Arthur C. Clarke said that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This is the case in the DC Universe, where there are multiple devices, both alien and terrestrial, that defy the laws of science. However, the Blue Beetle Scarab wielded by Jaime Reyes may be the most powerful piece of alien technology in existence.
The power levels of the Scarab are explored in Blue Beetle #5, by Josh Trujillo and Adrian Gutierrez. The current storyline pit Jaime against a new villain dubbed Blood Scarab, who has power equal to his own. The fight quickly became personal, as Blood Scarab nearly killed Jaime’s mentor, Ted Kord, before targeting other “pretenders.”
Desperate to stop the murderous baddie, Jaime formed an uneasy alliance with Victoria Kord. The older sister of Jaime’s mentor, Victoria was probably the one person on Earth best equipped to help him fight another Scarab wielder. Unfortunately, this was because Victoria had studied his Scarab, trying to claim its power before it bonded with Jaime.
Blue Beetle’s Scarab Outclasses Most Alien Tech
Victoria Kord had a number of impressive alien and metahuman weapons in her lab. These included the Gamma Gong of Kanjar-Ro, a gravity rod (the early prototype of Stargirl‘s cosmic staff) and a Blue Lantern ring. However, she dismissed all of these as useless against Blood Scarab, compared to the power of Jaime’s own Scarab.
Jaime has held his own fighting the Green Lanterns Corps in the past, despite his relative inexperience. He also has a fairly similar power-set, with the Scarab allowing him to replicate nearly any weapon he can imagine. However, it still seems somewhat hyperbolic to describe the Blue Beetle Scarab as being twice as powerful as a Lantern Corps ring. The only thing marking the statement as a definitive ranking of Jaime Reyes’ power is the fact that Victoria Kord is not inclined to dramatic exaggeration.
Blue Beetle #5 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
