Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle has been one of DC’s most popular legacy characters since his introduction, and an awesome cosplay of the hero shows why his powers and visuals are more than a match for Iron Man, or any hero design that the MCU could possibly throw at him.
Blue Beetle is a mantle with a long legacy. The first Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, was granted superpowers by a mysterious Blue Scarab beetle, while the second, Ted Kord, instead uses his own inventions to fight crime, making up for a lack of any superpowers with genius tech. The third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, took on the mantle in 2005 after Ted Kord’s death, and combines some aspects of both his predecessors, having both Garrett’s Scarab, but also gaining a suit of Iron Man-esque armor to boot. Jaime has been a breakout star for DC, even after Ted Kord’s return in the New 52, and is one of the most notable Mexican-American characters in all of comics.
Now, an incredible cosplay of Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle showcases the true potential of the legacy hero. Created by Fernando Vázquez, aka @ecto_titan, this amazing cosplay shows Jaime ready for action, complete with full armor and mask. Covered from head to toe, Vázquez’s suit is so impressive that it could easily be straight out of a film. The suit closely matches the characters’ original design by Cully Hamner and looks stunning with its metallic sheen and wings. Vázquez also shouts out @acelapse and @ryansimsphotography for the photos, as well as @wens.1998 for editing the action shot of Jaime in motion.
Blue Beetle Is the Ultimate Armored Superhero
For a relatively new character, Jaime’s own powersuit has been through its share of retcons over the last almost two decades. Originally the Scarab was magical, like Dan Garrett’s, but this was retconned to make it alien in origin, tying its mythos to the Green Lantern Corps. This retcon explained the Scarab - named Khaji Da - had sentience thanks to an advanced-AI, and justified the technological look of the character. With DC Rebirth in 2016 however, both became true, as Jaime discovered that while alien in origin, the Scarab was also derived from magic, as he worked with Doctor Fate to uncover the real origins of his Scarab. Khaji Da allows for incredible powers, most of which come from its shapeshifting ability.
Most notably, the suit forms itself instinctively around Jaime to protect him from harm. Even when Jaime himself isn’t aware of the danger, his armor always is. The suit also often creates jets which let Jaime fly, as showcased in the action shots by Vázquez. This shapeshifting also allows for the creation of both melee weapons and plasma energy weapons, as well as defensive feats such as energy-based shields or forcefields. In fact, its powers are notable for their constant expansion, with new abilities being constantly discovered as Jaime and Khaji Da form a closer bond, both symbiotically and in their friendship. In both design and powerset then, Jaime beats out similarly themed characters like Iron Man, and there’s no better display of his Blue Beetle design and appeal than Fernando Vázquez’s stunning cosplay.