I have re-read the 2006 run and Blue Beetle's This land is our land and there is something that breaks my heart a little bit about Jaime and it is something that has not been touched on again or at least it is something that I have not seen discussed here.
In this land is our land it is established that Jaime is a huge fan of things related to astrology, he literally went to the trouble of doing mathematical calculations to figure out how far away a meteorite was approaching, he was on internet forums, his telescope at the beginning of the novel, how he listens to astrology podcasts and the data he knows about constellations.
Jaime reyes loved space
And although this is not reflected at all in the 2006 run, there is an important event of the character and it is the moment when he is recruited by the Justice League to destroy Brother Eye and how he is left to his fate in space for a year.
Jaime Reyes was going to die in space
Leaving aside whether it was accidentally or not, imagine the terror and trauma of dying alone in the vast and cold silence of space. Basically, the hobby you loved the most was used against you, generating a trauma that is unleashed with the mere mention of it.
Believe me, if I were Jaime I would be furious not only for the fact that they used me and left me in a life or death situation whether it was intentional or not. The very thought that what I spent time, dedication, curiosity, love and effort on is now the cause of fear, nightmares, pain and trauma.
And no matter what he does, he was now fused with an alien artificial intelligence that comes from a planet-colonizing race
No matter how hard he tries...
Jaime Reyes will always return to space
And you know what the most fucked up part of the whole thing is?
That at the end of the 2006 Run all Jaime's arc was focused on being the league's backup, and you'll say what's wrong with that? Well, in every appearance he makes in the comics helping the league, the most unfortunate things happen to him. And not only in the original line, in any alternative line Jaime has very bad luck. A pretty big example is in the world of injustice where literally Batman's team put him aside for the fact that he is a teenager who is just navigating the world of the hero which obviously was going to make mistakes especially with the situation they were in and it doesn't help that he saw Ted Kord, his mentor get killed on national television and in the end Jaime lost everything again when he destroyed Starro. His connection with Khaji gives as they had to split up in order to blow up Starro and Booster Gold who sacrificed himself to save Jaime himself from dying in space.
And also let's not forget the Graduation day comic where literally Jai with the help of Kori and Ted had to stop the league from almost destroying a large part of palm city before the supposed invasion they were going to have.
