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Theodore Stephen "Ted" Kord is the second
Blue Beetle Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
, a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
who was originally published by
Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...
and later picked up by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. This version of the character was created by
Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...
and first appeared as a back-up feature in ''
Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...
'' #83 (November 1966), with
Gary Friedrich Gary Friedrich (; August 21, 1943 – August 29, 2018) was an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics' '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'', and, in the following era, for the series '' The Monster o ...
scripting from Ditko's conception and plot. Fictional characters from Chicago


Publication history and fictional character biography


Charlton Comics

Ted Kord was a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete, sharing much more in common with the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
original than did Charlton's earlier reimagining of the character. Kord's signature equipment was his bug-shaped personal aircraft, which he entered and exited typically with a cable suspended from the cockpit. He also generally eschewed personal weaponry, except for a pistol that made a blinding flash of light and, additionally, a strong airblast to gain the advantage when he closed in for hand-to-hand combat. The character ran as a backup feature in ''
Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...
'' #83–86 (November 1966 – June 1967) before getting his own ''Blue Beetle'' title, which ran for 5 issues between June 1967 and November 1968. A sixth issue was produced, but published in the ''Charlton Portfolio'' by
CPL Gang The CPL Gang was a group of comic book enthusiasts who published a number of fanzines in the mid-1970s, including ''Contemporary Pictorial Literature'' (''CPL'') and '' Charlton Bullseye''. Founded by Roger Stern and Bob Layton, the CPL Gang eventua ...
. The
Question A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammar, grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are inte ...
ran as a backup series, with the fifth issue featuring a quasi-team-up in which the Blue Beetle story continues in part in the ''Question'' tale. An origin was given in ''Secret Origins'' vol. 2, #2, linking him to the original Blue Beetle. Ted was a former student of Dan Garrett, and they were investigating his uncle Jarvis Kord, learning Jarvis was working to create an army of androids to take over Earth; Garrett fought Jarvis, but both were killed in the battle. Garrett died and passed on the responsibility of the alter-ego to Ted, but was not able to pass on the mystical Blue Beetle scarab (a convenient means for Ditko to explain his preference for a power-free character). There was a hint that one android was still left in stasis, but this would remain unresolved until the DC series of the late 1980s. In the early 1980s, the first issue of Charlton's anthology comic '' Charlton Bullseye'' featured a team-up of the Blue Beetle and the Question. Later,
AC Comics AC Comics (formerly known as Paragon Publications and Americomics) is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.
would publish a story intended for ''Charlton Bullseye'' in ''Americomics'' #3, and a one-shot of a team-up of all the Charlton "Action Heroes" called the
Sentinels of Justice Sentinels of Justice is a fictional organization of superheroes. The comic was published by Americomics (a.k.a. AC Comics) in 1983 during a very brief time that AC was able to license the Charlton Comics superheroes before the rights were purcha ...
, as the company called its lineup. Upon losing Blue Beetle, AC Comics created a similar character called
Scarlet Scorpion Sentinels of Justice is a fictional organization of superheroes. The comic was published by Americomics (a.k.a. AC Comics) in 1983 during a very brief time that AC was able to license the Charlton Comics superheroes before the rights were purcha ...
.


DC Comics


DC solo series

DC Comics acquired the Charlton heroes in the mid-1980s and used the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
''
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
event to integrate them all into the DC Universe. During this period, Ted Kord had his own ''Blue Beetle'' series, written by Len Wein, which ran for 24 issues from June 1986 to May 1988. Also published during this time was ''
Secret Origins ''Secret Origins'' is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the origin stories of the publisher's various characters. Publication history ''Secret Origins'' was first published as a one-shot in 1961 and c ...
'' #2 (cover illustrated by
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
), which explained the origins and careers of the Ted Kord and Dan Garrett Blue Beetles in the post-Crisis continuity. They would also follow up on the hinted android in stasis from the Charlton series, which would eventually become " Carapax, the Indestructible Man". In his monthly, solo series, Kord was shown as an industrialist, the owner of KORD Industries, which he took over from his father Thomas Kord and transformed it from a small R & D company to a scientific industry rivaling S.T.A.R. Labs. Upon joining the newly formed Justice League (following the events in the ''Legends'') Ted was more often portrayed as a second string joke. He was short on money, leading to his entering "get-rich-quick" schemes with
Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
. A brief appearance in ''JLA: Year One'' showed the young Ted working in Kord Industries R&D, where he designed the JLA HQ security system. Upon meeting the heroes, he thought, "Screw the family business. I want to be one of those guys", possibly explaining the company's fluctuating status since he took over. In recent comics, it has been implied that KORD Industries has become a subsidiary of
Wayne Enterprises Wayne Enterprises, Inc., also known as WayneCorp and Wayne Industries, is a wealthy fictional company appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Wayne Enterprises is a large, grow ...
, headed by Bruce Wayne aka
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
.


Joining the Justice League

Kord is probably best known as the wisecracking Blue Beetle of
Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biography K ...
and
J. M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of comic books, television and novels. Biography Early career J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in ban ...
' lighthearted, five-year run on various ''Justice League of America'' titles (notably ''Justice League International''), where he was memorably partnered with fellow third-string hero
Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
, and the two quickly became best friends. Among fans, they were known collectively as the "Blue and Gold" team. For a while, he grappled with a weight problem, but with sheer determination and coaching from the hero
General Glory General Glory is the name of two DC Comics characters. The persona is mostly used by writers as a parody of Marvel's Captain America with exaggerated "patriotic values" and a sidekick called Ernie (aka Ernie The Battling Boy), who was similar to ...
, as well as competing against
Power Girl Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in ''All_Star_Comics#1976_revival_series, All Star Comics'' #58 (January/February 1976). Power Girl ...
, he defeated it. After Giffen and DeMatteis left, the series continued to run until ''Justice League America'' #113.
Dan Jurgens Dan Jurgens (; born June 27, 1959) is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw and Booster Gold. Jurgens ...
tied "
The Death of Superman "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kese ...
" storyline into ''JLA'', in which
Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
left Kord in a coma during his murderous rampage, as well as a six-inch scar on the back of his skull. Kord and Booster Gold both subsequently joined the short-lived Justice League offshoot known as
Extreme Justice Extreme Justice is a monthly Justice League spin-off title in the DC Comics universe. It replaced the cancelled ''Justice League International'' (formerly ''Justice League Europe'') and ran for nineteen issues from 1994 to 1996. Overview Several ...
. Kord then entered a period of relative obscurity. The
miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
''The LAW (Living Assault Weapons)'' reunited him and the other heroes acquired from Charlton, but the series met with critical disfavor.


Super Buddies

In July 2003, Giffen, DeMatteis, and original ''JLI'' artist Kevin Maguire reunited for the six-issue miniseries ''
Formerly Known as the Justice League Super Buddies are a team of comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe who appear in the six-issue ''Formerly Known as the Justice League'' miniseries in 2003, and its 2005 sequel, ''I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League'' (publishe ...
'', where many of the original JLI characters re-teamed with a storefront office. Ted (who had grown in maturity) was an important member of this new team known as the "Super Buddies". The sequel
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
''
I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League Super Buddies are a team of comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe who appear in the six-issue ''Formerly Known as the Justice League'' miniseries in 2003, and its 2005 sequel, ''I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League'' (publishe ...
'' was initially slated as a second miniseries, but instead ran delayed in ''JLA: Classified'' #4–9 (2005). Ted made several appearances in ''
Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
'', at first as Oracle's internet friend and later in person. It was hinted in several issues that Ted had a crush on Oracle. Ted had gone back to his company, but still had many, many problems with it; problems Oracle tried to help resolve. During this time, it was revealed he had a heart condition (where he had actually experienced multiple heart attacks while in action without noticing), but this did not stop him from assisting when it was needed. After his death, the Birds of Prey visited a statue in
Valhalla Cemetery This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for t ...
built in his honor;
Black Canary The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...
revealed that being in the JLA was only fun when Ted was there, and Oracle revealed having had a cyber crush on him.


Infinite Crisis


Death

In the 80-page special ''
Countdown to Infinite Crisis ''DC Countdown'', commonly referred to as ''Countdown to Infinite Crisis'', is a one-shot publication and the official start of the "Infinite Crisis" storyline. It was released 30 March 2005, sold out, and quickly went to a second printing. When t ...
'', Kord discovers a revived
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
organization headquartered in a
Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
castle fortress where Kord is captured.
Maxwell Lord Maxwell Lord IV is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in '' Justice League'' #1 (May 1987) and was created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire. Maxwell Lord was ...
, former bankroller of the JLA, reveals to Blue Beetle to use Checkmate to ensure that
metahuman In DC Comics' DC Universe, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. The term is roughly synonymous with both ''mutant'' and ''mutate'' in the Marvel Universe and '' posthuman'' in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. In DC Comics, the term ...
s, including superheroes, will be kept under human's surveillance and control. Blue Beetle is then given an ultimatum to join Lord's organization, but refuses with the reply "Rot in hell, Max" to which Lord murders him with a bullet to the head. That same story had earlier reiterated that Kord had thought the scarab was destroyed back in ''Blue Beetle'' vol. 6, #18 (1987); however, it had been rediscovered, untouched, in a temple in Egypt and handed over to Kord. It is unclear as to whether or not this is the same scarab created from a piece of future technology magically infused by Nabu the Wizard in the ''Time Masters'' miniseries. Shazam took the scarab upon encountering Kord, fueling speculation about the possibility of the character's return during DC's ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'' series. This possibility was dashed when it was asked at the Wizard World convention if Kord would ever return, writer
Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...
stated: "There was a breeze blowing through his brain, and he was incinerated. How much clearer can it be?"


Fallout

Ted's death precipitated the events of ''Infinite Crisis''.
Brother Eye The OMACs (; Omni Mind And Community, originally Observational Metahuman Activity Construct and alternatively One Man Army Corps.) are a fictional type of cyborg appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. They are based on the Jack Kirby OM ...
was reorganized and the OMAC project restarted, and Lord was revealed as a villain who took telepathic control of
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
, which led to
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
killing Lord. Shazam had warned Ted about
Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
who had supposedly straddled the worlds of both magic and science. Events in ''Infinite Crisis'' #3 revealed this to be
Alexander Luthor Jr. Alexander Luthor Jr. is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Publication history Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character made his first appearance in ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' #1 (April 198 ...
, in disguise. Booster Gold returned to the 25th century. He later returned to the present with Skeets to help find Brother Eye. The success of the mission put Booster Gold back into the spotlight and set in motion the events of '' 52''.


One Year Later

The young teenager
Jaime Reyes Jaime is a common Spanish and Portuguese male given name for Jacob (name), James (name), Jamie, or Jacques. In Occitania Jacobus became ''Jacome'' and later ''Jacme''. In east Spain, ''Jacme'' became ''Jaime'', in Aragon it became ''Chaime'', and i ...
later merges the scarab as the new Blue Beetle. A statue of Kord is displayed in J'onn J'onzz's memorial to fallen Justice League members. When recruiting members for the new
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
, Superman suggests Booster Gold to which Batman responds: "There are better ways to honor Ted". Shockwave, the enforcer of the 1000, is sent to destroy buildings of interest to the still active KORD Industries but is stopped by Red Devil and Jaime; the 1000 managed to take over KORD Industries due to the property value plummeting. In
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...
' 2007/2008 ongoing ''Booster Gold'' series, Booster Gold agrees to help
Rip Hunter Rip Hunter is a fictional time traveling hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase'' #20 (May 1959). Following three more appe ...
set right the timeline, but at a cost: Rip must help Booster go back and save Ted. Hunter tries to shock Booster Gold into acknowledging the inability to change past "solidified" events, tricking the latter into witnessing
Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardne ...
's crippling assault over and over again. As Booster Gold prepares to accept this fate, a futuristic Blue Beetle appears with Garrett and Jaime in tow to show how to turn the time around Ted's death into "malleable time". Booster Gold betrays Hunter and with the other Blue Beetles' help, rescues Ted from death. The four Blue Beetles escape together in time, the technology used to save him preserving the future events the way they were meant to unfold (thus enabling Jaime's role intact), with the world at large still believing Ted to be deceased. The story arc "Blue and Gold" reveals that this act has altered the present, creating a timeline where Max and the OMACs have turned the world into a police state. The future Blue Beetle is also revealed to actually be the supervillain Black Beetle allied with the
Ultra-Humanite Ultra-Humanite is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared as a recurring adversary of Superman. The Ultra-Humanite is the first supervillain faced by Superman and he is among the first supervillai ...
,
Despero Despero () is a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in ''Justice League of America'' #1 (October 1960) and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comi ...
,
Per Degaton Per Degaton is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A young version of the character was portrayed by Cory Grüter-Andrew on the first season of ''Legends of Tomorrow'', while an unknown actor portrayed his ol ...
, and
Supernova A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when ...
(under the control of
Mister Mind Mister Mind is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics, he made a cameo appearance in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #22 (March 1943) before making his full f ...
) as the Time Stealers supervillain group. Facing the defeat of his former JLI teammates (the only free heroes in the new timeline), Ted realizes that the only way to restore the timeline is to die the way he was supposed to. As Black Beetle tries to stop him, he grapples the villain and both are brought to the past in a Time Sphere. Afterwards, a shadowy figure enters an old KORD Industries storehouse, stocked with backup Blue Beetle equipment. The figure then laughs in Ted's distinct "BWA-HA-HA-HA!" style.


Blackest Night

The character's corpse gets reanimated by a Black Power Ring as a
Black Lantern The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of corporeal revenants (resembling intelligent zombies or jiangshi) appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. The group is composed of deceased fiction ...
, and is unable to locate Booster Gold due to the latter's new time-travelling duties. He lures Booster Gold into the open by targeting Daniel Carter (Supernova) and Rose Levin, Booster Gold's 21st century ancestor. He is able to successfully pierce the Supernova costume shields with a Black Lantern BB gun, and holds Supernova in place while beating Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) and staving off Skeets' attack until Booster Gold arrives. He then moves in for the kill, hoping to rip out Booster Gold's heart.''Booster Gold'' vol. 2, #26 (November 2009) He battles all of them, but is unsuccessful in killing anyone except a neighbor who complained about the noise from the fight. Jaime and Booster Gold remove Rose and Daniel from the scene and head to a KORD Industries warehouse where one of Kord's hidden bases is located to collect special equipment to fight the Black Lantern. Booster Gold discovers that even though the doors were genetically coded, someone had accessed Kord's hidden base a few months before his remains were reanimated. However to Booster Gold's knowledge, only two people, had authorization to access it: Booster Gold and Kord himself. They then head back, where Kord's corpse battles Booster Gold until he is attacked by a light blast from a gun designed by Kord himself, tuned to simulate the emotional spectrum. Separated from the ring, Booster Gold seizes his remains before the ring can reanimate them, takes them into the Time Sphere, and deposits them in a small grave at Vanishing Point Fortress.


Brightest Day

Lord gets restored to life and uses a device to amplify his own mind control powers to erase his own existence from the minds of almost everyone on the planet, and influences the superhero community into believing Ted committed suicide, which enrages Booster Gold, one of the few who could remember Max's existence as Ted's best friend. Later,
Power Girl Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in ''All_Star_Comics#1976_revival_series, All Star Comics'' #58 (January/February 1976). Power Girl ...
remembers Max and exhumes Ted's corpse in order to have
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics' ...
examine it. Dick refuses, still unconvinced about Max's existence but Batman reveal remembering Max as well. Batman and Dick examine Ted's body, which finally convinces Dick that Ted was indeed murdered.''Power Girl'' vol. 2, #21 (April 2011) During a battle between the
Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic ...
and Doctor Chaos in the city of Monument Point, Manhunter arrives with a team of heroes meant to help turn the tide in favor of the JSA. One of the new heroes introduced is a woman clad in a red version of Ted's Blue Beetle costume, and is shown swinging from what appears to be Ted's trademark Bug.


The New 52

Following DC's 2011 relaunch of its properties as part of its
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
publishing event, Ted Kord is not mentioned in comics until 2014, when he is reintroduced in the final pages of ''
Forever Evil "Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover (comics), crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David F ...
'', DC's company-wide crossover event. At the beginning of the story,
Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
threatens the owner of Kord Industries, Thomas Kord, and his entire family and company, as part of a plan to acquire the company but the helicopter loses control, and crashes into the side of LexCorp Tower. Lex later undergoes a change of heart after finding a message appearing on his phone's screen from the
Crime Syndicate Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
: "THIS WORLD IS OURS". Lex looks up to see that Thomas Kord is still alive, but dangling precariously from the helicopter's wreckage over a sheer drop to the street. He tries to save him but
Ultraman ''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...
accidentally causes Kord to fall to his death. Lex Luthor later promises Ted Kord (depicted as a grad student) that he will not be acquiring Kord Industries despite Ted's desire to sell it to him. Lex compliments Ted on his genius with nanotechnology and offers him his assistance should he ever need it again. Ted thanks Lex and praises him for living up to his reputation for benevolence.


DC Rebirth

In ''DC Universe: Rebirth'', Ted Kord is the owner of Kord Industries where he makes and designs technologies. After
Jaime Reyes Jaime is a common Spanish and Portuguese male given name for Jacob (name), James (name), Jamie, or Jacques. In Occitania Jacobus became ''Jacome'' and later ''Jacme''. In east Spain, ''Jacme'' became ''Jaime'', in Aragon it became ''Chaime'', and i ...
approached Kord for help to get rid of the Scarab, Kord is trying to figure out what the Scarab can do and help as many people in the process. Kord is warned by
Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...
that he does not know what he's dealing with as the Scarab is not xenotechnology but magic. In ''Blue Beetle'', Ted Kord is established to have been Blue Beetle some time in the past, having worked alongside other heroes such as Nightshade. In ''
Heroes in Crisis ''Heroes in Crisis'' is an American comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It is written by Tom King and illustrated by Clay Mann. ''Heroes in Crisis'' follows the "Crisis" naming convention of prior DC crossovers, but is billed as ...
'', Ted Kord as Blue Beetle breaks out
Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
, who is one of the main suspects of the murders at the mental health institution Sanctuary, from a cell in the Hall of Justice. In "
Doomsday Clock The Doomsday Clock is a symbol that represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, in the opinion of the members of the ''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists''. Maintained since 1947, the clock is a metaphor for threats to humanity ...
", Ted Kord as Blue Beetle appears alongside Nightshade, the
Question A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammar, grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are inte ...
, and
Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...
in the Bug airship as they travel to Mars. There, they and many of Earth's other superheroes confront and fight
Doctor Manhattan Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jonathan Osterman), often shortened to Dr. Manhattan or simply Manhattan is a fictional character who appears in comics published by DC Comics. He debuted in the graphic novel limited series ''Watchmen''. Doctor Manhattan ...
. Blue Beetle rams the Bug into Doctor Manhattan. Then, Captain Atom tells the Question to get Blue Beetle and get clear as he causes Doctor Manhattan to explode. All the superheroes are, however, defeated and incapacitated by Doctor Manhattan. During the " Dark Nights: Death Metal" storyline, Blue Beetle was among the prisoners in New Apokolips after
The Batman Who Laughs The Batman Who Laughs (Bruce Wayne) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the evil counterpart and alternate version of Batman within the Dark Multiverse. He is depicted as a hybrid of both Batman ( ...
and his Dark Knights took over Prime-Earth. They were freed when Wonder Woman, Batman, and Harley Quinn freed Superman from the control of Darkfather. During the heroes fight with Robin King, Blue Beetle accompanied
Red Tornado Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...
and Blue Beetle into battle against Robin King. Robin King summoned a giant beetle which killed Blue Beetle. Batman later revived him with a Black Lantern ring.


Hardcover collection

Nearly all of Ted Kord's Charlton Comics appearances as the Blue Beetle have been collected as part of the
DC Archive Editions ''DC Archive Editions'' is a line of hardcover reprint runs of early, often rare comic book series, titles, and stories which ran from 1989-2014. They include more than 160 Golden Age and Silver Age comic properties currently owned by DC Comics, ...
series. The ''Charlton Portfolio'' material is in black and white as originally presented, while the rest is in color. The collection includes nearly all of the Charlton appearances of the
Question A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammar, grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are inte ...
, as well as a brief appearance by
Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...
. Volume 1 of the archive contained nearly all of Captain Atom's Charlton stories and a brief appearance by Nightshade.


Powers and abilities

Ted Kord had no superpowers; he possess a genius-level intellect, with an IQ of 192.''Countdown to Infinite Crisis'' (March 2005) He was proficient in numerous sciences such as chemistry, physics, engineering, aircraft, and solar tech, as well as an understanding of alien tech. Despero once claimed that Ted's mind was second only to that of J'onn J'onzz. Former Justice League teammate
Guy Gardner Guy Gardner may refer to: * Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut * Guy Gardner (character) Guy Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic ...
claims that Ted was smarter than
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, "although nobody ever noticed". Kord was an Olympic-level acrobat and skilled hand-to-hand combatant, having studied in the martial arts of
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
and
aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 1 ...
.''Extreme Justice'' #18 (July 1996) Dick Grayson stated that Ted was very adept physically, to the point where he was almost ambidextrous. He is also highly skilled in espionage.


Equipment

* Kord created numerous gadgets, including suction pads, sight-enhancing lenses, and a protective costume. To prevent being forcibly unmasked, especially if rendered unconscious, Kord's cowl had a lock mechanism that only opened when he touched the mask under his jaw with a chip in his glove, which would at least force an enemy to perform the more troublesome task of cutting through the material to unmask him. * He also created a power armor suit for his friend Booster Gold. The suit contained a fully functioning artificial arm and also provided life-support for Booster as he recovered from potentially fatal injuries. He later converted a suit of alien power armor for Booster to use. * His BB gun was a handheld weapon that could blind villains with a flash of light, or knock them back with a compressed air blast capable of felling a charging rhino. The original BB gun was designed with a security feature so that it would function only when the Blue Beetle held it, becoming inactive without contact with special circuitry in the Beetle costume's gloves. The BB gun is solar powered. * Blue Beetle's
airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
, the "Bug", contained high tech equipment, could electrify or magnetize its hull, fire electrical energy, and fly at 600 mph. All models had booster jets hidden under the shell of the Bug. The boosters on the first two models could speed the Bug up to the speed of sound for a short period of time; no time limit was ever given for how long the burst lasted. Later models of the boosters were used for intercontinental travel at supersonic speed. It was also 90% solar powered. Later models also had energy weapons of various types, from lasers to plasma. The last two models were capable of reaching orbit and all models could operate underwater. No depth was ever given that they could go to, but one model Bug was seen operating on the sea floor after going through an underwater volcano. All models were remotely controllable from controls built into Kord's gloves. * He also built flight pads similar to
Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...
's flight discs used throughout the entire ''
Extreme Justice Extreme Justice is a monthly Justice League spin-off title in the DC Comics universe. It replaced the cancelled ''Justice League International'' (formerly ''Justice League Europe'') and ran for nineteen issues from 1994 to 1996. Overview Several ...
'' run and claimed to Barbara Gordon that he could keep the Birds of Prey jet flying 24-7 with technology based on the
New Gods The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...
'
Mother Box Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's '' Fourth World'' setting in the DC Universe. The Mother Boxes appeared in the feature films ''Justice League'' and ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' of the DC Extended Universe. History Created ...
es. * As a
Black Lantern The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of corporeal revenants (resembling intelligent zombies or jiangshi) appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. The group is composed of deceased fiction ...
, Blue Beetle is equipped with a "decayed", damaged version of the Bug, and black, power ring-derived constructs of his Blue Beetle suit and his BB gun. This iteration of the BB gun is an aggressive, rather than a defensive, weapon, able to pierce the powerful shields in the
Supernova A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when ...
suit.


Other versions

* He appeared in '' Kingdom Come'', as one of Batman's three generals (alongside
Oliver Queen Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
, and Dinah Lance). His appearance has been updated with the Scarab making him look like a
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
. He is killed in the climax. * He appeared in the 1997
Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realitie ...
title, ''
Justice Riders ''Justice Riders'' is a 1997 Elseworlds prestige format one-shot, from DC Comics, written by Chuck Dixon, with art by J.H. Williams III. The story involves the Justice League of America recast in assorted roles in the Wild West. Wonder Woman ...
'', as a Wild West-era inventor who teams up with Booster Gold. * In ''Justice League America Annual'' #5, a future version has let his health, weight, and business ventures fall apart. He has sold the rights to his name. The stress causes a psychotic breakdown and he attacks his former team. * In the series ''
Countdown to Final Crisis ''Countdown'', also known as ''Countdown to Final Crisis'' for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of ...
'', Ted Kord makes appearance on
Earth-3 Earth-Three, or simply Earth-3 or Earth 3, is a “partially-reversed” Earth, where supervillainous counterparts of the mainstream DC superheroes reside. It first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #29 (1964), and the concept has been r ...
, in a
comedy club A comedy club is a venue—typically a nightclub, bar, hotel, casino, or restaurant—where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, impressionists, magicians, ventriloquist ...
where the
Jokester "Jokester" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the December 1956 issue of ''Infinity Science Fiction'', and was reprinted in the collections ''Earth Is Room Enough'' (1957) and ''Robot Dreams'' ...
is playing. In the spin-off, '' Countdown: Arena'' features a version an anthropomorphic pet Blue Beetle of Mr. and Mrs. Kord in the conjurer world of Earth-33, named Ted. He along with 2 other versions of the Blue Beetle: Daniel Garrett (from Earth-39) and the Scarab ( Earth-26) are forced to fight for a role in
Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
's army. He is later devoured by the Scarab. * In ''
Injustice 2 ''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting game, fighting video game it is the sequel to 2013's ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and is the second installment in the ''Injustice (franchise), Injustice'' franchise based upon the DC Universe. It is developed ...
,'' the tie-in prequel to the fighting game of the same name, Ted Kord appears as Jaime Reyes a.k.a. Blue Beetle's mentor, training him to become a hero. After the fall of
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
's Regime, Ted begins training Jaime, wanting him to avoid the same mistakes that he made as a young hero. Batman then visited Ted and invited him to join him in the restoration effort to fix the world that Superman destroyed, which Ted agreed to. After Batman leaves, Ted is visited by
Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
, who tells him that tonight is the night that he's going to die. Ted then dons his old Blue Beetle costume as he gets attacked and abducted by the
League of Assassins The League of Assassins (sometimes renamed the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows in adapted works) is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who ...
. Broadcasting one every TV around the world, Ted, along with several other industrialists whose businesses have negatively impacted the environment, were publicly murdered by
Killer Croc Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a ...
and
Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...
under the orders of
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
. In his final moments, Booster Gold visits Ted and says goodbye to him. After his death, Ted leaves a hologram message, where he bequeaths Kord Industries to Booster, including compensating the museum that Booster stole his costume from, and entrusts him to continue training Jaime. Later, when Booster Gold begins to die from lack of oxygen after Starro's death, an alternate version of Booster arrives with Ted, who tells Booster that, while he can't prevent his death, he can spend his final moments with him.


In other media


Television

* Ted Kord appears in the ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
'' episode "Booster", portrayed by
Sebastian Spence Sebastian Spence (born December 9, 1969) is a Canadian actor. He played the lead role of Cade Foster in the Space Channel science fiction television series, '' First Wave'' (1998–2001).Science Fiction Television Series, 1990–2004: Histories, ...
. This version did not take up the mantle of the Blue Beetle from Dan Garrett, who had died after failing to control the scarab. Kord attempts to use the device for good, but it bonds to Jaime Reyes. After Kord hires
Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
to help him find the scarab and locates Reyes, he agrees to help the latter control his new powers. * Ted Kord / Blue Beetle appears in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced by
Wil Wheaton Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film '' Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in '' Toy Soldiers'', ...
. This version was the owner of K.O.R.D. Industries who was unable to activate the Scarab, but succeeded Dan Garrett as the Blue Beetle regardless. Additionally, he previously worked with Batman and Booster Gold sometime prior to the series before Kord sacrificed himself to stop his villainous uncle,
Jarvis Kord Kalibak Kalibak () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the eldest son of Darkseid, half-brother of Orion and Grayven, and an enemy of Superman and the Justice League. Created by Jack Kirby, being debut ...
(voiced by
Tim Matheson Tim Matheson (born Timothy Lewis Matthieson; December 31, 1947) is an American actor and director. Some of his best-known acting roles include the title character of the 1960s animated ''Jonny Quest'' TV series, Eric "Otter" Stratton in the 197 ...
), from obtaining the scarab, which eventually came into Jaime Reyes' possession. * Ted Kord / Blue Beetle makes non-speaking appearances in ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
''. This version was a member of the
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
who recognized the Scarab's potential dangers and used his technological genius to build inventions to use as the Blue Beetle instead. Sometime prior to season two, Kord was attacked by
Deathstroke Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character debuted in '' The New Teen Titans'' #2 in December 1980 as Deathstroke the ...
and
Sportsmaster The Sportsmaster is the name of different supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The Lawrence "Crusher" Crock version of Sportsmaster is usually depicted as a criminal who uses sports-themed weapons and gadgets to ...
, who sought the Scarab for the
Light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
, at Kord Industries. However, Kord sacrificed himself to deny them the scarab, which latched onto Jaime Reyes while he was passing by. * Ted Kord / Blue Beetle appears in season two of '' DC Super Hero Girls'', voiced by
Max Mittelman Maxwell Braden Mittelman (born September 5, 1990) is an American voice actor who provides voices for English versions of anime, animation and video games. Some of his major roles include Saitama in ''One-Punch Man'', Kousei Arima in ''Your Lie ...
.


Film

* Ted Kord / Blue Beetle appears in '' DC Showcase: Blue Beetle'', voiced by
Matt Lanter Matthew MacKendree Lanter (born April 1, 1983) is an American actor and model. He began his modeling career in 2004. The same year, he acted in the film '' Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius'' and the television series '' Point Pleasant''. He went ...
. * Ted Kord / Blue Beetle appears in '' Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse'', voiced again by an uncredited
Max Mittelman Maxwell Braden Mittelman (born September 5, 1990) is an American voice actor who provides voices for English versions of anime, animation and video games. Some of his major roles include Saitama in ''One-Punch Man'', Kousei Arima in ''Your Lie ...
.


Video games

Ted Kord / Blue Beetle appears in the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...
version of '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.


Reception

This version of Blue Beetle has been ranked as the 61st-greatest comic book character of all time
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
also ranked this version of the Blue Beetle as the 61st-greatest comic book hero of all time stating that his intelligence, his "bwahahha" antics, his endearing partnership with Booster Gold, and his brave sacrifice during the build-up to ''Infinite Crisis'' all serve to cement this particular Beetle's legacy.


References


External links


Ted Kord Blue Beetle entry at International Catalogue of Superheroes



DCU Guide: Blue Beetle chronology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kord, Ted Blue Beetle Characters created by Steve Ditko Comics characters introduced in 1966 DC Comics martial artists Fictional engineers Fictional inventors