The following contains spoilers for Blue Beetle , in theaters now.
Blue Beetle is the latest DC movie, but it thankfully takes a step back from the large scopes of recent films. Instead, at its core, it's a family story involving Jaime Reyes and his household. This heartwarming story eventually turns heartbreaking, however, with one tragic scene evoking another classic superhero movie.
Superman: The Movie showed the Man of Steel in all his majesty, reveling in showcasing Christopher Reeve flying as the title hero. Still, these special effects were tempered by a saddening first act, which gave the Last Son of Krypton his humanity. The Blue Beetle movie does something very similar, though it pulls it off even better.
Superman: The Movie Deals Pa Kent a Tragic Fate
In the first Richard Donner Superman movie, Clark Kent's origin story is biblically retold in epic fashion. That stems not only from the special effects and cinematic nature, but also how much gravitas it gives the character. For instance, the destruction of the planet Krypton is showcased in a saddening, sobering manner, highlighting the terror that Superman's people felt as they breathed their last breath. The same goes for Jonathan Kent, the human man who, along with his wife Martha, adopts the baby Kal-El when he escapes Krypton and lands on Earth.
Jonathan is a strong yet kind man who teaches his new son Clark numerous heroic values, and he's convinced that he was sent to Earth for a grand reason. Sadly, he never gets to see this prophetic ambition come true, as he suffers a heart attack and dies on his farm while Clark is still a young man in high school. This deeply impacts the boy, who couldn't save his father despite his immense power.
It has since become an iconic scene that's been replicated in numerous other takes on Superman. For instance, Jonathan in the comics had a heart attack after The Death of Superman, though this proved to not be fatal. Years later when his son fought Brainiac, however, he again had a heart attack at home and passed away. The TV shows Smallville and the acclaimed Superman & Lois also had him dying from cardiac arrest when Clark was a young man, making things even closer to the Donner movie. They aren't the only examples of this playing out in other superhero films that are completely unrelated to the Man of Steel, however.
Blue Beetle's Father Suffers the Same Fate as Pa Kent
Near the third act of Blue Beetle, the megalomaniacal Victoria Kord targets Jaime Reyes' family after he gains access to the alien Scarab. She commands her forces to bring him in at the family home, though he's not there at the time. Thankfully, he flies back home in time to save his family, though his father isn't exactly safe. They're accosted by Kord's men as Jaime tries to fight them off, with a few off these mercenaries almost capturing Jaime's father and sister.
The stress of the situation causes Jaime's father Alberto to have another heart attack, with his bad cardiac health being mentioned earlier in the movie. His daughter Milagro tries to comfort him, but Blue Beettle is disabled after being shot at with a weapon used by Kord. Her corrupt enforcer Conrad Carapax promptly drags Jaime away, which keeps him from being able to do anything as his dying father is dragged into an ambulance.
Blue Beetle Improves Upon a Richard Donner Superman Scene
The similarities between this scene from Blue Beetle and Pa Kent's death in Superman: The Movie are quite obvious. Both involve the title heroes losing their fathers in a less than bombastic and all too human way. Both heroes had theretofore exhibited extraordinary powers, with Jaime even gaining a healing factor thanks to the Scarab Khaji-Da. Such powers would have been useful if they could have been administered to his father, but his being unable to even move as his father dies makes matters even more saddening.
A major difference is the way in which the movies are structured, with Superman being fully formed by the middle of the movie. That's not what happens with Jaime Reyes, so it makes sense that his father is still present for quite a while in the movie. Alberto's death doesn't happen until over halfway into the movie, though this thankfully isn't the last time that the character is seen.
After being captured by Kord, who desperately wants to regain the Scarab, Jaime is drained so that his power can boost her experimental "One Man Army Corps" prototypes. As he's dying, Jaime hallucinates that he's in his now destroyed house with Alberto. He realizes that his father is dead, but Alberto's spirit pushes him to keep going on and use the Scarab to fulfill his destiny. Giving a tearful goodbye, he flies off in his subconscious to reunite with the his Scarab armor costume, thereafter becoming more bonded to it than ever before. In the end, it's this paranormal encounter with his dead father that pushes Jaime forward, giving him the strength he needs to defeat Kord and Carapax.
Such a scene works well on its own, but it's actually better than what's presented in Superman: The Movie. Alberto Reyes is there in some form to realize the fulfillment of his son's destiny. Likewise, the two are able to say goodbye in a way that Pa Kent and a young Clark Kent weren't able to. It actually paints the otherwise bright and cheery old-school Superman movie in a somewhat tragic light. In the case of Blue Beetle, however, the sad passing of Jaime's father reveals his inner strength and how important family is to the new DC hero. It's a message that the tragic villain Carapax has to learn for himself, and it's ultimately something that Jaime got from his father.
Blue Beetle is now playing in theaters.