Universe
Marvel Universe

Real Name
Abner Ronald "Abe" Jenkins

Aliases
Beetle, MACH-I, MACH-II, Matthew "Matt" Davis, MACH-III, Aaron Jeffries

Identity
Publicly Known

Occupation
Adventurer; former master mechanic, professional criminal, mercenary

Citizenship
U.S.A. with a criminal record, pardoned

Place of Birth
Baltimore, Maryland

Known Relatives
None

Group Affiliation
None; formerly Thunderbolts, Masters of Evil, Sinister Syndicate, Justin Hammer's Hit Squad, Maggia, Sinister Seven, Commission on Superhuman Activities, Defenders impersonators, Burton Canyon Police Department

Education
High school graduate

Height
5'11"

Weight
175 lbs

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Brown

Powers
No known powers.

Abilities
Abner Jenkins is a gifted mechanical engineer and inventor, a talented planner and organizer, a capable tactician, a natural aircraft pilot, and an experience unarmed combatant. He has studied the Avengers' files extensively.

Weapons
The MACH-IV suit houses various weapons such as gas bombs, heat-seeking missiles, machine guns (loaded with standard ammunation or rubber "mercy" bullets), concussion blasters, electrical blasters, electromagnetic pulse grenades, and targer-locked, camera-guided missiles.

Paraphernalia
The MACH-IV flight suit is designed to function as a form-fitting fighter plane in terms of its flight speed and offensive firepower, giving Jenkins the capabilities of a man-sized military aircraft and beyond. The suit flies by means of a winged jet pack harness, has a top speed sufficient to achieve orbital velocity, and can operate in vacuum of space for limited periods thanks in part to an internal air supply. The MACH-IV can also function underwater. In flight, the suit steers by line-of-sight, tunring in whichever direction the wearer moves his head, but an onboard flight computer can perform more complex piloting tasks or engage a form of autopilot if need be. Other suits systems are controlled via cybernetic links in the helmet. MACH-4's onboard computer can access other computers, tap into and control the avionics systems of other aircraft, download data from external sorces, and digitally transmit information. MACH-IV has extensive communications array, as well as reconnaissance and surveillance systems such as a magnetic resonance imaging array. The suit can scramble external tracking systems and emit a signal that replicates its surrounding environment, creating a "chameleon" effect that makes the suit seemingly blend into any area being electronically scanned. The suit's audio feed grants its wearer greatly enhanced hearing, its enhanced vision enables clear perception of targets up to six miles away, and its spectral analysis systems allow the wearer to perceive and scan targets based on infra-red readings, biothermal signatures, geothermic emissions and comparative topography. The suit can release and plant tracking devices for long-range or long-term surveillance. MACH-IV can also release remotely controlled, hovering miniature probes capable of scanning a target area and reporting back to the user. The MACH-4 suit enhances its wearer's psysical strength and offers greatly enhanced durability, reportedly sufficient to withstand even the heat and radiation of a nuclear blast, though it seems more vulnerable to physical peneration than to energy-based attacks. The MACH-IV housed and can discharge up to four fire-retardant foam charges, and its exterior has a non-stick coating designed to foil adhesives such as Spider-Man's webbing. The suit can build up additional reserves of power through ongoing absorption of solar energy.

As the Beetle, Jenkins wore body armor that enhanced his strenght and durability. The armor's gloves had suction-grip fingers and could release electro-static energy discharges. The armor's rear-mounted shell housed extendable ultra-tough mylar wings which allowed the wearer to fly by mimicking the motions of an actual beetle's wings (originally, the Beetle armor employed huge, bulky metallic wings that could only be operated through use of the wearer's superhuman strength; these wings could also be used as shields, battering weapons and digging devices). The Beetle armor had a constantly replenishing power supply that utilized microwaves at many prevalent frequencies, and an internal mini-computer that fed tactical data to the heads-up displays (HUD) in the armor's helmet.

First Appearance
(Beetle) Strange Tales #123 (1964); (MACH-I) Incredible Hulk #449 (1997); (MACH-II) Thunderbolts #37 (2000); (MACH-III) Thunderbolts #57 (2001); (MACH-IV) New Thunderbolts #1 (2005)

Origin
Thunderbolts: Distant Rumblings #-1 (1997), Strange Tales #123 (1964), Daredevil #34 (1967)

Significant Issues
Official Handbook Bibiliography