If you were watching Young Justice back when Season 2 (Invasion) dropped, you probably remember the collective "Wait, who?" from half the audience. It was a bold move. The show jumped five years into the future, benched several fan favorites, and basically handed the steering wheel to a teenager from El Paso with a snarky alien parasite living in his spine.
Jaime Reyes wasn't just a new recruit. He became the emotional and structural backbone of an entire season. Honestly, Young Justice is arguably the reason Blue Beetle is a household name today. Before Eric Lopez brought his nervous, high-stakes energy to the voice booth, Jaime was a cult favorite comic character. After Invasion, he was a titan.
The Scarab is Not Your Friend (At First)
The dynamic between Jaime and the Scarab—Khaji Da—is what makes this version of the character so relatable. It’s a total "odd couple" vibe, but with the threat of planetary genocide hanging over it. Most superheroes have an inner monologue. Jaime has an inner argument.
💡 You might also like: Pete Lee Comedian Wikipedia: Why Everyone is Searching for the Nicest Guy in Stand-Up
In the show, the Scarab is constantly suggesting "lethal force." It's basically a tactical AI with no moral compass. Jaime will be trying to peacefully detain a robber, and the Scarab is in his ear like, "We should vaporize his nervous system." It’s funny until you realize the Scarab was actually designed by an invading alien race called the Reach to turn Jaime into an unstoppable, mindless puppet for their empire.
How Jaime Actually Got the Suit
The show's lore is a bit different from the comics, but it stays true to the tragedy of the mantle.
- Dan Garrett: The first Blue Beetle. He thought the Scarab was a mystical artifact. He was wrong.
- Ted Kord: Jaime’s predecessor. He knew the Scarab was alien tech and refused to let it bond with him. He was murdered by the Light (the show's main villain group) trying to protect it.
- The Bonding: After Ted died in an explosion at Kord Industries, the Scarab found Jaime. It didn't ask. It just grafted itself onto his spine.
One of the most chilling moments in the series is when Jaime learns that the Reach didn't just want a "hero." They wanted a "Mode." When the Scarab is in Mode, Jaime is gone. There's a scene where he’s forced to attack his own teammates—specifically Wonder Girl—and you can see the genuine terror in his eyes because he’s a passenger in his own body.
Why the Young Justice Arc Hits Different
What Young Justice did better than almost any other medium was showing the burden of legacy. Jaime didn't want to be a hero. He definitely didn't want to be a "Beetle." He felt like a fraud compared to the "good man" Ted Kord, even though he never met him.
The show dives deep into the "On-Mode" plotline. In the episode "True Colors," we see the Green Beetle (B-07), a Martian named B'arzz O'oomm, who claims he’s mastered his Scarab. He offers to "fix" Jaime’s suit. It’s a trap. B'arzz was actually an agent of the Reach, and his "fix" was just a way to reboot Jaime’s Scarab back to its original, murderous programming.
For a huge chunk of Season 2, Jaime is effectively a sleeper agent. It adds a layer of paranoia to the Team that wasn't there before. You aren't just worried about the villains; you're worried about your friend's spine turning him into a monster.
✨ Don't miss: Finding the Perfect Harry Potter Phone Wallpaper Without Ruining Your Battery Life
The Powers (More Than Just Lasers)
The Scarab isn't just a suit; it's a Swiss Army knife of mass destruction. We see Jaime pull off some insane stunts:
- Sonic Cannons: Perfect for taking down Martians or cracking shields.
- Plasma Blasters: His go-to for heavy hitting.
- Vibrational Shifting: This is how he can see through the Reach's cloaking tech.
- Wings and Flight: The suit creates organic-looking wings that are surprisingly fast.
But the coolest part? The suit's adaptability. If Jaime is underwater, it grows gills. If he's in space, it seals. It’s a technorganic symbiote that is constantly evolving to keep its host (and itself) alive.
The Reach and the Meat-Grinder
The Reach are some of the most "polite" villains in TV history. They didn't come with a giant laser to blow up the moon. They came with soft drinks. They marketed themselves as benevolent "partners" providing clean energy and food to Earth.
Blue Beetle was their PR nightmare. Since Jaime could hear the Scarab and eventually learned about its true origin, he was the only one who could call out their BS. The conflict wasn't just physical; it was a battle for public perception. Watching a teenager try to navigate a global political conspiracy while his suit is telling him to murder the Secretary General is peak television.
What Most Fans Miss About Season 3 and 4
After the Reach were defeated, Jaime's role shifted. He wasn't the "main character" anymore, but he became a veteran. In Young Justice: Outsiders, we see him mentoring younger heroes. He’s more confident. The bickering with the Scarab has turned into a partnership. They finally reached an "understanding" after Zatanna and Isis used magic to cleanse the Scarab of its Reach programming.
💡 You might also like: WarGames With Matthew Broderick: Why This 1983 Thriller Still Terrifies Security Experts
There’s a beautiful nuance in how his Hispanic heritage is handled, too. It’s not a caricature. He lives in El Paso, he speaks Spanish naturally with his family, and his best friend Tye Longshadow is a huge part of his grounding. The show makes it clear: Jaime isn't a hero because of the alien bug. He's a hero because of his parents, Alberto and Bianca, and his own moral compass.
Key Voice Acting
We have to give credit to Eric Lopez. He voiced both Jaime and the Scarab. That’s why the "conversations" feel so fluid. He’s essentially arguing with a slightly more robotic version of himself. It’s a masterclass in vocal performance that gave Jaime his soul.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Blue Beetle after watching the show, here's how to get the full story:
- Watch the "Before the Dawn" episode again: It’s the turning point where Jaime realizes his suit’s true purpose. Pay attention to the background details in the Reach ship; the world-building is insane.
- Read the 2006 Comic Run: Specifically Blue Beetle Vol. 7 by Keith Giffen and John Rogers. This is the source material for most of the Young Justice Jaime Reyes lore.
- Check out the "Graduation Day" Miniseries: If you want to see an older, more "Season 4 style" Jaime, this comic run captures his growth perfectly.
- Pay attention to the designations: In the show, Jaime is A-12. These designations aren't random; they track the order the heroes joined the Team. Tracking these helps you realize just how many people Jaime has outlasted.
The story of Jaime Reyes in Young Justice is a masterclass in how to take a "new" character and make them indispensable. He went from a scared kid who found a piece of trash in a lot to the boy who saved the world from a "chrysalis" event that would have turned Earth into a pile of ash.