X-Men’s Beast Helped Create Marvel’s Worst Mutant Street Drug

X-Men founding member Hank McCoy (aka Beast) is often thought of as a hero. Certainly, Hank has served with both the Avengers and the X-Men and has helped save the day many times. Hank is also a brilliant scientist who has used his background in genetics for the betterment of mankind.

Despite his good intentions, however, Beast’s actions have often had some very negative consequences. He brought his younger self and his other fellow X-Men into the future, creating major time paradoxes. He modified the mutant-killing Legacy Virus to infect Skrulls. And then there was his role in creating one of the worst street drugs in the Marvel Universe…

Beast’s role in creating street drugs dates back to one of his most important storylines. In Amazing Adventures #2, Beast graduated from Xavier’s school and got a job as a researcher for the Brand Corporation. Still basically human-looking at this point (albeit with large hands and feet), Hank decided to create a hormone that could intentionally cause mutations. Possibly using his own mutant DNA in his research, Hank eventually synthesized a chemical he believed would be able to trigger temporary mutations in normal human beings, allowing him to study the nature of mutation.

In typical mad scientist style, however, Hank decided to use his drug on himself when he wanted to secretly investigate his company. Not knowing what the drug would do to a mutant, but hoping it would sufficiently change his appearance, Hank got his wish when his mutant hormone transformed him into a grey-furred, fanged creature with pointed ears, greater strength, and a more aggressive attitude. Now a literal “beast” Hank conducted his investigation but failed to take the antidote to his drug on time, trapping him in his bestial form.

Hank would eventually adjust to being the Beast full-time and even mutated into a cuter, blue furred version of himself that women found irresistible. However, his research had much more negative consequences for others. Later scientists were able to use Hank’s research (or research done in a similar vein) to develop the drug MGH (Mutant Growth Hormone). Much like Hank’s drug, MGH creates temporary mutations in ordinary humans, giving them a major high. However, it increases aggression (like Hank’s original drug) and is highly addictive, making it an illegal substance.

MGH made its way to street dealers, who peddled it to ordinary people, turning them into addicts. Hank himself got reinvolved with the drug shortly after “M-Day” when the Scarlet Witch depowered the majority of mutants on Earth. Hoping the MGH drug might be able to help in his research to save the mutant population, Hank sought out an MGH dealer. However, M-Day had rendered the Mutant Growth Hormone inert.

Ironically, the dealer then offered Hank a lot of money to sell his blood to his supplier, allowing them to create more MGH. Furious, Hank attacked the dealer for suggesting such a thing – apparently forgetting his own role in creating the drug in the first place. Viewed in that light, the Beast’s actions seem rather hypocritical, showing that even when he has the best of intentions, Hank can inadvertently hurt a lot of people.

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Michael Jung
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Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20^th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michael’s background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

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