Here Is How Blue Beetle Got His Powers

Blue Beetle was never among the most iconic DC characters, but this is about to change with the upcoming ‘Blue Beetle’ movie set to be released in just a few short weeks. Since Blue Beetle will be the first DCU superhero, we decided to revisit his origin story. The thing is, several characters carried the mantle of the Blue Beetle over the course of the character’s existence. We’re going to explain all of them naturally, so if you’re interested in how every Blue Beetle got its powers, this is a great place to start. 

The first Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, got his powers when he was bound with a mystical scarab he found in the desert in Egypt guarding the evil mummified Pharaoh. Second Blue Beetle Ted Kord was connected to Dan Garret and inspired by him to assume the mantle of Blue Beetle, but he was never able to bind with the Scarab itself. The third and the current Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, found the Scarab by accident, which fused with his spine and gave him his powers. 

Now that we’ve covered, in short, how each Blue Beetle got powers, it’s time to analyze it in more detail. If you’re interested in the history of the Scarab as well as the superheroes connected to it, stay with us and keep reading!

Dan Garret found the Scarab in Egypt

Originally Dan Garret wasn’t imagined as a superpowered human. During the Golden Age of Comics, he was imagined as a police officer with no superpowers that had to rely on his equipment to fight crime. However, Garret had something unique to him a blue costume made out of cellulose that was initially bulletproof but light enough for a human to carry. In this period, he was called Blue Beetle due to his suit. 

Garret eventually gained superpowers, or at least enhanced physiology, when he ingested Vitamin 2X, something akin to Marvel’s Super-Soldier Serum that provided him with super strength and stamina but not much else. Garret’s run as Blue Beetle was notable because he had a tendency to leave the scarab symbol when he apprehended criminals. 

Garret’s story became a lot more familiar during the Silver Age when the character was obtained by Carlton Comics. Once again, Dan Garret had no powers whatsoever, and he wasn’t a cop. He was an archeologist with a penchant for exploring tombs and mythologies. One chance encounter with an old tomb will change everything. 

Dan Garret’s Blue Beetle got his powers when he uncovered a mystical Scarab in the Egyptian desert. The matters were further complicated when it turned out that the Scarab was used to keep evil mummified pharaoh from escaping. Dan Garret was able to transform into the Blue Beetle by uttering the words ‘Kaji Dha.’ He will soon be replaced by the second Blue Beetle and, unfortunately, killed. 

Ted Kord was never able to activate the Scarab 

Ted Kord was a brilliant inventor and the heir to the entirety of Kord Industries. He always admired superheroes like Superman and Batman and eventually became inspired to commit to crime-fighting himself. He never managed to gather the nerve to do it, however. Ted Kord was brilliant enough that he didn’t need the Scarab. He created a high-tech suit that was supposed to provide him with everything necessary to take on villains. So in a sense, Kord’s Blue Beetle never had superpowers related to Scarab. 

In the first Kord’s origin story, he was a student of Dan Garret’s, and he witnessed his death at the hands of Jarvis Kord. Even though Ted was aware of the existence of Blue Beetle Scarab, he was unable to bind with it. The current origin story states that Ted was still connected to Dan Garret. Dan was his neighbor, and Ted was aware that Dan was an archeologist working on some pretty neat stuff; however, he discovered the Blue Beetle Scarab in his possession by accident.

The incident inspired him to set out as the Blue Beetle, and in the years to come, Ted Kord served as the benefactor of the third and the most recent Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes. 

Jaime Reyes found the Scarab by accident

We know that it’s not truly a DC Universe if it’s not retconned several times and relaunched. These numerous retcons didn’t spare Jaime Reyes as well. Jaime is the youngest Blue Beetle so far. He stumbled upon the mystical Scarab by accident as it landed in Texas, and Jaime ran into it while returning from school.

As soon as Scarab activated, it became fused with Jaime’s spines and granted him a multitude of superpowers. Jaime is reluctant to take on the role of a superhero, considering that as a teenager, his life is stressful enough. Luckily Ted Kord was there to provide the support as he was familiar both with the technology and what it feels like to be a young superhero on the rise.

He provided technological support as well as intel and a mobile command center to aid Jaime’s reluctant crime-fighting efforts. 

During DC Rebirth Event, it was revealed by Doctor Fate that the Scarab is not alien technology but rather has a magical origin. 

Jaime Reyes will be the version of the Blue Beetle we will have the pleasure of watching on the screen, and his origin story, as well as the origin story of his powers, will most likely differ a bit from the current comic origin from what we’ve seen in the trailer. 

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!