Booster Gold
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Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in '' Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. He is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, staging high-publicity heroics through his knowledge of historical events and futuristic technology. Carter develops over the course of his publication history and through personal tragedies to become a hero weighed down by his reputation. The character has been portrayed in live action television by Eric Martsolf in ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/G ...
'' and by Donald Faison in the seventh season of the
Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW See ...
series '' Legends of Tomorrow''.


Publication history

Booster Gold first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986), being the first significant new character introduced into
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
continuity after ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
''. The next year, he began to appear regularly in the ''Justice League'' series remaining a team member until the group disbanded in 1996. He and his former Leaguers subsequently appeared as the "Superbuddies" in the ''Formerly Known as the Justice League'' miniseries and its ''JLA: Classified'' sequel "I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League". At Wizard World Los Angeles in March 2007,
Dan DiDio Dan DiDio (; born October 13, 1959) is an American writer, editor, and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. From February 2010 until February 2020, he was the co-publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee. '' Wizar ...
announced a new ongoing series titled '' All-New Booster Gold'', which was later published as simply '' Booster Gold''. The series follows the events of '' 52'' and was initially co-written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz, with art by creator Jurgens and Norm Rapmund. The series focuses primarily on Booster Gold's clandestine
time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a ...
within the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
. The series also features
Rip Hunter Rip Hunter is a fictional time traveling hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase'' #20 (May 1959). Following three more appe ...
, Skeets, and Booster's ancestors Daniel Carter and Rose Levin as supporting characters. The tagline of the series is: "The greatest hero you've never heard of!" Katz and Johns left the book after 12 issues (#1-10, #0, and a
One Million One million (1,000,000), or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian ''millione'' (''milione'' in modern Italian), from ''mille'', "thousand", plus the a ...
issue). Jurgens and Rapmund stayed. Jurgens assumed writing duties following four issues by guests
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life Di ...
and Rick Remender. In May 2010,
Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and '' Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biograp ...
took over the ''Booster Gold'' title, linking it with the 26-week miniseries '' Justice League: Generation Lost'', in which Booster united with
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames ...
, Ice and Captain Atom to defeat the resurrected Maxwell Lord. From July 2010 through February 2011, Booster starred alongside Rip Hunter, Green Lantern, and
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
in the six-issue miniseries ''Time Masters: Vanishing Point'', part of the " Return of Bruce Wayne" arc, which also reintroduced the Reverse-Flash and established the background for the 2011 DC crossover event '' Flashpoint''. Jurgens returned to the main ''Booster Gold'' title with issue #44.


Development

Jurgens's 1984 series proposal for Booster Gold compared the hero to U.S. Olympic Gold athletes such as Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, and
Caitlyn Jenner Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner; October 28, 1949) is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yellowjackets before incurring a knee ...
, who had turned "Olympic gold into commercial gold", selling multiple products based on their fame and past accomplishments. Booster's origin as a security guard at a future
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
museum was altered when writer/artist John Byrne was brought to DC to reboot Superman's origin in '' The Man of Steel''.


Legacy

Since his origin, other characters within the DC Universe have hinted that there is a greater purpose to Booster Gold than he knows. During the ''Millennium'' event, Harbinger reveals to Martian Manhunter that Booster is descended from the Chosen and that he must be protected. It is revealed that Booster is destined to come to the past to protect him from an unknown event in the future.''Booster Gold'' #25 (February 1988). DC Comics. In
52 (comics) ''52'' is a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the '' Infinite Crisis'' miniseries. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, a ...
, Rip states that the moment Booster helped save the multiverse from Mister Mind would be remembered in the future as the start of Gold's "glory years."''52'' Week 52 (May 2, 2007). DC Comics. Later, in the new ''Booster Gold'' series, Rip hints at a "Carter heroic legacy."''Booster Gold'' vol. 2 #6 (March 2008). DC Comics. It is then revealed that Booster is important to the Time Masters, as he will train "the greatest of them all",''Booster Gold'' vol. 2 #10 (July 2008). DC Comics. being the father and the teacher of Rip Hunter himself, who willingly chose to protect his identity against other time-travelers, to pass through history as the only loser of the clan. Despite the general distrust of Booster, Rip and his descendants apparently know the truth, always honoring him.''Booster Gold'' vol. 2 #1000000 (September 2008) Due to the complicated Time-Travel mechanics, Booster's future self, "currently" operating from an unknown era with his time-travel educated wife, still watches over his past self and his son, making sure that Rip Hunter gives his past self proper schooling. The older Booster acts in total anonymity, and has access to other "time-lost" equipment than his suit, such as Superboy's seemingly-destroyed "super-goggles".''Booster Gold'' vol. 2 #30 (March 2010). DC Comics. Due to a predestination paradox, the future Booster is revealed to be a more experienced Time Master than his son Rip Hunter, but also that he personally tasked Rip to school his past self. It is also implied that the departure of the Hypertime concept, rather than a simple retcon, is Booster's work, as in the future he tasked himself with the role of pruning divergent timelines from each universe in the Multiverse.


Fictional character biography


From the future

Michael Jon Carter was born poor in 25th-century Gotham City. He and younger twin sister Michelle never knew their father because he left after gambling away all their money. Michael was a gifted athlete, attending Gotham University on a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholars ...
. At Gotham U., Michael was a star
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
until his father reentered his life and convinced him to deliberately lose games for gambling purposes. He was exposed, disgraced and expelled. Later he was able to secure a job as a night watchman at the
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
Space Museum, where he studied displays about superheroes and villains from the past, particularly the 20th century. Michael's
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
is a robot named Skeets. Skeets is a 25th-century security robot (sometimes "valet unit") with
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech ...
. He is capable of flight, cognition, and voice projection, which are all considered highly advanced for 21st century Earth. He also has historical records which give him a vast knowledge of what will happen between the 21st and 25th centuries, though its reliability has become questionable. He possesses numerous miniature tools and weapons kept within his shell, and is also equipped with a powerful energy blaster. He is apparently immune to reality and temporal manipulation. With the help of Skeets, Michael stole devices from the museum displays, including a
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st cent ...
flight ring and Brainiac 5's force field belt. He used
Rip Hunter Rip Hunter is a fictional time traveling hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase'' #20 (May 1959). Following three more appe ...
's Time Sphere, also on display in the museum, to travel to the 20th century, intent on becoming a superhero and forming a corporation based around himself to make a comfortable living. He is a shameless self-promoter whose obsession with fame and wealth irritates other heroes.''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986). DC Comics. Carter's nickname as a football player was "Booster", but his chosen 20th century superhero name was "Goldstar". After saving the president, Carter mangled the two names, causing
US President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
to introduce him as "Booster Gold".''Booster Gold'' #8-9 (September–October 1986). DC Comics. The name stuck. In a running joke throughout the DC Universe, people erroneously call him "Buster" to his chagrin.


Celebrity

Booster is originally based in Superman's home city, Metropolis. He starts his hero career by preventing the shapeshifting assassin Chiller, an operative of The 1000, from killing the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
and replacing him. With the subsequent public exposure, Booster signs a multitude of commercial and movie deals. During his career, his sister Michelle Carter, powered by a magnetic suit, follows in his footsteps as the superheroine
Goldstar GoldStar was a South Korean electronics company established in 1958. The corporate name was changed to LG Electronics and LG Cable on February 28, 1995, after merging with Lucky Chemical. LG Cable was spun off from LG Electronics and changed i ...
. Booster is devastated when she dies battling creatures from another dimension. Amassing a small fortune, Booster founds Goldstar, Inc. (later Booster Gold International) as a holding company and hires Dirk Davis to act as his agent. During the ''
Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
'' event, Davis reveals that he is a Manhunter in disguise and that he siphoned money from Booster's accounts in hopes of leaving him no choice but to do the Manhunters' bidding. Although the Manhunters are ultimately defeated, Booster is left bankrupt.


''Justice League''

Booster Gold is a key character in the late 1980s/early 1990s '' Justice League'' revamp by writers
Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and '' Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biograp ...
and J. M. DeMatteis. Booster Gold is frequently partnered with fellow Justice League member Blue Beetle, and the two quickly become best friends. The duo's notable appearances include a stint as superhero repo men, and as the minds behind the construction of a gaming resort, Club JLI, on the living island
Kooey Kooey Kooey Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...
. After one too many embarrassments and longing for his old reputation, Booster quits the League to found The Conglomerate, a superhero team whose funding is derived from corporate sponsors. Booster and his team are determined to behave as legitimate heroes, but find that their sponsors compromise them far too often. The Conglomerate reforms several times after Booster rejoins the League, though without much success. When an alien comes to Earth on a rampage, Booster coins the name Doomsday for it. While battling the entity, Booster's costume is destroyed. Blue Beetle is able to design a new, bulkier costume to replace it, although this costume often malfunctions. During a later battle with Devastator, a servant of the Overmaster, Booster is nearly killed and loses an arm. Again, Blue Beetle comes to his aid, designing a suit that acts as a
life support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...
system in addition to replicating the powers of Booster's previous costumes. This suit also includes a cybernetic prosthetic for his lost arm.


''Extreme Justice''

After the Justice League falls apart, Booster Gold joins
Extreme Justice Extreme Justice is a monthly Justice League spin-off title in the DC Comics universe. It replaced the cancelled ''Justice League International'' (formerly ''Justice League Europe'') and ran for nineteen issues from 1994 to 1996. Overview Several ...
, a team led by Captain Atom. While a member of this team, Booster makes a deal with the supervillain
Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
, who fully heals Booster's wounds so that he can once again remove his battle suit. Booster dons a new costume created by Blue Beetle. Skeets acts as its systems controller, who aids Booster and is able to take control of the costume if Booster is rendered unconscious. Following the disbanding of Extreme Justice, this suit is destroyed. A new costume is created by Professor Hamilton, based on the designs of both the original 25th century costume and the energy containment suit Superman was wearing at this time. This costume is apparently later tweaked to resemble Booster's original costume more closely.


''Countdown to Infinite Crisis'': ''The OMAC Project''

After the events depicted in the
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
'' Identity Crisis'', in which
Sue Dibny Susan Dibny (née Dearbon) is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with the Elongated Man. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in ''Flash'' vol. 1 #119 (March 1961). In 2004, she became a flashpoi ...
is murdered, Gold retires briefly, but then helps Blue Beetle discover who is manipulating KORD Industries.'' Countdown to Infinite Crisis'' #1 (May 2005). DC Comics. Booster is badly injured in an explosion at Kord's home, and it is revealed that his companion Skeets has been dismantled for its 25th century technology by the
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
organization. In ''
The OMAC Project ''The OMAC Project'' is a six-issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005. Overview The book is one of four miniseries leading up to DC Comics' '' Infinite Crisis'' eve ...
'' limited series, Booster Gold gathers the old Justice League International heroes to investigate Blue Beetle's disappearance. At the series' end, he is ruined physically and emotionally, having destroyed much of his gear in the fight against the
OMACs The OMACs (; Omni Mind And Community, originally Observational Metahuman Activity Construct and alternatively One Man Army Corps.) are a fictional type of cyborg appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. They are based on the Jack Kirby ...
. He has seen his friend Rocket Red die in battle. He discovered that another friend, Maxwell Lord, is responsible for killing Blue Beetle and that in fact, Lord always hated metahumans and superheroes. In a moment of self-reflection, he realizes that if only he had bothered to recall more of what was history in his native era, he might have been able to warn his friends. Giving a farewell kiss to the forehead of his wounded teammate Fire as she lay in a hospital bed, he drops his trademark goggles on the floor and leaves, saying only that he has decided to "go home", implying a return to the 25th century.''
The OMAC Project ''The OMAC Project'' is a six-issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005. Overview The book is one of four miniseries leading up to DC Comics' '' Infinite Crisis'' eve ...
'' #1-6 (June–November 2005). DC Comics.


''Infinite Crisis''

In '' Infinite Crisis'', Gold resurfaces in the ruins of the Justice League Watchtower on the moon, along with Skeets, again branded as a criminal in his time for "hijacking historical records".'' Infinite Crisis'' #2 (January 2006). DC Comics. When Skeets fails to locate the absent Martian Manhunter, Booster searches for Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle, whom he promptly takes to the
Batcave The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
. Booster tells
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
the subject of the stolen records: Batman never finds Brother Eye, but Booster implies that, with Jaime's aid, they can succeed.''Infinite Crisis'' #5 (April 2006). DC Comics. The mission is successful and Booster plays a pivotal role in the destruction of the satellite.''Infinite Crisis'' #6 (May 2006). DC Comics.


''52'' and Supernova

In the aftermath of ''Infinite Crisis'', Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman temporarily retire their costumed identities, and the remaining heroes attend a memorial for Superboy in Metropolis.'' 52'' Week 1 (May 10, 2006). DC Comics. Booster attends the memorial, but when Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman do not arrive as he expects, he suspects his robot sidekick Skeets is malfunctioning and becomes hysterical. After Skeets reports other incorrect historical data,''52'' Week 2 (May 17, 2006). DC Comics.''52'' Week 3 (May 24, 2006) Booster searches fellow time traveler
Rip Hunter Rip Hunter is a fictional time traveling hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase'' #20 (May 1959). Following three more appe ...
's desert bunker for answers, finding it littered with enigmatic scrawled notes. Booster finds photos of himself and Skeets surrounded by the words "his fault" with arrows pointing toward them.''52'' Week 6 (June 28, 2006). DC Comics.


One Year Later

Following the events of ''52'', Booster Gold returns in his second solo series with the first story arc "52 Pick-Up". Booster puts in a request to the Justice League that they admit him and the group begrudgingly decide to monitor him over the following week. However, Rip Hunter informs Booster that history has become malleable after Mister Mind's rampage and earlier damage to the timeline.


''Blackest Night''

In a tie-in to the ''
Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...
'' event, Booster faces Ted Kord, reanimated as a
Black Lantern The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of wikt:corporeal, corporeal revenants (resembling intelligent zombies or jiangshi) appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. The group is composed of d ...
. At first unavailable due to reliving Ted's funeral in the past, he returns to meet his ancestor Daniel Carter, only to find the crashed, derelict Bug at his house. Then, he finds the Black Lantern pummeling Jaime Reyes, Daniel, and Skeets. Attacked by him, he removes Daniel and Rose from the scene and heads to Kord Industries to arm himself. He uses a special light gun designed by Ted to blast the corpse and separate the ring with light, simulating the emotional spectrum. Upon separating the corpse from the ring, he collects Ted's remains before the ring can reanimate them and takes them into the Time Sphere to Vanishing Point Fortress to secure them. He is somewhat relieved when Skeets uses the Fortress's special chronal surveillance equipment to display images of the days of Team Blue and Gold. Jaime promises to live up to Kord's legacy and eventually form a new Blue and Gold team. They find evidence at the warehouse of someone else entering, even though the doors were genetically coded, with only two people cleared for access: Ted and Booster.


''Brightest Day''

Booster next finds his sister living in Coast City mere hours before its destruction. Though unable to save her boyfriend, Booster and Michelle patch up their relationship, with her agreeing not to leave him. This arc introduces an older Booster Gold, the man that trained Rip Hunter and was the master of both Time, the
Multiverse The multiverse is a hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The dif ...
, and Hypertime. Rip reveals that this Booster is not only his father, but also has been watching Rip training the young Booster Gold, aiding him when needed. Older Booster also reveals that he is still married to Rip's mother, and that Michelle is with them in some unknown time. In '' Justice League: Generation Lost'', Booster is part of the manhunt to bring the resurrected Maxwell Lord to justice. He finds Max but is beaten badly. Fire, Ice, and Captain Atom find him just as Lord uses his psychic powers to the utmost to erase all memory of himself from the minds of the entire world. For some reason, Booster, Fire, Ice, and Atom are the only ones who remember Lord and see him in recorded images. Trying to convince Batman (
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
), Booster is horrified to learn that, thanks to Max, the world believes Ted Kord committed suicide. Fire, Ice, and Captain Atom are soon set up by Max to cut them off from allies, but, ironically, Booster is left alone because his reputation is already poor.


''Flashpoint''

After the ''Time Masters: Vanishing Point'' event, Rip Hunter informed them that someone snuck into the JLI base, leaving messages on a chalkboard about the altered timeline. When Earth entered an alternate timeline due to the actions of the Flash, Booster and Skeets awaken and are the only ones who remember the original timeline (later, Booster realizes that the chronal protection in his suit saved him from being erased). Gold travels to Coast City, but US soldiers attack him mistaking him to be an Atlantean threat. Skeets is damaged when Gold is attacked by the military's Project Six, which is revealed to be Doomsday. During the battle in Coast City, he discovers that Doomsday is controlled by General
Nathaniel Adam Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...
. He escapes from Doomsday and then saves a woman named Alexandra Gianopoulos from Doomsday's attack. He learns the timeline has been changed, suspecting Professor Zoom. Alexandra and Booster split up, but she secretly has powers allowing her to take others' powers and follows him. Later, he flies to Gotham City when Doomsday attacks him. General Adam's control link is destroyed by Alexandra in an attempt to rescue Booster. Doomsday's true personality comes to the surface and he attacks Booster. During the fight, Doomsday beats him nearly to death, but he is rescued by Alexandra. He tries to prevent Doomsday from killing innocent people, and manages to put Doomsday's helmet back on. Doomsday's control is restored to Adam, who grabs Booster, hoping to kill him. Fortunately, Adam takes him back to the base for interrogation, allowing him to escape when the sight of "Project Superman" causes Doomsday's true personality to resurface. Alexandra defeats Doomsday by using the control helmet to make Doomsday tear himself apart, subsequently asking Booster to take her with him when he restores history to normal. Alexandra subsequently sacrifices herself to save Booster from an Atlantean attack, leaving him to return to Vanishing Point as history resets without any clear memory of his time in the "Flashpoint" universe. Before the ''Time Masters: Vanishing Point'' event, Alexandra somehow appeared in the JLI base and left the messages regarding the altered timeline on the chalkboard before vanishing.


''The New 52''

In ''
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
'', Booster Gold appears as part of the new ''Justice League International'' series. In the Post-''Flashpoint'' continuity, Booster is portrayed with his original glory-seeking personality and is chosen by the U.N. to lead the JLI due to his PR sense and naiveté. He takes his leadership role seriously, and strives to become a better hero and role model. However, despite his best efforts and support from Batman, who officially defers to Booster's leadership after supporting Booster for leader, the JLI falls apart due to a string of attacks against the group that leaves members killed or wounded. Despite his best attempts to bring in new members, Booster later watches in horror as the hero OMAC betrays the team and inflicts more carnage, including teleporting Blue Beetle to the homeworld of the villainous "Reach" species. In the end, Gold is confronted with what appears to be an older version of him, an agent of A.R.G.U.S. who warns his present self to prevent Superman and Wonder Woman from dating. Failure to prevent it, without explanation, would cause Booster Gold to cease existing. As the JLI monitor reveals Superman and Wonder Woman kissing, the future Gold disappears. The present day Gold disappears moments later. A.R.G.U.S.' director Amanda Waller orders
Chronos Chronos (; grc-gre, Χρόνος, , "time"), also spelled Khronos or Chronus, is a personification of time in pre-Socratic philosophy and later literature. Chronos is frequently confused with, or perhaps consciously identified with, the Tit ...
to search for the contemporary Gold through time, but Chronos is captured by the
Secret Society A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ...
before carrying out his mission. The older Booster Gold mysteriously reappears in other timelines, like 19th century Gotham City. In ''Booster Gold: Futures End'' #1, the older Booster clarifies he is not an older version of the ''New 52'' Booster, but an older ''version'' of him from a universe which has ceased to exist. The older Booster is sent careening through the timeline, eventually meeting up with his sister, Goldstar, who is in a version of Metropolis which has been sealed in a bubble by a godlike version of Brainiac from an alternative universe. They are teleported to where the younger, New 52 Booster is held captive by Brainiac. Brainiac threatens to kill Michelle unless the younger Booster gives up the location of Vanishing Point, which he concedes. The older Booster knows this could lead to the end of the Multiverse, setting up the events of '' Convergence''. In the two-part ''Convergence: Booster Gold'', Booster is found by a Pre-''Flashpoint'' Rip Hunter on Skartaris, where the older Booster Gold and Goldstar are in prison on the planet Telos, where Brainiac has gathered cities from across the history of the Multiverse. The ''New 52'' Booster and Rip release them both. Hunter tells older Gold that he has not traveled through the timeline, but through the cities in the planet which were now chronal anomalies that he was in conflict with, and that his body absorbed so much time travel radiation that he was aging rapidly and dying. The aged Pre-''Flashpoint'' Booster transports again, and encounters the '' Zero Hour'' Ted Kord. Booster explains to Kord that he has led a good life, married and had a son. Rip, the ''New 52'' Booster and Michelle find him, and Rip forces the ''New 52'' Booster to take his father into the raw chronal field contained at Vanishing Point to cure him; Pre-''Flashpoint'' Booster's body is destroyed, but he is reborn as Waverider, the all-knowing cosmic time traveler. Waverider then emerges on Telos in the final issue of ''Convergence'', along with the ''New 52'' Booster and Goldstar to bring back Brainiac, and they convince him to save the Multiverse from its imminent destruction. Brainiac then sends the ''Zero Hour''
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby object ...
and Pre-''Flashpoint'' Superman back to the conclusion of the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
'' to avert the original crisis event, and this results in many of the classic worlds of the Multiverse being reborn in their modern forms. Alternate versions of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle as they were prior to '' Countdown to Infinite Crisis'' appear in the pages of ''
Justice League 3000 ''Justice League 3000'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics. Taking place in the future of the DC Universe as part of The New 52, the series features a 31st century iteration of the Justice League, with new versions of Superman, Batman, ...
'' #14, where they are awaken from a 1,000-year suspended animation on Takron-Galtos in the 31st century. According to Keith Giffen, "they're
J.M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of comic books, television and novels. Biography Early career J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in ban ...
and ''my'' Blue Beetle and Booster Gold".


''DC Rebirth''

In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called " DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Booster Gold and his robot partner Skeets return in ''Action Comics'' #992.


Other versions

As the series ''Booster Gold'' features time travel as a major plot element, Booster regularly visits alternate timelines where key events in history played differently. Occasionally, in ''Booster Gold'', and in ''Justice League International'', alternate versions of Booster from these timelines make appearances. In ''I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League'', several "Super Buddies" visit an alternate universe where Maxwell Lord leads a violent super-team of
stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. ...
s and male enforcers called the "Power Posse". An apparently unpowered and street-talking Gold serves as an employee. He is much more brutish, pimp slapping a female employee simply because Lord commands it. This alternate version of JLI may be the same team as the Antimatter Universe-based
Crime Syndicate of Amerika The Crime Syndicate are teams of supervillains from one of DC Comics' parallel universes where they are the evil counterparts of the Justice League. The original team was specifically known as the Crime Syndicate of America and is sometimes abbrev ...
, which first appeared in ''Justice League Quarterly'' #8 (1992) sans Booster Gold, but many of the events in this series do not seem to tie directly into continuity.


''Elseworlds''

In '' The Kingdom'', the sequel to the
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', '' Fantastic Four'' and ''Da ...
and
Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wit ...
'' Kingdom Come'' ''
Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established con ...
'' series, Booster is the founder and owner of the Planet Krypton restaurant. He is also mentioned in ''Kingdom Come'' by Fire. In ''
Justice Riders ''Justice Riders'' is a 1997 Elseworlds prestige format one-shot, from DC Comics, written by Chuck Dixon, with art by J.H. Williams III. The story involves the Justice League of America recast in assorted roles in the Wild West. Wonder Woman is ...
'', a western take on the Justice League by
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life Di ...
and
J. H. Williams III James H. Williams III (born 1965), usually credited as J. H. Williams III, is an American comics artist and penciller. He is known for his work on titles such as '' Chase'', ''Promethea'', '' Desolation Jones,'' '' Batwoman'', and '' The Sandman ...
, Booster is a travelling gambler who wants to join Sheriff Diana Prince's posse. To counter the speed advantage of Prince's preferred choice, Wallace "Kid Flash" West, he acquires a machine gun from the eccentric inventor Ted Kord. At the end of the story, once the Justice Riders have defeated Maxwell Lord, Gold heads for Denver, where "the suckers come in by the trainload every day".


''Justice League 3000''

In the continuity of ''
Justice League 3000 ''Justice League 3000'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics. Taking place in the future of the DC Universe as part of The New 52, the series features a 31st century iteration of the Justice League, with new versions of Superman, Batman, ...
'', Ted and Booster have slept for 1,000 years in suspended animation tubes. They wake up on Earth, now the prison world of Takron Galtos, where they are immediately taken advantage of.


''DC One Million''

The '' DC One Million'' version of Booster Gold is a time traveler named Peter Platinum ("Platinum always beats gold") who appears in ''Booster Gold'' vol. 2 #1,000,000. Based on Booster's reputation as a profiteer posing as a hero, Platinum admits to Booster that he is pulling the same scam, but more successfully, and assumes Booster is after a cut. His superhero gear is based on technology stolen from Rip Hunter, who has apparently had several encounters with him to get it back.


''52'' Multiverse

In the final issue of DC Comics' 2006–2007 year-long weekly series, '' 52'', it was revealed that a "Multiverse" system of 52 parallel universes, with each Earth being a different take on established DC Comics characters as featured in the mainstream continuity (designated as "New Earth"), had come into existence. The Multiverse acts as a storytelling device that allows writers to introduce alternate versions of fictional characters, hypothesize "What if?" scenarios, revisit popular ''Elseworlds'' stories, and allow these characters to interact with the mainstream continuity. The 2007–2008 weekly series '' Countdown to Final Crisis'' and its spin-offs would either directly show or insinuate the existence of alternate versions of Booster Gold in the Multiverse. For example, ''Countdown'' #16 introduced his evil
Earth-3 Earth-Three, or simply Earth-3 or Earth 3, is a “partially-reversed” Earth, where supervillainous counterparts of the mainstream DC superheroes reside. It first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #29 (1964), and the concept has been r ...
counterpart, a member of the villainous Crime Society of America — and a similar Booster Gold exists on the Antimatter Universe, as suggested in a 1992 ''Justice League'' comic book, with Booster's evil variant first appearing in a 2005 ''Super Buddies'' story. The 2007 ''Countdown'' spin-off series ''Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer'' also featured a gender-reversed Earth-11 where, through character exposition, it is revealed that Maxine Lord (the female Maxwell Lord) murdered this world's female Booster Gold as opposed to its Ted Kord counterpart. The 1997 Tangent Comics
fifth-week event A fifth week event is a novelty comic book promotion. Comic publishers schedule releases in four-week cycles, releasing on a particular day of the week (e.g., every Wednesday). In the event that a month has more than four weeks (i.e., a fifth Wed ...
(Jurgens) originally introduced an entirely different version of Booster Gold, a yacht-owning gentleman connected to the origins of the mysterious Green Lantern; when the Tangent Comics universe was later amalgamated into Earth-9 of the ''52'' multiverse, 2008's ''Tangent: Superman's Reign'' #1 (again by Jurgens) introduced an African American superhero by that name.


''Injustice 2''

Booster Gold and Skeets appeared in the prequel to the sequel game '' Injustice 2''. He and Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, had been friendly rivals even though Booster used to mock Ted's Blue Beetle suit due to his weight. One year after Superman's Regime has ended, Michael warns Ted about the latter's cruel fate in the future, something Michael cannot prevent and is not allowed to interfere with. Before he sets on his way home back to the future with Skeets, Michael bids his friend farewell and promises that they will see each other at the end. After Ted is mortally wounded by Orca and Killer Croc, Michael arrives to talk to Ted one last time. Ted tells Michael to look after Jaime Reyes before his final breath. During a training session with Jaime, Booster receives a message from Ted, telling him he now owns Kord Industries and his suit.


''Smallville''

Booster Gold is featured in the ''
Smallville Season 11 ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/Gough ...
'' digital comic based on the
TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...
.


''Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century''

Another incarnation of Booster Gold appears in ''
Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century ''Legion of Super Heroes'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, adapted from the DC Comics series of the same name. It debuted on September 23, 2006, and centers on a young Superman's adventures in the ...
'' #19. The series is based upon the television series of the same name.


Reception

Booster Gold was ranked as the 173rd greatest comic book character of all time by '' Wizard'' magazine. IGN also ranked him as the 59th greatest comic book hero.


In other media


Television


Animation

* Booster Gold and Skeets appear in ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics univers ...
'', voiced by Tom Everett Scott and Billy West respectively. This version of the duo are members of the Justice League. * Booster Gold and Skeets make a cameo appearance in ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st cent ...
'' as janitors in a Superman museum. * Booster Gold and Skeets appear in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced again by Tom Everett Scott and Billy West respectively. * Booster Gold appears in the '' Mad'' segment "That's What Super Friends Are For". * Booster Gold appears in ''
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special ''Robot Chicken DC Comics Special'' is an episode of the television comedy series ''Robot Chicken'' and it was aired as a one-off special during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on September 10, 2012. A DC Universe special, in collaboration with DC E ...
''. This version is a member of the Justice League. * Booster Gold appears in '' Justice League: Action'', voiced by Diedrich Bader.


Live action

* Booster Gold and Skeets appear in the ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/G ...
'' episode "Booster", portrayed by Eric Martsolf and voiced by
Ross Douglas Ross Douglas is a Canadian voice actor with Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is most well-known for voicing Jean Bison in the '' Sly Cooper'' series, Daniel O'Connell in ''Master Keaton'', and Kageyama in the ''Black La ...
respectively. * In November 2011,
Syfy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. La ...
ordered a Booster Gold television series, developed by
Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
and Andrew Kreisberg. While the latter submitted a script in early June 2013, the project never came to fruition. * Both fans and critics noted similarities between ''
Krypton Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is of ...
''s version of Adam Strange and Booster Gold, with many outlets considering the character an amalgamation of the two. * '' Legends of Tomorrow''s executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Phil Klemmer had frequently talked about bringing Booster Gold into the series. However the character had been off-limits for most of the series's run. Due to this, some of Booster's character traits were incorporated into
Rip Hunter Rip Hunter is a fictional time traveling hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase'' #20 (May 1959). Following three more appe ...
. Eventually, Donald Faison would portray a variation of Booster Gold in the series finale "Knocked Down, Knocked Up". This version is "Mike", who protects a fixed point in time in 1916. While supposedly agreeing to help the Legends, Mike destroys Gwyn Davies' time machine and hijacks their timeship, the ''Waverider'', to confront his superiors. When the ''Waverider'' returns, the Legends find he has been arrested by the Time Police.


Film

* Booster Gold appears in ''
The Death and Return of Superman ''The Death and Return of Superman'' is a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game released by Sunsoft for the Super NES and Genesis in 1994. It is based on "The Death of Superman" comic book storyline by DC Comics and features many characters f ...
,'' portrayed by Joe Bereta. * In May 2016,
Zack Stentz Zackary Lowell Stentz is an American writer and producer of film and television, journalist, novelist, and teacher, best known for his work on Marvel properties with former writing partner Ashley Edward Miller. Career Stentz graduated from ...
was rumored to be writing a Booster Gold film, with Greg Berlanti producing as well as possibly directing. Later in September, Berlanti stated the film did not have any "connective tissue" to the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
at that time. In March 2018, Berlanti confirmed that the Booster Gold film is still in development despite months of inactivity and lack of news reports. The script has been turned in for the film and is pending to be greenlit by the studio, as of May 2019. * Booster Gold appears in '' Batman and Harley Quinn'', voiced by Bruce Timm. This version is a member of the Justice League. * Booster Gold makes a cameo appearance in ''
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies ''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' is a 2018 American animated superhero comedy film based on the television series '' Teen Titans Go!'', which is based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. This film is directed by Peter Rida ...
''.


References


External links


Booster Gold's secret origin
at DC Comics.com

Newsarama Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS. History ...
, August 16, 2006
Dan Jurgens on the death of Booster Gold
Newsarama, August 29, 2006 * *

{{Justice League characters Characters created by Dan Jurgens 1986 comics debuts 2007 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1986 DC Comics male superheroes DC Comics characters with superhuman strength DC Comics titles Fictional characters with slowed ageing Fictional players of American football Fictional janitors Comics about time travel Twin characters in comics Time travelers