Theodore Kord (Earth-Four)

Ted Kord was a former student of Dan Garrett, and when they were investigating Ted's uncle Jarvis Kord, they learned Jarvis was working to create an army of androids to take over Earth. Garrett changed into Blue Beetle, but was killed in the battle. As he died, he passed on the responsibility of being Blue Beetle to Ted, but wasn't able to pass on the mystical scarab. Ted devised technological ways of fighting crime with a special flash gun, acrobatic fighting style and a large scarab-shaped aircraft known as The Bug. He became an accomplished superhero and occasionally teamed up with The Question.

During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Ted was recruited by the Monitor to help fight the Anti-Monitor's shadow-demons. Ted discovered that Dan's scarab was able to utterly destroy the shadow-demons, but was sent back when the Monitor found the scarab couldn't be used as he wished.

Convergence

Convergence
This section of the history takes place during Convergence, a massive crossover event revisiting characters from past eras and realities. The villains Brainiac and Telos plucked them from their own timeline and stored them together, causing them to cross over into each others' reality. Its precise chronological placement and canonicity may be unclear.

Before Ted and his world were erased by the Crisis on Infinite Earths, he and Hub City were taken by Brainiac and Telos. Ted makes many attempts to break down the dome that contained his city but fails. Due to the appearance of an outside individual, his friend, Captain Atom, regained his powers. After the individual leaves, Ted saves Atom from falling to his death.^[1] After the dome goes down, he, Question and Captain Atom were forced to fight against the Legion of Super-Heroes. Knowing that they can't win, Ted instead brokers a deal with the Legion to create a hologram of a destroyed Hub City to fool Telos.^[2]

Ted and the inhabitants of Hub City were soon returned to their proper universe by Telos after the Multiverse was restored and the First Crisis was nullified.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Acrobatics
Gadgetry
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)
Genius Level Intellect
- Mechanical Aptitude
- Mechanical Engineering
- Science

Paraphernalia

Transportation

Blue Beetle's Bug: Blue Beetle's airship, the Bug, contained high tech equipment, could electrify or magnetize its hull, fire electrical energy and could 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 the boosters where 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 being able to reach orbit. All models were remote controllable from controls built into Kord's gloves.

Weapons

Blue Beetle's Gun: His BB gun was a handheld weapon that could blind villains with a flash of light, or knock them out 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.

Notes

This version of Blue Beetle, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.

Trivia

For a brief time in 1983, before the rights to Charlton Comics characters were purchased by DC, AC Comics was able to license the characters, and in Americomics Special #1, a superhero team called the Sentinels of Justice debuted, with Blue Beetle being one of the members. This version of the team would never be seen again after DC's purchase of Charlton's characters.

Theodore Kord (Earth-Four)

Contents

History