| “ | Thanks a lot, fellers! I’ll check these boys into city jail! | „ |
| ~ Earth-Fox Blue Beetle. |
| “ | We're five grown men dressed in bright colors inside a clear plastic bubble set against a rainbow background, Jaime. They saw us. | „ |
| ~ Dan Garret. |
| “ | Hmpf. Everybody wants to get in on the insect act these days. | „ |
| ~ Prime Earth Dan Garrett. |
Daniel "Dan" Garret (changed to Garrett in later comics), is a fictional character and superhero from the DC Comics and universe, and is the first Blue Beetle during the Golden Age of comics. He was a vigilante who got powers using Vitamin 2X, and fought crime with a sidekick named Sparky. Charlton Comics reimagined him as Dan Garrett in the Silver Age. He is portrayed as an archaeologist who gains powers from a Blue Beetle Scarab found in Egypt. His student and successor is Ted Kord, although Jaime Reyes is the next to use the Scarab.
Dan Garrett was created by Jack Kirby, Will Eisner and Chuck Cudeira, first appearing in the Fox publication Mystery Men Comics #1.
History[]
Fox-Earth[]
Dan Garret was a son of Michael Garret, a police officer killed by a criminal. He originally fought crime as the Blue Beetle without the benefit of superhuman abilities. Garret later donned a bulletproof blue costume (described by Garret as being made of a cellulose material which was "as thin and light as silk but stronger than steel") and temporarily gained superhuman strength and stamina by ingesting the mysterious "Vitamin 2X". During World War II, Garret became a government agent who was often sent overseas on secret missions, but after peace was declared he returned to his former role of neighborhood cop.
New Earth[]
On New Earth, Dan Garrett was an archeologist who entered the tomb of Kha-Ef-Re, whom supposedly possessed a powerful artifact of a blue scarab. Garrett and Professor Luri Hoshid were the first to reach the Pharaoh's sarcophagus, and when a cave in began, the blue scarab manifested and attached to Dan. It gave him armor, and he used his super strength to stop the cave-in, saving Luri and becoming a superhero. After the incident, Dan smuggled the scarab out of the country, and used its powers to become a vigilante to stop crime. Gaining a reputation during the 1930s and 1940s, Blue Beetle worked with Peacemaker, and later started a family of his own. While teaching archaeologist at a university, Dan befriended Ted Kord, who was one of his students and later asked for Garrett's assistance when his uncle intended to take over the world.
Dan assisted Ted in stopping his uncle's plans, but died during the process. Before dying, Dan asked Ted to take up the mantle of the Blue Beetle and passed away while a cave in occurred. Though Ted agreed to take on the mantle, the blue scarab refused to work for him, and he eventually lost it during the First Crisis. Dan would return after being resurrected by the Scarab, who forced him to fight Ted until Garrett managed to break the scarab's control over him.
Prime-Earth[]
On Prime Earth, Garrett is sent by the United States government to find General Electric, and managed to find him before having his memory erased by Rama Kushna.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Vitamin 2X: On Fox-Earth during the Golden Age of comics, Garret would take Vitamin 2X, which enhanced his strength, agility, and durability.
Abilities[]
- Police Training: On Fox-Earth, Garret was a police officer, giving him expertise in law.
- Skilled Combatant: Garret is a capable fighter.
Equipment[]
- Blue Beetle Scarab: The Scarab could manifest powers for its wearer, but it would depend on which person it would interact with.
- Costume Creation: The scarab would create a costume of armor for Dan when activated.
- Flight: The scarab allows Dan to fly without the use of wings.
- Energy Projection: Dan could shoot energy that manifested as lightning bolts from his fingers.
- Superhuman Strength: The scarab gave it wearer superhuman strength.
- Superhuman Durability: The scarab gave its wearer superhuman durability, but it was still vulnerable to heavy damage, which resulted in Dan's death.