The trailer for the upcoming Blue Beetle movie dropped and the just under three-minute video has ignited the hype train around the newest DC installment. Though Blue Beetle has been in the world of DC Comics since the late 1930s, it wasn’t until the series retconned the superhero’s origin story in 2006 and introduced Jaime Reyes that the character really captured the imagination of fans everywhere.
Who is Blue Beetle?
Jaime Reyes (Hi-may Ray-es) is a teenage boy from El Paso, Texas. An average Mexican American teen, Reyes lives with his parents and younger sister in the comic series. Jaime has deeply rooted connections to his family and friends, one strong enough for him to forgo the superhero tradition of keeping an alias. While it seems the movie may have Jaime’s family in on the ruse from the start, he never was one for shutting his family out of the drama.
With his quick wit and mellow attitude, some of Jaime’s superhero teammates may think the teen doesn’t take his job seriously. In reality, his connection to the Scarab — an artifact of alien origin that was either found in ancient Egypt or came crashing to Earth in an asteroid — allows him to do a lot less tactical planning than many of his counterparts. The suit handles a decent chunk of the mental load required for fighting, which lets Jaime keep his easy-going demeanor and tendency for lame jokes and poorly timed comedic jabs. Superhero fans may feel some crossover with Marvel’s own friendly neighborhood webslinger.
Jaime wasn’t the first character to go by the name Blue Beetle. The first man to take the name was Dan Garrett, an average cop turned superhero with help of, no joke, a special vitamin. Naturally, the premise had to be updated, and Garrett eventually got a do-over and was reimagined as an archeologist-turned-superhero with the help of the Scarab, an ancient Egyptian artifact. He would eventually pass the mantle on to his student, Ted Kord. Kord was never able to access the Scarab’s powers, however, and the super-suit lay dormant until it came into contact with Jaime Reyes several years later.
Blue Beetle comes to theaters on August 18.
