesia. Because of this, Beast was unable to control his animalistic instincts and, as a result of this, he was often very angry and lashed out at others.

This was not an affliction that lasted for long, however. After a battle against Quasimodo in Amazing Adventures Vol 2 #14 and #15, he was able to transform back into Beast. Because of this transformation, Beast was able to learn how to control himself and was no longer as angry as he had been previously.

5. There Is An Evil Version Of Him Called “Dark Beast”

Beast is typically depicted as a character who has a strong moral compass. After all, he has also done a tremendous amount of good to help improve the lives of mutants and humans all over the world. In X-Men Alpha, we are introduced to an antagonist version of him named Dark Beast.

In the Dark Reign arc, Dark Beast captures and tortures the regular Beast. 

That being said, if you were to compare the physical strength of Beast and Dark Beast, you would soon discover that Dark Beast is actually weaker than Beast. One reason for this is the experience that Beast has gained as a member of the X-Men.

4. His Agility and Acrobatic Abilities Are Comparable to Olympic Athletes 

Though we all know that Beast is strong, his acrobatic abilities are considered to be even more impressive. Beast has displayed his gymnastic skills in many of the comics, as we've seen him use horizontal bars with ease. Beast is surprisingly good at balancing his 402-pound frame, which allows him to do other athletic tasks, such as walking comfortably on a tightrope.

Because of this, it is easy to compare Beast to an Olympic gymnast. Beast's superhuman abilities also include an enhanced level of stamina, which allows him to engage in high levels of physical activity for hours before he starts to feel like he might need to slow down and take a break.

3. His Reflexes Allow Him To Dodge Gunfire 

There are many superheroes, such as Wolverine, who are easily able to recover from injuries and don't have to worry about being harmed during a fight. Beast is one of these superheroes. However, just because Beast can recover from injuries, this doesn't mean that he gets hurt very often.

Beast has superhuman reflexes that come in handy in battle. Beast's reflexes are so incredible that he can even dodge gunfire. His reflexes would surely make him an impossible opponent to defeat if he were ever to face someone like The Punisher, who relies on guns to take down his opponents.

2. There Is a Version Of Him With a Tail 

A version of Beast joins the Exiles in Exiles, which was released in 2009. In this world, Beast's intelligence was reduced as a result of his mutation. However, to make up for it, he is a lot more physically imposing in this universe.

In order to help emphasize that this was an alternative version of Beast, artist Salvador Espin and the writer Jeff Parker decided to give this version of McCoy a tail. The series also featured different variations of other popular characters, such as Black Panther and Scarlet Witch, who also appear slightly different from the original characters.

1. There Is a Zombie Version Of Him

Zombies have appeared in the Marvel Universe many times. They show up in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days and in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army Of Darkness. If the latter sounds familiar to you, it might be because you love the Evil Dead franchise - and if that is the case, the fact that Ash Williams appears in the comic series might be very interesting to you.

Beast also makes an appearance in both comics. In Marvel Zombies vs. The Army Of Darkness, an argument with Captain America - who goes by the name Colonel America - leads to Beast being accidentally taken down. This happened because Colonel America had recently gained cosmic powers and had not learned to control them.

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Are there any other interesting facts about Beast's body? Let us know in the comments!