
In the Silver Age and beyond, DC Comics has often introduced new versions of its iconic heroes, such as Green Lantern and the Flash, who bear the same names but are distinctly different from their predecessors. However, these aren’t exactly legacy changes in the modern sense, because the original characters were not linked to their successors, existing on separate Earths (for example, Jay Garrick was a comic book character in Barry Allen’s world). The first instance of a hero truly assuming another’s mantle occurred when Ted Kord took over as the second Blue Beetle after serving as an apprentice to Dan Garrett, the original Blue Beetle. This marked the beginning of a trend for major characters to pass their roles to the next generation.