Hank McCoy, the Beast Appreciation 2023

[Mungho]

We have two Lauras, once they put their foot down and decide only one Laura was the real one all along they may do the same with Beast but right now two real Beasts can exist concurrently to our knowledge.

This really brings up uncomfortable questions. Do these two Beasts(and two Lauras) have unique souls? Or is it somehow divided? Or is a literal copy of a soul made? That goes for all the clones bad Hank made, but they're all dead now so it doesn't matter.

Most likely, knowing Percy, the bad Hank will be killed and the good Hank will be left wondering it he's the real one or not, leaving the next writer to make a solution.

[Ogrebear]

Cloning has always brought up uncomfortable questions about souls going all the way back. In 616 Androids, Cyborgs, AI, Manimals - do any of them have souls?

Is it ok to slaughter Skrulls or other aliens (invaders or not) when you won't kill Humans cos it will compromise your 'moral code'?

I imagine a lot of countries in 616 have laws about this sort of thing, similar to coming back from the dead.

[KurtW95]

Smarter writers and editors would've thought this through and avoided it.

[Sutekh]

Cloning has always brought up uncomfortable questions about souls going all the way back. In 616 Androids, Cyborgs, AI, Manimals - do any of them have souls?

It's always a crapshoot, determined by the writer. Souls are real things in the Marvel universe, that can be detected and quantified and separated from a person. Various characters like Nightcrawler and Strong Guy have functioned just fine, and even functioned as heroes, despite lacking souls (Guido was less moral, but Kurt didn't seem affected, at all!).

Split souls between bodies are a controversy here in the real world. Some religious folk claim that the soul appears at the moment of conception, but we know that the single fertilized cell that becomes a pair of identical twins doesn't split into two clumps of cells that become different people for up to 48 hours. Does one of them get the soul and the other just a soulless copy? Is the soul ripped in half and each of them have a weak fragment of a soul? Are souls indivisible and they somehow share it, even if miles apart? Can one 'not dilute the power of God' like how pouring holy water into a basin of regular water makes it *all* holy water, and a half a soul is the same as a whole soul? Who knows. No one on this Earth, I imagine.

And the only time anyone on 616 would know any different is if they are a demon, sorcerer, god, etc. able to sense the presence or absence of a soul, making it a moot point for communities lacking such adjudicants (like, say, New Salem, K'un Lun or Kamar Taj).

Is it ok to slaughter Skrulls or other aliens (invaders or not) when you won't kill Humans cos it will compromise your 'moral code'? I imagine a lot of countries in 616 have laws about this sort of thing, similar to coming back from the dead.

Most 616 countries are probably no more cognizant of the nature of souls than real world countries are here. Exceptions would be nations run by folks who explicitly truck in souls, gods, sorcery, etc. like Wakanda (with it's active ties to the spirit world) and Latveria (whose leader has been obsessed with the fate of his mom's soul). As for aliens, demons, etc. it probably depends widely on the country. America's declaration that 'all men are created equal' has been expanded to include women, and foreigners, and would seem, by precedent, likely to be expanded to cover aliens and other 'people,' but NOT invaders, since that's 'war' and in war, killing is allowed. But that doesn't mean that other countries are going to share that notion, particularly in the case of extra-dimensional invaders who fit the stereotypical form of demons in nations strongly dominated by religion.

[Mungho]

The above is why I think all this resurrection and cloning was a bad idea. Sure, bring back all the mutants that shouldn't have been killed off, but introducing unpleasant questions you have no intention of answering is not good.

I'm sorry if I've been more whiny then usual this past month. I've spent the past month recovering from Covid. F**KING AGONY!!! And I was vaccinated(though not the latest variant)! At least I'm okay now, thank the Lord.

Hmm, I've noticed that this thread has about triple the pages of the 2022 Beast Appreciation Thread, thanks to my obsessive posting. I don't know if I've had any effect on anything, though.

I noticed AIPT.com has a survey which among the questions, they ask who your favorite X-couple is during the Krakoa period. Makes me think again how utterly alone (fake?)Hank has been. It seems like all the other characters got to party and explore new sides of themselves, but all (bad)Hank did was sit alone in X-Force headquarters slowly becoming a mass-murdering maniac. Once good-Hank returns, Krakoa will be over and he'll have missed out on all the partying.

I really hope the next writer gives him a proper and loving relationship with a partner. His relationship with Abigail Brand seemed the most developed, but will Hank even remember her when he returns if he just has his memories from his Avengers'(they're broken up anyway)? I liked the idea of him with Cecilia Reyes, but now she hates him like literally EVERYONE else(except Abigail).

Dammit, I could have sworn there was a scene in SWORD(maybe?) where Abigail says she want to have Hank's babies, but I can't find it.

Come to think of it, since we know Hank is going to be fixed in a few months, should I change my signature and avatar? I was waiting to see exactly HOW this all pans out, but I have had these for a long time.

[K7P5V]

I noticed AIPT.com has a survey which among the questions, they ask who your favorite X-couple is during the Krakoa period. Makes me think again how utterly alone (fake?)Hank has been. It seems like all the other characters got to party and explore new sides of themselves, but all (bad)Hank did was sit alone in X-Force headquarters slowly becoming a mass-murdering maniac. Once good-Hank returns, Krakoa will be over and he'll have missed out on all the partying.

I know, right?! Back in the "old days", Henry knew how to par-tay (LOL):

[M@Bowers2014]

I cannot wait for old school, member of the Avengers Beast to come back. Hopefully there won't be some dark, awful twist to it when it happens.

[Mungho]

I cannot wait for old school, member of the Avengers Beast to come back. Hopefully there won't be some dark, awful twist to it when it happens.

I...don't think they'd be that cruel. They have to match Hank up with his appearance in the upcoming cartoon, right?

I haven't posted pictures in awhile, and speaking of the cartoon, here's a scene from that comic set in that continuity(I believe?) of him and Abigail. I really like the beard:




And here, a short scene from when Hank painstakingly reassembled Emma after she shattered. He saved her life, yet barely reacted when Logan threw his corpse on the QC table. Percy can't get away from the X-books fast enough:




And just a simple cover:

[Mungho]

I know, right?! Back in the "old days", Henry knew how to par-tay (LOL)

Yeah, the heavily implied foursome(or more) from the preceding page.

It's so strange, now it's Hank being hated for being a mutant (in general, not about his current behavior):

"ARRRGHHH! Kill all muties!!!"

But back in his Avengers' days, it was:

"OMG I'VE GOT TO F**K THE BLUE FURRY MAN GET OUT OF MY F**KING WAY!!!"

[Phoenixx9]

I know, right?! Back in the "old days", Henry knew how to par-tay (LOL):

I laughed so hard when I first read this---the part of Beast stating he promised "Barb, Sue, Melanie and Paty" that he would not tell! Look at Cap and Wasp. Neither were amused.

[Havok83]

In a few weeks we get Teen Hank back and I cant wait to see him again

[Mungho]

In a few weeks we get Teen Hank back and I cant wait to see him again

Me too! I guess the theory of Teen Hank replacing the current Hank was wrong, since we know Wonder-Man somehow brings back old Hank this February.

[K7P5V]

I laughed so hard when I first read this---the part of Beast stating he promised "Barb, Sue, Melanie and Paty" that he would not tell! Look at Cap and Wasp. Neither were amused.

Same here. Speaking of not being amused, remember when everybody gave Henry a hard time for his clowning around. Here's an example...

[From The Shadows]

Beast and Jubilee.

[bearman]

The Avengers excerpts above reminded me why i didn't love Avengers Beast: he often was written as a juvenile jackass, not "fun loving"... just grating. I suspect the real reason for this is few comics writers are actually funny. Hank seemed less witty, and more annoying to me.