Blue Beetle vs. Bleez: Who Is More Powerful & Who Would Win in a Fight?
Blue Beetle is sort of an ambiguous character. Sure, he is overwhelmingly a superhero, but the blue scarab sometimes has a different idea of justice, making the wearer of the armor operate in somewhat of a grey zone. Another ambiguous or neutral character from DC Comics is Bleez, the second-in-command Red Lantern. The question is – who’s more powerful, and who’d win in a fight?
This would be an extremely tough battle for both parties, but in the end, Bleez would likely have a slight advantage over the Blue Beetle and win. And, it wouldn’t come as a result of superior powers, but rather the rage that drives Bleez and the will to kill and destroy that the Blue Beetle usually lacks.
As with most comic book characters, there are various versions of the Blue Beetle and Bleez in DC Comics. To make matters easier, we will compare both characters from DC’s Prime Earth, or post-2011 Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, and post-2011 Bleez. Let’s break this down into categories to show just why this fight would be so close.
Origins & Physiology
Before 2011’s full DC reboot, Bleez was a Princess on the planet of Havania. Now, in the post-2011 version we’ll be talking about, Bleez wasn’t a Princess but rather the daughter of a very influential, wealthy, and important family in Havania. Her mother and father were known as Lady Bluuz and Lord Recco, respectively.
Bleez was as beautiful as they come – many calling her the most beautiful woman on the planet, with majestic wings and long black hair. However, she was also somewhat arrogant – or at least, the men of her planet thought so. She rejected every suitor that came her way, always for a different reason.
That eventually led to her tragic destiny. A couple of suitors she rejected called upon one of the Sinestro Corps members to try and win over Bleez, knowing she would reject him as well. Of course, the vile Yellow Lantern wouldn’t take no for an answer, so he killed Bleez’s entire family, kidnapped her, and did atrocious things to the Havanian beauty.
Bleez was repeatedly tortured, sexually assaulted, and hurt by multiple men as hatred and rage grew within her. It eventually brought her a Red Ring, making her a very powerful Red Lantern. Her rage, however, was so strong that it drove Bleez mad and incoherent – almost feral – unable to form sentences, but rather just being the embodiment of pure hate and anger.
As for Jaime Reyes, he was only a normal, common teenager living in El Paso, Texas. One day, he accidentally found the blue scarab in a creek, and before he knew it, the scarab chose him as a new host and bonded with his spine. It allowed Jaime to become the Blue Beetle – an armored superhero whose powers rivaled some of the most powerful metahumans on the planet.
That being said, Jaime didn’t have full control over the scarab at first. In fact, it took over Jaime and his actions more than once until Reyes learned how to control the scarab and remain in the ‘driver’s seat,’ so to speak.
Essentially, both of them were just common folk on their respective planets before an alien object (or artifact) bonded with them and gave them powers they could barely control at first. Of course, over the years, both of them learned and evolved into much better heroes (or at least neutral characters, in Bleez’s case), which is why I believe both deserve points here.
Point(s): Blue Beetle (1:1) Bleez
Strength & Speed
When it comes to pure physical strength, Bleez certainly has the upper hand on Jaime. Her strength is limited only by the power of her rage, as she is a Red Lantern – and a very powerful one, too. When Bleez was in her ‘almost-feral’ state of mind, she was strong enough to withstand punches and give punches back to Atrocitus – the big, powerful Red Lantern leader.
In ‘Green Lantern: New Guardians’ #2, we saw Bleez punch opponents so hard they flew far away from her despite being much larger than herself. As for her speed, Bleez’s wings lost their feathers when she became a Red Lantern and were left as raw bone – but she could still use them quite effectively to fly at amazing speeds.
As the Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes is probably just as fast as Bleez, but I do not believe he is physically as strong as the Red Lanterns’ second-in-command. The armor allows Jaime to achieve incredible feats and form very powerful constructs and nearly impenetrable force fields – but it doesn’t mean Blue Beetle is a physical powerhouse.
With their speed being about equal and strength being slightly on Bleez’s side, I’m giving this point to the Havanian.
Point: Bleez (2:1) Blue Beetle
Durability
Speaking of Blue Beetle’s armor, the alien technology makes Jaime Reyes insanely durable. Not only is the armor strong, but he can also form constructs to create an even tougher exterior, capable of withstanding incredible amounts of damage.
However, even that isn’t the end of it. Jaime Reyes can form energy fields that are, essentially, nigh-impenetrable. In my humble opinion, that defensive skill is one of the Blue Beetle’s most potent superpowers. He can withstand blasts from the likes of Superman or even some cosmic beings due to the incredibly strong force fields he can conjure.
On the other hand, Bleez is not a pushover by any means, either. As mentioned, Bleez took punches from someone as powerful as Atrocitus and kept fighting as if it had never happened. Her durability is impressive and much more potent when she wears her Red Ring, but it is slightly inferior compared to the Blue Beetle.
Point: Blue Beetle (2:2) Bleez
Intelligence
As I’ve mentioned, Bleez had a very diminished intellect after first becoming a Red Lantern. Her rage, despair, and hate completely took over, making Bleez a feral, berserk killing machine that stops at nothing to satisfy her anger. However, it caused Bleez to lose her intellect and memories. She could barely form words, let alone sentences.
That all changed in ‘Red Lanterns #3,’ however when Atrocitus realized that he needed at least one intelligent Red Lantern if he wanted them to complete their ultimate goals. So, he threw Bleez into the Blood Ocean, where her neurons opened up and regenerated her intellect.
However, she could also remember her past trauma now, making her even angrier. Bleez was now just as powerful but much more intelligent than the feral beast she was before.
As for Jaime Reyes’s intellect didn’t suffer in any capacity after becoming the Blue Beetle. In fact, he learned a lot over the months and years of donning the suit. But, although Jaime is a bright kid, he’s still a teenager with his own interests, and he sometimes does silly things that teenagers do.
That’s why I chose to give both Bleez and the Blue Beetle points in this category, as Bleez is now certainly more experienced and wise, while Reyes might have a higher ‘ceiling’ that he simply hasn’t reached yet due to his age.
Point(s): Blue Beetle (3:3) Bleez
Mutual Battles
The two have never actually engaged in combat against one another – at least not in a real fight where there was a clear-cut winner. However, that doesn’t mean they never encountered each other and engaged in… something.
In ‘Blue Beetle’ #9, the two faced off in a fight where they were actually on the same side. Long story short, Bleez smacked Blue Beetle into the ground and then mounted him, holding him by the hands and asking: “Tell me, little man… who shall save you from me now?”
The Blue Beetle armor suddenly ‘registers metabolic arousal’ in him. Jaime tries explaining to Bleez that he was just trying to help her associate, Green Lantern, but she’s not buying it. Just as she was about to use her ‘napalm blood/puke’ on the Beetle, yet again, the armor claims to register arousal, to which Jaime screams out loud: “Stop it, bugsuit – I am NOT aroused!”
At that moment, Bleez jumps off of him in disgust, to which young Jaime tries explaining that it really wasn’t him and swore it was the armor, even adding: “Parts of it sorta morph sometimes…”
As you probably figured out, the morphed parts were… well, aroused. You can either believe Jaime or the scarab suit. It was a really funny joke and the weirdest way to end a fight ever – but I guess sometimes a teenage boy’s body will simply react on its own.
It becomes a little less funny when you realize why Bleez reacted the way she did – she was a virgin by her own choice before being brutally raped, tortured, and violated by the Sinestro Corps. No wonder she jumped off when she felt… well, what she felt.
Perhaps it was the scarab’s horrible way of defending the Blue Beetle. Jaime might’ve not known about Bleez’s past, but the scarab likely did.
In any case, Bleez was evidently having the upper hand on Jaime before the fight ended, so I’m leaning toward her in this category.
Point: Bleez (4:3) Blue Beetle
Overall Power
Much like Bleez doesn’t have any particular superpowers without her Red Ring, Jaime Reyes has no powers without the blue scarab. So, naturally, we’ll compare them when in full power.
The Blue Beetle has many awesome powers, including superhuman strength and durability. He’s also incredibly fast when flying, and he can form amazing melee weapon constructs at will and translate many alien languages on a whim.
The powerful energy beams from Blue Beetle’s palms are also quite handy in battle, and so are the nigh-impenetrable force field shields he can create. Finally, the Blue Beetle is very capable of pyrokinesis mechanokinesis (controlling fire and mechanical gadgets), and sound manipulation.
Bleez, on the other hand, is a Red Lantern. Red Lanterns’ powers are fueled by rage and hate, and although it does seem like a trait you’d usually associate with villains – Red Lanterns, and especially Bleez, are more neutral characters. She even leans towards good after she realizes what her hate – and her Red Ring – turned her into.
Even without the Red Ring, Bleez is not human but Havanian. She naturally has wings and several other genetic and metabolic abilities that humans don’t have. For instance, they are naturally stronger. Bleez is also a great leader, and her savage appearance as a Red Lantern makes her incredibly intimidating.
Her uncontrollable rage made Bleez insanely powerful as a Red Lantern but diminished her intellect for a while before she bathed in the Blood Ocean.
When flying with her power ring instead of her wings, Bleez can fly at immense speeds. And, like Green Lanterns can create constructs using their willpower, Bleez can do so using her rage. That includes energy shields, weapons, blasts, etc. She can also survive powerful energy attacks using her power ring.
However, one of the most interesting things about Red Lanterns is their so-called ‘napalm blood.’ Once turned into Red Lanterns, their blood turns acidic, and anything it touches gets extremely corroded and damaged. Bleez often used this power by puking up blood on her enemies. Yeah, it’s wild, but her blood also allows Bleez to recover faster.
And, if she drinks the blood of another Red Lantern, she can temporarily replicate any unique ability they might have. Finally, Bleez can create illusions and imbue others with rage by manipulating their emotions.
As you can see, both characters have many powers they could utilize in battle. Bleez might have a wider spectrum of powers than Blue Beetle, but some of Jaime’s powers are much more potent than Bleez’s. For that, both deserve points in this category.
Point(s): Bleez (5:4) Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle Vs. Bleez: Which character is more powerful?
Answering this question proved easier said than done. Both characters have unique sets of skills and powers fueled by a foreign object that makes them incredibly powerful. Determining which of the two is more powerful is tough because of one key thing.
Bleez’s powers are directly linked to her levels of rage. Theoretically, the more rage and hatred brews in her, the more powerful Bleez becomes. On the other hand, Blue Beetle is who Blue Beetle is.
He has a defined set of powers and their limits, which are usually a bit higher than what Bleez may present at any given time – but her potential overgrows what Jaime can do. So, my answer to the question of who is more powerful would likely be – a draw, even if it is kind of a boring answer.
Blue Beetle vs. Bleez: Who wins?
Ultimately, the scoreboard says 5:4 in Bleez’s favor, meaning she’d probably win most of their fights. Although their power levels aren’t that different, the thing that separates them is Bleez’s rage. She wouldn’t stop herself and back down from killing Blue Beetle, whereas Jaime would certainly think twice before doing so to Bleez.
This means that the only reason I believe Bleez would emerge victorious in most cases against Jamie Reyes’ Blue Beetle is that she is so ruthless. The fight could go either way, but if I was a betting man, I’d bet on the Red Lantern.
Who do you think would win in this fight? Let us know in the comments!
