2017 Geek-A-Long: Blue Beetle

The Blue Beetle I know and love, Jaime Reyes, was actually the third person to take on the Scarab. He was a relatively normal kid from Texas until he discovered the Blue Beetle Scarab on his way home from school. He took it home and it did exactly what your innermost nightmares thought it would. It came alive, grafted itself onto his spine, and induced some weird dreams. Super fun, right?

To make matters even creepier, the Scarab is part of a living hive-mind, genetically engineered by these jerky aliens called the Reach to conquer worlds. Fortunately for Dan Garret, Ted Kord, and Jaime Reyes, this particular Scarab did not work as intended since it was separated from its database and could not overwrite their personalities with Reach programming.

Jamie and the Scarab form a sort of partnership to become the Blue Beetle and fight crime. With the help of their symbiotic synaptic interface, the two share thoughts and emotions inside Jaime’s mind, which is how Jaime activates the special armor and uses its weapons. The suit can actually reform itself into an array of armaments like a grappling hook, energy cannon, and wings for flight that also act like shields.

Aquaman and Jaime as the Blue Beetle go on a few adventures in the cartoon Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but my favorite iteration of him is in the second season of Young Justice. He’s a great addition to the team with his mellow attitude, but some of them find him odd since he can be seen arguing with himself when he’s actually disagreeing with the Scarab. His involvement with the season 2 storyline is integral and a definite must-watch.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Blue Beetle pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong!

If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here and a tutorial on crochet here. Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~ Jac
Jaime Reyes: Garrett still inspired Ted to become the second Blue Beetle. Even with no super powers.
Robin: I hear those are optional.

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