Does Blue Beetle have a girlfriend? Relationship explained in DC Comics

Jaime Reyes and Ted Kord are both young and single, but neither puts a ton of effort into finding dates or relationships. Still, the two Blue Beetles did manage to find time for love.

Neither Blue Beetle has ever been much of a lady’s man. It’s never been much of a priority to depict the character in relationships, to the point where the upcoming film had to create a new character, Jenny Kord, for a potential romantic interest.

That’s not to say any of them were chaste. Ted Kord dated scientist Melody Case throughout his solo run in the ‘80s. Meanwhile, the original Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, had a single depicted date, Diane Howard, who actually saved the world.

For characters with decades of history, it’s interesting to note how disinterested they seem to be in relationships. Still, Jaime Reyes and Ted Kord both had at least one notable relationship.  

Traci Thirteen and Jaime Reyes found young love

Jaime’s only really had one steady romance in the comics, and it took place in the pre-Flashpoint iteration of the character. Traci Thirteen is the daughter of a sorcerer and a skeptic, most often associated with the magical side of the DC Universe. 

Traci meets Jaime when she’s sent to ask him for help against Eclipso. The two hit it off quickly, forming a relationship that lasts until the universe is reset in Flashpoint. 

Following Flashpoint, Traci’s background is changed. In the new continuity, she’s portrayed as a lesbian and was briefly in a relationship with Steel’s niece, Natasha Irons. In the new timeline, she and Jaime were never an item.

Blue Beetle and the original Batgirl were almost an item

Ted Kord and Barbara Gordon’s relationship is worth noting in the almost-but-not-quite sense, but it was a mutual decision. The two met in a chat room while Ted was retired from being Blue Beetle and Barbara was establishing herself as the superhero tech guru Oracle. 

In fact, Ted’s identity as Barbara’s chat partner Beeb was something of a twist reveal. By the time of Birds of Prey, Ted had long since retired and hadn’t shown up in a book regularly. It was a fun gag that the nerdy Ted would catch the eye of the former Batgirl.  

Ultimately, the relationship goes nowhere. Barbara is in the midst of rekindling her relationship with Nightwing, while Ted decides he’d prefer to be friends. Still, he carries a torch for Barbara up until his eventual death, lamenting the missed connection during Countdown to Infinite Crisis.