“Yesterday’s” Comic> Blue Beetle #4 (Charlton)

Professor Hawkins’ early design for the MANTIS exosuit was a bit rough.

Blue Beetle #4

Charlton Comics (January, 1965)

“The Praying Mantis Man”

There are no credits in these comics. Then again, I don’t know if I’d admit to working on this unless I was acknowledging my rookie years.

[Read along with me here]

Because Dan Garrett seems to have learned all the sciences (I even joked on X-Twitter that he must have had less of a social life than Peter Parker in college), he’s asked by an entomologist to investigate dead animals in Baja with way too large insect bites. He meets a scientist with green skin due to his research with chlorophyll while as Blue Beetle he deals with giant insects and other animals, and a man with hypnotic powers wearing a praying mantis outfit. After a few encounters, Blue Beetle manages to defeat the Praying Mantis Man, and the animals return to normal.

What they got right: The concepts are fine. A man with hypnotic powers, whose insect side is one that preys on other insects, could make a decent foe for the Blue Beetle. The giant animals are a good mystery to work with.

What they got wrong: The execution is terrible. Why does Blue Beetle bring the lady entomologist for the final battle knowing the danger when she has nothing to contribute? It’s not even a “save the love interest” scenario because she’s engaged and doesn’t fall for Dan or Beetle. I’m willing to accept the green skinned man due to chlorophyll experiments but all they do with it is explain why Praying Mantis Man has green skin. Of course he studies both plants and animals because Dan himself, despite supposedly specializing in archeology, seems to be in tune with every form of science known to the 1960s.

What I think overall: With a good rewrite this would be a great plot, but the story we get is just not very good.