| Dan Garrett Blue Beetle | |
|---|---|
 Cover ofBlue Beetle #4 (October 1940). Artist unknown, possibly Edd Ashe. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fox Comics Holyoke Publishing Charlton Comics DC Comics |
| First appearance | Mystery Men Comics #1 (August 1939) |
| Created by | Charles Wojtkoski |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dan Garrett (in the Charlton and DC comics) |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Abilities | None
|
Daniel "Dan" Garrett, originally spelled "Garret," is a fictionalsuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byFox Comics,Holyoke Publishing,Charlton Comics, andDC Comics. Garrett was created byCharles Wojtkoski, and made his first appearance in Fox'sMystery Men Comics #1 during theGolden Age of Comic Books. Garrett is the first character to use the identity ofBlue Beetle, predatingTed Kord andJaime Reyes.
The character first appeared inMystery Men Comics #1 (August 1939), published by Fox Comics with art byCharles Wojtkoski.[1] Blue Beetle has starred in a comic book series,comic strip andradio serial, but like mostGolden Age of Comic Books superheroes, fell into obscurity in the 1950s. The comic book series saw several anomalies in publication: 19 issues, #12 through #30, were published throughHolyoke Publishing; no issue #43 was published; publication frequency varied throughout the run; and there were gaps where issues were not published, with large ones occurring in early 1947 and between mid-1948 and early 1950.
In the mid-1950s, Charlton Comics began publishing the character following Fox Comics's bankruptcy.[2]
Dan Garret[3] was a son of a police officer killed by a criminal. ThisFox Feature Syndicate version of the character debuted inMystery Men Comics #1 (August 1939) and continued through issue #31.[4] He began appearing in his own 60-issue series shortly thereafter.[5] Fox Feature Syndicate sponsored a "Blue Beetle Day" at the1939 New York World's Fair on August 7, 1940, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and including 300 children in relay-race finals at the Field of Special Events, following preliminaries in New York City parks. The race was broadcast on the radio stationWMCA.[6]
Rookie patrolman Dan Garret originally fought crime as Blue Beetle without the benefit of superhuman abilities.[7] Garret later donned a bulletproof blue costume made of lightweight, yet durablecellulose and temporarily gainedsuperhuman strength and stamina via "Vitamin 2X".[8] Like theGreen Hornet, the Blue Beetle would use his signature scarab symbol to bedevil criminals.
The supporting cast remained fairly stable throughout this original run and included Joan Mason, a reporter for theDaily Blade who starred in solo backup stories, and Mike Mannigan, Dan's police partner who believed him to be a criminal. Dr. Franz, a pharmacist and the creator of Dan's bulletproof suit and 2X formula, also played a large role. The Beetle also had a short-lived kid sidekick,Sparky.[9]
DuringWorld 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. Blue Beetle's powers slowly increased over time, eventually giving him the ability to fly and, in one story near the very end,X-ray vision.
A popular character in his era, the Blue Beetle had his own short-livedcomic strip, drawn by apseudonymousJack Kirby and others, and aradio serial that ran for 48 thirteen-minute episodes.[10][11]
Charlton Comics allegedly obtained the rights to the Blue Beetle (although there is no proof that a formal purchase ever took place) and reprinted some stories in itsanthology titles and in a four-issueBlue Beetle reprint series numbered 18–21.[12]
In 1964, during theSilver Age of comics, Charlton revised the character for a new Blue Beetle series. Charlton's new Blue Beetle retained the original's name (adding a second "t"), but no powers or back story, making him a different character. This Beetle was archaeologist Dan Garrett, who obtained a number of superhuman powers (including super strength, x-ray vision, flight, and the ability to generate energy blasts) from a mysticalscarab he found during a dig in Egypt, where it had been used to imprison an evil mummified pharaoh.[13] This version, by writerJoe Gill and artistTony Tallarico, was played at least initially forcamp, with stories like "The Giant Mummy Who Was Not Dead".[14] The Charlton Dan Garrett version of the Blue Beetle ran only until 1966 before his replacement Ted Kord debuted.[15] InBlue Beetle (vol. 5) #2 (August 1967), Garrett is killed in battle withJarvis Kord, Ted's evil uncle.[16]
Both Blue Beetles reappeared in the third issue ofAmericomics, a title published byAC Comics in 1983/1984. In the first story in this issue, Ted Kord fought a bogus Dan Garrett, but the second story was more significant. It revealed that the original 1940s Dan was reincarnated as the Silver Age version by an unspecified group of "gods", presumably the ones responsible for his mystic scarab. The gods subsequently resurrect Dan again and sent him to save Ted Kord. After this adventure, Kord turned the Blue Beetle name back over to Dan.Americomics was canceled after issue #6, and so far this story has never been referenced by any other publisher.
The Charlton version of Dan Garrett was spotlighted in the second issue of DC's 1980sSecret Origins series, in which his origin was retold along with that of Ted Kord. Subsequent appearances by Dan Garrett (in flashback stories) include guest spots or cameos inInfinity, Inc.,Captain Atom,JLA: Year One, andLegends of the DC Universe.
The character briefly returned inDC Comics' first run ofBlue Beetle,[17] resurrected by his mystical scarab to battle against his successor. He can also be seen in various flashback stories. His 1940s incarnation is briefly glimpsed in DC's 1993 limited seriesThe Golden Age.
In 2025, he appeared in the Green Lantern series, now going by the name "Silver Scarab" and with powers including powerful energy blasts[18]
In issue #0 of theProject Superpowers miniseries, the Fox Feature Syndicate version of the Blue Beetle appeared in flashbacks (as by now the character/spelling "Dan Garret" was in the public domain).[19] To avoid trademark conflicts with DC Comics, he is referred to in this series by the nickname "Big Blue".[20]
It was eventually established that the Charlton Comics incarnation of the Dan Garrett Blue Beetle made his debut on August 14, 1939.[21]
The Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle has met Daniel's granddaughter, Danielle,[22] and Dan himself.[23]
InDark Nights: Death Metal, Dan Garrett is among the deceased superheroes whoBatman resurrects with aBlack Lantern ring.[24]
Dan Garret appears on the cover of a comic book in theWatchmen film tie-inUnder the Hood.
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