The $30 million mutant match

The X-Men's newest member, Animalia, has finally given Beast someone who understands what it's like to live as an animalistic mutant, furthering a new romance that has fans split.

As a powerful X-Men hero unlocks a new frontier of their powers, a founding member of the team finally has an equal, after decades of being ostracized because of their mutant appearance.

Hank McCoy, aka the Beast, is one of the five founding members of the X-Men. Originally possessing enlarged hands and feet that enhanced his agility, Beast's self-experimentation caused further mutations, covering him in blue fur and giving him an animalistic appearance and senses, as well as recently revealed predatory instincts that grow more insistent as he ages.

For years, Beast was depicted as one of X-Men's loneliest and most tragic characters, truly alone in his inhuman appearance, even among a team marked by public fear and abuse.

Animalia's tiger-like transformation

Animalia, aka Jennifer Starkey, adopts a tiger-like form with increased strength and speed, as well as white fur and lethal claws.

This is the latest step in the developing romance between Jennifer and Hank,finally introducing a character who has a similar mutation to Beast.

The romance has been one of the main subplots of this new X-Men era, but not every reader is a fan.

Power imbalance or perfect match?

Some have pointed out the relative power imbalance,as Beast essentially studies Jennifer as a scientist and mentors her in how to control her powers,their romance developing at a time when Animalia wasn't sure if she'd ever be human again,and saw Beast as her best chance of doing so.

Despite their misgivings, Animalia's bestial new form suggests Marvel is planning to continue the romance, giving them even more in common.

Beast's tragic past echoes

For fans of the match, this is particularly heartwarming given Beast's tragic past.

During Grant Morrison's acclaimed New X-Men run, Beast's partner left him due to press attention on their relationship.

Later, Beast thought he'd finally found another feline mutant , only for it to turn out to be a mutated animal, still with a non-sapient mind.

Of course, in X-Men comics, tragedy is always around the corner, and Animalia's increased connection to Beast is likely setting up some manner of dark separation or twist.