The final scene of DC‘s latest Blue Beetle series ends with an apparent gruesome death. What makes the scene all the more shocking is how it calls back to another infamous comic death.
The final scene of Blue Beetle #1 by Josh Trujillo, Adrián Gutiérrez, and Will Quintana introduces a mysterious new villain. Clad in red armor similar to that worn by Jaime Reyes, the villain attacks Ted Kord in his lab. The villain shrugs off the best Ted’s technology can throw at him. To add insult to injury, the villain calls Ted an imposter and “a fool playing with fire,” before crafting a sword and impaling him.
Ted Kord Has Died Before
While death in comics is hardly unusual, the circumstances of Ted Kord’s apparent death hold a particularly harsh resonance for Blue Beetle fans. In 2005, the death of Ted Kord at the hands of Maxwell Lord kicked off the Countdown to Infinite Crisis event. The story was poorly received for many reasons, but one of the chief reasons was how Blue Beetle was treated like a joke. The fact that all Ted Kord’s death accomplished was getting Batman to investigate a major conspiracy did not help matters.
While Ted Kord was shot in the head in Countdown, his apparent death in Blue Beetle #1 seems to reference the earlier story. Both stories feature prominent blood splatter and a silhouette that obscures the action. The same colors are also utilized, though the original featured Ted Kord as a black silhouette. The newer story utilizes red silhouettes.
Despite this, it remains to be seen if Ted Kord will truly die again. While it is not uncommon for a hero to die to inspire a younger hero, the Blue Beetle comics are committed to the student/mentor relationship between the two Blue Beetles. It seems unlikely that work will be undone purely for the sake of a shocking death.
Blue Beetle #1 is now available from DC Comics.
