Jaime Reyes
Encyclopedia
Blue Beetle is a fictional character
who appears in comic book
s published by DC Comics
. The character first appears in Infinite Crisis
#3 (Feb. 2006), and was created by writers Keith Giffen
and John Rogers
, and artist Cully Hamner
.
Blue Beetle
. His own monthly series debuted a month later, with Blue Beetle (vol. 8) #1 (May 2006) and was initially written by Keith Giffen
and John Rogers
, with artist Cully Hamner
. Giffen left in issue #10 and Rogers took over full writing duties, joined by a new artist, Rafael Albuquerque. Rogers had to leave the title in issue #25, in order to concentrate on his television series Leverage
.
After a couple of fill-in issues Matt Sturges became the main writer in issue #29 but the series was canceled with the last issue scheduled to be #36 in February 2009. Editor Dan DiDio
put the cancellation down to poor sales and said that Blue Beetle was "a book that we started with very high expectations, but it lost its audience along the way."
On March 12, 2009, DiDio announced that the character would be brought back to print in June 2009 as a "co-feature" of the more popular "Booster Gold
" comic. Whether the creative team would remain intact or be replaced was unclear but DiDio indicated that the stories would pick up on dangling plot threads from the recently canceled series.
with his father, mother, and little sister; his father owns a garage. Jaime has offered to help his father out at the garage, but his father has turned him down so far, feeling Jaime should focus on his studies and enjoy his childhood for as long as he can. Jaime has an acute sense of responsibility for his family and friends, though he complains about being the one to sort out any messes. He derives much strength and courage from the love and support of his family.
, who was never able to use it. After an attack by Brother Eye
, the scarab appeared energized, and Ted brought it to the wizard Shazam
, who took it and sent Ted away. Shortly thereafter, in the Day of Vengeance
storyline, Shazam was killed and the scarab was blasted across the globe, along with shards from the Rock of Eternity.
The Blue Beetle scarab came to Earth in El Paso, Texas
, where it was picked up by Jaime. Not long after, Booster Gold
appeared at Jaime's house to retrieve the scarab, only to discover that it had fused itself to Jaime's spine while the teenager had been sleeping. Booster recruited Jaime for Batman
's assault on the Brother Eye satellite, since the scarab was the only thing that could see the satellite. Using the scarab's powers, Jaime was able to find the satellite and reveal it to Batman's group, enabling them to defeat it. Once Brother Eye was sent plummeting Earthward, Jaime disappeared from the ship, apparently teleported away by the scarab, which sought to escape the Green Lantern
s on board.
, who had been driven to rage by his ring's reaction to the Blue Beetle scarab. A flashback expanded on Jaime's initial discovery of the scarab, revealing how the scarab bonded itself to Jaime and showing his first encounter with a metahuman
. After the fight, Jaime found himself alone and naked in the middle of the desert, and had to hitch-hike home. Upon his return, Jaime discovered he had been missing for a whole year
. Unlike most superheroes who keep their identities hidden from all but the closest of associates, Jaime's family and friends know Jaime is the current Blue Beetle.
He began a career as a superhero, meeting Oracle
, the Phantom Stranger
, and the current Peacemaker
during his early adventures. He often associates himself with a group known as the Posse, a street gang of local superhumans with powers of magical origin. Blue Beetle's support team have also recently agreed to help Jaime keep track of crime and natural disasters in the Midwest via the Internet.
Contrary to Jaime's initial belief, the scarab is revealed to be a piece of extraterrestrial technology. However, magical influences involving the first contact with Earthmen left the scarab "corrupted", and unable to be controlled by the Reach
of Space Sector 2. Guy Gardner returned and revealed to Jaime how the Reach and the Green Lantern Corps
had battled in the past, forcing the Reach into a truce. The Reach however continued pursuing their invasion plans offering the scarab as a "protector", and then forcibly turning his host into the vanguard of their attack. This would imply that the scarab's fully functional A.I.
acts as an agent for the Reach. As Jaime's scarab has only a partly functioning A.I.
, falling more and more into his control and forming an alliance with him, the Reach changed their agenda into feigning friendship with Jaime and the Earth, attacking him in a more subversive manner.
, though their pact with the Guardians forbids them from invading any new cultures, including Earth. Jaime has recently sought help from S.T.A.R. Labs
in order to find out about the scarab's full power. The Reach also appear to be enemies of the Controllers
; Jaime's scarab suit is seen reacting violently to a Darkstars
uniform worn by the current Manhunter
Kate Spencer.
In a Countdown to Final Crisis
tie-in, Jaime assists Traci Thirteen in foiling Eclipso
's attempt to kidnap a baby with great magical potential and use it as a new, uncorrupted host. In the aftermath, Jaime and Traci kiss, hinting at a relationship starting between the two.
Jaime takes the fight to the Reach, using the time-warping qualities of the Bleed to attack three of their machines at once. When this fails, Jaime attacks the Reach's flagship, but the Reach use their weapons to attack Jaime's home. Jaime's emotional outburst at this attack allows the Reach to shut down the scarab and remove it from Jaime. Jaime is thrown into a holding cell while the scarab is taken for examination on the bridge. However, the scarab transfers its knowledge into Jaime before removal, allowing the young hero to break out of his cell. Meanwhile, Jaime's family, having escaped the attack, are protected from further Reach assault by Peacemaker, the Posse, Traci Thirteen, La Dama, and later, Guy Gardner
, Fire
, and Ice
. Attacking several guards and taking their armor, Jaime heads for the engine, forcing the Reach to shut it down, revealing their ship. Once captured and brought to the bridge, Jaime shouts "Khaji Da!". He then reveals that during the time spent with him, the scarab has gained a personality of its own, and fully detached itself from the Reach hive-mind. Claiming Khaji Da (the combined utterance of Khaji, the codeword for Infiltrator and Da, its own serial number) as its name, the scarab has sided with Reyes against the Reach. As the battle continues, and the Reach Negotiator in retaliation for his defeat unleashes a doomsday device on Earth, Jaime and the scarab agree to sacrifice themselves to stop the superweapon from destroying Jaime's home planet. At the last moment, Booster Gold
appears and saves them both. The bond with the scarab stronger than ever, Jaime is left to wonder if other scarabs will gain a personality due to Khaji Da talking to them about individuality.
and the Teen Titans believe Jaime. Although Jaime is criticized for his lack of formal training, the Titans extend an invitation to visit and perhaps at a later time join the team. The Reach later attempt to remove Jaime from the equation, combining the missing A.I. of Jaime's scarab, a new scarab, and a Sinestro Corps
power ring into the Peacemaker
, forcing him to cut the scarab from his spine in order to ensure that his scarab could not be used as a weapon again.
Jaime comes face to face with the Spectre
, along with Luis, the man who had been responsible for Jaime's father being crippled. After a visit from his quasi-girlfriend Traci Thirteen, Jaime realizes that he cannot stop the Spectre from executing the inmates. Jaime is forced to forgive Luis and try to reason with the Spectre. Partially successful, the Spectre warns Jaime that if he ever lets the scarab kill, the Spectre will come for him.
During the "Titans of Tomorrow, Today!" arc in Teen Titans, Jaime takes the Titans up on their offer to visit, only to find that an alternate future version of the Titans have attacked the Tower and managed to kidnap key members of the Justice League
. He later proves instrumental in the Titans' victory against their future selves and proves himself to be a competent hero by incapacitating the Future Flash
, and freeing the Justice League. He also aids the Titans in defeating Starro
. During much of the conflict with the future Titans, Jaime is actively attacked by the adult version of Kid Devil
, Red Devil, who claims that Jaime cannot be trusted. On the other hand, Lex Luthor
describes Blue Beetle as an "unremitting nuisance" who holds on to this view of right and wrong no matter how much reality shifts and the world changes around him.
Jaime is recruited by Black Beetle
(who originally identifies himself as a Blue Beetle from the future), and Dan Garrett to go into the past with Booster Gold in order to prevent Ted Kord's death. After saving Kord, and sending Jaime and Garrett back, the future is revealed to be a dystopia ruled by Maxwell Lord
, who was now never exposed and defeated. Black Beetle is also revealed to be a future enemy of Jaime's, who tries to create this future so he will never have to deal with Jaime, and so he "would not lose her". In Booster Gold #10, seeing the damage that was already done by their actions, Ted decides to accept his death and returns to the past, seemingly to the exact moment where he was murdered by Maxwell Lord, returning the timeline to equilibrium and thus preventing the future they had witnessed. However, in the epilogue for Booster Gold #1.000.000, a figure with a scarab enters a Kord Industries building which contains a Bug and a picture of Kord's enemy Overthrow
among other things. It is hinted by his trademark laugh "Bwa-ha-ha" that it is actually Ted, who somehow escaped death but managed to fix the timestream and return to the present.
The villain Shockwave revealed during his battle with Jaime that Kord Industries is now owned by the 100
. He again came into conflict with Kid Devil, who still harbored a grudge against him because of both the future Titans incident and his status with Ravager
. Jaime tries to mend fences with Kid Devil, but to no avail at first since their squabbling allowed Shockwave to escape. During their second battle with him, Kid Devil managed to tap into his demonic powers and partially melted Shockwave's armor, enabling both boys to defeat him in a concerted effort. This seems to help squelch the ill feelings between them. Then Kid Devil asks Jaime if he's heard from Ravager, and Jaime replies that he's faced down an entire alien race, but Ravager scares him. Kid Devil finally realizes that Jaime is being sincere and they shake hands and tell each other their real names. Later at Titans Tower
Robin offers Jaime full-membership into the Teen Titans, to which Jaime finally feels ready to accept. Soon after when Kid Devil officially takes the new name of Red Devil, Jaime deals out some good-natured teasing about his new costume, calling him the "Crimson Jazzercizer". Red Devil chases after him, both of them with smiles on their faces.
In the aftermath of the massive Final Crisis
crossover event, Kid Eternity
, Static, and Aquagirl join up with the team after being rescued from the Dark Side Club. Despite some initial friction with Static, the two eventually become friends. Aquagirl begins hitting on Jaime despite knowing of his relationship with Traci, often speaking to him in Spanish in order to hide her intentions to the rest of the team. Despite feeling an attraction toward her, he chooses to remain loyal to Traci.
After Wonder Girl is kidnapped by the Fearsome Five
, Beetle reluctantly allows Traci to assist the team in rescuing her. In the aftermath of the rescue mission, Red Devil is killed saving the city from a nuclear explosion, and Jaime is shown at his funeral, mourning his close friend.
When Beast Boy
arrives at Titans Tower in order to take over leadership of the team, Jaime acts distrustfully of him, going so far as to accuse him of caring more about winning Raven
's love than helping the team.
#21, Blue Beetle was featured as a 10-page ongoing co-feature. The stories focused on a smaller cast than the ongoing did, focusing on Jaime, Paco, and Brenda while having Jaime's family pop up on occasion. In these stories, the rebooted scarab is shown to be much more bloodthirsty than it had been in the past, constantly urging Jaime to use more lethal weaponry. In the first serial, Jaime faced off against the android daughter of an old supervillain.
Jaime then faced an attack from the Black Beetle, in the middle of a family hike. During the battle, Black Beetle claimed to be the future incarnation of Hector, wanting revenge for Nadia's death, only to immediately retract his statement, claiming to have killed Hector and taken his scarab. When Milagro was injured by Black Beetle, Jaime lost his temper, finally giving in to the scarab's suggestions of using lethal force. Jaime eventually managed to use tachyon
beams to paralyze Black Beetle, only for the villain to claim that he was Jaime from the future, and that he would don the black scarab after Milagro (who would suffer brain damage from the injury she had just received in the present) destroyed the blue scarab. Jaime, deciding to get Milagro medical attention as quickly as possible, was forced to let Black Beetle escape. Before he departed, Black Beetle said to Jaime: "When you see Ted Kord, tell him I said "drop dead"". When Jaime stated that Ted was already dead, Black Beetle replied "Yeah. I know". A few days later, Milagro is shown to be recovering in the hospital, and Jaime is left deeply disturbed by his encounter.
Blue Beetle also teamed up with egotistical superhero Hardware
in order to bring down a group of criminals using tech stolen from the late Edwin Alva by the second Gizmo
. Despite finding Hardware extremely difficult to work with, the two took down the criminals and depart on friendly terms.
Not much later, he was visited by Skeets
, Booster Gold's robotic partner, who warned him of his disappearance. Deciding to team up with the small machine to find Booster as a form of paying respect to him for introducing him to the superhero world, he reaches the house of Rose Levin and Daniel Carter
, Booster's ancestors from the 21st century. However, soon after he arrives, the Black Lantern
Ted Kord crashes his ship into Daniel's house, and Jaime proceeds to battle Kord. Although outmatched and insulted by the Black Lantern, Jaime keeps fighting until Booster enters the scene.
Later, both team up to destroy the Black Lantern, succeeding by blasting him with a special light gun designed by Ted Kord and separating him from the ring. Then, they seize the remains into the Time Sphere and taking the lifeless corpse to Vanishing Point Fortress, in the last second of the universe. There, Jaime promises to eventually live up to the legacy of the Blue Beetle and eventually reestablish the Blue & Gold Team.
. Jaime uses the scarab to help locate Static, but he and his teammates are easily defeated during a battle by Holocaust, who is able to block a blast from Jaime's cannon and then strike him with a fire ball. The Titans are ultimately rescued when Cyborg
arrives with Kid Flash
and Superboy
.
During the start of the Brightest Day
event, Deadman has a vision of Jaime shaking hands with Maxwell Lord, who is holding a gun behind his back. Shaken by his near-death in Dakota, Jaime informs Static that he plans to briefly leave the team in order to visit his family, fearing what would happen if he were to die without saying goodbye to them. Shortly after arriving home, Jaime and his family are attacked by a squad of OMACs. With help from Booster Gold, Ice
, and Captain Atom
, Jaime is able to repel the OMACs, but is accidentally sucked into a teleportation rift they create. The heroes end up in Russia, where Jaime learns of Max Lord and his attempt to make the world forget he ever existed. He agrees to help the former Justice League members track Lord down and bring him to justice. After a battle with members of the Rocket Red Brigade, the heroes learn that Max Lord has been manipulating the team in hopes that they would reform Justice League International
, with Jaime taking the role held years earlier by Ted Kord.
Before they can figure out their next move, the base is attacked by the Creature Commandos
and during the battle Max reveals himself while posing as one of the Creature Commandos. Blue Beetle ends up unconscious and Max captures him, heading to the teleporter leaving the JLI behind. When Blue Beetle is in captivity, Max injects him with an unknown treatment. Tortured, he remember Max's existence as the man who killed Ted Kord and destroyed his legacy. Jaime eventually manages to send a signal to the rest of the JLI to lead them to Max's headquarters. He breaks out of the laboratory and attacks Max, who, having discovered the weaknesses of the Blue Scarab, knocks Jaime with an special beam, and, just as the JLI arrives, shoots Jaime in the head with a blaster, apparently killing him in the same manner as his predecessor, Ted Kord.
Max escapes from the JLI using one of his headquarters' escape pods. Failing to capture Max, the JLI carried Jaime on the land surface where paramedics Rocket Red
and Skeets
try to resuscitate him. However their efforts failed as Jaime had already died. As the team deals with the loss of Jaime, when suddenly Blue Beetle is sits up, his wound healed, declaring he knows what Max's ultimate plans is and that they can stop him. Jaime reveals to them that his healing scarab armor is what protected him from the gun blaster. When the battle against the new OMAC known as OMAC Prime goes nowhere, Blue Beetle attacks and OMAC Prime appears to take his power, but Blue Beetle mentioned to OMAC Prime that it cannot take control with the Scarab's power. Blue Beetle attacks and blasts the OMAC Prime.
event. It is written by Tony Bedard
and drawn by Ig Guara.
When in use, the suit can reconfigure itself to produce a wide array of armaments. Common functions include an energy cannon, a sword and shield, a grappling hook, a device resembling a communications satellite, and a set of foot-long powered blades that can shear through tree trunks. In addition, the suit can produce a set of wings for flight, which can also act as shields. Jaime alludes to weapons which may be powerful enough to harm even the Spectre, one of DC's most powerful characters, claiming that some of the weapons were of W.M.D. caliber, but Jaime's refusal to use lethal force keeps him from making use of them. The suit can adapt its technology to different situations: such adaptations include producing energy discharges from the hands that can neutralize magic, discharging Kryptonite
radiation, tuning "vibrational frequencies" of extra-dimensional objects to make them visible, and other assorted functions. The suit has been observed to create armaments of different composition and style. The wings, for example, were initially composed of the same blue opaque armor of which the rest of the suit is composed, but beginning with Blue Beetle #12 (April 2007), they began manifesting themselves in the form of a colorless, translucent material. The scarab also apparently has the ability to track anything or anyone it has previously encountered.
The scarab has at least one power it can manifest whether dormant or active; it can give Jaime a peculiar form of "sight" to perceive extra-dimensional objects, which is used to gather information on the scarabs user's adversaries. The scarab is able to communicate with him in a more comprehensible fashion if need be. The scarab's language of communication has slowly morphed into a format resembling English, claiming Khaji Da as its own name and Jaime as its first real friend. However, it has occasional relapses into its original language. The suit is capable of compensating for the digestive system of Jaime's body, so that he does not need to expel waste materials
when the suit is in use, even able to make paper out of dead skin cells the suit collects.
The scarab exhibits a reluctance to harm nature, as evidenced in Blue Beetle #4, in which Jaime is attacked by a pair of anthropomorphized
trees, and the suit declines to use great force against them, until Jaime convinces the scarab that his life is in danger and wrests control over the suit to destroy the trees, much to the scarab's displeasure.
When necessary, Jaime can have the Scarab take over in Infiltrator Mode. When this happens, the suit becomes taller, more muscular and grows spikes and allows the scarab to fight without Jaime's conscience as a restriction and is more brutal and violent in its attacks. However, Jaime and the scarab do not like to use it and is only done in disparate situations.
#37-38 as part of the Fatherland storyline. Set twenty years in the future, Jaime has lost his powers after Captain Nazi
and his fellow white supremacist villains activate their Great Darkness Engine
, a device which neutralizes most of the world's metahumans and allows a Neo-Nazi regime known as the Fourth Reich to take over America. Held prisoner alongside the world's few surviving superheroes, Jaime is ultimately killed by security guards after attacking Mr. Terrific
as a distraction for the other heroes in order to further their escape plans during the execution ceremony for Batman
and the Joker
.
, Jaime was among the surviving meta humans of Earth gathered by Lex Luthor.
event, Jaime was a part of a team called the Ambush Bug
s led by the Canterbury Cricket. They did an attack on the Amazons which ended in failure with the demise of every bug hero except the Canterbury Cricket.
:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who appears in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The character first appears in Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
#3 (Feb. 2006), and was created by writers Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
and John Rogers
John Rogers (writer)
John Rogers is a screenwriter, comedian, film producer, and comic book writer. Although born in Worcester, Massachusetts, he attended McGill University in Montreal and is better known publicly as a Canadian writer...
, and artist Cully Hamner
Cully Hamner
Cully Hamner is an American comic book artist and writer.-Career:Since his 1992 debut on Green Lantern: Mosaic, Hamner has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher, and is chiefly known for such titles as the aforementioned Green Lantern: Mosaic, Blue Beetle, and Red...
.
Publication history
In Infinite Crisis #5 (March 2006), the character became the third incarnation of the superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
. His own monthly series debuted a month later, with Blue Beetle (vol. 8) #1 (May 2006) and was initially written by Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
and John Rogers
John Rogers (writer)
John Rogers is a screenwriter, comedian, film producer, and comic book writer. Although born in Worcester, Massachusetts, he attended McGill University in Montreal and is better known publicly as a Canadian writer...
, with artist Cully Hamner
Cully Hamner
Cully Hamner is an American comic book artist and writer.-Career:Since his 1992 debut on Green Lantern: Mosaic, Hamner has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher, and is chiefly known for such titles as the aforementioned Green Lantern: Mosaic, Blue Beetle, and Red...
. Giffen left in issue #10 and Rogers took over full writing duties, joined by a new artist, Rafael Albuquerque. Rogers had to leave the title in issue #25, in order to concentrate on his television series Leverage
Leverage (TV series)
Leverage is an American television drama series on TNT that premiered in December 2008. The series is produced by director/executive producer Dean Devlin's production company Electric Television...
.
After a couple of fill-in issues Matt Sturges became the main writer in issue #29 but the series was canceled with the last issue scheduled to be #36 in February 2009. Editor Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
put the cancellation down to poor sales and said that Blue Beetle was "a book that we started with very high expectations, but it lost its audience along the way."
On March 12, 2009, DiDio announced that the character would be brought back to print in June 2009 as a "co-feature" of the more popular "Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
" comic. Whether the creative team would remain intact or be replaced was unclear but DiDio indicated that the stories would pick up on dangling plot threads from the recently canceled series.
Fictional character biography
Jaime lives in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
with his father, mother, and little sister; his father owns a garage. Jaime has offered to help his father out at the garage, but his father has turned him down so far, feeling Jaime should focus on his studies and enjoy his childhood for as long as he can. Jaime has an acute sense of responsibility for his family and friends, though he complains about being the one to sort out any messes. He derives much strength and courage from the love and support of his family.
Infinite Crisis
The mystical Blue Beetle scarab which had given Dan Garrett his powers had been thought destroyed. When it was found intact, it was given to Ted KordBlue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Blue Beetle is the second Blue Beetle, a superhero who was originally published by Charlton Comics and later picked up by DC Comics...
, who was never able to use it. After an attack by Brother Eye
OMACs
The OMACs are a fictional type of powerful cyborg that exist in the DC Comics universe...
, the scarab appeared energized, and Ted brought it to the wizard Shazam
Shazam (comics)
Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. He is an ancient sorcerer who gives young Billy Batson the power to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel...
, who took it and sent Ted away. Shortly thereafter, in the Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
storyline, Shazam was killed and the scarab was blasted across the globe, along with shards from the Rock of Eternity.
The Blue Beetle scarab came to Earth in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, where it was picked up by Jaime. Not long after, Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
appeared at Jaime's house to retrieve the scarab, only to discover that it had fused itself to Jaime's spine while the teenager had been sleeping. Booster recruited Jaime for Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's assault on the Brother Eye satellite, since the scarab was the only thing that could see the satellite. Using the scarab's powers, Jaime was able to find the satellite and reveal it to Batman's group, enabling them to defeat it. Once Brother Eye was sent plummeting Earthward, Jaime disappeared from the ship, apparently teleported away by the scarab, which sought to escape the Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
s on board.
Ongoing series
Jaime was next seen in his own ongoing monthly series, fighting off Green Lantern Guy GardnerGuy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
, who had been driven to rage by his ring's reaction to the Blue Beetle scarab. A flashback expanded on Jaime's initial discovery of the scarab, revealing how the scarab bonded itself to Jaime and showing his first encounter with a metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
. After the fight, Jaime found himself alone and naked in the middle of the desert, and had to hitch-hike home. Upon his return, Jaime discovered he had been missing for a whole year
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
. Unlike most superheroes who keep their identities hidden from all but the closest of associates, Jaime's family and friends know Jaime is the current Blue Beetle.
He began a career as a superhero, meeting Oracle
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
, the Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
, and the current Peacemaker
Peacemaker (comics)
The Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. The original Peacemaker first appeared in Fightin' 5 #40 The Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC...
during his early adventures. He often associates himself with a group known as the Posse, a street gang of local superhumans with powers of magical origin. Blue Beetle's support team have also recently agreed to help Jaime keep track of crime and natural disasters in the Midwest via the Internet.
Contrary to Jaime's initial belief, the scarab is revealed to be a piece of extraterrestrial technology. However, magical influences involving the first contact with Earthmen left the scarab "corrupted", and unable to be controlled by the Reach
Reach (comics)
The Reach are a villainous race of cybernetic insectoid aliens in the DC Comics universe. They are unintentionally responsible for the creation of the dynasty of super heroes known as the Blue Beetles.-Fictional history:...
of Space Sector 2. Guy Gardner returned and revealed to Jaime how the Reach and the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
had battled in the past, forcing the Reach into a truce. The Reach however continued pursuing their invasion plans offering the scarab as a "protector", and then forcibly turning his host into the vanguard of their attack. This would imply that the scarab's fully functional A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
acts as an agent for the Reach. As Jaime's scarab has only a partly functioning A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, falling more and more into his control and forming an alliance with him, the Reach changed their agenda into feigning friendship with Jaime and the Earth, attacking him in a more subversive manner.
The Reach
The Reach are ancient enemies of the Guardians of the UniverseGuardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
, though their pact with the Guardians forbids them from invading any new cultures, including Earth. Jaime has recently sought help from S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
in order to find out about the scarab's full power. The Reach also appear to be enemies of the Controllers
The Controllers
The Controllers are a fictional extraterrestrial race existing in the DC Universe. They first appear in Adventure Comics #357 , and were created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger, and Curt Swan.-Pre-Crisis:...
; Jaime's scarab suit is seen reacting violently to a Darkstars
Darkstars
The first Darkstars were a group of fictional intergalactic policemen that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. They were introduced in Darkstars #1 , and were created by Michael Jan Friedman and Mike Collins. The series lasted a total of 39 issues, ending with issue #38 , with an issue...
uniform worn by the current Manhunter
Manhunter (Kate Spencer)
Manhunter is a fictional character, a superheroine in publications from DC Comics. Kate Spencer is the eighth DC Comics character depicted using the name Manhunter, and the first female to do so. The character first appears in Manhunter Manhunter is a fictional character, a superheroine in...
Kate Spencer.
In a Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown to Final Crisis
Countdown, known as Countdown to Final Crisis for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of 52...
tie-in, Jaime assists Traci Thirteen in foiling Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
's attempt to kidnap a baby with great magical potential and use it as a new, uncorrupted host. In the aftermath, Jaime and Traci kiss, hinting at a relationship starting between the two.
Jaime takes the fight to the Reach, using the time-warping qualities of the Bleed to attack three of their machines at once. When this fails, Jaime attacks the Reach's flagship, but the Reach use their weapons to attack Jaime's home. Jaime's emotional outburst at this attack allows the Reach to shut down the scarab and remove it from Jaime. Jaime is thrown into a holding cell while the scarab is taken for examination on the bridge. However, the scarab transfers its knowledge into Jaime before removal, allowing the young hero to break out of his cell. Meanwhile, Jaime's family, having escaped the attack, are protected from further Reach assault by Peacemaker, the Posse, Traci Thirteen, La Dama, and later, Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
, Fire
Fire (comics)
Fire is a fictional character, a comic book superhero from the DC Comics universe. A version of her first appeared in Super Friends #25, , and was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon...
, and Ice
Ice (comics)
Ice is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in publications from DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire, she first appeared in Justice League International #12 ....
. Attacking several guards and taking their armor, Jaime heads for the engine, forcing the Reach to shut it down, revealing their ship. Once captured and brought to the bridge, Jaime shouts "Khaji Da!". He then reveals that during the time spent with him, the scarab has gained a personality of its own, and fully detached itself from the Reach hive-mind. Claiming Khaji Da (the combined utterance of Khaji, the codeword for Infiltrator and Da, its own serial number) as its name, the scarab has sided with Reyes against the Reach. As the battle continues, and the Reach Negotiator in retaliation for his defeat unleashes a doomsday device on Earth, Jaime and the scarab agree to sacrifice themselves to stop the superweapon from destroying Jaime's home planet. At the last moment, Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
appears and saves them both. The bond with the scarab stronger than ever, Jaime is left to wonder if other scarabs will gain a personality due to Khaji Da talking to them about individuality.
Teen Titans
Jaime first teams up with the Titans in Teen Titans #50 and Blue Beetle #18, fighting Lobo, along with the group to ensure the launch of a satellite armed with anti-Reach technology. The Reach themselves apparently hire Lobo to keep their facade as benevolent protectors; however, at last, BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and the Teen Titans believe Jaime. Although Jaime is criticized for his lack of formal training, the Titans extend an invitation to visit and perhaps at a later time join the team. The Reach later attempt to remove Jaime from the equation, combining the missing A.I. of Jaime's scarab, a new scarab, and a Sinestro Corps
Sinestro Corps
The Sinestro Corps is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analogue to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. It is led by the supervillain Thaal Sinestro.-Before the Corps:...
power ring into the Peacemaker
Peacemaker (comics)
The Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. The original Peacemaker first appeared in Fightin' 5 #40 The Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC...
, forcing him to cut the scarab from his spine in order to ensure that his scarab could not be used as a weapon again.
Jaime comes face to face with the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, along with Luis, the man who had been responsible for Jaime's father being crippled. After a visit from his quasi-girlfriend Traci Thirteen, Jaime realizes that he cannot stop the Spectre from executing the inmates. Jaime is forced to forgive Luis and try to reason with the Spectre. Partially successful, the Spectre warns Jaime that if he ever lets the scarab kill, the Spectre will come for him.
During the "Titans of Tomorrow, Today!" arc in Teen Titans, Jaime takes the Titans up on their offer to visit, only to find that an alternate future version of the Titans have attacked the Tower and managed to kidnap key members of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. He later proves instrumental in the Titans' victory against their future selves and proves himself to be a competent hero by incapacitating the Future Flash
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
, and freeing the Justice League. He also aids the Titans in defeating Starro
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
. During much of the conflict with the future Titans, Jaime is actively attacked by the adult version of Kid Devil
Kid Devil
Red Devil , formerly known as Kid Devil, was a superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Alan Kupperberg, Dan Mishkin, and Gary Cohn, he first appeared in Blue Devil #14.-Origin and early heroics:...
, Red Devil, who claims that Jaime cannot be trusted. On the other hand, Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
describes Blue Beetle as an "unremitting nuisance" who holds on to this view of right and wrong no matter how much reality shifts and the world changes around him.
Jaime is recruited by Black Beetle
Black Beetle (comics)
Black Beetle is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics.-Publication history:Black Beetle first appeared in Booster Gold vol. 2 #5, and was created by Geoff Johns, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Matthew Sturges and Carlo Barberi...
(who originally identifies himself as a Blue Beetle from the future), and Dan Garrett to go into the past with Booster Gold in order to prevent Ted Kord's death. After saving Kord, and sending Jaime and Garrett back, the future is revealed to be a dystopia ruled by Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a shrewd and powerful businessman who was very influential in the formation of the Justice League International in DC Comics.-Before the League:...
, who was now never exposed and defeated. Black Beetle is also revealed to be a future enemy of Jaime's, who tries to create this future so he will never have to deal with Jaime, and so he "would not lose her". In Booster Gold #10, seeing the damage that was already done by their actions, Ted decides to accept his death and returns to the past, seemingly to the exact moment where he was murdered by Maxwell Lord, returning the timeline to equilibrium and thus preventing the future they had witnessed. However, in the epilogue for Booster Gold #1.000.000, a figure with a scarab enters a Kord Industries building which contains a Bug and a picture of Kord's enemy Overthrow
Overthrow (comics)
Overthrow was a DC Comics supervillain who fought the Blue Beetle.-Fictional character biography:Arnold Daniel Beck was an embittered employee let go from Kord Omniversal who came to believe that he was just a victim of the machinations of the military-industrial complex, of which Kord's company...
among other things. It is hinted by his trademark laugh "Bwa-ha-ha" that it is actually Ted, who somehow escaped death but managed to fix the timestream and return to the present.
The villain Shockwave revealed during his battle with Jaime that Kord Industries is now owned by the 100
100 (DC Comics)
The 100, the 10 and the 1000 are fictional organized crime groups appearing in DC Comics. The 10 debuted in Superman #665 , and were created by Kurt Busiek and Rick Leonardi. The 100 debuted in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #105 , and were created by Bob Kanigher...
. He again came into conflict with Kid Devil, who still harbored a grudge against him because of both the future Titans incident and his status with Ravager
Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
. Jaime tries to mend fences with Kid Devil, but to no avail at first since their squabbling allowed Shockwave to escape. During their second battle with him, Kid Devil managed to tap into his demonic powers and partially melted Shockwave's armor, enabling both boys to defeat him in a concerted effort. This seems to help squelch the ill feelings between them. Then Kid Devil asks Jaime if he's heard from Ravager, and Jaime replies that he's faced down an entire alien race, but Ravager scares him. Kid Devil finally realizes that Jaime is being sincere and they shake hands and tell each other their real names. Later at Titans Tower
Titans Tower
Titans Tower is a fictional building in the DC Comics universe. Its various incarnations have been home to the superhero team called the Titans...
Robin offers Jaime full-membership into the Teen Titans, to which Jaime finally feels ready to accept. Soon after when Kid Devil officially takes the new name of Red Devil, Jaime deals out some good-natured teasing about his new costume, calling him the "Crimson Jazzercizer". Red Devil chases after him, both of them with smiles on their faces.
In the aftermath of the massive Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
crossover event, Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity is a comic book superhero who first premiered in Hit Comics #25, published by Quality Comics in December, 1942. The character - as well as all of Quality's intellectual properties were sold to DC Comics in 1956...
, Static, and Aquagirl join up with the team after being rescued from the Dark Side Club. Despite some initial friction with Static, the two eventually become friends. Aquagirl begins hitting on Jaime despite knowing of his relationship with Traci, often speaking to him in Spanish in order to hide her intentions to the rest of the team. Despite feeling an attraction toward her, he chooses to remain loyal to Traci.
After Wonder Girl is kidnapped by the Fearsome Five
Fearsome Five
The Fearsome Five is a fictional group of comic book supervillains from DC Comics. They were created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman, and first appeared in The New Teen Titans #3 , going on to become recurring adversaries for that superhero group...
, Beetle reluctantly allows Traci to assist the team in rescuing her. In the aftermath of the rescue mission, Red Devil is killed saving the city from a nuclear explosion, and Jaime is shown at his funeral, mourning his close friend.
When Beast Boy
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
arrives at Titans Tower in order to take over leadership of the team, Jaime acts distrustfully of him, going so far as to accuse him of caring more about winning Raven
Raven (comics)
Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
's love than helping the team.
Series finale
A group of Reach infiltrators and a negotiator invade Jaime's school's dance. Having been inspired by the scarab to rebel against their masters, the group, calling themselves the "Kahji Dha Revolutionary Army", set out to make Earth safe by destroying all those that could pose any threat, no matter how small, to the planet. When Jaime tries to stop them, they see him as a threat, and attack. During the fight, Nadia, one of Jaime's tech support, is killed. Taking the fight into orbit, Jaime has the scarab hack into and deactivate the KDRA, unfortunately deactivating itself for 27 days in the process. The negotiator quickly recovers, and Jaime is forced to take him on a kamikaze dive onto the Earth's surface. The impact kills the negotiator and badly hurts Jaime, although the scarab put up a shield that protected him from the brunt of the impact. Over a period of weeks, Jaime and the scarab slowly recover. The scarab of the negotiator had, unbeknownst to Jaime, been recovered by Hector, Jaime's other tech support, who, as he left the country, used the negotiator's name "Djo Zha" which a stewardess confuses with "Joshua", indicating that he had bonded with it.Further adventures
Starting in Booster GoldBooster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
#21, Blue Beetle was featured as a 10-page ongoing co-feature. The stories focused on a smaller cast than the ongoing did, focusing on Jaime, Paco, and Brenda while having Jaime's family pop up on occasion. In these stories, the rebooted scarab is shown to be much more bloodthirsty than it had been in the past, constantly urging Jaime to use more lethal weaponry. In the first serial, Jaime faced off against the android daughter of an old supervillain.
Jaime then faced an attack from the Black Beetle, in the middle of a family hike. During the battle, Black Beetle claimed to be the future incarnation of Hector, wanting revenge for Nadia's death, only to immediately retract his statement, claiming to have killed Hector and taken his scarab. When Milagro was injured by Black Beetle, Jaime lost his temper, finally giving in to the scarab's suggestions of using lethal force. Jaime eventually managed to use tachyon
Tachyon
A tachyon is a hypothetical subatomic particle that always moves faster than light. In the language of special relativity, a tachyon would be a particle with space-like four-momentum and imaginary proper time. A tachyon would be constrained to the space-like portion of the energy-momentum graph...
beams to paralyze Black Beetle, only for the villain to claim that he was Jaime from the future, and that he would don the black scarab after Milagro (who would suffer brain damage from the injury she had just received in the present) destroyed the blue scarab. Jaime, deciding to get Milagro medical attention as quickly as possible, was forced to let Black Beetle escape. Before he departed, Black Beetle said to Jaime: "When you see Ted Kord, tell him I said "drop dead"". When Jaime stated that Ted was already dead, Black Beetle replied "Yeah. I know". A few days later, Milagro is shown to be recovering in the hospital, and Jaime is left deeply disturbed by his encounter.
Blue Beetle also teamed up with egotistical superhero Hardware
Hardware (comics)
Hardware is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Hardware #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
in order to bring down a group of criminals using tech stolen from the late Edwin Alva by the second Gizmo
Gizmo (comics)
Gizmo is a fictional character, a supervillain from DC Comics. He was created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman, and he first appeared in The New Teen Titans #3 as a founding member of the Fearsome Five, a supervillain team that frequently fought the Teen Titans and the Outsiders.-Mikron...
. Despite finding Hardware extremely difficult to work with, the two took down the criminals and depart on friendly terms.
Not much later, he was visited by Skeets
Skeets
Skeets is a fictional artificial intelligence robot from the future in the . Usually seen as a companion to Booster Gold, he co-stars in the limited series 52 and the subsequent Booster Gold vol...
, Booster Gold's robotic partner, who warned him of his disappearance. Deciding to team up with the small machine to find Booster as a form of paying respect to him for introducing him to the superhero world, he reaches the house of Rose Levin and Daniel Carter
Supernova (comics)
Supernova is an identity used by three characters in the , all related to the Carter bloodline. The first appearance of this character was in the weekly DC Comics series 52 where the mystery of his true identity and purpose was one of the recurring themes of the series.-52:The character of...
, Booster's ancestors from the 21st century. However, soon after he arrives, the Black Lantern
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
Ted Kord crashes his ship into Daniel's house, and Jaime proceeds to battle Kord. Although outmatched and insulted by the Black Lantern, Jaime keeps fighting until Booster enters the scene.
Later, both team up to destroy the Black Lantern, succeeding by blasting him with a special light gun designed by Ted Kord and separating him from the ring. Then, they seize the remains into the Time Sphere and taking the lifeless corpse to Vanishing Point Fortress, in the last second of the universe. There, Jaime promises to eventually live up to the legacy of the Blue Beetle and eventually reestablish the Blue & Gold Team.
Justice League: Generation Lost
Following "Blackest Night", Jaime and the other Titans travel to the city of Dakota in order to rescue Static after he is kidnapped by a metahuman gangster named HolocaustHolocaust (DC Comics)
Holocaust is a fictional character in the Milestone Comics universe. Created as part of the Blood Syndicate for Milestone Media, the character has since gone on to become a gangster and supervillain.-Publication history:...
. Jaime uses the scarab to help locate Static, but he and his teammates are easily defeated during a battle by Holocaust, who is able to block a blast from Jaime's cannon and then strike him with a fire ball. The Titans are ultimately rescued when Cyborg
Cyborg (comics)
Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
arrives with Kid Flash
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
and Superboy
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
.
During the start of the Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
event, Deadman has a vision of Jaime shaking hands with Maxwell Lord, who is holding a gun behind his back. Shaken by his near-death in Dakota, Jaime informs Static that he plans to briefly leave the team in order to visit his family, fearing what would happen if he were to die without saying goodbye to them. Shortly after arriving home, Jaime and his family are attacked by a squad of OMACs. With help from Booster Gold, Ice
Ice (comics)
Ice is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in publications from DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire, she first appeared in Justice League International #12 ....
, and Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
, Jaime is able to repel the OMACs, but is accidentally sucked into a teleportation rift they create. The heroes end up in Russia, where Jaime learns of Max Lord and his attempt to make the world forget he ever existed. He agrees to help the former Justice League members track Lord down and bring him to justice. After a battle with members of the Rocket Red Brigade, the heroes learn that Max Lord has been manipulating the team in hopes that they would reform Justice League International
Justice League International
Justice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
, with Jaime taking the role held years earlier by Ted Kord.
Before they can figure out their next move, the base is attacked by the Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos
The Creature Commandos are a fictional DC Comics team of military superhumans originally set in World War II. The original team, created by J. M...
and during the battle Max reveals himself while posing as one of the Creature Commandos. Blue Beetle ends up unconscious and Max captures him, heading to the teleporter leaving the JLI behind. When Blue Beetle is in captivity, Max injects him with an unknown treatment. Tortured, he remember Max's existence as the man who killed Ted Kord and destroyed his legacy. Jaime eventually manages to send a signal to the rest of the JLI to lead them to Max's headquarters. He breaks out of the laboratory and attacks Max, who, having discovered the weaknesses of the Blue Scarab, knocks Jaime with an special beam, and, just as the JLI arrives, shoots Jaime in the head with a blaster, apparently killing him in the same manner as his predecessor, Ted Kord.
Max escapes from the JLI using one of his headquarters' escape pods. Failing to capture Max, the JLI carried Jaime on the land surface where paramedics Rocket Red
Rocket Red
The Rocket Red Brigade is a DC Comics superhero team. They first appeared in Green Lantern Corps #208 , and were created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton.-History:...
and Skeets
Skeets
Skeets is a fictional artificial intelligence robot from the future in the . Usually seen as a companion to Booster Gold, he co-stars in the limited series 52 and the subsequent Booster Gold vol...
try to resuscitate him. However their efforts failed as Jaime had already died. As the team deals with the loss of Jaime, when suddenly Blue Beetle is sits up, his wound healed, declaring he knows what Max's ultimate plans is and that they can stop him. Jaime reveals to them that his healing scarab armor is what protected him from the gun blaster. When the battle against the new OMAC known as OMAC Prime goes nowhere, Blue Beetle attacks and OMAC Prime appears to take his power, but Blue Beetle mentioned to OMAC Prime that it cannot take control with the Scarab's power. Blue Beetle attacks and blasts the OMAC Prime.
New title
A new Blue Beetle title launched Fall 2011 after the conclusion of DC's FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event. It is written by Tony Bedard
Tony Bedard
Antony "Tony" J. L. Bedard is a writer and editor who has worked in the comic book industry from the early '90s through the present. He is best known for his work at CrossGen Comics, where he was under exclusive contract, and for his run writing Marvel Comics X-Men spin-off Exiles.-Career:Tony...
and drawn by Ig Guara.
Powers and abilities
The Blue Beetle scarab is grafted onto Jaime's spine, and can manifest a number of powers at its own volition, an act usually accompanied by blue energy emitted by the scarab's "antennae". Over the course of the first year of his ongoing series, Jaime had little, if any, control over those powers, but slowly began to assert himself over the suit after this first year. When Jaime is in danger, the scarab activates, crawling out on to Jaime's back and generating a high-tech suit of powered armor around his body. The armor is resilient enough that it can protect Jaime against atmospheric re-entry from Earth's orbit. When the danger passes, the scarab deactivates, dissolving the costume and retracting back onto Jaime's spine, causing intense pain.When in use, the suit can reconfigure itself to produce a wide array of armaments. Common functions include an energy cannon, a sword and shield, a grappling hook, a device resembling a communications satellite, and a set of foot-long powered blades that can shear through tree trunks. In addition, the suit can produce a set of wings for flight, which can also act as shields. Jaime alludes to weapons which may be powerful enough to harm even the Spectre, one of DC's most powerful characters, claiming that some of the weapons were of W.M.D. caliber, but Jaime's refusal to use lethal force keeps him from making use of them. The suit can adapt its technology to different situations: such adaptations include producing energy discharges from the hands that can neutralize magic, discharging Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
radiation, tuning "vibrational frequencies" of extra-dimensional objects to make them visible, and other assorted functions. The suit has been observed to create armaments of different composition and style. The wings, for example, were initially composed of the same blue opaque armor of which the rest of the suit is composed, but beginning with Blue Beetle #12 (April 2007), they began manifesting themselves in the form of a colorless, translucent material. The scarab also apparently has the ability to track anything or anyone it has previously encountered.
The scarab has at least one power it can manifest whether dormant or active; it can give Jaime a peculiar form of "sight" to perceive extra-dimensional objects, which is used to gather information on the scarabs user's adversaries. The scarab is able to communicate with him in a more comprehensible fashion if need be. The scarab's language of communication has slowly morphed into a format resembling English, claiming Khaji Da as its own name and Jaime as its first real friend. However, it has occasional relapses into its original language. The suit is capable of compensating for the digestive system of Jaime's body, so that he does not need to expel waste materials
Human waste
Human waste is a waste type usually used to refer to byproducts of digestion, such as feces and urine. Human waste is most often transported as sewage in waste water through sewerage systems...
when the suit is in use, even able to make paper out of dead skin cells the suit collects.
The scarab exhibits a reluctance to harm nature, as evidenced in Blue Beetle #4, in which Jaime is attacked by a pair of anthropomorphized
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
trees, and the suit declines to use great force against them, until Jaime convinces the scarab that his life is in danger and wrests control over the suit to destroy the trees, much to the scarab's displeasure.
When necessary, Jaime can have the Scarab take over in Infiltrator Mode. When this happens, the suit becomes taller, more muscular and grows spikes and allows the scarab to fight without Jaime's conscience as a restriction and is more brutal and violent in its attacks. However, Jaime and the scarab do not like to use it and is only done in disparate situations.
Fatherland
An alternate version of Jaime appears in Justice Society of AmericaJustice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
#37-38 as part of the Fatherland storyline. Set twenty years in the future, Jaime has lost his powers after Captain Nazi
Captain Nazi
Captain Nazi is a Fawcett Comics and DC Comics supervillain, a rival of Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. He was created by William Woolfolk and Mac Raboy.-Fawcett Comics:...
and his fellow white supremacist villains activate their Great Darkness Engine
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
, a device which neutralizes most of the world's metahumans and allows a Neo-Nazi regime known as the Fourth Reich to take over America. Held prisoner alongside the world's few surviving superheroes, Jaime is ultimately killed by security guards after attacking Mr. Terrific
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
as a distraction for the other heroes in order to further their escape plans during the execution ceremony for Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
.
DC Universe Online: Legends
In DC Universe Online: LegendsDC Universe Online: Legends
DC Universe Online: Legends is a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on February 2, 2011, and is an expansion of the story of the DC Universe Online MMORPG video game. The series is written by the game's story co-writer Marv Wolfman and Tony Bedard with Tom Taylor penning...
, Jaime was among the surviving meta humans of Earth gathered by Lex Luthor.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Jaime was a part of a team called the Ambush Bug
Ambush Bug
Ambush Bug is a fictional character who has appeared in several comic books published by DC Comics.His real name is supposedly Irwin Schwab, but he has mental problems that prevent him from truly understanding reality around him, so even his true identity might be no more than a delusion on his part...
s led by the Canterbury Cricket. They did an attack on the Amazons which ended in failure with the demise of every bug hero except the Canterbury Cricket.
Collected editions
The Blue Beetle series has been collected into a number of trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
| Vol. # | Title | Collected material | Pages | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shellshocked | Blue Beetle vol. 8, #1–6 |
144 | ISBN 1-4012-0965-3 |
| 2 | Road Trip | Blue Beetle vol. 8, #7–12 |
144 | ISBN 978-1-4012-1361-8 |
| 3 | Reach For The Stars | Blue Beetle vol. 8, #13–19 |
168 | ISBN 1-4012-1642-0 |
| 4 | End Game | Blue Beetle vol. 8, #20–26 |
176 | ISBN 1-4012-1952-9 |
| 5 | Boundaries | Blue Beetle vol. 8, #29–34 |
144 | ISBN 1-4012-2162-9 |
| 6 | Black and Blue |
Blue Beetle vol. 8, #27–28, #35–36 Booster Gold vol. 2, #21–25, #28–29 |
168 | ISBN 978-1-4012-2897-2 |
Television
- Geoff JohnsGeoff JohnsGeoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
announced that there will be a live actionLive actionIn filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
TV series featuring the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle. They made a test trailer with Garrett Plotkin stuntman and actor as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle. Scenes of this trailer were shown as part of the upcoming DC NationDC Nation ShortsDC Nation Shorts is a upcoming number of shorts that will air on Cartoon Network in 2012. The shorts will be part of the DC Nation block, and will consist of Plastic Man, Super Best Friends Forever, Doom Patrol, Batman, Lego Batman, Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, Teen Titans, Blue Beetle and...
block of programming in 2012 on Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
during the premier of Green Lantern: The Animated SeriesGreen Lantern: The Animated SeriesGreen Lantern: The Animated Series is an American computer-animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern. The series is set to air on Cartoon Network, as part of their "DC Nation" television block. A one hour sneak peek aired on November 11, 2011 while the official...
.
- Jaren Brandt Bartlett portrayed Jaime Reyes in "Booster", the 18th episode of the tenth season of SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
. In the episode, Jaime is portrayed as a bullied teenager from MetropolisMetropolis (comics)Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
who accidentally becomes attached to the Scarab after being present at a traffic accident involving a car that was transporting it to a Kord Industries facility. After seeking out Booster Gold in hopes that the hero could help remove the Scarab from his spine, Jaime transforms into the Blue Beetle and attacks Booster, unable to control the armor. After nearly strangling Booster to death, Jaime is able to gain control over the Scarab when Booster convinces him to stand up and assert himself over the Scarab. After Jaime reverts to his normal self, Ted Kord offers to have the Scarab removed, but Jaime tells him that he wishes to keep it and learn how to become a hero. The episode ends with Booster offering to help Jaime control his powers, with Lois LaneLois Lane (Smallville)Lois Lane is a fictional character on the television series Smallville; she has been portrayed continually by Erica Durance since her first appearance in the season four premier "Crusade". Durance began as a guest star in season four, but was promoted to series regular status beginning in season five...
being convinced by Booster Gold to interview him. This version of the battle suit is rather bulky and lacks the traditional mouth seen in the comics. The name Blue Beetle was not used in the episode.- Even though this incarnation of Jaime is shown being from Metropolis, he is seen in the episode wearing a shirt reading "El Paso", a nod to his comic book roots.
- Jaime Reyes is a featured character in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
, in which he is voiced by Will FriedleWill FriedleWilliam Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
, and the Scarab is voiced by Ioan GruffuddIoan GruffuddIoan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
. He has appeared in the episodes, "The Rise of the Blue Beetle!", "Fall of the Blue Beetle!", "Game Over for Owlman!", "Night of the Huntress!", "Revenge of the Reach!", "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!", "Darkseid Descending!", and "Shadow of the Bat!", with a few teaser appearances in "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" and "Cry Freedom Fighters!". He has a non-speaking role in "The Fate of Equinox!", "The Power of Shazam!", "The Siege of Starro! Part One" and "The Siege of Starro! Part Two".- In this same series, Reyes also had a evil counterpart called the Scarlet Scarab (not to be confused with the Marvel comics character of the same nameScarlet ScarabScarlet Scarab is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The first Scarlet Scarab first appeared in Invaders #23 , and was created by Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, and Frank Robbins...
). The Scarlet Scarab was also voiced by Will Friedle. He wears a red version of the suit which can also talk, which was voiced by Ioan GruffuddIoan GruffuddIoan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
.
- In this same series, Reyes also had a evil counterpart called the Scarlet Scarab (not to be confused with the Marvel comics character of the same name
Video games
- Jaime Reyes (as Blue Beetle) is a playable character in Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The VideogameBatman: The Brave and the Bold – The VideogameBatman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame is a video game based on the comic book character Batman and the television cartoon series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It was developed by WayForward Technologies and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, voiced by Will FriedleWill FriedleWilliam Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
.