Recently, Jaime Reyes has been growing in popularity thanks to his presence in media. As a young hero, many have felt as though he is one of the more relatable characters to be introduced in recent years. Though the character has always had an on and off presence in the comics, he still remains a fan favorite today.
Granted, as a character with a constantly changing backstory that is also built off a pre-established mythos, Jaime’s character can be a bit confusing for newer readers to grasp. To help clear up some of that confusion, here is our list of 10 things to know about Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle.
10 Created By...
Before DC officially kicked off their Infinite Crisis event, Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle was tragically killed off by the villain, Maxwell Lord. Because of this, the mantle of Blue Beetle was left vacant, leaving room for an entirely new type of hero to take it. Hence, a few months later, Jaime Reyes was officially introduced into the DC Universe.
Created by John Rogers, Keith Giffen, and Cully Hamner, Jaime reinvented the Blue Beetle character. Not only was the character a younger, modernized version of the classic Charlton Comics hero, but he also did a lot to reinvent the backstory behind the version before him.
9 His Secret Identity
Jaime himself is a young, Mexican-American highschooler who feels very similar to Peter Parker at times. Because of his heritage, Jaime’s name is actually pronounced “Hi-May,” though many people confuse it for “Jay-me.” Part of the appeal of Jaime’s character though is that he is much like any other awkward highschool kid, simply trying his hardest to fit in.
Originally, the scarab that had belonged to Dan Garrett found its way to El Paso, where it was discovered by Jaime and thus bonded with him. Since then, his origin has been changed again, with Dr. Fate revealing that the scarab isn’t as scientific as once believed, but rather magical in origin instead. Since then, Jaime has done his best as the crime-fighting superhero, Blue Beetle.
8 He is the Third Blue Beetle
As mentioned previously, Jaime Reyes was the successor to Ted Kord. However, he also expanded on some of Dan Garrett’s backstory as well. This officially makes Jaime the third Blue Beetle. Furthermore, Jaime is also the most distinct of the three, using the alien scarab to accomplish many different scientific achievements. While Ted Kord relied far more on his own brain to develop tech, Jaime relies on the advanced tech to help him accomplish his goals.
Dan Garrett also utilized the scarab, mostly for adventuring, while Jaime uses it more for protection. Because Jaime did a lot to expand on the character’s mythos in general, each Blue Beetle has been very distinct in his own right. However, since Jaime’s character relies so much on the scarab and it’s backstory, he is more different from the other two than the others are similar to him.
7 How His Powers Work
Similarly to Iron Man, Jaime’s scarab functions as a weaponized suit of armor with incredible capabilities in both offense and defense. The armor that the scarab is able to produce is incredibly durable, and has shielded Jaime from all sorts of damage over the years. Likewise, the amount of power that it can use on the offensive has varied, performing things like sonic attacks, firing energy blasts, and much more.
However, Jaime’s armor is unique in that the scarab itself is an alien life form. Since it has been damaged, the scarab is unable to take complete control over its host, giving Jaime access to certain capabilities. Despite the damage to the scarab though, it is still capable of communicating with Jaime, and even taking control of his body if it tries hard enough.
6 He has Been Trained by Ted Kord
As part of DC Rebirth event, Jaime and Ted Kord actually found themselves working together. Following the New 52 relaunch, Ted Kord’s life was restored, though he was never as major a role as he was shortly before his death. As of Rebirth though, Ted had begun training Jaime and studying the characteristics of the scarab.
Seeing the two versions of Blue Beetle together was a welcome experience, though the overall story was relatively lackluster. With that in mind, the relationship between the two heroes brought a lot of heart and humor to the book, easily making for one of the series' strongest aspects. Though the Rebirth Blue Beetle series may not be the best the character has ever had, there is still a lot of charm in it that would appeal to any fan of both Jaime and Ted.
5 He Has a Movie Coming
Just before the release of Aquaman (2018), Warner Brothers announced that a Blue Beetle film centered on Jaime was in development. Though the character is an odd choice to bring to the big screen due to his smaller status as a character, fans were still excited to hear the news. Likewise, with the success of films such as Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), it would make sense that Warner Bros. would want to cash in on a character with a similar background.
At the moment, however, no further details have been released about the film, though Warner hasn’t confirmed that it has been cancelled. What has likely happened is that the project has been put on the back burner as the studio reevaluates their DC strategy. Hopefully, the film will come to see the light of day, somewhere down the line.
4 In Other Media
Despite being such a new character, Jaime has been popular enough to make the jump from the comics to the small screen. Since making his debut, Jaime has been a part of shows like Smallville, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and most popularly in season 2 of Young Justice.
Likewise, the character has also held a very strong presence in some DC themed video games, including Injustice 2 and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. While some people still may not be familiar with Jaime as a character, his popularity is growing thanks to his smaller roles in big name shows and games.
3 Enemies
Almost every iteration of Blue Beetle has had some similar foes on top of some specific to the characters themselves. In regards to Jaime, Black Beetle and La Dama are easily his biggest and deadliest foes that have been specific to him. With Black Beetle being so close to Jaime on a personal level, it could easily be argued that he is Jaime’s arch-nemesis.
However, La Dama has shown that she is fully aware of Jaime’s secret identity, and has proven just how manipulative she can be as well. Furthermore, with her own mystical abilities at play, she could also be considered Jaime’s arch enemy. Though Blue Beetle has faced off against many other powerful foes, these two tend to be the most personal, powerful, and recurring for him.
2 He’s Been a Teen Titan
For a while, Jaime was even a member of the Teen Titans. During the character’s first solo series, he also came to make friends with many members of the young super-team. Though Jaime didn’t have a long tenure as a member, he still proved to be very valuable. There was also an entire story line dedicated to his character involving Black Beetle as the villain.
While his time as a Teen Titan was short, Blue Beetle has still been very active in the hero community. Batman himself has even praised the young hero for his efforts, though he’s noted that Jaime still has a long way to go.
1 Currently…
As of current, Jaime has seldom made an appearance since his solo series was cancelled. However, with The Batman Who Laughs having such a strong presence in the DC universe right now, Jaime has actually been revealed to be one of the villain’s “Infected” team. Alongside Shazam, Supergirl, and other heroes, Jaime has been changed into a much darker, villainous version of himself, thanks to The Batman Who Laughs.
At the moment, it is unclear as to how Jaime and the others will be saved, but it is certainly an interesting arc for his character. Now going by “The Scarab,” Jaime’s new attitude and appearance seem to be pulled from a nightmare. Hopefully, the character will once again come to have a strong presence in the DC Universe following the conclusion of this story.