What Is Blue Beetle's Suit: Its Powers & Weaknesses Explained
While there has been plenty of buzz about the upcoming "Superman: Legacy," the first movie to properly launch in the newly rebooted DCU is "Blue Beetle." Set to be released on August 18, 2023, the latest DC tentpole may follow a comic book hero who is much lesser known than mainstays like Batman and Superman, but that gives it a lot more leeway in terms of how it wants to approach the character as well.
Though there have been three DC characters who have used the moniker, it's the latest one in the comic book continuity who is making the jump to the big screen. Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is a recent college graduate who returns to his hometown of Palmera City, where he is chosen as the new host for a symbiotic alien suit called the Blue Beetle.
While his origin might already sound relatively similar to that of fellow DC superhero Green Lantern, the similarities become even more apparent when you consider that the Blue Beetle scarab draws from Jaime's imagination to make its many contraptions and weapons, similar to how the Power Rings function in the Green Lantern Corps. Still, that's not the only connection to Green Lantern that Blue Beetle has.
The Blue Beetle scarab is a living, learning AI
In fact, one of the only real threats to the exoskeleton suit that Jaime Reyes wears is the power of a Green Lantern, a factor that could be pivotal to the future of the DCU, being that Nathan Fillion has been cast as Green Lantern Guy Gardner in "Superman: Legacy."
There's much more to learn about "Blue Beetle," however. For instance, the scarab is actually a piece of sentient learning AI. Its original purpose was to allow its creators, a group of aliens who call themselves The Reach, to infiltrate worlds that they wish to conquer. Luckily, the friendship that Jaime forms with the AI, Khaji-Da, allows the duo to form a bond and overcome the sinister reasons behind its design.
As such, the AI attaches itself to Jaime's spine and essentially works as a protective power suit and infinite creation machine in tandem. Not only does it protect its host instinctively, emerging any time it perceives that Jaime might be in danger, but it also can create countless weapons and other equipment that can help Jaime in battle. Some of the more common ones are a sword and shield, an energy blaster, a grappling hook, and a set of wings for flight.
The Blue Beetle suit is a very complex creation
The Blue Beetle suit is also capable of dispersing kryptonite, another factor that may inevitably tie it to the upcoming "Superman: Legacy." Still, being that James Gunn's film isn't set to be released until 2025, fans will have to wait and see how much "Blue Beetle" ties into the Man of Steel's next adventure.
However, the suit also has other weaknesses to help offset its seemingly limitless powers. For instance, other technology used by The Reach, the aliens who created it, can pierce through its protection, injuring both the suit and its wearer. Furthermore, the suit is limited somewhat by its desire not to harm nature, meaning it will sometimes refuse to do as Jaime commands if it will hurt wildlife or destroy plants and trees.
All the same, the Blue Beetle scarab more than makes up for these shortcomings with other useful abilities, like how it can take over for Jaime if he's knocked unconscious or unable to fight, a factor that can no doubt help save the hero's life and the lives of others in peril. Still, with the movie right around the corner, we will no doubt see all kinds of other cool abilities from Jaime Reyes and Khaji-Da when "Blue Beetle" arrives in August.