A Case Against the Beast

[Shellhead]

Some of my all-time favorite issues of the Avengers were during the Micheline era, when Beast was an Avenger. I was a fan of the X-Men going back to the Neal Adams issues, but I liked Beast better when he was blue, furry and an Avenger.

Even so, I don't think that Beast belongs with the Avengers.

Beast is a mutant. His early experiences as a hero were as one of Xavier's students and as an X-Men. However unrealistic it may be for people to discriminate against mutants and not the other metahumans, that is how things have worked on Earth in the Marvel Universe. For better or worse, this is a major issue for most mutants, although they have chosen different ways to cope. As an intelligent and highly-educated scientist in various bio-sciences, Beast has provided valuable assistance to his fellow mutants. They need him, and he knows it.

As an Avenger, Beast was often portrayed as feeling useless or awkward. His scientific skills weren't necessary, as the Avengers already had geniuses like Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and T'Challa around. He was nowhere near as powerful as the heavy hitters like Thor or Vision, and frankly less skilled at combat than people like Captain America or Hawkeye. It was nothing to be ashamed of, but Beast just didn't have anything that the Avengers needed the way the X-Men did.

Allowing for variations from writer to writer, Beast seemed very out-of-character while in the Avengers. So much so that I don't blame Michelinie because it was deliberate. Being an Avenger for Hank was like being on vacation. He could fight costumed villains with the help of Earth's mightiest heroes without worrying about murderous bigots who wanted to kill all the mutants. These heroes knew him more by reputation than anything else, so Hank was free to re-invent himself with them. That's why Beast as an Avenger was so carefree and happy, where he is usually depicted as being calm and cerebral when he is with the other mutants. But every vacation must eventually come to an end, and Hank couldn't ignore the needs of his fellow mutants forever.

[Mariah]

Even so, but the whole purpose behind Xavier's teachings has always been to have mutants and humans coexist peacefully, and what better way of showing such progress than having an obvious mutant on the world's greatest superhero team?

Now, while it doesn't have to be Beast who was a former x-man, I do believe there should at least be one of the remaining mutants on the new Avengers team. Although, I think having a man who has a tendency to have berserker rages to be a good candidate for ambassador on mutant/human relations, which is exactly what Beast was.

[Will.S]

Shellhead puts up a good case regarding why Beast is much more carefree around them but then again the Avengers are sometimes a bit too stiff and serious so they need lighthearted heroes like Hank, Hercules and Hawkeye sort of how Simon was a great foil for Beast since they're different but work so well together.

I don't know if I'd go as far as saying he didn't belong. He was still was able to pull his own weight even if he was being dwarfed powerwise by others because he was still the most acrobatic of them all and Hawkeye and other members constantly have to face measuring up to the others where in fact they're just as heroic and great.

[Alan2099]

As far as Beast goes, I think he tends to weigh himself down too much and lock himself in the lab when he spends too much timer with the X-men. Sure they may be 'family" but when he's with them, he's almost always seen working himself to death.

That take on him is just as inaccurate character wise as his tendency to party down with the Avengers.

Speaking of that, you talk as though Beast letting his fur down and kicking back is a bad thing. being a smart guy doesn't mean you're not supposed to have a social life.

[dazzler_slave]

As far as Beast goes, I think he tends to weigh himself down too much and lock himself in the lab when he spends too much timer with the X-men. Sure they may be 'family" but when he's with them, he's almost always seen working himself to death.

That take on him is just as inaccurate character wise as his tendency to party down with the Avengers.

Speaking of that, you talk as though Beast letting his fur down and kicking back is a bad thing. being a smart guy doesn't mean you're not supposed to have a social life.

I agree with you completely. Nothing else to add. :D

[Erik Lehnsherr]

As far as Beast goes, I think he tends to weigh himself down too much and lock himself in the lab when he spends too much timer with the X-men. Sure they may be 'family" but when he's with them, he's almost always seen working himself to death.

That take on him is just as inaccurate character wise as his tendency to party down with the Avengers.

Speaking of that, you talk as though Beast letting his fur down and kicking back is a bad thing. being a smart guy doesn't mean you're not supposed to have a social life.

^^As perfectly portrayed in the book in my sig.

[Babylon23]

As far as Beast goes, I think he tends to weigh himself down too much and lock himself in the lab when he spends too much timer with the X-men. Sure they may be 'family" but when he's with them, he's almost always seen working himself to death.

That take on him is just as inaccurate character wise as his tendency to party down with the Avengers.

Absolutely. Beast spent the better part of 10 years failing to cure the Legacy Virus. It seemed for a long time like the only reason he was even in the x-books. every time we saw him, he was in a lab coat, wallowing in self pity and anguish. At least in Avengers, he had various roles and responsibilities.

[Mitchel]

Its like two totally different characters. In Avengers you could see Beast hanging upside down doing Quinjet repairs or playing sports with Simon or double dating or simply having fun and making light of any uncomfortable situation. A guy that knows how to live life to its fullest was the impression I used to get of Beast while in the X-Men he is a Red Richards clone in a cat body sanz the hot wife and family.

[Beast]

Naturally I disagree with Shellhead here. Beast worked quite well as an Avenger. In fact, he was a much better character during his Avengers years, than he's become since the O5 X-Factor team remerged into the main X-Men team. I also disagree that he doesn't fit very well with the group. In fact, him being a mutant and a former X-Man during those years gave some actual weight and legitamacy to Xavier's dream. Being a public face for mutants also did quite a lot to further that dream, when you think of it.

And I also disagree with him being very out of character during his Avengers stint. His characterization in Avengers wasn't a great deal removed from his X-Men characterization. Remeber, Beast and Iceman were very close and you got to see the playful less serious Beast quite often there as well. We also saw it when he was in the New Defenders along with Iceman and Angel. And then in X-Factor as well.

The problem is, that ever since the Legacy Virus... Beast has been almost constantly chained to the lab. Add in his devolution to his feline form, and they've managed to almost drain every aspect of 'Fun' out of the character. Sure he's still got the occasional witty remark standing by, but he's just not the upbeat funloving genius that was the defining aspect of his personality for decades. Hence why they need to lose the Feline form and move him back to the Avengers alongside Wonder Man. The X-Angst needs to end.

[Omega Alpha]

I agree that Beast is too much of a lab rat this days. He shouldn't be an all party boy, he's a scientist, so he should be a lab rat, but he's not Reed Richards. Seems like writers are forgetting that the member of the O5 that needed to almost be forced to go to the parties was Scott, not Hank. In Morrison's run, he was depressed because of the secondary mutation, so it's understandable, but with everyone else there is really no reason for it.