Beast’s 7 Greatest Looks in X-Men History, Ranked

Henry McCoy, known as Beast, was one of the first X-Men when the team was introduced in 1963. He’s incredibly gifted – possessing exceptional strength, speed, agility, stamina, heightened senses, and a brilliant mind. While he sometimes struggles to protect loved ones, we’re focusing on his changing appearance. Beast evolved from being one of the most conventionally-appearing members of the original X-Men to the most visually distinct, transforming from a human to a blue, fur-covered, ape-like being.

As a huge X-Men fan, I’ve always found Beast and Nightcrawler fascinating. They both look like they could be intimidating, even monstrous, but they’re genuinely some of the kindest, most caring members of the team – though Nightcrawler really wears that heart-on-his-sleeve thing better. Beast has been going through a rough patch for a while, thankfully he seems to be in a better place now. Honestly, it’s less about the fur itself with Beast, and more about what he pairs with it – his outfits really make or break his look. Putting some questionable choices aside, I’ve put together a list of his best looks over the years.

7) All-New X-Men (Future)

Brian Michael Bendis was writing two X-Men titles at the time, and All-New X-Men featured two versions of Beast: one from the present and another from the X-Men’s original days. The present-day Beast was starting to become a villain, and his appearance showed it. He was acting more like a classic “mad scientist” and dressed the part, sporting goggles, a tactical vest and shirt, and tactical pants – all geared towards creating gadgets.

This particular look didn’t last long, but it’s remembered for a few key reasons. He wore it right before the ‘Secret Wars’ event in 2015, and it was featured in Jonathan Hickman’s ‘New Avengers’ comic. It came at a time when fans were starting to react negatively to Beast’s changing appearance, and it offered insight into his character development, showing how he’d changed since his youth. It really highlighted how much hardship he’d endured, a sentiment shared by many of the original five X-Men, particularly Cyclops, who was going through a more extreme phase at the time.

6) New X-Men

Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men is still talked about today – some people loved it, others didn’t. One reason for the strong reactions was the new look of the X-Men team. Following the success of the X-Men movie, the team members all wore black leather costumes with yellow highlights. Beast’s costume was considered one of the better designs, but his overall appearance was a bit unusual.

Before this latest change, he’d undergone a mutation that transformed his appearance from ape-like to something resembling a cat, which was surprisingly noticeable after seeing him look a certain way for so long. While the design feels a bit old-fashioned now, it evokes a lot of fond memories for those who enjoyed the early Fox X-Men movies.

5) Dark Beast

Okay, let’s talk Dark Beast. He’s not a reinvention of the Beast we know, but rather a version pulled straight from the Age of Apocalypse storyline. What immediately sets him apart is his black fur – a stark contrast to the classic blue. Honestly, he was the original darker take on Hank McCoy, and while the character eventually evolved into something even more frightening, Dark Beast was the blueprint. Visually, he’s essentially Beast with a darker color scheme, a few extra coats, and some seriously enhanced, more imposing physical features. That’s what made him such a hit with fans! Last I checked, he’s still ‘around’ – though currently existing as just a head in a jar. With the classic Beast seemingly back to normal, I’m hoping we’ll finally see a proper, balanced dynamic between these two versions.

4) X-Factor

Beast, when he appeared human, occasionally wore a costume from his time with X-Factor. Starting with issue #4 of the comic, he briefly traded his fur for an orange and yellow jumpsuit, giving him the look of a traditional superhero. While he also had a black and red version, the orange jumpsuit was particularly distinctive for Beast.

It was a welcome change, and it logically explains why he stopped wearing blue. Giving him a costume with completely different colors felt right. While it’s not the most popular look, this design is still an important part of Beast’s history. It’s strange, though, that he was called Beast even when he didn’t have blue fur, considering this was his original appearance.

3) Astonishing X-Men

Let’s revisit Beast’s design from his Astonishing X-Men run in 2004. Stripping away the jacket and much of the shirt from his earlier look in New X-Men, Beast wore unusually high-waisted pants and went barefoot. This simpler style helped re-establish his unique character. Although the pants were quite high, it felt fitting for the character.

He’s a rare X-Men character who could pull off a costume with both blue and black alongside yellow. Most characters only pair a dark color with yellow, but he made all three colors work well together. Even though it was during a less popular period with the ‘cat’ design, it was still his best look at the time.

2) Lab Coat

While it might not be a typical ‘best look,’ Beast consistently rocks his lab coat and glasses – it’s become his signature casual style. He’s more likely to be found working on a solution to save humanity than fighting villains in it. This outfit is a key part of his character, appearing in both the comics and adaptations like movies and cartoons. It feels completely natural for him, and fans wouldn’t want to see it changed. Though a white costume might also look good on him someday!

1) Blue Fur and Trunks

I always pictured Beast with the traditional blue fur and trunks, and honestly, looking at how much fur he has, I feel for him – he must get incredibly hot! His look is so iconic, especially with that hairstyle and those claws, very similar to Wolverine. It’s funny, because if anyone else on the X-Men wore trunks, people would probably make fun of them, but Beast is so intimidating, you wouldn’t dare! He’s truly a force to be reckoned with.

The recent redesign was fantastic for all the X-Men, except perhaps Archangel. It truly captured the essence of Beast, finally making the name feel fitting. Even a small detail – the yellow belt with the black X inside a red square – significantly enhances the overall design. This new look is now the definitive image of Beast, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

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2026-04-10 03:13