The first real look at how Jaime Reyes will appear in the Blue Beetle film has been revealed, and the bug is simply beautiful. Looking straight out of the comics, the big budget film version of Blue Beetle will not leave comic book fans wanting. At the same time, those unfamiliar with the character’s legacy may be confused. After all, why does he look so different from the other DC heroes called Blue Beetle.
Not only is Jaime’s suit different, but his powers are, too, making him quite distinct from his predecessors. This is unique when it comes to DC legacy heroes, who are usually just new versions of the same concept. Before the El Paso superhero debuts on the big screen, here’s a look at why Jaime Reyes, Ted Kord, and Dan Garrett are so different.
Jaime Reyes’ Suit and Powers are Derived From Alien Technology
Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner, Jaime Reyes and his identity as the third Blue Beetle would debut in the series Infinite Crisis. He gained powers after discovering the mysterious Scarab, an object that had been sent to El Paso after being jettisoned from Shazam’s Rock of Eternity. Fusing to his spine, the device would take over Jaime when it sensed danger, encasing him in a carapace-like armor. Though he initially had little control over the Scarab, Jaime came to work with it symbiotically. Given his youth and his connection to an alien species, he’s essentially DC’s version of both Spider-Man and Venom.
Beyond the suit’s appearance, the Scarab can shapeshift to give Jaime all manner of weapons, namely blasters and other long-range devices. It can also form melee weapons such as blades and shields. It can even adapt to enemy attacks, such as neutralizing magical energy or dispersing kryptonite radiation toward Kryptonian combatants. Other abilities include bulking Jaime up into an “Infiltrator” mode, as well as insectoid wings that grant him flight. These are all gifts that the second Blue Beetle could only dream of, but Jaime wasn’t the first to utilize the Scarab.
Why Didn’t Ted Kord Use the Scarab as Blue Beetle?
The original Blue Beetle was the Golden Age hero Dan Garret, who wore a bulletproof suit and temporarily gained superhuman strength from ingesting Vitamin 2X. When the character was reworked by Charlton Comics, he was renamed Dan Garrett and given new powers. This Dan was an archeologist that first found the Scarab, which granted him superhuman strength, flight, and energy powers.
The comical Ted Kord, the second and only powerless Blue Beetle, was later retconned as being Dan’s student. Unfortunately, the machinations of Ted’s evil uncle Jarvis resulted in Dan’s death. The mentor was able to bequeath the mantle to Ted but was unable to give him the powerful scarab Khaji Da. The scarab was lost in the cave-in that killed Dan, explaining its absence for years. Wishing to fill Garrett’s shoes, Ted uses his vast wealth and gadgets to try to become the new Blue Beetle and defend Hub City.
This origin would be retconned in the modern era, with it being explained that Dan passed the Scarab to Ted, but that the latter was unable to activate it. This idea of working differently, or not at all, for different people is why Dan’s costumed form was so different from Jaime Reyes. This was also explained as the Scarab being temporarily affected by magic when in Dan's use, which is why it didn't give him the powers of the alien Reach like Jaime. Nevertheless, though he's only the third in line, it's Jaime Reyes who will likely now be synonymous with the Blue Beetle following his upcoming movie.