What You Need To Know Before Blue Beetle

When Blue Beetle was originally created in 1939 he was part of Fox Comics, which became Charlton Comics. The character didn’t just have a comic book, as it also had a weekly radio serial similar to The Shadow.

While three people have held the title of Blue Beetle, it was during Charlton Comic’s second version of the hero, Ted Kord, a student of the prior Blue Beetle, that jumped comic book publishers in 1983 when the Blue Beetle was purchased by DC Comics. DC used their Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline to bring Blue Beetle into their universe. However, they then later killed Kord off later ahead of the Infinite Crisis.

In the series, Blue Beetle originally gained his powers from a special vitamin, but was then changed to having come from a sacred scarab he had found during a dig in Egypt. The scarab originally was used to imprison an evil mummy.

The mystical scarab imbued his wielder with superhuman powers which included super strength, super-vision, flight, and energy blasts.

So, let’s jump into some of the most important comic books from the character’s history.

Mystery Men Comics #1 (1939)   This was the actual first time the Blue Beetle was published to the public. The original Blue Beetle, Dan Garret, is a Police Officer. Thanks to the help of a vitamin, and his pharmacist friend Abe, he is able to gain extraordinary abilities and thwart a kidnapping. Originally a Fox Comics creation, the character was created by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski.

Justice League #1 (1987)   This is the first time that Blue Beetle was given his more comedic tone that he is well known for, and is the franchise that builds his epic friendship with Booster Gold.

Blue Beetle #1 (2006)   The newest iteration of Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, is a teenager from El Paso, Texas who discovers and bonds with Dan Garrett’s Scarab. Unlike the movie that is coming out this week, Jaime Reyes in this comic discovers the scarab in an empty lot. The prior scarab is also radically changed, from an ancient artifact into a piece of alien technology. However, this power puts him at odds with Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern.

What is your favorite Blue Beetle comic?