Black Beetle
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Real Identity: Unknown
Affiliation(s): The Reach and The Light
Appearances: Alienated, Salvage, Before The Dawn, True Colors, Runaways, War, The Hunt, Intervention, Summit, and Endgame
Powers/Skills: Energy Weapons, Technology Manipulation, Flight, Armed Combat, Infiltration, and Unarmed Combat
Voiced By: Kevin Grevioux
Black Beetle is a warrior of the Reach. He was assigned to lead security aiding the forces sent to Earth. In co-operation with the Light, Beetle has worked in the field with Black Manta (Kaldur'ahm) and Sportsmaster. On January 6th, Team Year Six, he infiltrated Malina Island and planted an alien bomb underneath the secret Krolotean base. While fighting the Team and Justice League, Kaldur'ahm radioed Beetle for a status update. Beetle responded and informed him the bomb was primed and there was only five minutes to evacuate. On February 13th, Beetle observed Intergang's battle with the Team over an Appellaxian Golem. He dispatched Sportsmaster to make an example of Ugly Mannheim and Whisper A'Daire. Once the Team established contact with the Golem, Beetle destroyed it with a sonic weapon. He explained a resource falling into enemy hands should be disposed of.
On March 30th, Black Beetle observed a Reach Scientist's assessment of the Scarab and implored her to reboot it. He later prevented the Team from accomplishing their rescue mission and sealed off the Reach Ship from the Bio-Ship. Called "Black Beetle" by Wonder Girl, he easily neutralized the Team. Blue Beetle arrived and challenged Black Beetle in combat while the others fled the ship. Black Beetle vowed to put the Scarab back on-mode but the battle reached a stalemate. While they blasted at each other, Shimmer caused a hull breach by accident. Blue Beetle was swept outside and Black Beetle sealed off the breach. On April 8th, Black Beetle attacked the Alpha Squad at LexCorp Farms in Smallville. The squad had little choice but to flee into the cornfields outside. However, they were saved by the intervention of another rogue Reach warrior named Green Beetle. Together, Blue Beetle and Green Beetle blasted Black Beetle with their sonic cannons, set at 27 Angstroms. Black Beetle was partially stripped of his armor and rendered unconscious, allowing enough time for the squad to escape.
On May 13th, Black Beetle met with Blue Beetle and Green Beetle, both agents of the Reach, at Taos Pueblos to discuss the four teenagers with powers. On May 23rd, Black Beetle proposed a plan to have Green Beetle feed intelligence to the Justice League and the Team so they could defeat Mongul and disable the Warworld. On May 27th, 06:36 UTC, Black Beetle and a Reach Scientist secured the Crystal Key in a stasis chamber on the Warworld. On May 30th, Black Beetle fought the group of runaways saved by the Team. Arsenal came to their aid and set Mongul free. While Mongul and Black Beetle engaged each other in combat, the Team and runaways made their escape. At 10:36 UTC, Black Beetle was joined by Green Beetle. Together, they got Mongul back into a stasis chamber. Black Beetle was not pleased to learn the Crystal Key was gone. He was relegated to helping guard the perimeter of the Crystal Key Chamber.
On June 19th, Black Beetle attended the summit on Santa Prisca between the Light and the Reach. At the summit's start, Black Beetle insisted everyone remove their masks for security purposes. Black Manta soon tired of Black Beetle's insolence but was knocked aside. After the Light's betrayals were revealed, Black Beetle stabbed Ra's al Ghul. As the Team decimated their forces, the Reach Ambassador demanded aid from Black Beetle. Under Article 16 of the Reach Planetary Acquisition Code, Black Beetle declared the Ambassador was unfit to lead the delegation and took over. He left the Ambassador behind but took the chief scientist with him back to the Reach Ship in New York City. At 05:27 EDT, Black Beetle learned of Secretary-General Tseng rescinding the invitation for the Reach to stay on Earth. Aware of the Green Lantern Corps' impending arrival and the Light's desire of the Warworld, Black Beetle declared the Reach would leave Earth but not before destroying it first.
On June 20th, Black Beetle had the 21 Magnetic Field Disrupters hidden around the planet activated. At 06:16 EDT, the Team and Green Beetle infiltrated the Reach Ship. Black Beetle faced off against Aqualad, Blue Beetle, and Green Beetle. Black Beetle managed to destroy Green Beetle's Scarab but had his destroyed by Blue Beetle. Removal of the Scarab didn't kill him but he collapsed. On July 4th, the Reach were all escorted by the three Green Lanterns of Earth to face the Guardians of the Universe for their breach of the peace treaty.