Jerome Beechman (Earth-616)

Jerome Beechman was the mutant son of Frederic Beechman, an atomic research scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and his wife Emily. Prior to his conception, Beechman's father, a Caucasian scientist, as well as Gemma Sinclair, a black cleaning woman, were exposed to a massive dose of radiation when faulty electrical wiring caused an explosion that breached the facility's small experimental nuclear pile. A year later, the scientist's son was born with black skin and tufts of body hair. Equally distressing to Gemma Sinclair and her husband was the birth of their daughter Nekra, who was born with chalky-white skin and fangs. The boy grew up hated by his peers and parents for his freakish appearance. When Beechman was ten, his father drove him out to the middle of the American desert and abandoned him. The boy swore to find his way back and exact revenge on his parents.^[3]

While in the desert, he encountered the Sinclairs' mutant girl, Nekra, who had been similarly mistreated and was running away from home. The two became partners and wandered the Southwest, protecting one another and shunning all other human companionship, surviving by stealth and cunning. For six years, the two educated themselves by listening outside of schoolroom windows and reading stolen books. One night, angry New Mexican townspeople discovered them, having heard rumors about "monsters" invading their hometown, and attacked them with pitchforks and guns. That night, Beechman and Sinclair discovered that sheer hate released latent mutant powers within them, powers they used to slay their tormentors.^[3]

As his mutant powers surfaced, Beechman's appearance became more apelike, prompting him to take the alias Mandrill. With Nekra's aid, he developed plans for the overthrow of three small West African nations with the intent of creating a Utopian society, free from the American values which caused the two of them to be treated as outcasts. Their plan failed, however, when they were thwarted by the jungle adventurer Shanna the She-Devil. The villains escaped and, while doing so, they killed Gerald O'Hara, Shanna's father.^[4]

Mandrill and Nekra regrouped and formed Black Spectre, an organization of black women dedicated to the overthrow of the American government - which firstly led the Mandrill to fight the Thing and Daredevil on his own.^[1] This conspiracy, which culminated on the White House lawn, was finally thwarted by the hero Daredevil with the help of Shanna and the Black Widow. This time, both the Mandrill and Nekra were defeated, although the Mandrill escaped capture.^[5]

Nekra was taken into custody by the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., while Mandrill escaped. Forsaking his longtime ally, Mandrill, still dedicated to world conquest, organized the Fem-Force, another woman's army composed of American radicals and dissidents.^[6] Aiding them was the third team of evil mutants Magneto had organized and abandoned, a group he called the Mutant Force. When his mutant allies were taken captive by the hero team Defenders, Mandrill sent the Fem-Force to the Indian Point Nuclear Power Generating Facility, where his father and mother were now employed, to seek revenge upon them.^[7] Once again opposed by the Defenders, Mandrill was stopped when his own mother shot him. Mandrill escaped capture, however, and was rescued by members of his army.^[8]

Later, Nekra had successfully raised her former ally, the Grim Reaper, from the dead, although he promptly killed her. Trying to get revenge on the Grim Reaper for her death, Mandrill confronted the Reaper, but was seemingly killed himself as the Reaper drained his body's life-force.^[9]

Somehow, the Mandrill survived and was captured, shrunk using Pym Particles and sent to the experimental Ant-Hill prison. A massive break-out was stopped by the She-Hulk.^[10] The Mandrill was transferred to another prison, The Raft, from where he escaped.^[11]

The Mandrill joined Crossfire as a member of his team of evil mind-controllers, Crossfire's Crew,^[12] but he was captured again, this time by Spider-Man.^[2]

Following the superhuman civil war, the Mandrill recently joined the crime syndicate of The Hood, who would attempt to take advantage of the split in the superhero community.^[13] The Mandrill was sent to fight the New Avengers, but was defeated by Doctor Strange.^[14] Mandrill was seen in Alyosha Kravinoff's zoo of animal-themed super-villains. The Punisher fought Mandrill and injured his eye.^[15]

Mandrill was among the animal-themed superhumans captured by Taskmaster and Black Ant for Kraven the Hunter's Great Hunt in Central Park. Mandrill was mentioned by Spider-Man as one of the many deaths during this event.^[16]

Later Mandrill was seen to be one of the prisoners in the Myrmidon prison during Captain America's stay. During the escape orchestrated by Captain America, Mandrill helped the Captain open a hatch, however when the Captain told the prisoners what to do, Mandrill questioned his orders only to be shot by a prison guard's stun blaster.^[17]

• The Mandrill is a Mutant and possesses a number of superhuman attributes.
  • Mind Control via Pheromones: The Mandrill's primary mutant power is the ability to secrete an odorless pheromone capable of affecting human females, leaving them extremely submissive and open to the Mandrill's manipulations. The pheromones have a maximum effective range of 250 feet and are highly addictive. Initial contact with Mandrill and subsequent reinforcement over a period of a few months is sufficient to keep most women in his power almost permanently. If, however, the woman is removed from his presence after the initial contact, she will go through a mild period of "withdrawal" and be free after a period of a few months. The Mandrill's mutant pheromones are released at a rate of 2,000 parts per million, several thousand times that of a normal human.^[18]
  • Superhuman Strength: Due to his simian physique, the Mandrill possesses the proportionate physical strength of an actual 270 pound Mandrill. At his peak, the Mandrill possesses low level superhuman strength sufficient to lift approximately 1.4 tons.^[18]
  • Superhuman Speed: The Mandrill can run and move at speeds that are slightly beyond the physical limits of the finest human athlete. At short sprints, he can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.^[18]
  • Superhuman Stamina: The Mandrill's superior musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a normal human. At his peak, he can exert himself for a period of several hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in his blood begins to impair him.^[18]
  • Superhuman Durability: The Mandrill's bodily tissues are harder and more resistant to certain kinds of injury than those of a normal human, though he is far from invulnerable. The Mandrill's body can withstand great impact forces. He can withstand impacts, such as falling from several stories or being repeatedly struck by a superhumanly strong opponent, that would severely injure or kill a normal human with little to no injury to himself. However, he can be injured by bullets or bladed weapons composed of conventional material as easily as normal humans.^[18]
  • Superhuman Agility: The Mandrill had the agility, balance, and bodily coordination of a great ape. His agility is beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.^[18]
  • Superhuman Reflexes: The Mandrill's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.^[18]

Although the Mandrill has had no formal training, his powers make him a formidable hand to hand combatant in most situations. He uses a freestyle type of fighting that allows him to make full use of his agility.

If a woman under his thrall suffers a powerful electric shock, it often negates the effects of the Mandrill's pheromones. Exceptionally strong willed women, such as Shanna and the Black Widow, have proven capable of resisting the pheromones in the past. There is at least one occasion, however, in which the Black Widow was completely under the Mandrill's control.

• A confessed misogynist, Mandrill is also a polygamist, being illegally married to more than a single woman, all of them his slaves - however, his wives' names are unknown.^{[citation needed]}
• The Avengers files said that Nekra was the Mandrill's sister, and the Mandrill commonly used that word to refer to her.^[9]