Blue Beetle

The Blue Beetle in Blue Beetle: Graduation Day v1 #5.

For other uses of this name, see Blue Beetle (disambiguation).

Blue Beetle is the name shared by three superheroes from the DC multiverse.

Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett)

Dan Garrett, the first Blue Beetle.

Main Article: Dan Garrett

Dan Garret

One day, Garret was patrolling in his car when he was nearly killed by a passing vehicle that let out machine gun fire. Dropping to the ground to the sidewalk and returned fire but the vehicle managed to flee the scene but not before a man was thrown from the speeding car. Though his left arm was injured, Garret went to examine the older man who had fallen and found it to be the banker Mr. Vander who had been kidnapped by the 'White Face' gang. Vander later died of his injuries at 10pm with Garret returning to the police station where the banker's daughter and his secretary John Brandes were being held. There were no clues from the incident except for the vehicle used by the kidnappers that had been abandoned. Garret was told to take some rest by his sergeant but decided to to examine the gangsters car after changing to his civilian clothes. He found the number plate filed out but took it to be treated with a chemical which revealed the missing digits. At headquarters, he compared the numbers and found them to belong to a garage owner named Mike Ravani. Travelling to the drug store of his old friend, he then assumed his masked persona of the Blue Beetle where he went to confront the criminals and travelled in his high-powered car. Approaching the gangs hide-out, he found them in the midst of interrogating Vander's daughter for the code to the bank's vault. As the Blue Beetle, Garret offered the code in exchange for 40% of the loot. The gangsters agreed but wanted the Blue Beetle to accompany them the entire way to ensure he did not betray them. Secretly though, the masked man contacted the police drawing them to the national bank. The gang came to learn that the Blue Beetle had betrayed them but the vigilante managed to blind the criminals with a smoke bomb before escaping in his high-powered car. This led to the 'White Face' gang's arrest by the police though they failed to find the escaping vigilante. (Mystery Men Comics v1 #1)

Rookie police officer Dan Garrett was given doses of the super-power-endowing Vitamin 2-X and a bulletproof costume by Dr. Franz to battle crime as a superhero. He wore a revolver (and was known to shoot criminals dead with it), drove vehicles like the Beetlemobile and Beetlebird, and used blue beetles as his signal and calling card. He briefly had a sidekick, Sparky, who later aided his mentor as a non-costumed civilian. In addition to a successful career fighting crime in the U.S. during the 1940s, the Blue Beetle also battled the Axis powers, sometimes working with Samson and the Flame as the Big Three. The Blue Beetle was ultimately slain by a mad scientist's bomb.

Blue Beetle (Dr. Dan Garrett)

Dr. Dan Garrett, the second Blue Beetle.

Main Article: Dan Garrett

Pre-Crisis

Archaeologist Dr. Dan Garrett was a native of Earth-4 who found a mystic blue scarab in the tomb of the Pharaoh Kha-ef-re. He discovered that when he held it and said the words "Kaji dha," he would be transformed into the superheroic Blue Beetle, able to redirect his internal energies to fly, exhibit superhuman strength, fire blasts of lightning, fly, or use telescopic vision. He fought crime for a short time, before finally deciding to settle down and focus on his life as Dr. Dan Garrett.

However, some time later, he was summoned Pago Island to help his friend Ted Kord, whose uncle Jarvis Kord planned to use an army of androids to conquer the world. Garrett was forced to become the Blue Beetle, and although he did destroy Jarvis' machines, he and Jarvis were both mortally wounded. Garrett tried to pass on the scarab and identity of Blue Beetle to Ted Kord, but was buried when Jarvis' underground lab collapsed. Despite not having the scarab, Kord became the new Blue Beetle to honor his friend.

A year or so later, Kord battled the villainous Carapax on Pago Island, and the destruction of their battle caused Garrett to reawaken. However, his weakened mind was seized by a malevolent alien intelligence inside the blue scarab. Garrett was filled with a jealous rage against the friend who had "stolen" his identity, and returned to Hub City to attack Kord. During their battle, Garrett became aware of what was happening: in a battle of wills with the alien mind in the scarab, Garrett shattered the scarab before truly dying.

Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Whilst at the Museum, he was approached by the Directors who asked him to lead the expedition to investigate the presence of pre-dynastic treasures in Egypt. There was some concern over the expedition as the region was unstable due to General Amentohep had been using nuclear devices. He was later met by a fellow archaeologist named Dr. Luri Hoshid with Dr. Garrett asking her to accompany him as his Egyptian contemporary to investigate the site. Unknown to Garrett, the site was the tomb of the evil pharaoh Kha-ef-re who ruled in the era of the Old Kingdom who had been dead since approximately 2550 B.C. The dig uncovered the tomb of Kha-ef-re with Garrett and Hoshid during a flight narrowly avoiding being shot down in disputed territory. Whilst dining at a restaurant in Cairo, they pair saw General Amentohep who nearly had them arrested but Dan and Luri escaped. They returned to the tomb and went inside to investigate where Dr. Hoshid expressed fear as they ultimately found the sarcophagus of the evil pharaoh. Dr. Garrett discovered a blue beetle scarab decorated on the sarcophagus and removed it with it speaking to him with knowledge of the good pharaohs of the past. They designated Dan as the Blue Beetle and gifted him supernatural powers to fight evils of the modern day whilst warning him of the danger of Kha-ef-re. At that moment, a hydrogen bomb was being dropped on the area and Garrett took himself along with Luri to safety in a lead-lined tomb when he transformed into the Blue Beetle after speaking out a magical word. The radiation from the bomb awakened the evil pharaoh Kha-ef-re who emerged as a giant mummy that sought out his modern day descendant who was General Amentohep. The Blue Beetle attempted to stop the pair from conquering the world but was defeated by the undead mummy. Garrett was deprived of the Blue Beetle Scarab and set to be sacrificed to the evil pharaoh when Luri Hoshid arrived to pass his talisman to him. Upon uttering the magic word, Garrett was restored where he defeated Kha-ef-re and Amenhotep. He then returned the lifeless mummy back to his tomb so that he would never be awakened gain. The Great Pharaoh that empowered Garrett then urged him to be a hero to the world and he continued his work as the Blue Beetle. (Blue Beetle v2 #1)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)

Ted Kord, the third Blue Beetle.

Main Article: Ted Kord

Pre-Crisis

Ted Kord was a native of Earth-4 and the inheritor of Kord Industries and the legacy of Dr. Dan Garrett, the previous Blue Beetle.

In college, he was noted to had met Dan Garret who had a reputation for being level-headed and trustworthy. At some point, his father took part in an expedition and disappeared as a result. (Blue Beetle v5 #2)

One day, his uncle Jarvis Kord asked for Ted's help in an experiment though was very secretive about his work. During the height of their work, significant progress was made on the project with Ted wanting to know more about it. Jarvis willing to tell him the next day but when Ted arrived at the lab an explosion occurred that seemingly killed his uncle. After the fire was put out, Ted went to examine the site where he found a damaged box that marked Pago Island. This led to Kord believing that his uncle was still alive and went out in search of him. Enlisting the help of Dan Garret, he revealed to him that his uncle had improved on a model of invincible robots that the pair had been working on that could be the basis of a dangerous army. Travelling to the island, the Kord and Garret were captured by robots where they were brought before Jarvis. He revealed his plans to use his super robots to take over the world where he intended to eliminate the two intruders. It was then that Garret revealed himself to be the Blue Beetle where he broke free and freed Ted with him battling the robots. To stop the hero, Jarvis triggered an overload that resulted in a feedback bringing about a large explosion. Jarvis had been killed whilst Garret was fatally injured where he asked Ted to keep his identity a secret and that Kord carry on the legacy of the Blue Beetle. Ted agreed as he felt responsible for Dan Garret's death and managed to make his way back home. (Blue Beetle v5 #2)

Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

When he was a kid, he spent all his life fixated on a computer screen where he felt that he was bundled safely from the outside world. When he turned 13 years old, he got a new laptop and used it to hack into the U.S. defense servers leading to his arrest by the authorities after they tracked him down. He was in an interrogation room where they ultimately released him with his father telling him that he was lucky he did not end up in prison. (Countdown to Infinite Crisis v1 #1)

The young Ted was a student at a midwestern university where he was a student in noted archaeologist Dr. Daniel Garrett. Despite being an electronics major, he liked to participate in the lecturer's classes. (Secret Origins v2 #2)

Blue Beetle stuck with several incarnations of the League, becoming friends with Booster Gold and facing many threats with them. During the Justice League America battle with Doomsday, Kord was badly wounded and wound up in a coma for some time, finally emerging in time to save the League from Doctor Destiny. He left the League after Zero Hour and joined "Extreme Justice" for a short time, as well as the LAW. However, after discovering he had a heart condition, he retired to focus on Kord Industries. He was lured out of retirement to join Maxwell Lord's "Super Buddies" team, until a string of thefts from his company led him to Maxwell Lord's true plans- to wipe the world clean of superbeings. Refusing to join Lord in his crusade, he was shot dead.

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)

Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes in Blue Beetle v8 #1.

Main Article: Jaime Reyes

Origin

Jaime Reyes was a male human born in El Paso, Texas as the eldest son of Alberto Reyes and Bianca Reyes who came to be bonded with the Reach Reach Scarab becoming the third Blue Beetle. (Blue Beetle v7 #1)

He was at school when an explosion occurred in the sky as the planet fell under a Crisis event. (Infinite Crisis v1 #3)

In the night, the Scarab activated where it crawled over to him and bonded of Jaime in his sleep. (Blue Beetle v7 #1)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Overview

The Scarab was a sophisticated insect-like creature that attached themselves to a host and provided them with a range of abilities. The insect burrowed into larger organisms and commandeered their nervous system with this being adapted into the development of a new class of bio-weapon by the Reach. The Scarab unit was a living sentient being where it was introduced into a target world and bonded to a dominant life form to create a powerful soldier. The resulting Scarab warrior used the host's knowledge of its own world to destroy the planet's defences. (Blue Beetle v9 #0

In reality, the name Khaji Dah was actually the serial number given to the Scarab. (Blue Beetle v7 #25)

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Notes

• The concept of the Blue Beetle was created by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski where it made its first appearance in Mystery Men Comics v1 #1 (August, 1939).
• Although DC owns the rights to the first (Golden Age) Blue Beetle, and discussed the character in the Cosmic Cards trading card set, he never actually appeared in any DC Comics. The Blue Beetle's run in Charlton's Americomics established that all three Blue Beetles were in the same universe, so it seems safe to assume he was a native of Earth-4 who ceased to exist after the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
• The character was adapted into the Nite Owl for the Watchmen universe.
• Characters inspired by the Blue Beetle name include the Red Beetle and Gold Beetle.

Alternate Versions

• In Justice League Quarterly v1 #8 (1992), an alternate version of the Blue Beetle appeared who was an inhabitant of the Anti-Matter Universe. This version was the Scarab who came to be a member of the Conglomerate.
• In Kingdom Come v1 #1 (1996), an alternate version of the Blue Beetle appeared in the Kingdom Come reality set in Earth-22 in the Multiverse. Even at his old age, Ted continues his adventurism by wearing a Blue Beetle armored battle suit powered by the mystical scarab that gave the first Blue Beetle his powers. Ted became a part of Batman's Silent Cavalry team that opposes Superman's Justice League. He goes undercover with the rest of the team; pretending to ally themselves with Lex Luthor's Mankind Liberation Front, in order to discover Lex's plans. Once they discover that Luthor is brainwashing Captain Marvel, they attack and incarcerate the MLF members.He was subsequently killed at the Gulag from the U.N. nuclear bombing.
• In Countdown: Arena v1 #2 (2008), multiple versions of the Blue Beetle appeared who came from realities from across the Multiverse. The warlord Monarch had taken these Blue Beetles from across the Multiverse. Among these include Daniel Garrett of Earth-39 who was a version of Dan Garrett who came to fully bond with the Blue Beetle Scarab. Another was Theodore Kord of Earth-33 who was the anthropomorphic pet blue beetle of Mr. and Mrs. Kord in the conjurer world. The last was the Scarab of Earth-26 who was a carnivorous predator composed of multiple swarm of scarabs from Earth-26 formed the Blue Beetle. Prior to the battle, Scarab silently communicated with Blue Beetle Daniel Garrett of Earth-39 and during the battle that Reach Scarab abandoned its host to join the mass entity.

In other media

Television

• In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the Blue Beetle legacy appeared in the setting of the animated television series. It was shown that the Scarab came to Earth where it was discovered by Dan Garrett who used it to be the hero Blue Beetle. He later came to convince Ted Kord to continue the mantle until his death whereupon the Scarab passed onto Jaime Reyes who managed to unlock its full potential.
• In Young Justice, the Blue Beetle legacy appeared in the setting of the animated television series during its second season. The Scarab was revealed to be a creation of the Reach who long ago sent it to Earth to bond to a native to serve as a warrior that would bring about the conquest of the planet. However, in ancient Egypt, mystics came to use magic to corrupt the device and cause it to shut down where it remained inactive for many years. This was until it was discovered by archaeologist Dan Garrett who managed to partially unlock its functionality where it gave him some abilities that he used to operate as a the vigilante known as the Blue Beetle. He eventually died with the Scarab passing to one of his students namely Ted Kord though he was unable to activate the Scarab but kept it for study. Kord came to be the second Blue Beetle where he used gadgets and other device to operate in this role until he was murdered by the Light. This saw the Scarab falling outside Kord Industries where it came to bond with a young teenager named Jaime Reyes who became the third Blue Beetle where the Reach weapon activated fully in him.

Video games

• In Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, all three Blue Beetles appeared in the setting of the Wii U video game.

Appearances

• Mystery Men Comics v1: (1939)
• Blue Beetle v1:
• Blue Beetle v7:
• Blue Beetle v8:
• Blue Beetle: Graduation Day v1: (2023)

External Links

• DC Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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