Blue Beetle

The Golden Age Dan Garret, Blue Beetle

Dan Garret I

Fox Feature Syndicate, Holyoke Publishing
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The original Blue Beetle was Dan Garret (one "t"), however there has been three different incarnations of his character. The original Dan Garret started in Mystery Men #1 1in August of 1939 produced by the comic company Fox Feature Syndicate. This makes Blue Beetle one of the earliest Superheroes. Dan was a police officer who wore a blue chain mail uniform an fought crime as the Blue Beetle. He had no superpowers in the beginning and needed the armour for protection.

He later met up with a scientist named Dr. Franz. Dr. Franz supplied him with Vitamin 2X. Vitamin 2X gave Dan super-strength and invulnerability. He still however wore the chain mail despite his invulnerability. Dan not only fought crime at home but he also fought the Axis in WWII like many hero's of his time. He is also the only Blue Beetle to have a sidekick. Dan's sidekick was a boy named Sparkington J. Northrup or Sparky for short. Sparky originally wore a costume but after a while of fighting Nazis in WWII he gave up his costume and fought in civilian clothes

His uniform was only a little different from the second Dan Garrett. He would often wear yellow, red and light blue gloves instead of the second Dan Garrett who wore only red gloves. The original Dan Garret did not have a fin on his head either. The fin was worn by the second and third versions.

Silver Age Dan Garrett, Blue Beetle

Charlton Comics, Americomics, DC Comics
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In 1955 the character was bought by Charlton Comics. This was the birth of the second incarnation of Dan Garrett. This character was an archaeologist based in Egypt, who discovered an ancient and magical blue Scarab on a dig in the tomb of the Pharaoh Kha-ef-Re. The Scarab gifted him with Super Strength, Flight, and the ability to create Lightning. When uttering the words, "Kaji Dha", he would be changed into the Blue Beetle.

Dan would eventually become a professor. One of his students was a man named Theodore 'Ted' Kord, a scientific genius and Olympic level athlete. Ted needed assistance in dealing with his Uncle Jarvis. Jarvis was brilliant scientist in the field of robotics. Unknowingly Ted had helped Jarvis build indestructible super robots in an attempt to use them to take over the world. Unknown to Ted his old professor was none other than the Blue Beetle.

Once Dan and Ted found Jarvis on Pogo island they were attacked by Jarvis's robots. When they are attacked Dan uses his magical scarab to turn into the Blue Beetle. Once Jarvis was faced with defeat he kills himself and blows up his robots in a successful attempt to kill Blue Beetle. As the Blue Beetle was mortally wounded he asked Ted to take up the mantle. Ted agreed and became the Blue Beetle. It is at this point that Dan falls though the ground and is crushed in a massive cave in. Dan was unable to pass the scarab to Ted, leaving him with only his wits and fists to fight crime as the Blue Beetle.

Dan Garrett III

Americomics, DC Comics

The third incarnation of this character appeared In 1983 and may have only appeared in one comic book. He was a secret agent and he was aware of his past incarnations. He believed that all his previous incarnations were past lives and that he would be resurrected when the world needed him. He wore the same costume as the second version and existed alongside of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle.

Dan Garrett's Resurrections

There have been many attempts to bring back the Dan Garrett Blue Beetle. He was brought back in Americomics #3 twice. This book had three stories in it. Two of the stories were about resurrecting Garrett. The first story was about a robotic Dan Garrett who was on Pago Island when Dan died. Not having full programming the robot took on the personality of Dan as the Blue Beetle. When the Robot comes to Hub City Ted is convinced at first that he is the real Dan Garrett and almost gives up being the Blue Beetle himself. He eventually realizes his error and defeats the robot.

The second story attempts to explain the two different origins of the original Blue Beetle by making the third version. In the story Dan is brought back to life by two unnamed gods. They explain Dan has been resurrected before and it is time to resurrect him again. When they resurrect him they provide for him a new life as a secret agent. Ted Kord is also a secret agent in this story.

Blue Beetles Battle

When DC Comics started writing stories about the Blue Beetle they chose to start off with the Ted Kord version. They however kept the story of Dan Garrett being and Archaeologist. DC also completely ignored the secret agent story written in Americomics. In DC's first Blue Beetle comic series Dan climbs out of the rubble of Pago Island and is told by the spirit of Pharaoh Kha-ef-Re to destroy Ted Kord the blasphemer who has taken on the mantle of the Blue Beetle. At first Dan sets out to do just that but later he defies the Pharaoh Kha-ef-Re and is killed by him. This also seemingly destroys the scarab.

Most recently Dynamite Comics seems to have resurrected the first Dan Garrett Blue Beetle along with his sidekick Sparky. In the #0 issues of Project Superpowers a characters wearing almost identical costumes to these characters are seen alongside other characters from the Fox Feature Syndicate like the Flame and Sampson. The only thing is neither Dan nor Sparky are referred to by name. In the story however Dan is caught by the Fighting Yank in Pandora's Box just after WWII. In Pandora's Box he is left in suspended animation. Only time will tell how he will be resurrected and if he is the Blue Beetle.

Ted Kord

Charlton Comics, Americomics, DC Comics
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Ted Kord, Blue Beetle

In 1966 Steve Ditko at Charlton Comic recreated the Blue Beetle with the Ted Kord version. This Blue Beetle came to be compared to as a cross between Batman and Spider-man. He had the acrobatics of Spider-man but the entrepreneurship and extreme wealth and genius level intelligence of Batman. He was more of a scientific genius rather than a detective much like Lex Luthor.

Ted Kord became the head of Kord Omniversal Research and developmental Industries or K.O.R.D. Industries for short. His scientific research lab was second only to S.T.A.R. Labs. Like S.T.A.R. Labs K.O.R.D. Industries had facilities all over the world. He even had a facility in Iran before the fall of the Shah. Ted went back using the alias of Edgar Hemp during the Millennium crisis in a failed attempt to save Salima Baranizar who was chosen to bring the human race into the next Millennium.

As the Blue Beetle he used his vast wealth and technological knowledge to create a wide variety of gadgets to make up for the lack of the missing scarab. His most remarkable invention was a Beetle shaped solar powered jet he simply called the Bug. The Bug was armed to the teeth with weaponry and surveillance equipment. He used this ship to mainly fly around Hub City and Chicago but he took it all over the world. The Bug became the main form of travel during his tenure with the Justice League. Ted also built a gun that could project percussive air blasts and bright flashes of light.

Looking back at the first league

Ted joined the Justice League when it re-formed following the nationwide anti-hero brainwashing by Glorious Godfrey. He became an intricate part of the league not just in battles with Despero, Overlord, Eclipso and Doomsday but he was also the genius behind the scenes. Ted's body took at lot of torment during his service to the league. As the result of attacks Ted found himself suffering two comas and several broken bones. After these incidents he would retreat to his lab and focus more on his technical skills. When he did this he also would stop almost all physical activity and proper eating habits that left him fat and out of shape. Despite these many traumas to his body he always bounced back.

The fight of the Century!

He stayed with the League throughout many of its various incarnations. Through the changing rosters of his tenure with the Justice League Beetle made many friends but he was closest to Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, Martian Manhunter and yes Guy Gardner. In the beginning Beetle and Guy had a hate, hate relationship. Guy had also suffered brain traumas as a superhero but his problems were seen outwardly in his personality. Guy would go back and forth being an overbearing jerk to sweet, sappy and very campy superhero. During one of their more bitter exchanges both Ted and Guy actually boxed each other. Their relationship was rough like this the whole time they were in the league and it wasn't resolved until long after Guy left the league.

Ted had good relationships with just about everyone in the league, but his best friend was Booster Gold. Ted and Booster became big practical jokers of the league. They would play jokes on just about everyone in the League. They tried to get Fire in a calender, they made a Guy Gardner character for the Ice-capades to be mocked and laughed at while Guy was there on a date with Ice and they hid the Martian Manhunter's Oreo cookies to him go nuts. Ted and Booster biggest jokes were played on themselves in their get rich schemes. These schemes got them into various legal and financial problems.

Just like Ted, Booster also suffered physically as a result of being with the League. He even had his arm ripped off and being so physically damaged that he was forced to like in a robotic power suit that kept him alive. Despite the many battles they had and all their, physical, mental and financial hardships they faced. They never got the respect they felt they earned. Despite Ted's best efforts, he was never taken seriously by the rest of the hero community, a fact which would be sharply illuminated with his death. Martian Manhunter would be the only hero to gain the high status of heroes such as Superman or Batman.

When Ice was killed by Overlord the League was never the same. Ted and Booster worked with Captain Atom for a while in a darker quasi-League. Years later they even came back in a league pathetically called the Superbuddies.

Ted stands defiant of Max...

... and dies for it.

On his own Ted still had many physical and financial hardships he even started to have heart problems. In Egypt the lost Scarab that was believed destroyed was found. Sadly Ted was unable to get it working.

Eventually Ted really started to put his life together. When Ted discovered that money was being taken from his company as well as Wayne Enterprises this led him to discoverer a planetary conspiracy within the Checkmate organization. Ted tried to get other heroes to help him unravel it. Most refused to take him seriously. The biggest heart break would have been Martian Manhunter. The Martian Manhunter had always been a big part of the League while Ted was there and it always seemed that Martian Manhunter being a telepath knew the real Ted but he only showed contempt for him. The only one who would help Ted was Booster.

Booster was severely burned for his loyalty in an attack meant for Ted. All alone Ted infiltrated Checkmate headquarters. He was captured and killed by the leader of Checkmate, and the former leader of the Justice League, Maxwell Lord.(Maxwell was later killed by Wonder Woman.)

When Booster left the hospital he had a hard time getting over Ted's death. He even suffered his own death and resurrection crisis. (See 52) Booster would eventually be called on by Rip Hunter to help him restore a time crisis. Booster agreed but on the condition that they go back in time and save Ted. Booster enlists the help of three Blue Beetles who were the second Dan Garrett, Jamie Reyes and a future Blue Beetle.(Black Beetle) Once together they arrive just in time to rescue Ted from Max's bullet. On their way back to their time they battle to men who have claimed to have destroyed the Justice Society. On of the men has a Green Lantern ring. When Booster and Ted arrive in Rip Hunter's lab something doesn't seem right. Ted,and Michael go outside only to see a sky full of O.M.A.C's. Ted and Michael begin to fight the O.M.A.C.s when Ted jumps off of Michael. He summons his extra bug ship, and tells Michael about his Beetle Cave, and that it is more or less used as storage. Ted tells Michael that he found a way to reprogram the O.M.A.C.s and they escape the O.M.A.C. army Michael and Ted go to France and go to the Justice League France museum. The curator becomes an Omac, and tries to kill Booster,Ted but Hawkman, and Green Arrow help them and welcome them to the resistance.

Jaime Reyes

DC Comics
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Jaime Reyes, he is the only Blue Beetle that fully bonded with the scarab.

Some time before his death, however, Ted Kord left Dan Garrett's scarab in the Rock of Eternity with the wizard Shazam. Following the destruction of the Rock by the Spectre, the Scarab landed in a vacant lot in El Paso, Texas. There it was found by a high school student, Jaime Reyes. The scarab bonded itself to Jaime's body, and entered into a far more interactive relationship with the boy than it had with Dan Garrett. The scarab now allows Jaime to cover himself in a kind of biomechanical armor, which can be modified to enhance his speed and strength, as well as to create weapons, wings and shields. Batman and his group tracked down Jaime because the Scarab was the only thing that could find Brother Eye and with his help stopped it. After Brother Eye's destruction Jaime was trapped between dimensions for a whole year and was forced to reveal h