The Beast (Hank McCoy) debuted in 1963's X-Men vol 1 #1, by which point he had already become a superhero and joined the X-Men.  His origin was first touched on in X-Men vol 1 #15, in which Xavier simply reads about him in the papers and goes round to visit.  The "Origins of the X-Men" back-up strips in X-Men vol 1 #49-53 fill out the Beast's history, and add a thoroughly unnecessary encounter with an extremely minor supervillain (in the name of getting some action in there somehow).  There's also an assortment of miscellaneous clutter.

This listing is largely based on Dave Hall's analysis.  Where the same issue features several times in the listings, page and panel numbers are given.

X-MEN vol 1 #49, second story, page 5 panel 3
Hank is born.  He already has enlarged hands and feet.

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 2 to page 3 panel 3
The immediate aftermath of Hank's birth.  His parents hold him for the first time, and the nurse comments on his appearance.

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #10, page 35 panel 4 (flashback)
Hank in his crib.

X-MEN vol 1 #49, second story, page 5 panels 4-6
Infant Hank plays with his uncle Bob.

X-MEN vol 1 #50, second story, page 1 to page 2 panel 2
Toddler Hank begins to display superhuman strength and agility.

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 4 panel 6 to page 9
After being scolded by his mother, Hank runs off and talks to his father, who is working in the fields.  Norton recounts how he used to work in a nuclear power station and was exposed to radiation, presumably accounting for Hank's mutation.  [Norton's story is taken from X-Men vol 1 #49, but this scene in which he tells Hank about it is new material.]

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #10, pages 1 to 4 (flashback)
Hank is now attending Dunfee Elementary School.  His parents are called into school, only to find him merrily dismantling the school bus in order to find out how it works.

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 11 panels 3-4
Continuation of the above scene.

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #10, page 35 panel 5 (flashback)
Norton tries to get Hank to play baseball, but Hank is more interested in his book.

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #10, page 35 panel 6 (flashback)
Edna comes home to find Hank swinging from the ceiling light by his feet.

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 12 panel 1
Hank goes on a date with a girl called Mindy.  [Mindy is apparently meant to be the unnamed blonde girl from X-Men vol 1 #50, second story - see below.]

X-MEN vol 1 #15, page 13 panels 3-6 (flashback)
Hank is attacked by bullies, and uses his powers to escape injury when they shove him in front of an oncoming car.  [This scene is repeated with numerous minor variations in Uncanny Origins #6.]

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #10, pages 17-18 (flashback)
Hank, Mindy and others go on a group date to the amusement park.  They are thrown out after Hank starts dismantling the animatronics in order to see how they work.

X-MEN vol 1 #50, second story, page 2 panel 3 to page 3 panel 2
Hank and a girl (presumably either Mindy or Jennifer Nyles) walk past the football field, and the coach gets him to have a go.  Not surprisingly, he's excellent.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #86, 3rd story, p4pn6-p5 (fb)
Hank is now on the football team.  His friend Jennifer Nyles persuades the coach to let him try out as quarterback.  Again, he proves to be excellent.  [This is one of a series of flashbacks retroactively establishing Hank's relationship with Jennifer Nyles, which was a plot point in his Marvel Comics Presents serial at the time.]

X-MEN UNLIMITED vol 1 #10, page 35 panel 7 (flashback)
Hank plays football.

X-MEN vol 1 #15, page 16 panels 2-3 (flashback)
Hank displays his phenomenal agility by climbing the goalposts during a game.  The nickname "Beast" is coined.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #86, 3rd story, p1-p2pn6 (fb)
The night of the junior prom.  At the last minute, Hank is invited by Jennifer Nyles.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #86, 3rd story, p3pn3-4 (flashback)
Jennifer's parents takes photos of her and Hank before they go to the prom.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #86, 3rd story, p3pn5-6 (flashback)
At the prom, a jerk called Evan makes disparaging remarks about Hank.  Jennifer slugs him.

Hank goes to university.  (Presumably at Bard College, since Xavier reads about him in the Alumni News, and Bard was Xavier's American university.)

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #86, 3rd story, p6pn3-5 (flashback)
The night before a big college football game.  Jennifer phones Hank from London (where she's studying genetics) in order to encourage him.

X-MEN vol 1 #50, second story, page 3 panel 3 to page 5
Criminals attack the stadium during a football match.  Hank uses his powers in public to defeat them.  The incident is televised, attracting the attention of minor supervillain El Conquitador.

X-MEN vol 1 #51, second story, pages 1-2
Hank plays another football game, and continues to use his powers in public.

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 14 panel 1
Hank walks home from the game.

X-MEN vol 1 #51, second story, pages 3-5
El Conquistador and his men kidnap Hank and his parents.  He threatens to kill Hank's parents unless Hank assists him.

X-MEN vol 1 #52, second story
Under duress, the Beast steals an experimental miniaturised power plant for El Conquistador.  The villain plans to use it to power one of those city-destroying weapons that were so fashionable among supervillains in the 1960s.

X-MEN vol 1 #53, second story, page 1 to page 5 panel 3
The X-Men arrive and defeat El Conquistador.

X-MEN vol 1 #15, page 16 panels 5-6 (flashback)
Over dinner at the McCoys' house, Xavier tries to recruit Hank into the team...

UNCANNY ORIGINS #6, page 16 panels 2-3
...and adds a bit of exposition explaining how El Conquistador was defeated.  Following this conversation...

X-MEN vol 1 #53, second story, page 5 panels 4-5
...Hank agrees to join the team.  Cyclops explains that Professor X has wiped Hank's powers from the memories of everyone in town.  (Of course, that doesn't deal with the fact that he was on TV, and reported in the press... but hey, it was the Silver Age.)

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #85, third story (flashback)
The Beast flies into a rage on learning that Xavier has also erased him from Jennifer Nyles' memories.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #88, second story (flashback)
The Beast has his first session in the Danger Room, still upset about Xavier's actions.

X-MEN vol 1 #1
The X-Men make their public debut against Magneto.  Hank's first published appearance.

Last revised: 14 August 2004