One of the X-Men’s founding members is about to become the team’s next big villain – and he still thinks he’s doing the right thing. Every member of the so-called First Class of Professor Charles Xavier’s mutant team has only become more powerful and influential over the years, with enhanced powers, more responsibilities, and even a few death and resurrections. But X-Force #31 suggests that Beast, of all mutants, has grown not into a better hero, but a more calculating and conniving villain – and the rest of the mutants are increasing nervous at his behavior.
The Krakoa era, a soft reboot of the entire X-Men franchise, changed the status quo in a truly massive fashion in 2019. For the first time in X-Men history, a mutant nation is established that serves as a legal haven for all mutantkind: Krakoa, a nation recognized by the UN and nearly every other major country on Earth, is a paradise for mutants – but humans cannot enter without permission. Every mutant can immediately claim Krakoan citizenship regardless of their country of origin, and even longstanding enemies such as Apocalypse, Magneto and Exodus work alongside the X-Men to create the perfect mutant country. Unfortunately, nation-building is exceedingly difficult – and an island housing a species hated by humans even more so.
In X-Force #31, written by Benjamin Percy with art by Robert Gill, the violent mutant Omega Red brings victims of mutant trafficking to Krakoa – in direct violation of his orders, which were to bring them to Sweden. Beast is furious – he had press waiting in Sweden and now the opportunity to garner sympathy is ruined. Amazingly, he wants to reconsider the Krakoan policy of automatically accepting any mutant refugees – a far cry from the Beast of only a few years ago. He also wants to bypass the Quiet Council and make the rules himself.
This villain change in Beast has been foreshadowed in the past, most notably in the X-Men Hellfire Gala and previous issues of the mainline X-Men books. Hank McCoy is a brilliant scientist, but recently he has taken the leap to a pragmatic politician of sorts. Beast knows that the island is fragile, and cannot survive an assault from the weapons of humanity (if they ever decided to work together). Thus, McCoy wants to make decisions that, while unpopular, will help secure Krakoa’s future. Unfortunately, he would have to oppose the Quiet Council and every mutant on it.
This would include Professor X, Magneto, Hope Summers and other powerful mutants (who can all best Beast in a fight, aside from perhaps the shape-shifter Mystique). Moving against a group with multiple telepaths is quite risky, but by now, Beast believes he is the only person willing to make the difficult but necessary decisions for the good of Krakoa. The X-Men against Beast will be quite a one-sided battle if fought physically – but Hank McCoy is nothing if not pragmatic (and willing to fight dirty).
