Scarab
Back to Objects Main > Scarab
Real Identity: Not Applicable
Appearances: The Rise of the Blue Beetle!, Invasion of the Secret Santas!, The Fall of the Blue Beetle!, Deep Cover for Batman!, Game Over for Owlman!, Night of the Huntress!, The Fate of Equinox!, Revenge of the Reach!, Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!, The Power of Shazam!, Chill of the Night!, The Siege of Starro! Part One, Part Two, Menace of the Madniks!, Cry Freedom Fighters!, Darkseid Descending!, Shadow of the Bat!, Time Out for Vengeance!, Powerless!, Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!, and Mitefall!
Powers/Skills: Ability Bestowal
Voiced By: Ioan Gruffudd
The Scarab is an extraterrestrial technology that fuses to the spine and grants its wearer living armor with incredible powers. The Scarab's origins lay in the Reach, an ancient race of conquerors. Before their defeat, the Reach seeded planets with Scarabs to create the ultimate sleeper agent. While the new owners used the Scarab's power, the programming would eventually take control and conform to the objective of their masters, destroy. It lay buried in the tomb of Pharoah Kha-ef-re. Dr. Dan Garrett discovered the Scarab and activated it with the password, "Kaji Dha." As the Blue Beetle, Garrett became an admired super hero. With his dying breath, Garrett passed on the Scarab to his protege, Ted Kord.
Ted Kord was unable to activate it and opted to invent his own gear. He later loaned the Scarab to his uncle in hopes he would find a way to access it. Instead, Jarvis Kord wanted to use it to take over Hub City. Blue Beetle planted the Scarab on the doomsday rocket and tripped the guidance mechanism. As a result, the rocket exploded and killed Kord. But the Scarab was set on a course to find a worthy sucessor.
The Scarab landed in an unused lot in El Paso, Texas. It was discovered by a teenager and Batman fan named Jaime Reyes. While Reyes slept, the Scarab re-activated and fused itself to the base of Reyes' spine. Reyes discovered that he entered into a symbiosis with the object and became the next Blue Beetle. However, he soon discovered that the Scarab had developed free will and can take control of the armor and use its powers at a time of its choosing.
The armor has demonstrated multiple forms of flight, energy projectiles, and defense but depends on the wearer's imagination. The Scarab's two weaknesses are its reliance on the Collective programming and a specific high intensity frequency. Kanjar-Ro briefly assumed control of the Scarab but Reyes resorted to his wits and took back the Scarab.
The Scarab's unique personality continued to develop. At one point, it began to communicate with Jaime Reyes in a manner only he understood.