Beast (Disney)/Synopsis

Past
In the comic book prequel to the films, The New Adventures of Beauty and the Beast, the Beast is shown as the human prince Adam roughly two years before the events of the first film. He is brought up in a sophisticated and strict manner due to his royal status, but was very bitter and cruel towards everyone, especially his servants. He was skilled in academics and sportsmanship, and especially enjoyed hunting, though his hunts often were inhumane, including one where he attempted to shoot a fawn. He also had a horse named Thunder, but showed no love towards it and treated it poorly, causing it to run away. Adam would lash out at everyone, including hitting an old woman (who was later revealed to be the Enchantress) when she annoyed him. Despite this, he did harbor a softness for Mrs. Potts and her son Chip, as they were always too kind to him for him to become angry at.

However, one Christmas Eve, an old woman came to the castle and asked for shelter from the bitter cold outside, offering a beautiful rose as payment. However, Adam was disgusted by her appearance and poverty and turned her away. She warned him not to judge solely by appearances, but he dismissed her again. Suddenly, her ugly appearance disappeared, and she transformed into a beautiful Enchantress. Adam attempted to apologize, but she saw the darkness and evil in his heart and punished him, transforming his body to match his soul, into the form of a monstrous beast. She then placed a spell on the castle, transforming all who lived there into household items and transforming the castle into a dark, cold place. She then gave him a magic mirror as his only view of the outside world. She also gave him the rose, which was enchanted. It would bloom until his twenty-first birthday; if he could learn to love another and earn her love in return, he, his castle, and his servants would be freed. If not, they would remain cursed for eternity.

Adam, now known as the Beast, fell into depression and despair. His violent temper only grew, and he lashed out and became enraged at everything, even destroying the West Wing of his castle and one of his favorite childhood toys in his fits. Though the servants tried to help him with his temper and continue his education, he would too often become furious and lash out.

Eventually, when the rose first started to wilt, the Beast lost all hope and attempted to live out in the wild. He failed, ending up falling off a small cliff and being knocked unconscious, only to be rescued by Chip and the footstool dog Sultan.

Meeting Belle
In Beauty and the Beast, an inventor from a nearby town named Maurice went on his way to a fair. However, he became lost, and was chased off of his path by a pack of vicious wolves. He found himself at the Beast's castle, where he was taken in by the servants and cared for. However, the Beast arrived and saw Maurice as an intruder, proceeding to violently kidnap him and lock him in the dungeon.

Maurice's daughter, Belle, then arrived at the castle to rescue her father, but was caught by the Beast. She offered herself to take her father's place, and the Beast agreed, seeing it as a way to possibly learn love with this beautiful girl. He threw Maurice out and had him taken back to the town. After some convincing from his servants, the Beast allowed Belle to move out of the castle's tower and into a bedroom, though he tried to force her to join him for dinner. When she refused and stayed in her room, the Beast became infuriated and decreed that she should not eat unless it was with him. He then left to sulk in the West Wing of the castle, where he uses the enchanted mirror to look in on Belle and overhear her speaking to the Wardrobe about how much of a monster he was.

Belle eventually came out of her room, and was treated to a secret dinner by the servants. She then wandered into the West Wing of the castle and came upon the enchanted rose, which she attempted to touch. However, the Beast stopped her and lashed out again. Belle fled the castle, only to be attacked by the wolves that had attacked her father. However, just as she was cornered, the Beast arrived, having felt remorse for scaring her away and coming to save her. he fights off all of the wolves, but is badly injured. Belle takes the Beast back to the castle and tends to his wounds, an newfound respect having grown.

Wanting to do something kind for Belle in return for her kindness, the Beast gives her access to his library and the thousands of books he has. In return, Belle decides to teach the Beast to be more civilized and put up with his more aggressive moments.

Belle's Magical World
In the midquel, Belle and the Beast continue to try and get along, though they have issues. The Beast does several rude gestures that annoy Belle, though he stands by the fact "his castle, his rules". He grows angry at Belle and his servant Webster for objecting to him. The Beast refuses to apologize, so servants Webster, Crane, and LePlume forge a fake apology letter to Belle. This angers the Beast so much that he banishes the three from the castle, decreeing that any who comfort or try to let them back in will be punished. Belle brings them back, and the Beat later realizes the error of his actions and apologizes.

Later, Belle saves a bird with a broken wing, only for the Beast to lash out due to hating birds. However, in his outrage, he falls down some stairs and hits his head, completely forgetting about his hatred for birds. However, he captures the bird and puts it in a cage in his room, demanding it to sing for him. Belle explains that the bird will only sing if it is happy, and the Beast learns to let the bird free.

Christmastime
Belle and the Beast soon reconcile, but still occasionally butt heads. As Christmas approaches, Belle wants to celebrate, but the Beast has forbade it due to his hatred of the holiday, mostly because Christmas Eve was the day the Enchantress curses him. However, he does relent to let Belle have her celebration, but wants to sit it out. Behind the scenes, one of Beast's servants, Maestro Forte, is plotting to break up the growing friendship/romance with Belle and the Beast so that they can remain under the spell forever, as he likes his new form and likes that the Beast comes to him for advice and to play his music. He manipulates the Beast and encourages him to not fall in love.

Belle decides to do something kind for the Beast by writing him a book to give as a Christmas present. She also meets Forte later on in a chance meeting. Forte then manipulates her, telling her that the Beast used to love Christmas, and that his favorite tradition was the tree. He then lies to her and tells her large Christmas trees can be found in the woods right outside the castle grounds. Belle disobeys the Beast's orders to not leave the castle to get a tree, but falls through thin ice.

The Beast cannot find Belle, and Forte tells him she has abandoned him. He goes out to look for her, and saves her from freezing and drowning. However, he believes she was trying to run away, and locks her in the dungeon. However he finds Belle's gift to him and realizes what she was trying to do, and lets her go. They prepare to celebrate Christmas together, but Forte becomes enraged and tries to destroy the castle with his music. Beast makes his way to Forte's chamber and destroys his keyboard, casing Faorte to not be able to continue his music. He angrily rips himself from the wall in an attempt to fight, but loses his balance and falls down on his face, killing him. Beast mourns Forte's death, but realizes that his old friend was too dangerous and evil to continue on. Despite the loss, the Beast still celebrates Christmas with Belle and the others.

Marvel Comics
In a thirteen issue Beauty and the Beast comic series by Marvel Comics, the Beast has a nightmare and becomes angry for the rest of the day because of it. He explains the situation to Belle, who invites him to participate in a surprise birthday party for the Wardrobe. He reluctantly agrees, but becomes angry and begins acting out when the Wardrobe failed to show up for the party. The issue was eventually resolved, and the party went as planned.

Later, Belle decides to reteach the Beast how to read and write, which he had forgotten to do as a result of his curse and more "animal" mind. He became frustrated at his lack of progress and tried to have Lumière write a poem and pass it off as his. belle saw right through it, however, and decided that she would teach him, albeit stricter.

Later, Belle and Chip get lost in a snowstorm, and the Beast heroically saves them both. He tends to Belle and even has breakfast served to her in bed.He then helped her around and even helped her find hollies to help make her happy.

The Beast and Belle are later seen reading in the library, when an open window blows in snow and ruins Belle's favorite book. The Beast tries to comfort her, but accidentally insults the book. He repairs the book after a suggestion from Chip, and gives it to Belle as a gift.

He later begins thinking and lamenting about his past evils, putting him in a bad mood and causing him to lash out at Sultan and Mrs. Potts, which he had never done before. He realizes his mistake and joins Belle for dinner. When Sultan accidentally ruins Belle's desert, he shows a sudden maturity by not getting angry and instead being thankful and pleased that Belle even made a desert for him.

Disney Adventures
In the Disney Adventures comics, the Beast tries a spa day to make himself less scary to look at, but fails, even though Belle is charmed by the gesture.

However, one day, the Beast is in one of his bad moods again, but later saved Chip from another blizzard. He reveals that he was once betrothed to another woman, but she disappeared and he never saw her past their childhoods.