Number 863


Blue Beetle


Blue Beetle is a character who has had various incarnations since his introduction in 1939. The entry gives him the secret identity of rookie policeman, Dan Garret, who uses a super vitamin and wears a bulletproof costume. Why "Blue Beetle"? I've heard the name was a rip-off of The Green Hornet and that seems as good a reason as any. Victor Fox, the publisher of Big 3 Comics, Mystery Men, and any other books featuring B.B., wasn't known for encouraging originality.

The Golden Age Blue Beetle's costume, with hoodie and burglar mask, is reminiscent of The Phantom.

I read the Charlton/Ditko Blue Beetle stories in the mid-'60s, and that was my introduction to B.B., a different person and identity, taking over from the original character. I hadn't seen much of the Golden Age Blue Beetle, but here's a story from Fox's Big 3 Comics #4, by "Charles Nicholas" from 1941.

I'd also like to note that the Web is the worst-looking villain I've seen in my years of comic book reading. The danger in this guy is you'd laugh yourself to death if you saw him.