Beetle (comics)

Beetle
Spider-Man: Web of Doom #3 featuring Abner Jenkins in the second Beetle armor and the version most associated with the name. Art by Shawn McManus.
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Strange Tales #123 (August 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Carl Burgos (artist)
Characters	Abner Jenkins Leila Davis Janice Lincoln

The Beetle is the name used by multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is also the name of the three versions of high tech armor used by seven separate characters.

Publication history

Cover to Strange Tales #123.
Art by Jack Kirby.

The Beetle debuted in the "Human Torch" segment of Strange Tales #123 (August 1964) with the original incarnation Abner Jenkins using the first armor. This version was beaten by the Thing and Human Torch. This version would only be used for a few years before the character switched to the second armor (which is most associated with the name) and would be in use until Thunderbolts #1 (April 1997) when Jenkins's alter ego was changed to MACH-1. A new version debuted in Thunderbolts #35 (February 2000). This version resembled a walking tank and would be used by Jenkins and the second incarnation Leila Davis. This version was crushed by Graviton, killing Davis who was still inside at the time. After Davis's death, the Beetle armor would go unused until Thunderbolts #103 (August 2006) when all three versions were stolen and used by three college students. How, why and exactly when the third version of the armor was rebuilt was not made clear. The individual names of these characters were not revealed.

Fictional character biography

Abner Jenkins

An ex-master mechanic, Abner Jenkins left his career to pursue life as an adventurer seeking wealth and fame under the Beetle name. A defeat at the Fantastic Four's hands sent Beetle into the direction of a life of crime where he was even a member of the Masters of Evil. Years later, Jenkins joined the Thunderbolts, a choice that eventually took him on a more heroic pathway in life.

Leila Davis

The third version of the Beetle armor on the cover of Thunderbolts #35.
Art by Mark Bagley.

The widow of minor supervillain Ringer, Leila Davis began her criminal career as a driver for the super villain Sinister Syndicate team. After Ringer's death, Leila would go on to have her own costumed career, first as Hardshell and finally as the Beetle. She was killed when Graviton crushed the Beetle armor with her still inside.

The three Beetles

Three college students stole the previous incarnations of the Beetle armor during Marvel's Civil War event.^[1] The individual piloting the first version was called Joaquim and the person in the second version was revealed to be female. No other information was revealed about them in their subsequent appearances in Thunderbolts.^[2]

In those issues which made up a storyline named the "Guardian Protocols", they defend the city of Dallas against a plot by the Grandmaster as members of an enlarged Thunderbolts team recruited by Baron Zemo and consisting of numerous supervillains. When the Overmind lets the full power of the Wellspring (the source of power the Grandmaster is using) loose when he attempts to revive Baron Zemo, the defenders of Sydney and Dallas are overrun, with the three Beetles presumably among them.

In 2007, the three Beetles were identified among the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative #1.^[3]

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #5 revealed that the three college students that wear the three Beetle armors are named Joaquim Robichaux, Elizabeth Vaughn, and Gary Quinn.^[4]

Janice Lincoln

A new female Beetle attacks Captain America and Black Widow.^[5] The two managed to defeat her and remand her to The Raft.^[6] As part of the Marvel NOW! event, Beetle returns as a member of the latest incarnation of the Sinister Six. In this appearance, her first name is revealed to be Janice Lincoln,^[7] and is later revealed to be the daughter of Tombstone.^[8]

Beetle features as one of the main characters in Superior Foes of Spider-Man. Janice's origin is later recounted, where it is shown that as a child, she idolized her father and his criminal activities, but was forbidden to take part in them. After building a successful career as a defense attorney, she was appointed to defend Baron Zemo, at which point she volunteered to work for him as the new Beetle. Janice's armor is also revealed to have been built by the Fixer.^[9]

Hobgoblin's Beetle

Roderick Kingsley had sold one of Abner Jenkins's old Beetle armors and gear to an unnamed criminal. He was seen at the Bar With No Name attending the wake of Francine (Electro's servant). Beetle was later seen at the Bar With No Name among the patrons who want the Black Cat to be the Queen of the Criminal Underworld.^[10]

Other versions

Marvel UK

The name Beetle was used by an armored S.T.R.I.K.E. superhuman restraint squad in the Jaspers' Warp story arc^[11] published by the Marvel UK imprint.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of Beetle is a mysterious mercenary from Latveria with a completely revamped armor.^[12] Spider-Man first finds Beetle robbing a sample of the Venom symbiote from the Roxxon company. Beetle later breaks into Bolivar Trask's company where Eddie Brock is held, leading to Venom chasing after Beetle. Just as Beetle is cornered, Venom is stopped by Spider-Man. When the Venom symbiote leaves Brock and attaches to Spider-Man, Beetle escapes in the confusion. When Brock least expected it, Beetle later captures Venom to deliver to Latveria.^[13] The Beetle suit is later seen being repaired by the Tinkerer (Elijah Stern) when the Ultimate Six arrives for weapons to kill Spider-Man.^[14]

In other media

Television

• The Abner Jenkins version of Beetle appeared in the 1980s Saturday morning animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, voiced by Christopher Collins.
• The Abner Jenkins version of Beetle made a brief appearance in the Iron Man animated series, voiced by John Reilly with a Liverpudlian accent that evokes the similarly named band. Beetle attempts to steal a gold statue only for Iron Man to crush Beetle under a giant shoe sculpture and short circuit Beetle's armor with a negative inhibitor pack.
• The Ultimate Marvel incarnation of Beetle appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series, voiced by Steven Blum. This version is depicted as a highly capable criminal mercenary that rarely says anything and his notable trademark is the unusually large amount of fold-out rocket launchers hidden all over the surface of his armor. In the episode "Beetle Mania", he targets the Daily Bugle for J. Jonah Jameson's campaign that exposes the mercenary's criminal dealings with various supervillains (i.e. springing MODOK from prison and dealings with Doctor Doom). When he fights the S.H.I.E.L.D. trainees, Beetle's assassination attempt is stopped by Spider-Man and is knocked out by Power Man, however, Jameson was on monitor renderings the whole time unlike Mary Jane Watson actually being in the office. In the episode "The Attack of the Beetle", Beetle is shown having a penchant for holding grudges against Spider-Man for their previous encounter as well as Phil Coulson for being 'sparring partners'. During his first fight with the two, Beetle decides to use May Parker as a hostage. While May manages to escape, Beetle is eventually beaten by Spider-Man and Coulson (with help from May). In the episode "Hawkeye", Beetle went to destroy the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Tri-Carrier but is defeated and captured by Spider-Man and Hawkeye. In the episode "The Sinister Six", Beetle appeared as a member of the Sinister Six alongside Doctor Octopus, Electro, the Rhino, Kraven the Hunter and the Lizard. Along with the group, he fought Spider-Man. When the trainees arrive, Beetle fights with Nova but is defeated by Iron Fist after Spider-Man's teammates switch opponents and is later detained in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. In the episode "Agent Venom", Beetle is hired by Taskmaster to obtain a sample of the Venom symbiote. Failing with the Venomized Scorpion, he chases after Flash Thompson, ignoring Harry Osborn and Mary Jane in the process. Beetle subsequently had to fight with Spider-Man and then Agent Venom. While Spider-Man deals with Taskmaster, Beetle is eventually defeated by Agent Venom. In the episode "New Warriors", Beetle is among the escaped supervillains along with Doctor Octopus, the Scorpion and the Green Goblin during a showdown between Taskmaster's team and the New Warriors. Along with his fellow supervillains, Beetle is eventually defeated by the New Warriors. In the episode "Contest of Champions" [Pt. 1], Beetle - alongside the Abomination and the Executioner - are sent by Grandmaster to obtain Spider-Man for the contest against the Collector. In the episode "Anti-Venom", Beetle attempts to steal a truck only to be attacked by Spider-Man and Agent Venom, who had been previously defeating possible recruits of Doctor Octopus's New Sinister Six. However, Hydra agents had previously upgraded Beetle's armor, allowing him to beat the duo until the Patrioteer hacks Beetle's armor and sends Beetle crashing into the pavement.

Video games

Beetle in the Ultimate Spider-Man video game.

• The Abner Jenkins version of Beetle appears in both the Super NES and Genesis Spider-Man Animated Series games based on the animated series.
• The Abner Jenkins version of Beetle was the first boss in the 1995 Super Famicom game Spider-Man: Lethal Foes, a game only released in Japan.
• The Abner Jenkins version of Beetle played a minor role in the PlayStation game Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, voiced by Daran Norris.
• The Ultimate Marvel incarnation of Beetle appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man video game, voiced by Tucker Smallwood. This version acts as an agent for the Latverians, collecting genetic information from superhumans to allow them to genetically engineer super-soldiers. His notable actions in the game are he steals Sandman's vial of sand, frees Norman Osborn (aka Green Goblin), and battles Spider-Man shortly afterwards but escaped by ducking into the nearby Latverian Embassy. Concept art in the game's special edition shows Beetle giving Sandman's vial to Doctor Doom. Beetle is later sent to capture a sample of the Venom symbiote. However, Eddie Brock (aka Venom) eventually chases and defeats Beetle.
• The Ultimate Marvel version of Beetle appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Steven Blum.

Toys

• In 1997, the Abner Jenkins version of Beetle received an action figure in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series line, despite not appearing on the show.
• In 2005, the Leila Davis version of Beetle received an action figure in the "Spider-Man Classics" line, series 14.
• In 2013, the Ultimate version of Beetle received a figure in the Ultimate Spider-Man "Daily Bugle Showdown" play set from Lego.
• In 2014, the Ultimate version of Beetle from the "Ultimate Spider-Man" video game received a figure in the Amazing Spider-Man 2 line of the Marvel Legends series, despite not appearing in the actual film.
• In 2016, the Janice Lincoln version of Beetle received an action figure from the Absorbing Man BAF (Build-A-Figure) Spider-Man Marvel Legends line.

References

External links

• Beetle (disambiguation) at the Marvel Universe
• Beetle at the Marvel Database Project