Beast of the Hand

The Beast is a comic demon supervillain that features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

The Beast was one of the race of Demons that inhabited the planet Earth. It was said that he was primary among their kind when the planet was young where the Beast believed in nihilism but that its influence was minimal at first. (History of the Marvel Universe v1 #2)

Among the Beast's devoted followers were the Snakeroot who came to serve as the inner circle of the Hand. (Daredevil v1 #322)

The Chaste gathered at their mountain retreat to discuss their plans in stopping the Hand from turning Elektra into a host for the Beast. (Daredevil v1 #320)

After Murdock took a life, he began the first steps in allowing the Beast to fully manifest in his body. From the shadows, the Snakeroot orchestrated events in secret to see Matt Murdock's full corruption so that he would become a suitable vessel for their master. (Daredevil v1 #509)

Around this time, the Beast came to hold the soul of Tenfingers where he constantly tortured the former Hand member. Lu Wei took her son Sam Chung to China in order to beseech the Beast directly to request the demons aid to restore her child's eyesight. She gave her own soul as a price for the deal with Sam working to restore his mothers soul. To achieve that end, he tricked Matt Murdock to come to China to find him at the Hand's temple where he aided in his capture. He aided in the breaking of his former mentor with the Beast ultimately agreeing to free Sam Chung and his mother to escape. Sam came to regret his actions and decided to confront the Beast to free Daredevil that the Beast was torturing. As the Hand attempted to capture the pair, they were betrayed by Lu Wei with the Beast devouring her whereupon it teleported itself and the temple elsewhere leaving Blindspot and Daredevil behind. (Daredevil v5 #28)

For years, the Archpriestess looked for a new High Slayer to lead the Hand after the death of the former Fist of the Beast. Other members of the dark order looked to martial artists though the Archpriestess came to believe that the Red Messiah to be the Punisher Frank Castle. Resurrecting his deceased wife, she convinced Castle to adopt the role of leader of the Hand where he began to use the ninja cult to eliminate criminals in the world. (Punisher v13 #2)

Overview

Personality and attributes

To his followers, he was referred to as the Lord and also as the Jackal's Son. (Elektra: Assassin v1 #7)

He claimed to be the heart of darkness that was older than the light that brought about life. The Beast was said to had been given flesh for the purpose of ending flesh. (Elektra: Assassin v1 #7) The Beast was said to had hungered for the end humanity. (Shadowland v1 #3) To his followers, they derived their power from him which was intended to be used for destruction. (Punisher v13 #2)

The Beast was said to be the unholy father of the Sickly Ones who had helped found the Hand to spread his bloody teachings. (Punisher v13 #2)

Powers and abilities

The demon was also able to produce a liquid called Mothers Milk that was fed to humans and made them subservient to the will of the Beast. (Elektra: Assassin v1 #1)

From the demon's mouth, he could exude a black substance that formed into a demonic entity that called itself the Tongue of the Hand that served as a mouth piece of its master. (Daredevil v5 #28)

A paragon of the Beast was said to be embodied by the High Slayer who served as the demon's Red Messiah. This person was to be the true Fist of the Beast who was meant to lead the Hand. To such a person, they came to be empowered by the five gifts of the Fist. The first of these was the Eyes of the Beast gifting them with supernatural sight. (Punisher v13 #2)

The inner circle of the Hand consisted of the Snakeroot who served as the Beast's most devoted followers. (Daredevil v1 #322)

Notes

• The Beast was created by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz where it made its first appearance in Elektra: Assassin v1 #1 (August, 1986).

In other media

Video games

• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Beast was referenced in the Facebook video games Dossier in the Hand Entry. It was speculated by Doctor Strange that the Beast was a disguise used by the demon Dormammu.
• In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, the Beast was referenced in the setting of the Wii video game. It was said to be a primordial entity dating back to the dawn of civilization where it sought a return to those dark days. The demonic force was worshipped by the Hand who by modern times conducted an arcane ritual to bring about its emergence into the world. The Hand Mystics used Elektra as a vessel for the Beast as she had been resurrected by their magics in the past but she was freed from the entity's grip by the Avengers.

Appearances

• Elektra: Assassin v1: (1986)
• Daredevil v1:
• Shadowland v1:
• Daredevil v5:
• History of the Marvel Universe v2:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry

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