Blue Beetle is finally getting its spotlight on the big screen with DC’s upcoming action movie, Blue Beetle. Featuring the first Latino superhero in DC’s live-action movie slate, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), this movie promises comic fans plenty of adventure and comedy. With its all star cast and action packed trailer, Blue Beetle is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
With the numerous shake-ups at DC under James Gunn’s new leadership, Blue Beetle‘s overwhelmingly positive reception could indicate a promising future in the DCU. Maridueña, known for his role in Cobra Kai, already perfectly captures the essence of this fan favorite comic book character. If you’re wondering who this new hero is, read about the Blue Beetle’s origins and powers from DC Comics here.
Who Is Blue Beetle In The DC Comics?
The ancient Egyptian Scarab where Jaime Reyes gets his powers originated from an alien civilization known as the Reach. They are known for taking over planets just to profit. The Reach is a very advanced race of aliens with technology far beyond what anyone on Earth has seen. But when the Green Lantern Corps got to them, they fought and were able to stop them. After signing a peace treaty, the Reach could no longer take over other planets through war. That’s when they created the scarabs to help them conquer worlds without fighting. So the Reach placed the Scarabs on various planets, including Earth. So when each planet reached a particular technological milestone, the Scarab would take over the mind and personality of a host to enable them to weaken the planet’s defenses. This would allow the Reach to take over the planet without going to war. The dazzling blue armor around the host’s body has beetle-like characteristics.
In DC Comics, Jaime Reyes is the third person to wield the alien biotechnology of the ‘Scarab.’ The Blue Beetle gets his powers from this alien Blue Beetle Scarab that creates a powerful exoskeleton around his body. The first blue beetle was an Egyptian archeologist named Dan Garrett. In the initial Fox comics, Garrett gained his powers from a special vitamin, but when the rights were sold to DC, the story was changed to him gaining powers from an ancient scarab. When he was dying, he gave the Scarab to Ted Kord. Kord carried on the Blue Beetle legacy and accessed its powers by programming the suit. The next holder of the Scarab was Reyes.
How Blue Beetle Got His Powers In The Comics
The Blue Scarab lands in El Paso in the comics after the fight between The Specter and Shazam. The previous owner, Kord, loses it and thinks it’s destroyed. Jaime Reyes and his friends happen to find the scarab on their way home. Jaime Reyes is a young teenager from El Paso, Texas who got his hands on the Scarab. Once close enough to Reyes at night, it attaches to his spine. It fused with his DNA and gave him a weaponized exoskeleton to help him fight and defend his hometown. When the scarab senses dangers, it can manifest various powers independently without Reyes’ permission or knowledge. He’s been a part of the DC Universe for decades, even becoming part of the Teen Titans and The Justice League.
What Powers Does the Blue Beetle Have In The DC Comics?
Luckily, Reyes can communicate with Scarab’s AI, which has a personality and attitude. Some of the powers the Blue Beetle gives Reyes include superhuman strength, durability, and the ability to fly. The durability allows Reyes to survive live bullets, tornadoes, and explosions. He can fly thanks to the sprouting wings that come off the suit. The wings also have rocket boosters to add speed when he is in flight mode. But that’s not all; he can blast energy from his hands that can neutralize magic.
According to the comics, his suit can shapeshift into almost anything. It can also construct almost any object, thanks to nanotechnology. Regarding other abilities, the suit can act as a lie detector and translate multiple languages, but numerous hidden and dormant powers have been alluded to in the comics, including possessing weapons of mass destruction. All these abilities make the Blue Beetle a formidable warrior on the battlefield.