As Krakoa’s X-Force chief, Hank McCoy slid from ruthless spymaster into outright villainy — and prepared for it like a scientist. He made clones of himself to serve as a private think tank, made weaponised clones of Wolverine, and deleted most of his own Cerebro mind-backups so that no later, softer version of Hank could ever be restored to expose or replace him.
What he could not bring himself to delete was the oldest backup of all: an imprint from his bouncing, wisecracking Defenders era, around New Defenders #142 (1985). In X-Force Vol. 5 #48 (2024), Sage recovered one of the clone bodies from Beast’s own Weapons of X programme and downloaded that 1985 mind into it — producing a Beast with roughly forty years of his own life missing, including every step of his fall.
The restored Hank then had to hunt the original. In X-Force #50 (2024) the elder Beast, cornered at last, died shielding his old friend Wonder Man from a weapon of his own design — and the clone, horrified by a future he does not remember living, took his place on Cyclops’ X-Men team in Alaska, asking colleagues how they had let him become that.
THE THINK TANK
THE BACKUP HE KEPT
PAUSE, RESET
THE INHERITANCE
Bullpen Bulletins
- Wikipedia — Beast (Marvel Comics) Career summary confirming the Krakoan clone programme, the deleted Cerebro backups, the surviving Avengers/Defenders-era imprint, and the clone’s succession.
- ScreenRant — After 61 Years, Marvel Kills Off (& Permanently Replaces) a Founding X-Men Hero Contemporary report on X-Force #50 (2024) confirming the original’s death, the clone’s memories stopping at New Defenders #142 (1985), and his place on the new X-Men team.
- X-Force Vol. 5 #48 and #50 (2024) The primary issues — Sage restores the 1985 backup into a Weapons of X clone body, and the original Beast dies saving Wonder Man.