Many DC heroes have undergone persona changes over the years as mantles are ed down, but Blue Beetle's Armor Is Better Than Iron Man's For One Reason
The Ultimate Blue Beetle Team-Up
Blue Beetle first debuted in 1939, though the character's origin has been radically altered multiple times since then. Dan Garrett served in the role up until 1966, when genius inventor Ted Kord took up the mantle. Garrett had been his mentor and Kord took over the role, coming into his own fully in the '80s despite not having powers. However, his death eventually resulted in the mantle ing on to Jaime Reyes in the 2006 series Infinite Crisis, thanks to the Egyptian scarab - later revealed to be extraterrestrial in origin. Despite being a little-known hero, Blue Beetle is a DC stalwart, and even inspired the character Nite Owl in the acclaimed Watchmen.
Few Heroes Have Evolved Like the Blue Beetle
Each Blue Beetle iteration has had a very distinct role from the others, making this a very interesting progression without the usual familial connection that often defines legacy heroes. It has also allowed for intriguing interactions between the various heroes as Kord has played a mentor role to Jaime despite being the far less powerful hero. Jaime's armor is wildly powerful, able to take many different forms and essentially invent new weapons and gadgets on the fly. This upgrade has seen Blue Beetle go from a two-fisted vigilante to a playboy hero to an otherworldly powerhouse, but with the name's legacy of heroism only building each time.
Blue Beetle: Graduation Day has explored Jaime's next steps as he graduates from high school and decides what his future will be. He has been grounded by Batman, but can't avoid getting involved when he's at the center of a galactic threat. Already Jaime has been a very different Blue Beetle from his predecessors based on his affiliation with the Teen Titans and supernatural abilities. Yet this series could shift up the paradigm even further depending on the impact the Reach's new activities has on Earth and the DC universe. No matter where Jaime goes next, this incredible variant cover from Bruno Redondo proves that the Blue Beetle role has come a long way and has a lot of potential in DC's future.
Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #5 is available from DC Comics March 28.
Source: Bruno Redondo
