Beast
(Henry McCoy) (Profile #1 - Early)
Context
These are quick benchmarking notes about the Beast of the early X-Men, back in the 1960s, in the days when the nights were young, when we could do no wrong. No, wait, wrong decade.
This entry will eventually be superseded by a much more detailed series of profiles. Well, assuming there’s enough money to keep the site running for that long.
Background
- Real Name: Henry “Hank” P. McCoy.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Norton (father), Edna (mother), Robert (uncle).
- Group Affiliation: X-Men.
- Base Of Operations: Xavier School for the Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York State.
- Height: 5’11″ Weight: 325 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown
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Powers and Abilities
The bouncing Beast is extremely agile, fast and strong, and has unmatched balance. His hands and highly prehensile feet are of unusual size, yet extremely dexterous.
McCoy is also a prominent scientist. Genetics and biochemistry are his specialities but he also has been known to dabble in electronics.
History
Henry McCoy’s father Norton worked at a nuclear power plant where he was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during an accident. Norton was unharmed, but the radiation affected his genes. As a result his son Henry was born a mutant.
Unlike most superhuman mutants, Henry showed signs of mutation from birth : unusually large hands and feet.
Thanks to his superhuman agility, strength, and speed, Henry became a star football player as a teenager. His remarkable athletic abilities attracted the notice of both Professor Charles Xavier, who was forming the original X-Men, and a costumed criminal named El Conquistador.
The Conquistador captured McCoy’s parents to force McCoy to aid him in his criminal schemes. However, with the help of Xavier and the X-Men, Henry defeated the Conquistador. He then joined the X-Men, taking the code name “Beast.”
A brilliant student, McCoy completed his doctoral studies under Xavier’s tutelage. Years later left the X-Men and Xavier’s school to take a position as a genetic researcher with the Brand Corporation.
Description
Hank is very big and muscular, with abnormally big hands and feet.
Personality
While he’s a stalwartly serious and stupendously scholarly researcher, the Beast has taken the role of the joker to heart. He’s always cracking jokes and making fun of his opponents, or launching deadly puns.
Beast also greatly enjoys showing off his extensive vocabulary in sprawling and intricate sentences. Furthermore he wields a wide range of unusual expressions, some in French or Latin. Cramming as many polysyllabic, literary and scientific terms in a sentence as possible and still making sense is a fun hobby to him.
Hank comes across has a light-hearted, very friendly, highly charming man. He’s also extremely loyal to his cohorts.
Quotes
“Oh my stars and garters !”
“May I request that you decamp in order to orally extract the embryonic fluid of hen ova ?”
DC Universe History
See the main Beast writeup.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Beast (Early)
| Dex: 07 | Str: 06 | Bod: 06 | Motivation: Responsibility |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 07 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Adventurer |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 05 | Resources: 05 |
| Init: 017 | HP: 040 |
Powers:
Jumping: 02, Running: 05
Skills:
Acrobatics: 11, Artist (Keyboards musician): 04, Charisma*: 05, Gadgetry*: 07, Martial artist*: 07, Medicine*: 07, Scientist*: 07, Thief (Stealth): 05, Vehicles (Air, Land, Water): 05
Advantages:
Ambidextrous, Connoisseur, Genius, Lightning Reflexes, Prehensile Feet, Scholar (Genetic, biology/biochemistry, literature), Languages (Italian, Pundi, Latin and of course French).
Connections:
X-Men (High).
Drawbacks:
Mistrust (Mutant), Secret ID.
Design notes
While Beast’s DEX might seem low to the casual reader, it accurately represents McCoy’s actual performance as a fighter. Beast’s prowess is modelled using a huge Acrobatics score as well as Prehensile Feet and Lightning Reflexes Advantages.
Game Stats — DC Adventures RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Beast (Early) — Averaged PL 10.2
| STR | STA | AGL | DEX | FGT | INT | AWE | PRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 (05) | 02 (05) | 02 (08) | 01 | 04 (07) | 04 | 03 | 01 |
Powers
Mutant physique and agility ● 40 points (Permanent) ● Descriptors: Mutation
– Altered legs and feet — Speed 1, Leaping 2, Feature (Prehensile Feet).
– Altered physique — Enhanced Strength 3, Enhanced Stamina 3, Enhanced Agility 6, Enhanced Fighting 3.
– Astounding moves — Enhanced Advantage (Defensive roll 2, Evasion, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Takedown); Enhanced Skill (Acrobatics 4, Athletics 6); Feature (Ambidexterity).
Scientific phenomenon ● 1 point ● Descriptors: Skill
Enhanced Skill 4 (Expertise [Science]), Limited to Genetics/Biology.
Combat Advantages
Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 1 (3 w/Mutant physique), Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Power attack, Takedown.
Other Advantages
Inventor, Languages 2 (Italian, Latin, Pundi, French).
Skills
Acrobatics 3 (+15), Athletics 4 (+15), Close combat (Unarmed) 4 (+11), Deception 4 (+5), Expertise (Connoisseur) 4 (+8), Expertise (Literature) 8 (+12), Expertise (Musician, Limited to Keyboards) 4 (+8), Expertise (Science) 8 (+12), Insight 5 (+8), Intimidation 4 (+5), Perception 5 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+5), Technology 8 (+12), Treatment 6 (+10), Vehicles 7 (+8).
Offense
| Initiative +12 |
| Unarmed +11, Close, Damage 5 |
Defense
| Dodge | 15 | Fortitude | 9 |
| Parry | 15 | Toughness | 8/5* |
| Will | 7 |
* Without Defensive Roll
Complications
- Responsibility Hank believes he should use his gifts in the most positive way possible.
- Mutant Prejudice As an obvious mutant, Hank is sometimes subject to hostility or fear from others.
- Secret Identity Hank maintains his heroic identity separately.
Power levels
- Trade-off areas Attack & Effect PL 8, Dodge/Toughness PL 12, Parry/Toughness PL 12, Fort & Will PL 8.
- Point total 153. Abilities 38, Defences 23, Skills 38, Powers 46, Devices 0, Advantages 8. Equiv. PL 11.
Design notes
I chose a Toughness on the tougher end and choose a higher STA, as he is a physically powerful mutant rather than a highly trained brawler. I broke his Scholar advantage out to avoid cluttering his skills section with a limited skill adding to a regular skill.
Source of Character: X-Men comics.
Helper(s): Roy Cowan, M&M stats by Pawsplay.