Superhero Origins: Blue Beetle

Superhero Origins: Blue Beetle

Policeman. Archeologist. Scientist. Teenage kid. Just who is this Blue Beetle guy anyway? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of the Blue Beetle.

As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1967's Blue Beetle #2 and which was expanded upon in 1986's Secret Origins #2, 2006's Blue Beetle #1, and 2011's Blue Beetle #1.

There have been several characters who have taken the name Blue Beetle in comic books. Most contemporary readers became familiar with the character when he appeared in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths mini-series in 1985, but Blue Beetle had been around long before that.

The first Blue Beetle popped up in 1939's Mystery Men Comics #1, as a regular beat cop named Dan Garret, who by night puts on a slouch hat and a mask to battle crime as the Blue Beetle. Within a year, he had adopted a more typical superhero outfit and gained super-strength thanks to a special vitamin.

This version of the Blue Beetle, with some modifications, turned up again in 1964, but he quickly gave way to a totally new Blue Beetle in 1966. Debuting in Captain Atom #83, this Blue Beetle possessed no superpowers but didn't need any. He was a millionaire scientific genius named Ted Kord whose inventions, physical prowess and beetle-shaped flying machine made him more than a match for criminals.

It turned out, though, that there was a connection between this Blue Beetle and the Dan Garret version, as revealed 1967's Blue Beetle #2. This secret origin issue revealed that Ted Kord had once helped his scientist uncle on some top secret experiments. His uncle was seemingly killed in a lab explosion; in fact, he had faked his death so that he could use the formulas Ted had developed to create an army of unstoppable warriors.

Ted discovered this deception and approached his old colleague, Dan Garrett. Not a cop in this version, Garrett was a respected archeologist whose skills Ted needed to track his uncle. Ted and Dan found the villain's secret lair on Pago Island. Captured, Dan revealed that he was actually the Blue Beetle – and that he had been given superpowers thanks to a mysterious Egyptian scarab he had found.

Dan managed to defeat Ted's uncle, but it cost him is life. As he lay dying, he made Ted promise to carry on as the Blue Beetle – which Ted did, though without making use of the scarab which had granted Dan his special powers.


When DC Comics began publishing Blue Beetle in 1986, they retold the Blue Beetle's origin; it was kept mostly intact, with some modifications. For example, in the re-telling, Dan Garret was Ted's professor, not colleague. Also, Dan knew that his scarab powers were the gift of a mighty Egyptian god, and he used a special phrase – Kaji Dha – to transform into Blue Beetle.

In recent years, Ted Kord passed away and the mantel of Blue Beetle fell upon a teen-aged boy named Jaime Reyes. He found the ancient scarab which had given Dan Garret his powers which then fused itself into Jaime's spine. It turned out that the scarab was actually of extra-terrestrial origin as were the powers it bestowed. The scarab was able to coat Jaime's body in a nearly-impenetrable armor, as well as provide him with super powers and a range of alien weaponry. And in a nice touch of continuity, the name of his scarab is Khaji Da – the secret word Dan Garrett used to transform into the Blue Beetle.

The Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle has turned up in several DC Universe TV series, always making a striking impression. He may be a teen-ager who didn't train to be a super-hero, but Jaime Reyes has what it takes to carry on the proud Blue Beetle tradition.

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