This is a renewal of a topic I'd recently came across from three years ago regarding the extent of Garfield Logans' abilities. - I noticed that in the previous topic that a few people mentioned that Beast Boys transformation's were limited to the biology of animals on earth. I've posted links to support my argument, feel free to say otherwise.

HUMAN TRANSFORMATIONS?

I noticed that a lot of people have asked this question: "Does Beast Boy have the ability to assume the identity of another human being?" and I thought I'd give my perspective on it: I'd imagine the reason for him not transforming into other humans isn't due to an inability to do so, but rather a desire to retain his own identity (despite his early insecurities of being green/red.) Honestly, what difference would it make if he did alter his physical characteristics into that of another human being if he'd still be red/green? It would be the equivalent of cosmetic alterations.. xD

It has never been mentioned anywhere that I have read that Beast Boy is incapable of transforming other human beings. It would just be asinine if he did. Humans are still mammalian creatures, they are still animals, and thus they would fit into the mould of his abilities. - (It is noted that: Beast Boy has also shown the ability more than once to transform into humanoid or alien animals, including sentient species such as the Gordanians.)

But what are the benefits of turning into another human being? Miss Martain for example, (Megan Morse) had a profound fear of a lack of acceptance - so she adopted an identity that would blend well with those around her. So I believe characters like her, and Garfield have a deep seeded insecurity and a desire for a true identity through an existential crisis stemming from being different or standing out in an otherwise judgemental world.

OTHER TRANSFORMATIONS

In the subject of Beast Boys extended transformations, many believe that Garfield is capable of transforming into creatures that may or may not exist

In the previous topic 614azrael posted that it would be impossible for Beast Boy to transform into a Phoenix for example, due to its lack of biochemistry and that beast boy was therefore limited to transforming only into other living organisms. This is true to an extent, however, a Phoenix is a Mythological Bird that is capable of basking itself in an inherent flame manifested of its own biochemistry. It is alive. The overall attributes of this creature in the DC universe however is unknown. For all we know there are organisms that exist in this universe that retain some level of immunity or tolerance to fire through some profound molecular correlation. Who knows? We have characters who are capable of setting themselves on fire but we can hardly associate that with our reality. That's not including his other alleged mythological transformations.

Beast Boy has shown his ability to divide himself into multiple entities at once, i.e a swarm of fireflies, down to an amoeba which indicates a certain physiological mastery or cellular mimicry; therefore there is an indefinite extent to his abilities, and we can only theorize as to the true nature of his abilities given the limited amount of information we have about Beast Boy.

( I know this isn't Beast Boy I just happened to like that image.) We don't know the extent of prehistoric life either, and can only theorize as to the nature of Dinosaurs and their lifestyle based upon their bones and the locations they were found, and correlate the relationship between today's animals with how they may or may not have adapted to their environment during their time. Beast boy transforming into a Tyrannosaurus Rex without any interpersonal experience indicates that he (as it states) need only see to transform, where he adopts the biology/abilities of the creature which again is not limited to animals/plant life on earth (As long as it is not magic.). But logically, despite what the sources indicate I'd imagine he would have to study the creature first. He has also demonstrated the ability to transform half-way through (And later fully into the same Alien Bird who's name I cannot recall.)

With that being said, if it is inherent to a creature to breath fire, spit acid, inject poison, fly, dig, run fast and so forth. Then it is an ability that beast boy will adopt because it is within that creatures DNA/or Nature if you will. It is also indicated that Beast Boy doesn't always transform into 'animals' but rather creatures that he creates himself through his mind. Which I noticed recently was a seemingly amorphous tentacled monster was among them. (I've not read this yet so I am not sure why. )

Additionally, with the mixed elements of the different interpreted universes and their respective creatures and theology (one example Thor.) such beings exist within the same plain like the Jörmungandr - with worlds interlinked / crossover through the Avengers franchise, and if you expand upon that theory, Beast boy has a virtually infinite amount of transformations.

My argument against Dragons, Phoenixs and the like would be that their abilities are not biological, but magic in nature. Breathing fire, resurrection and any other otherworldly ability that these mythological creatures exhibit is through a magical imbuement and not through some marvel of biochemistry. If the DC universe was one of no magic what-so-ever then any dragon that might appear would of course have to be some creature, resembling a dragon but still abiding by natural laws. However magic is definitely a thing in the DC universe and there are creatures who accomplish there feats solely because they were enchanted or straight up born through magic in the first place.

Under this assumption, I would say anything magical must be left out of Gar's realm of abilities as his origin had nothing to do with magic (and I'm not even counting his New 52 origin since it was some of the laziest writing I've seen in recent stories)

From a story stand point i also find the addition of mythical creatures to make him far too bland. Whenever a character is too powerful they get incredibly boring without the right checks and balances put in place. Thing become too easy for them and every one of their battles go the same way.

I prefer Beast Boy limited only to natural animals because then every form he has has very distinct limits and they are all very mortal. The limits on his powers means he has to think on his feet and every battle needs to be customized by who he is up against. The animal kingdom already has an almost unfathomable arsenal of unique abilities to tap from that Gar should never really need a mythological creature. The only problem with this is that Gar's powers are only as effective as the author's knowledge on animal abilities.

Writers who don't know how impressive and versatile the animal kingdom is are usually the ones who think he isn't powerful enough and in turn have him turning into giant bugs or Dragons and such. If he were to be written by some one with a more than passing knowledge of animals he would not only be just as effective, but far more interesting as he would be fighting within his limitations (along the lines of say Spider-man) rather than pulling from a grab bag of unstoppable powers a la Superman.

As for your point on him becoming other people. I would also say this is out of his powers as well. I believe he is still limited by the uniqueness of DNA. Yes he is human, but his DNA is still radically different from any other person. I would say the same applies for all his other forms. When he transforms into a tiger, he isn't looking at a tiger and copying that particular specimen from sight, rather he is turning into his own unique tiger. This is to say that all his animal forms would be an analogues version of his human form. If he is shorter than average humans, he will be smaller than the average for whatever animal he is turning into by the equivalent degree.

My argument to back this up is that, to turn into an exact copy of something he would need knowledge of it's unique DNA and then he would need the knowledge of how to change his own into that in a split second. Rather I feel (at least with his older origin) that Beast Boy was implanted with the template of every animal. Then when he wants to transform, he thinks of that animal and it translates his DNA into fitting that template. Meaning that his genetic code would still be unique to him, just structured and modified to fit the desired template.

As for half-way transformations or any kind of chimera of existing animal parts, I would say this should be out of his abilities as well as it would take far too much knowledge for him to execute and survive. Every animal exists in a very delicate state of balance. It's insides are structured specifically for it to live in the shape it is in. Say Gar were to try and transform his arms into Gorilla arms for a power punch but keep all the rest of him the same. A human heart would not be able to sustain the blood flow and pressure needed for such arms. So, now he has to change his heart, however the vessels in a human circulatory system are built for the pressure supplied by a human heart. Once he changes his heart to accommodate his gorilla arms, he now burst every vessel in his body. So, now he needs to change his entire circulatory system, but all the organs in the human body are designed to fit a human circulatory system in it, so to increase the strength and size of the vessels would strain the tissues and organs fitting around them... In the end, Gar would have to change everything about his body (on a moments notice) to make such a transformation and survive. And I don't think many characters in the DC universe have the intelligence to pull off such a feat, much less Gar.

Lastly, and this isn't a criticism just a heads up, that picture you included with the red Tyrannosaurus isn't Gar. It is a Marvel character called Devil Dinosaur, Spider-man being in the picture is a pretty good give away for that :)

Eh, I dunnoooo. I personally think that limiting his abilities to "Earths Animals", stiffles his character growth and makes him inferior by comparison to most superheros, as there are very few animals that would make much of a difference compared to most villains.

Such limitations would be acceptable were we discussing the earlier more basic incarnations of the Teen Titans. But the comic industry is going through an evolutionary process that forces them to adapt and thereby expand upon or add new abilities/characteristics to certain characters to make them either more logical, or interesting. I've heard a lot of complaints about the newest comic, I have to say the art is pretty good though.~ And Starfire has a nice ass. So that's a bonus? But I digress..

Who's to say that he can't be strategic and quick on his feet while still retaining these extended transformations? - Ben Ten (Yes I went there lmao) is another cartoon who exemplifies a character that utilizes multiple transformations to adapt to specific settings given the alien or creature he is fighting. There are a wide variety of villains in the DC Universe xD Many of which could easily step on, or otherwise overpower any 'earth' animal in spite of whatever strategy he can conjure up. - And turning him into a Dragon, or a Phoenix (or some foreign Alien as seen.) does not necessarily make him invincible either. In my opinion it gives him a fighting chance by comparison to his superhero counterparts. It also makes him more interesting, and makes him a bit more mysterious. Like Earth's own alien. Unfortunately these "Almost unfathomable arsenal of unique abilities in the animal kingdom." aren't enough. Luckily, the fact that beastboy can turn into an alien life forms indicates that it is not limited to earthly creatures.

Whether or not Dragons and other Mythological creatures are magical beings or not is subjective to the setting or genre, and given that there is very little to no information about them within the DC Universe that remains to be determined. -

Characters who produce flames, lightning, or ice through some profound chemical anomaly are deemed by the science of this universe as merely having "Superpowers" as a result of some cliché accident, i.e Francis Stone.

So the use of fire, could to this effect be a product of a dragons environment and therefore in its nature to produce said flames. Not magic.

The fact that they indicate that this creature is a legendary race with an inhabitance of its own indicates that they were a species (Like dinosaurs at one point) who's inherent abilities were to breath fire.

Dragons can be categorized as creatures that produce flames without the use of Magic. - Although they are at times associated with magic, it is often beings who've either taken on the form of a Dragon, or Dragons being tamed and subsequently summoned through the use of magic. Their firebreathing has always in anything I have seen been inherent to them. Fire is not a supernatural or magical quintessence, rub a few sticks together and you can start a forest-fire. (Being dramatic of course.)

But nevertheless even with characters like those that may or may not exist, Beast Boy will still have to think on his feet, and adapt.

Ah, I almost forgot to mention. It is also stated that the much larger forms put a strain on Beast Boy. Which would also indicate that he couldn't simply remain as one of these said beings

Yes, we understand the adaptivity of animals in an aquatic setting, a ... sky setting but regardless I think there's room to expand.

It isn't any "one" writer that has made this adjustment, in fact during the earlier comics it is stated that Beastboy has untapped potential with "unknown" limitations to his changeling abilities. We see the brim or the surface of his talent. I can agree with this.

Lol, a human is classified as an animal. Show me where it says he cannot transform into a human? His transformation abilities stem from something as minute as a wasp, or a spider and can expand to that of a Triceratops, or Sperm Whale. If he can alter his anatomy that drastically, then it is theoretically possible for him to turn into another human, i.e change his physical attributes as well.

But again? What's the point? He'd just be red/green with a different face, perhaps even fatter, maybe skinny or taller. - I've seen him with his regular head and an animals body. But I believe him not transforming has something to do with him wanting to retain his own personal identity and has nothing to do with an inability to do so.

Saying that "Because he has unique DNA he can't turn into other human beings." doesn't really make sense - and I am sure the DNA of an insect is astronomically different from the DNA of a Sperm Whale. So with all due respect that's an invalid argument. - It is also never stated that his height in any way effects the extent of his transformations, he has demonstrated the ability to turn into a giant insect, or is often depicted as being the same (average) dimension as the animal he is transforming into.

It is stated that he can turn into amorphous creatures (not limitied to) and when changing into other beings he is also changing his psychological characteristics as well. Hence: When he transforms into an animal, he is not just copying it's physical form but gaining their abilities as well. So the only thing that makes him unique as a Tiger is his colour; Otherwise when he'd transform into something like a fish he'd simply assume the shape of a fish, and would lack the ability to breath underwater. There are many intricate things to consider when gaining the abilities of a creature, yes. Such as the mechanics of their anatomy and what essentially gives them their respective useful abilities in the first place but if it is in that creatures nature to breath fire, or breath under water then he can manipulate his DNA to assume its attributes and thereby gain those abilities as long as it is not magically enhanced. - But not to the extent of mimicking other superheros. That would be illogical, and redundant.

(Then we have the seed given to him by Raven which allowed him to take on a myriad of demonic transformations. - But I wont count those because I have not read this one yet. )

xD And how would it be far too much knowledge for him to execute and survive? if he can look at the old bones of a dinosaur, and or the books of an extinct creature (whom scientists can only theorize as to the nature, sound, and internal chemistry.) or even merely observe an alien from another planet (As seen in the Episode Earthling of Young Justice.) and assume the shape damn near instantaneously, I believe it isn't impossible for him to "execute and survive"

Lets take the cuttlefish for example! Scientists are baffled by its ability to change shape/colour and adapt to its surroundings damn near instantaneously and have even taken it out of its natural habitat and placed it into another setting and it has exhibited the same behavior. So in my opinion, similarly it is a stimulus of the brain that triggers beastboys transmogrification, similarly without colour. - this is perhaps the definition of his ability. To register the dynamic of an animal/creature and instinctively assume its shape.

Unfortunately that type of logic (In terms of worrying about beastboys organs.) are thrown straiiiight out the window, such balance is omitted and automatically superseded by the fact that his ability defies our reality. So that argument is also... invalid in this case. It is stated that all he need do is study the animal.

With all due respect, there are innumerable overpowered characters in the DC universe; illogically so... - So characters like beastboy in my opinion shouldn't be left in the dust, or simplified. - I realize characters like Batman, and Robin have got their own unique dexterity and it works for them.

There are a lot of characters who are seemingly immortal with disastrous or down right apocalyptic abilities. I recall reading somewhere that superman was able to go faster than the speed of light?, and even move an entire planet. I could be wrong, but even so... I don't really see the thrill or excitement behind that.

Allllso. I know that isn't beastboy by the way. But we both know he's capable of transforming into a T-rex xDD. A T-Rex is a T-Rex. I just so happened to like that picture. I have been looking for a place to read that though which I cannot seem to find...

First off, if you are saying Beast Boy needs mythical/alien forms to be competitive, then you must also boost all the Bat family, Spider-man, any street level character ever because there are natural creatures who can outclass or match any physical feat that those other heroes can accomplish.

Batman doesn't need more powers because he works within his limitations, find a clever way to win and comes through on top. That's why he is more interesting and entertaining than Superman who wins every fight by punching a little harder than his equally ridiculously strong opponent.

I think you are underestimating all the interesting and incredibly helpful abilities Beast Boy can already tap into with real animals. I had this same kind of discussion with another friend before and I challenged him to think of any DC opponent he thought was too much for an "animal limited" Beastboy couldn't face and I would retort with all the ways a cleverly written Beast boy could either defeat or hold his own. Aside from the biggest of the big (Darkseid and such, who are frankly too big to even justify Gar facing on his own) I was able to convincingly retort how Gar could win.

One of my favorite examples was when my friend suggested Amazo. Now, someone who doesn't know animals might think that Gar would have to be a Dragon to even approach Amazo, but I suggested the possibility of Gar becoming a bombardier beetle. The Bombardier Beetle has the ability to mix and weaponize hydrogen peroxide. Instead of punching Amazo really hard, Gar could carefully create a small breach in Amazo's outside casing then transform into the beetle, fly in and dissolve his circuitry from the inside. No monsters, aliens or hybrids needed. Just clever use of what animals already have and Gar has defeated a character who can go toe to toe with a whole group of Leaguers at once.

You say monsters and such advance his character, but I feel they do the exact opposite. They don't make his character more interesting, they just make his powers obviously greater so his character doesn't have to rise up beyond it. His powers might get more respect if he turns into awe-inspiring things like a phoenix, but Gar himself gains more respect when he beats the big bad as something as unassuming as a regular animal.

Also, you asked "a human is an animal, why can't he turn into one" He already is, human is his default... I think one of the problems here is that of the origin of his powers. The origin I subscribe to is the one where his parents encoded him with the templates of animal genetic codes. This is where they were trying to bridge the gap between the human genome and other creatures from the same genetic poole in hopes of helping Gar survive a disease that only was fatal to humans. They didn't give him any more human information as he was already human and humanity was frankly the problem. Because of this, the only human information he has in him is his own.

Now, you bring up Young Justice, and that is a whole other can of worms. Gar's powers in that show were martian. He received a blood transfusion from a martian and gained their ability for shape shifting. Martian shape shifting works in the cosmetic only. This is to say that they do not transform into a genetic version of what they are turning into, but the stretch, twist and warp their outsides to reflect their desire object. genetically they are still Martian. I remember a few times where J'onn was in disguise and made out because some one could still smell he was martian.

You mentioned the cuttlefish and that is interesting because chepalopods (octopi, squids and the like) approach transformation in the same sense that Martians do. They are able to shrink, extend and otherwise manipulate their appearance to match a surfaces texture, color and such. However, they never undergo any kind of genetic change. The transformation was skin deep and beyond that they are still the same animal. Because of this, Gar can look at something and stretch himself to mimic it's appearance, but that makes him a Martian affiliate instead of his own thing which he used to be.

As for his New 52 origin which was so bland and cookie cutter that I don't even acknowledge it.

Now with dragons, everything I've read on them almost always mentions them being magical beings. They weren't a lizard that then gained a magic ability, but that they were magically imbued (by who is anyone's guess) to begin with. That's why so many stories focus on gaining parts of a dragons hide to make use of it's magic. But whatever all of that is left for what ever a person wants to believe. Until DC goes on record on the biology of their universes dragons (and by extension, all mythic creatures) such an argument will always be a stalemate.

In the end, it may all just boil down to tastes and when you started reading, but I think his earlier origins were far more interesting and also something that was completely unique to him. Further some might find a battle with one big thing punching another big thing far more entertaining than watching a clever David fend off a monstrous Goliath.

Whatever the case, Gar is plagued with inconsistancy. Some writers like Johns limited him to natural creatures. Some like Hendersen had him turn almost exclusively into mythic beasts. And even Wolfram had him turn into an alien once (tho he went on record as saying it was just as a plot device that he couldn't see a way around) In the end, until DC buckles down and says "this is exactly what it is until we decide to rewrite our universe again" it's all down to preferences.

-Head tilt.-

Ah, that's not what I said. I'm saying that theoretically it shouldn't be impossible for him to assume the form of another creature because his ability is so inexplicable and unorthodox with no clear explanation beyond 'it's his superpower'. I am saying that being able to transform into certain mythical/ or alien creatures gives him more versatility and an interesting quality that makes him solely unique. My argument is that he should be able to utilize the natural talent of a creature given the pretext of his ability, and in furthering that argument my theory is that because these (dragons) creatures possess a non-magical inherent talent to breath fire that he should be able to gain those abilities as well even though they may or may not be basic animals. Logically.

Now about the monkey that bit him? there's no clear understanding as to the existence of this monkey. Whether it could transform itself, or whether it was for that matter a foreign entity that assumed the shape of a "Rare green monkey." Which is not uncommon in this universe.

Yet, how does the association of being bit by a green monkey even correlate with his ability to change into other animals? Logically there would be no direct biological link between him and the other animals he transforms into, as you said (It seems like the writers may have thrown out that logic.) thus he would only take on the outward shape of a lion and not be an actual lion - yet if that were the case as I said, then he would not be able to breath underwater as a fish or even so much as utilize the large esophagi of a lion to imitate its roar. Which indicates some level of him being able to manipulate or alter the structure of his DNA.(But not the the extent of changing his identity.)

It's not just the offensive talents of a creature that makes it's mechanics so damn unique, it's everything. Gills, and especially certain acids. There's a certain mystery to beastboy. I don't want to think that the writers would be so talentless as to say "He transforms just because.", that would be a generic, mundane heap of crap that any two year old can say or do. But assuming that there is a greater mystery to beastboy, then that makes him all the more interesting.

While the monkey has essentially given him the ability to assume the shape of another creature, I believe it is merely customary for him to transform into Earth's animals because they is the only thing on the planet other than human beings/plants that we know of, or has been presented to him as an option. It is noted that he has his particular favourites as well.

Tell me what logical argument can anyone present other than "It's in his dna." that would explain why it would bar him from transforming into species other than Earth's animals? And for that matter can you explain how him being bitten by a monkey has given him the ability to turn into these creatures? With Peter Parker being bitten by a Spider, he developed the characteristics of a spider through some intricate symbiotic bond between it and his DNA, we saw the changes in his fingertips, his vision, and in his body. - Yet, with Beastboy, the transformations are so drastic that even in a fantasy universe there would have to be some profound depth as to the nature of his power. Even saying "Magic", "Supernatural", or "Foreign/Alien" would be enough. But "Because it's in his DNA" is not .... no. It's tactless and lazy.

I'm dissecting every bit of this because as far as I know, nobody has ever delved beyond the surface of his ability to ask. You might think that I am over-thinking, but in my opinion this character is only 40% complete. At least with other superheros' their abilities are partially explained by biochemical mutations in their DNA which gives them psychokinesis or whatever. But such drastic changes in Gars chemical makeup can't be limited to just the forms of animals; even in a pseudo-scientific world that would be mundane and pointless, nonsensical limitation. If such a thing existed in our reality, scientists would aspire to expand upon these manipulations understand the neurological connection between it and the vast array of these shapes and size manipulation and in our world which we can connect to some lesser extent with the logic of this world it wouldn't be impossible. Gars abilities were never questioned, neither were they explained beyond what is displayed.

In a Marvel Universe I'd think his abilities would require more scientific depth. To me? it would make sense if he had the ability to assume these respective forms if he were bitten by said animal, or perhaps gathered their DNA and as a result the monkey's lingering dna would intermingle and adapt symbiotically to those alterations. (or as you stated his parents attempting to save him from sickness by stringing together the dna and what not.) But that isn't the case. Beastboy has the talent to simply shift instantaneously, into any form on a whim no matter how big or small, no matter how intricate the outer shell or inner organs into a perfect replica that is perhaps flawed only by it's discolouration.

I'm saying that in the face of his superhero counterparts, that he is lacking in certain areas of his development which makes him inferior by comparison. At least as far as an explanation is concerned. His limitations are never explained only implied when Beast Boy first came into the scene. -

Maybe I just have a bit of an unconventional taste as opposed to those who want everything to be the same. I like new elements, provided they make sense. - Gar (Lmfao almost called him Gaara.) doesn't have the best personality in the world. While he is my favourite character , he's sort of characterized as being a bit of a bore in the earlier comics and a bit of a clown in the later.

Superman for example was "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." Which indicated a certain earthly limitation to his abilities as a superhuman.I compare this to an early incarnation of beastboys début in the comic universe. Superman evolved, Beastboy didn't. I believe that letting him retain only ordinary animals as a transformation makes him mundane, dull and listless.

As for a character without superpowers Batman is astounding, but possesses the unique dexterity and the required tools necessary to accommodate him in battling against superpowered villans. This typically takes them by surprise when underestimating his mortality. (Or while monologuing which the villans in this universe do too often.)

But I wont get into that, then we'll end up talking about all superheros who don't have powers and how well they may or may not do and I'd rather not deviate in that direction since we're discussing the versatility of beastboys transformation abilities.

Lmao, and transform into a beetle? Assuming he isn't smothered to death. But nevertheless, that is a prime example of what I mean. "Bombardier Beetle has the ability to mix and weaponize hydrogen peroxide", but why does it possess that ability? Because their is both an anatomic and chemical manipulation that allows him to embody the essence of whatever he is transforming into, thereby gaining their abilities, and thus the abilities of a Dragon were it non-magical. Furthermore xD, if Amazo can emulate the abilities of any superhero I highlighy doubt he would be done in by an insect xD he is anothr character with unexplained limits to his ability. There are innumerable ways for him to get out of that such as intangibility or pesticide.

The new transformations create a gateway of new talents, while leaving some exploration for the extent of his abilities, he'll never be the most powerful character - but he is nonetheless a powerful character indeed.

He physically appears human, but to be frank? he isn't anymore. At one point, yes. He is a walking conundrum of vast proportions. But despite this human embodiment, he retains that form because it is the form he is most familiar with in the face of innumerable transformations. As I said making adjustments to his physical appearance would be the equivalent of cosmetic alterations. But again, I would also like you to show me where it says he cannot transform or change his appearance into the physical shape of another human?

It works both ways in Young Justice and in the regular comics / show. All in all he demonstrates the same abilities, and the extent is unknown. The Martians have exhibited a wide variety of unorthodox transformations none of which BeastBoy has utilized even after gaining his ability through the Blood transfusion as well. Which indicates a matter of preferential transformations, not limitations. Yet, with Martian blood that sets the bracket of his abilities in a whole new direction in addition to the ones I explained before, but I wont go that way.

As for the Cuttlefish, my argument is the adaptation and registration of colour or texture instantaneously upon sight. What goes through the cuttlefish's brain that allows it to trigger specific colours on a whim? I am associating that inherent nature of the cuttlefish with (instead of colour) beastboys ability to adapt, his physical body into the shape of an animal he has seen without prolonged exposure. Where as with a human, in order to adapt to a certain setting we have to accumulate our thoughts, think, make alterations etc. So it is baffling nonetheless. Those swift changes in its body can be in a few ways similar to Gars own talent due to the registry of an object or animal and instant shift in his body.

Like you said he is plagued with inconsistencies, personally... I think someone should look more closely into the character. They also need to watch who they hire to write for them, pretty coloured comic books don't compensate for a terrible storyline as I have heard everyone complain about this New 52. Ngh, but Starfire....I love dat azz.. that they can keep her. >.> But I notice that oversexualized women make most unattractive women feel insecure so they often complain. But... eh. Whatever whatevs.

The monkey didn't give him his powers. The monkey had a disease called Sakutia, or the green fever. The common trait of this disease was that it turned any creature infected with it green. In addition any human who contracted it would die. However humans were the only animals who Sakutia was fatal to.

Gar's parents were both anthropologist working on the human genome project. When Gar contracted the disease they knew he would die soon so they tried something drastic. They injected Gar with a serum designed to bridge the gap between human genetics and the other members of the animal kingdom, then bombarded him with a low level of radiation to act as a catalyst. It was this intention procedure that gave him his powers, the virus and the green coloration it caused had nothing to do with it. Theoretically the same procedure could be done to someone who was uninfected and they would gain the same powers without being of an altered coloration.

Anyway, that was all his older origin (and not completely his original one) His new origin was slapped together as an afterthought and retains no originality what-so-ever.

I'll admit that your responses further and further confuse me. You say you like Gar as a character, but you think his powers aren't enough then you say you think he has never been characterized well. If you don't like his powers and don't like his characterization, what exactly do you like about him? I'm not asking this to be judgmental or to put you down as a fan, but because i am genuinely confused. It kind of feels like you want a character who is drastically different from Gar in most all regards, but still call him Beast Boy?

I'm very opinionated when it comes to him particularly because he is one of my favourite character. I love his power. I feel however that he lacks sensible depth with many inconsistencies. It creates a hole in his character design makes me a little iffy. He has the potential to be more than what he presently is. Personality wise Gar is lacking, I like the Teen Titans Cartoon Beastboy to some extent - more or less. But the puns are a little try hard if you ask me. It's like they're trying to say "He's the clown, the Jester" and I'm like okay we get it what else is there to him? I love Young Justice Beastboy it was like they made an effort to give him a more logical understanding. He seems a bit placid and childlike though. I am not saying that his powers aren't enough, or if I did what I meant to say was that why bar him? Why limit him to only transforming into earthly animals? My argument is that there a much more powerful characters in this universe so why is it so outlandish to allow him the luxury of those extended transformations? Why would it be impossible? It's not just mythical beings or aliens but other species or creatures he encounters. Why not broaden the horizon?

I guess my biggest problem with adding all those other creatures (otherworldly or mythical realms) is that he is already limited my time on a page. Because of this he will only ever get to transform into so many things as is. Most writers already barely scratch the surface with all the animals they could have him transform into, why water that number down even more by adding aliens and myths to the roster...

Look at it this way. In Felicia Hendersen's horrendous run Gar hardly ever turned into a natural animal because she filled so much of his panel time with Dragon, Phoenix, Centaur and the like. When most writers already only use a handful of animal forms, I feel variety should be achieved first by reaching into more of the unused animals before already dipping into fake things.

Another problem is the fact that so many mythical or DC aliens are so powerful, that if he could turn into them, there would be no reason for himi to ever try anything else. Why transform into a T-rex for bites, a pteranodon for flight or a Brachiosaurus for size and reach when you can turn into a dragon who has all three. Why turn into any animal if you can turn into a Kryptonian? Why ever change back to human when you can be an immortal Phoenix? The point being that with natural animals they all have about one or two elements where they excel, but they all have their own limitations, forcing Gar to think on his feet and transform into new things on a case by case basis.

As for his characterization, Gar get a lot of development, the only problem is that it always gets wiped clean the next time someone takes over the pen. If you want some good stories for him, I would recommend the Beast Boy mini series, Geoff Johns' run of Teen Titans, or J T Krul's run of Titans.

However, if you like Beast Boy the way he was in YJ, then I'm sorry to tell you, there aren't any stories of him like that. Changed origin, changed character (heck they even changed his natural eye and hair color) that character was Beast Boy in name only.

Good thing Jean Grey didn't see him as that Phoenix, otherwise she'd try to bond with him.

@the_stegman: I would never consider bonding with Jean Grey as a bad thing.

I would consider it a bad thing, because she destroyed a solar system once when she had that power. Since there is little know about the phoenix in the dc universe I'm going to use the marvel one, where it has unlimited power and has two sides, normal phoenix and dark phoenix.

@beast_in_the_shadows: could Gar transform into an amoeba or virus like on teen titans the show? Is it within his capabilities?

My belief is that he can morph his physiology more than he let's on, but it's more taxing when he does things like just make his arms extra big likr a gorilla's for a powered punch, because then he'd have to morph so much of himself to just have gorilla arms, so he usually goes full gorilla, since he has an understanding of how gorillas work, it requires less thought and is just a time saver. If there is a dragon in The DC Universe that is non magical, he can turn into it, but there's a reason he usually sticks to Earth animals. Perhaps he just knows more about them, it's easier to get information about creatures from his homeworld, maybe he just makes it a challenge for himself to stick to Earth animals. As for changing to other humans, sure why not, but like I said, its taxing to do individual parts, so he turns into a base human, his version of a base human, is himself. The real question about his powers is, how does he keep his clothes when he transforms back to human?