Summary

• Blue Beetle faces betrayal as the Scarab forces him to commit murder, leaving the hero broken.
• The emotional toll of Blue Beetle's actions will linger forever, as Jaime grapples with the aftermath and struggles to redefine his heroism.
• Blue Beetle #6 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Blue Beetle #6The Jaime Reyes has overcome Khaji-Da’s more ruthless programming, turning the weapon into a force for good. Unfortunately, Khaji isn't as easily controlled as Jaime thought, and now the Scarab has turned its host into a killer.

Blue Beetle #6 continues Jaime’s battle against the ruthless Blood Scarab. Incapacitating Blue Beetle’s allies, including Starfire, the villainous Kha-Ef-Re Scarab has a vendetta against Khaji-Da, pushing the Blue Beetle to his limits. But the Blood Scarab's host, Javier, is far from a willing participant, managing to wrest control from his captor... which gives Khaji-Da the chance to force Jaime's hand.

Against his will, Jaime is forced to fatally stab Javier, even as he screams for the Reach Scarab to stop. By turning the Blue Beetle into a killer, the hero's own Scarab has committed the ultimate betrayal.

Murder isn’t something a hero can just get over, and with Jaime inevitably feeling used and broken, it’s going to take a lot for Khaji-Da to earn back Blue Beetle’s trust, if that’s even possible.

Blue Beetle Just Killed Kha-Ef-Re

Jaime Reyes Was Forced to Kill by His Scarab

Ever since Jaime Reyes bonded with Khaji-Da, his relationship with the Scarab and his time as Blue Beetle has been all about turning one of the universe’s greatest weapons into a true force for good. More often than not, that’s meant curbing the Scarab’s more pragmatically ruthless impulses, using it as a tool to save lives rather than take them. But with Khaji-Da essentially removing Jaime’s free will and using his body to kill the Blood Scarab - along with its innocent and unwilling host at that - their relationship can never be the same.

Following the battle, Blue Beetle is immediately whisked away into the timestream, creating the chance this deadly victory could somehow be undone. But the trauma of the act will haunt the Blue Beetle for the rest of his days and shape his relationship to the Scarab for the foreseeable future. Murder isn’t really something a hero can just get over, and with Jaime inevitably feeling used and broken, it’s going to take a lot for Khaji-Da to earn back Blue Beetle’s trust, if that’s even possible.

Jaime Reyes Can Never Fully Trust His Scarab Again

Blue Beetle Taking an Innocent Life Will Stay with Him Forever

Blue Beetle is a true hero, but he's also a young adventurer who feels his emotions deeply. Being physically forced to stab an innocent person will be with him for the rest of his life, and it will be difficult for Jaime to use his Blue Beetle powers again without fearing the specter of Khaji-Da's control. Despite being one of the Teen Titans' most pure-hearted heroes, Jaime Reyes was taken over by the very machine that has saved his life on more than one occasion, proving itself his friend time and again. Now, that friendship is completely shattered, maybe irreparably, and it’s up to DC Comics’ Blue Beetle to decide what sort of hero he wants to be from this point forward - assuming he still wants anything to do with Khaji-Da.

Blue Beetle #6 is on sale now from DC Comics.