Beetle: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Abner Jenkins

First Appearance: Strange Tales #123 (August 1964)

Powers: No true powers. Relies on his mechanical suit to augment his ability.

Affiliation: Thunderbolts, Masters of Evil, Sinister Syndicate, Sinister Six

Did You Know? Beetle is just one of many names that Abner Jenkins has gone by. He also has gone by numerical variations of Mach.

A Little History

Created by Stan Lee and Carl Burgos, Beetle is a lesser-known but important character in the history of Marvel Comics. He first made his debut in August of 1964 during the Strange Tales comic book run.

A former airline parts mechanic, Abner Jenkins eventually became dissatisfied with his work. This led him to build a mechanical suit that gave him heightened strength, flight, and a resistance to damage. To do this, he crafted the suit with plates of armour, suction gloves, a cybernetic controlled helmet, and wings. With his suit, he took the name Beetle and sought out fame, wealth, and a new way of life. 

He quickly realized that in order to achieve everything he desired he would need to find a way to bring himself attention. Therefore, he devised a plan to beat the Fantastic Four in battle. He knew that he could not beat all four members simultaneously so he set a trap for The Thing and Human Torch. Unfortunately for Beetle, the trap did not work, the duo defeated him, and he was sent to jail.

After his defeat, Jenkins was sent down the path of villainy and remained there for the better part of a century. He spent time with the Sinister Six, Syndicate Six, and Masters of Evil. It wasn’t until his inclusion on the Thunderbolts that Beetle would find the superhero life he always desired. 

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