The Reach
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Real Identity: Not Applicable
Affiliation(s): None
Appearances: Revenge of the Reach!
Powers/Skills: Extended Life, Warfare, Infiltration, and Technology
Voiced By:
The Reach are the second oldest race in the known universe, only junior to the Guardians of the Universe. Unlike the Guardians, the Reach is a race of conquerors and is known to originate from Space Sector 002. Long ago, the Guardians and the Reach signed a non-aggression pact. Since then, the Reach has traveled the universe and took over planet after planet. Instead of a direct invasion, they prefer to deploy devices to the planet, activate it to gather information, analyze the data, then attack. The Collective is the hive-mind like authority that commands the forces of the Reach.
Some 1000's of years ago, the conflict between the Reach and the Guardians of the Universe came to its end. The Reach were defeated. However, they managed to seed several planets with their Scarab technology. The Gibble Homeworld and Earth were two such planets. Eventually, the Collective's programming would activate and take over the user's mind. The sleeper agents would gather and continue the Reach's quest to conquer and destroy. One of these Scarabs came into the possession of Jaime Reyes. After months of training by Batman, Reyes became victim to the Collective, as well. He then ventured into Oa's control room and disabled the planet's defense protocol. Blue Beetle then joined nine other agents of the Scarab to destroy the Green Lantern Corps' Central Power Battery.
Reyes managed to use his free will to permanently take control of the Scarab. Together, they came up with a plan to have several Green Lanterns pour their remaining power ring energy into his chestplate receptacle. Beetle then integrated tendrils into each of the Reach and poisoned the Collective with the energy. The agents were rendered unconscious and the Scarabs were deactivated. The Guardians of the Universe then proceeded to analyze and catalogue any useful information from them then destroy every Scarab. With the threat of the Reach finally over, Blue Beetle was allowed to keep his.