Beast Man is a
supervillain in the
toy
A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...
line and
cartoon series
An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...
Masters of the Universe; the savage right-hand man of
Skeletor
Skeletor () is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise created by Mattel, serving as the archenemy of the protagonist He-Man. He is typically depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid who wears a purpl ...
, he can control many wild creatures and has brute strength.
Character history
The 1980s
The original design sketch of Beast Man by
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
toy designer Mark Taylor was rejected by Mattel for looking too much like
Chewbacca.
Figure
Beast Man was one of the first eight characters to be created for the Masters of the Universe toy line by
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
in the early 1980s, and one of the first four to be completed and released (the other three being
He-Man, Man-At-Arms and Skeletor). When the character was developed by Mattel, the name of Beast Man was reused from a figure in Mattel's earlier
Flash Gordon toy line.
In an early story for the toy line (then called 'The Fighting Foe Men') written by the first mini-comics author Don Glut, Beast Man was at one stage planned to be the line's main villain, but this role ended up being given back to Skeletor (prototype name De-Man), with Beast Man as his main henchman. The character was also known as 'Tree Man' in the original conceptual drawings by Mark Taylor.
The figure came with red removable chest and arm armor, and was armed with a string whip, which was recycled from Mattel's earlier
Big Jim toy line. Being one of the early figures to be continually re-issued with each successive wave, late examples of the figure can be found with a hard, solid head as opposed to the more common hollow, 'squeezable' rubber one. The 'solid head' version is far rarer.
The Weapons Pak, which consisted of existing weapons and armor, mostly in different colours to their original, included yellow versions of Beast Man's
torso
The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a huma ...
and arm armor (as well as his whip, in its original black). As a result, many examples of the Beast Man figure found on the second-hand market can be found to be wearing this yellow version of the
armor
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
. Some sellers even promote this as a variant version of the figure, but in actuality it is just down to previous owners mixing the parts up over the years, as Beast Man figures only ever came wearing the red version of the armor.
Later in the original toy-line's run, Beast Man also has the unfortunate distinction of being the character most often depicted being trapped and covered with evil green slime in the Evil Horde's Slime Pit ending up as a slime-monster who willingly obeyed
Hordak
Hordak is a fictional character in the '' Masters of the Universe'' franchise who opposes She-Ra and He-Man, as well as the franchise's main villain, Skeletor, to whom he was once a mentor, and the cause of the latter's ambition and pursuits of e ...
's commands.
Filmation cartoon series
Beast Man appears frequently in the toy line's accompanying cartoon series by
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...
, introduced in the first episode "Diamond Ray of Disappearance". Although toned down slightly for the younger-child friendly series, as were many of the characters, his cartoon portrayal is generally consistent with his mini-comic portrayal, although in some early episodes the show's writers added extra dimensions to his character in that despite his loyalty, he clearly resents being bossed around by Skeletor and secretly desires to someday overthrow his master. This side of his character is brought to the forefront in the episode "Prince Adam No More", in which he is finally thrown out of Skeletor's crew. Feeling useless without the power of Snake Mountain behind him, he sets out to prove his worth by capturing
King Randor
King Randor is a fictional character, a warrior king who appears in the popular 1980s ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise. In early material, the character is called King Miro; this was later given in the Filmation cartoon series as King Rand ...
by himself and imprisoning him within Snake Mountain. Although he succeeded in capturing the King, when
He-Man comes to the rescue he is subjected once again to Skeletor's wrath and admitted back into his ranks purely so Skeletor has someone to vent his anger on. But his final line in the episode "It's kind of nice to be home" indicates he now feels he belongs as Skeletor's underling, and subsequent episodes portray him mostly for
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
value, willingly succumbing to Skeletor's abuse and constantly bungling his schemes. Notable episodes for Beast Man in the show's later stages include "The Shadow of Skeletor" and "Orko's Return" which restore him to his original, darker portrayal, working independently and craftily to achieve his aims. The powers of Beast-Man are shown effective in some earlier episodes, such as "Creatures From The Tar Swamp", "A Beastly Sideshow" and "The Dragon Invasion". His ability to control animals is not impeccable, however. For instance, he cannot control Cringer, Battle Cat, a dragon defending her young, or Panthor (although does trick Cringer into a trap in "A Beastly Sideshow").
Beast Man remained a fairly regular character throughout the run of the 1980s series, while some other earlier figures like
Zodac
Zodac () is a fictional character, a cosmic superheroic entity in the Masters of the Universe mythology. The spelling varies between Zodac and Zodak in different sources (until the two were later defined as separate characters). In a unique c ...
,
Mer-Man
The ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' franchise debuted in 1982 with the creation of American company Mattel and the toyline of the same name. This is a list of characters that appear in the toyline, television series ''He-Man and the Mast ...
,
Tri-Klops
The ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' franchise debuted in 1982 with the creation of American company Mattel and the toyline of the same name. This is a list of characters that appear in the toyline, television series ''He-Man and the Mast ...
and
Stratos gradually dropped out of sight when newer characters were released. He generally held his position as Skeletor's right-hand man throughout the cartoon's run, although in some later second-season episodes this position was occasionally filled by characters such as
Clawful
Clawful is a fictional supervillain in the Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''.
He is a member of the Evil Warriors. He appears to be a hybrid between a man and a crab ...
or
Whiplash
Whiplash may refer to:
* The long flexible part of a whip
* Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury
** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles
Film and television
* ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer
* ''Whiplas ...
, as writers attempted to promote newer characters more prominently. Beast Man was often teamed up with
Trap Jaw, one of the other earlier characters to remain consistent through the show's life.
Beast Man's background is never mentioned in the cartoon, although the series bible states a surprising origin for him, explaining he was once a thuggish human from
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
called Biff Beastman who owned a
farmyard on which he constantly abused the animals. He was recruited as chief
technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles.
Specialisation
The term technician covers many different speciali ...
on the
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
piloted by
Marlena Glenn, which crashlanded on Eternia, but he wound up on Skeletor's homeworld of Infinita, where he was mutated into Beast Man and recruited by Skeletor. This origin story appears in a storybook entitled "New Champions of Eternia" but was unpopular with most of the show's writers and therefore excluded from the series.
Other media
Beast Man is included in numerous MOTU storybooks throughout the 1980s. One such range of storybooks is the
UK Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.
It is an imprint of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary o ...
which reveals he was the leader of a tribe of Beast People from the Vine Jungle. Although this background has never been mentioned in any of the more prominent MOTU incarnations (except for the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, which features the "Beastmen"), it is generally a popular concept amongst fans that he hails from a jungle tribe.
The 1987 live-action movie
Beast Man also appears in the live action
''Masters of the Universe'' movie in 1987. Although credited as 'Beastman' (all one word), he is presented as "''the'' Beastman" within the movie. Played by Tony Carroll, he is portrayed somewhat differently from other incarnations, appearing as a savage minion of Skeletor's, who merely growls instead of speaking. Although his lack of speech might indicate a lower level of intelligence than his usual depiction, the character is shown as capable of using high-tech weapons, working in a team and following orders. (He is also seen to carry a rather battered, simple sword at his waist, although is not seen actually using it in the movie.) When Skeletor incinerates
Saurod for the broader team's failure, Beast Man clutches at his master's hand and makes a great show of begging for his life.
Redesigned by European comic artist
Moebius, Beast Man has the same concepts as his familiar version, yet at the same time has a noticeably different appearance, with longer, browner fur rather than his usual orange, no blue face markings and a possibly
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
-influenced new design for his chest armor.
Although drawn to resemble his film counterpart, Beast Man of the movie's comic book adaptation has more in common with the cartoon and toy versions. He talks and even replaces Blade as
Evil-Lyn
Evil-Lyn is a supervillainess in the Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''.
An evil witch who aids Skeletor as his second-in-command with her powers of darkness. She is v ...
's helper during the scene of her interrogating Kevin Corrigan.
One of the original drafts from the script by
David Odell
David Odell (born July 8, 1943) is an American screenwriter and film director.
Odell was nominated in 1980 for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for ''The Muppet Show'' alongside Jim Henson, Don Hinkley, and Jerry Ju ...
(whose previous writing credits include ''
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'' and ''
The Dark Crystal
''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The ...
'') was reviewed in the third episode of the He-Man and
She-Ra
She-Ra, real name Adora, is a fictional superheroine in the 1985 Filmation series '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'' and its 2018 reboot '' She-Ra and the Princesses of Power''. A series of toys under her name was produced by Mattel in 1984.
Her f ...
podcast, Masters Cast. The original draft included more time spent on Eternia and Snake Mountain, had Beast man in a speaking role, and even revealed that He-Man's mother was originally from Earth, as per the character
Queen Marlena
The ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' franchise debuted in 1982 with the creation of American company Mattel and the toyline of the same name. This is a list of characters that appear in the toyline, television series ''He-Man and the Mast ...
from the
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...
animated series ''
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's toy line ''Masters of the Universe''. The show, often referred to as simply ''He-Man'', was one of the most popular anim ...
'', thus linking the two planets.
2002 revamp and Mike Young Productions animated series
Beast Man returns in the 2002 relaunch of the MOTU toy line and series. Possessing essentially the same design as the classic version of the character, the 2002 Beast Man is depicted as being a physically much larger creature with a hunched back. He is one of the largest revamped villains, rivaled in size only by Whiplash and
Clawful
Clawful is a fictional supervillain in the Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''.
He is a member of the Evil Warriors. He appears to be a hybrid between a man and a crab ...
. The figure's colour scheme is darkened down slightly, with deeper orange-red fur instead of the vintage figure's bright orange, and dark brown armor in place of the original's red. The figure's arm armor is now molded on (whereas the original's was removable), and now also sports similar armor on his lower legs. The action feature of this new version of the figure is his arms, which swing downwards when a button on his back is pressed. When the
Four Horsemen
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos.
Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand tha ...
originally designed the new version, they had planned for the figure to have a vocal 'roaring' feature, but this was eventually dropped due to production budget restraints.
His portrayal in the new cartoon series is much the same as the old, although in this incarnation he never shows any signs of desire to overthrow Skeletor, remaining permanently loyal to his "pal". Beast Man is the only character shown to fully trust Skeletor as a friend, and this trust (if not the respect) is returned in "The Mystery of Anwat Gar" when his master grants him a superweapon. Although he still can control over all wild animals, he has difficulty controlling
dragons as is showcased in the episode "Dragon's Brood". Beast Man still carries a whip, but relations with his animals are characterized by mutual affection.
Although his background is not mentioned in the show, the accompanying MVCreations comic series published an origin story for him (as Icons of Evil #1, written by
Robert Kirkman and drawn by
Tony Moore) in which he is revealed to originate from the Berserker Islands, where he first encounters
Keldor
Skeletor () is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise created by Mattel, serving as the archenemy of the protagonist He-Man. He is typically depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid who wears a purpl ...
before his transformation into
Skeletor
Skeletor () is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise created by Mattel, serving as the archenemy of the protagonist He-Man. He is typically depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid who wears a purpl ...
. He has remained subservient to Skeletor ever since he saved his life for the sake of recruiting him as his servant.
Masters of the Universe Classics
The ''MOTU Classics'' toyline that started in 2008 includes short character biographies on the backs of the packaging. These merge elements from various incarnations of the franchise with some newly developed information to form a new, distinct "Classics"
continuity. Additionally, there are several mini-comics and posters which further add to this new canon.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2012)
The 2012 DC comic borrows a concept created for ''MOTU Classics'', that there is an entire species of creatures called ''Beast Men''. Beast Man is a member of that species. Born Raqquill Rquazz, Beast Man was banished to the Vine Jungle by his kind for his evil deeds where he met up with Keldor during a skirmish in the Berserker Islands. His animal-controlling abilities prove to be useful in Skeletor's campaign to take over Eternia.
''Live Action He-Man movie''
Beast Man will appear in the live action He-Man movie. In the film, he's a savage and powerful foe and will bring a little something different to the table: he’s a shapeshifter with the ability to turn into any type of beast, making him a useful spy for Skeletor as well as a formidable fighter.
Reception
Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
list the character as part of He-Man: 15 Most Powerful Masters of the Universe. Beast man was rated the 2nd most useless character.
Notes
* In the German audio-book series a character biography was given in the episode "Nacht über Castle Grayskull" (''Night over Castle Grayskull''). It is said that Beast Man was once an intelligent scientist. He found a powerful magic plate and changed it so that Skeletor could not use it any more. For that Skeletor tortured him and gave him a toxin to destroy his intelligence. This made Beast Man Skeletor's loyal, yet stupid, servant and slave.
References
{{Masters of the Universe
Villains in animated television series
Fictional anthropomorphic characters
Fictional characters introduced in 1981
Fictional henchmen
Fictional humanoids
Fictional whip users
Masters of the Universe Evil Warriors
Male supervillains
Male characters in animated series