Booster Gold

Gallery

Real Name

Michael Jon Carter

Current Alias

Booster Gold

Aliases

Supernova, Booster, Goldstar

Relatives

Jonar Carter (father), Ellen Carter (mother, deceased), Michelle Carter (aka Goldstar) (twin sister), Rip Hunter (son); Rani (adopted daughter), Daniel Carter (21st century ancestor), Rose Levin (ancestor)

Affiliation

Justice League International, Time Masters; formerly Conglomerate, Extreme Justice, Super Buddies

Base Of Operations

Metropolis, Earth, 21st Century, formerly Gotham City, 25th Century

Status

Alignment

Good

Identity

Public Identity

Citizenship

American

Marital Status

Single

Occupation

Businessman

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Height

6' 2"

Weight

215 lbs (98 kg)

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Blond

Origin

Universe

New Earth

Place of Birth

Gotham City, 25th Century

Created by

Dan Jurgens

First appearance

Booster Gold #1
(February, 1986)

Tomorrow is the defining moment of the century and I'm gonna be part of it.

-- Booster Gold ^src

HistoryEdit

Michael Jon Carter, alias Booster Gold was born on December 29th, in the year 2442. Using the technology he stole from the 25th Century, Michael became a superhero saving the life of the President of the United States on his first adventure. This act rewarded him with instant fame, which he cashed in on, becoming quite wealthy. Unfortunately, Booster's manager stole a large amount of his money, leaving him with only a little.

Origins

Michael Jon Carter and his sister Michelle Carter where born as twins to a loving mother and an irresponsible father in Gotham City in the 25th Century. On their 4th birthday, their father left the household to pursue his true love, gambling, leaving a huge gambling debt behind for the struggling family. Michael became a football player in college with the nickname "Booster", hoping that he would make it into the big leagues, when his mother was suffering from a debilitating disease that required a treatment that his family could not afford. Turning to the same vice as his father, Michael made bets and purposely threw games in order to earn enough money for the treatment. After his mother was cured, Michael was arrested and put in jail for gambling, instantly breaking his mother's heart.

After he was set free from jail, Michael managed to get a job as a security officer for the Metropolis Space Museum, where he saw images of superheroes from the 20th Century that were legends in his time. Deciding to change his life and become a superhero himself, Michael stole some artifacts from the museum as well as the security robot Skeets and used Rip Hunter's time machine to travel back to the late 20th Century. It was there that he made his public debut, saving the life of the President of the United States from the Chiller as the new superhero Goldstar. Nervous, Michael misspoke on live television and got stuck with the name Booster Gold instead.

Goldstar, Inc.

Michael hired an agent, Dirk Davis and started Goldstar, Inc. in Metropolis, with Trixie Collins as their secretary. Booster Gold was on his way to becoming rich and famous, not knowing that he had made an enemy out of The 1000. He eventually fought their leader, the Director.

Justice League International

Main article: Justice League: A New Beginning

Booster Gold was a main player in the revamped Justice League International, run by Maxwell Lord, during the late 1980's. Booster teamed up with Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, who quickly became a good friend, together causing some major trouble for the League, and drawing them into some of their funnier adventures, including setting up a casino on a living island. Frustrated at the lack of respect he received from his teammates, Booster quit the JLI and formed The Conglomerate, though he would later return to the League's ranks. During the battle with Doomsday (a name that Booster coined to describe the monster who would eventually kill Superman), his suit was destroyed, leaving him no longer able to function as a superhero. Ted came to the rescue and built him a new suit, although it was much bulkier and tended to malfunction. During a battle with the Overmaster, Booster was mortally wounded, losing his suit and his right arm. Ted built Booster another suit, which also served as a life-support system and included a cybernetic arm.

Extreme Justice

Main article: Extreme Justice

This incarnation of the Justice League eventually fell apart and Booster Gold joined with Extreme Justice. It was during his time with this team that Booster made a deal with Monarch, who restored his arm and health. Another new costume was constructed, this time in part from Skeets, bringing Booster back to his former power level.

OMAC Project

Main article: OMAC Project

After the death of Sue Dibny, Booster, becoming disillusioned with his fellow heroes, gave up the Booster Gold identity and returned to normal civilian life. This did not last long, as he teamed up with his friend Ted to find who was manipulating Kord Industries, an investigation that led to Ted's death and Booster's temporary hospitalization. During the following crisis, Booster brought together former team members of his version of the Justice League to help find the killers. After this group encountered a trio of O.M.A.C.s, which resulted in the death of Rocket Red IV and the hospitalization of Fire, as well as the destruction of the power source of Booster's suit, Booster left the group, claiming that he was going "home."

52

Main article: 52

Soon thereafter, however, Booster reappeared, with a once-more functioning suit as well as Skeets, who had been previously destroyed, seeking the Blue Beetle Scarab. He found it fused to the spine of teenager Jaime Reyes, whom he promptly brought to the Batcave to aid in Batman's mission to find and destroy Brother Eye.

After Superman lost his powers fighting Superboy-Prime, Booster attempted to fill the void he had left in Metropolis. Signing many lucrative sponsorship contracts, he used Skeets' knowledge of the future to be in exactly the right place at the right time to perform heroic deeds. He also, on at least one occasion, hired an actor to pose as a supervillain and subsequently "defeated" him. The actor later came forward, however, and Booster's credibility was immediately lost.

When a ballostro brought a nuclear submarine into the middle of Metropolis, Booster tried to reclaim his lost glory by defeating the beast. However, he had no luck until Supernova arrived to teleport the creature away. The submarine had been damaged, and was in immediate danger of setting off a nuclear explosion in the middle of the city. Booster managed to lift the vessel in his forcefield and fly it out of harm's way. However, he was seemingly killed in the blast.^[1]

It was later revealed that Booster had conspired with Rip Hunter and used his time-traveling capabilities to fake his own death. The Booster skeleton found at the blast-site was actually his dessicated remains from his death at some point in the future. Aware that his longtime robotic ally, Skeets, had apparently turned traitor, Booster secretly adopted the heroic identity of Supernova and traveled backwards in time to a point prior to his apparent "death" in order to ferret out the cause of Skeets' malfunction. ^[2]

First appearing as Supernova eight weeks after the defeat of Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime, Booster used the identity to form various good deeds without the stigma attached to the Booster Gold identity, as well as collect weaponry for Rip Hunter. While the Daily Star was the first to name the new hero "Supernova," Clark Kent won the exclusive first interview for the Daily Planet by jumping out the window of the office of Perry White.

While battling Skeets, Supernova revealed himself as Booster Gold. While Booster returned to the Booster Gold identity, Rip passed along the mantle of Supernova to Booster's 21st century ancestor, Daniel Carter.

Following the final, Multiverse-saving fight against Mr. Mind, the villain who had taken over Skeets, Booster left Rip's employ and had Skeets repaired by Will Magnus. He also arranged to live with Daniel in exchange for letting Daniel keep the Supernova suit.

Time Masters

Eight weeks after defeating Mr. Mind, Booster seeks out acceptance into the Justice League. However, Rip Hunter has other plans and attempts to recruit Booster to aid him in repairing the time stream. However, this would require Booster to sacrifice his reputation, so Booster refuses. But when his certificate electing him into the Justice League turns into Hal Jordan's death certificate, Booster realizes what's really important. He drops his certificate and tells the League that he was only petitioning for membership so he could brag about turning them down.

Booster returned to Rip's lab and agreed to work for him on one condition: that Rip will allow him to change history to save some people important to him, starting with "the best friend [he] ever had." Though Booster and Rip manage to rescue Ted Kord, it is later revealed that with out the death of Ted Kord, Max Lord accomplishes his early plan in killing many of the DCU's heroes. Ted Kord then decides to sacrifice himself and returns to the time were he is killed by Maxwell Lord, in order to save the heroes of Earth. But Booster was not left alone, as Rip Hunter surprises Booster by rescuing Booster's sister Michelle right before she died in one of Booster Gold's early adventures.

It is later revealed that Booster is in fact Rip Hunter's father. Booster is unaware of this, and Rip Hunter hasn't told him.^[3]

Flashpoint

This section of the history takes place during Flashpoint, a massive crossover event set in an alternate timeline to the mainstream DCU. History was completely changed when Professor Zoom finally found a way to erase his nemesis the Flash without harming his own legacy.

In an effort to save his mother's life from the Reverse-Flash, Barry Allen unknowingly changes reality, creating a new world in which his friends' lives are drastically different.

After the Time Masters: Vanishing Point event, Rip Hunter informed them that someone snuck in and left message on the chalkboard. ^[4]

When Booster and Skeets awaken and are the only ones who remember in original timeline. Booster travels to Coast City, but US army attack him beliving he is part of an Atlantean invasion. Skeets is damaged when Booster is attacked by the military's bio-weapon known as Project Six (Doomsday) ^[5]

Booster during the fight with the creature discovers he is being controlled by General Nathaniel Adam, and during the battle he saves Alexandra Gianopoulos from the creature. Booster learns the timeline has been changed, suspecting that Professor Zoom was behind it. Booster travels to Gotham City with Alexandra and the monster both following him. It is revealed that Alexandra has th power to absorb other metahuman pwers and uses this to travel to Gotham City. The interface is however severed by Alexandra, which caused it's true destructive personality to awaken.^[6] The creature the attacks and nearly kills Booster, only surviving as Project Six is at a more basic level of evolution than then mainstream Doomsday possess. The weapon then begins to rampage, killing innocent people, but after recovering Booster places the mental control helmet back on the creature, giving General Adam back control. General believing that creature was naturally mindless and incapable of doing anything without being under the control, decided that it was Booster's fault and decided to capture him.^[7] General Adam then decided to have Booster Gold interrogated, Booster shot down a girder, knocking the control helmet off him. At that moment the image of "Project Superman" appears on a computer screen and his true personality to awaken again. The creature then rampages through the facility looking for the Kryptonian known as Subject One, Alexandra Gianopoulos put on the control helmet, forcing him to rip open his own chest. .^[8]

The pair travel to England and saves Booster Gold from an Atlantean attack, leaving Booster to return to Vanishing Point as history resets itself his memory of the event is now a little hazy. Alexandra however survived and travelled back in time to before the "Time Masters: Vanishing Point" event and Alexandra left the messages regarding the altered timeline on Rip's chalkboard before vanishing. ^[9]

The New 52

The DC Universe heavily changed its continuity into the DCnU following the events of Flashpoint in 2011. This was part of an effort to make storylines more accessible to newer readers, beginning with the New 52. This new timeline combines elements from the DCU, Vertigo Universe and Wildstorm Universe while drastically changing the origins and histories of characters.

In this new version of history, Booster's characterization is scaled back to a younger age. His high-profile publicity is still very commercialized, but he's considered responsible enough to lead the Justice League International with U.N. approval. Skeets is not shown as a physical robot, but an artificial intelligence in Booster's suit.^[10] Booster is also now from Canada, changing his American citizenship.^[11]

The Signal Masters

Main article: Justice League International: The Signal Masters

Andre Briggs selects Booster Gold to lead his new U.N.-sponsored Justice League International. He immediately clashes over leadership with teammate Guy Gardner. Their first mission is a race of giant robots called the Signal Men wreaking havoc across the planet.^[12] Booster's leadership is called in to question when they retreat, but August General in Iron supports him.^[13] They investigate the threat underground in teams, and Booster works with Batman.^[14] The entire team is captured by the alien responsible, a world-destroyer named Peraxxus.^[15] They finally learn to work together as a team, and Booster leads them to distract Peraxxus in a brawl while Rocket Red reprograms his equipment. Peraxxus flees and they crash his spacecraft into Earth, declaring themselves victorious from the rubble.^[16] This success gets them public approval, and Booster delivers a passionate speech to the U.N. delegates. Briggs finally announces the JLI at a public debut ceremony.^[17]

Breakdown

Main article: Justice League International: Breakdown

Their public debut is attacked by a group of terrorists called the Burners led by anarchist super-villain Breakdown. Andre Briggs, Emerson Esposito and Rocket Red are killed in the explosion.^[18] At the hospital he fights Lightweaver, and Batwing rescues him.^[19] OMAC attacks the team, and they subdue then recruit him.^[20] In Paris they help Jason Rusch take down a group of rogue Firestorms.^[21] They track down the Burners, but the League is defeated and Intersek manipulates Booster into taking down his teammates.^[22] Breakdown stages a public execution, but OMAC breaks them out and Booster helps August General take him down. He finally kisses Godiva to culminate their flirtation.^[23] At Rocket Red's funeral, they decide to continue the team without government funding in honor of his sacrifice.^[24]

Booster leads the team to regain U.N. approval, but they're disbanded when Brother Eye takes control of OMAC and destroys them. Using Skeets to infect his programming, he purges OMAC after the entire team is devastated. He's visited by a version of himself from the future who works with Rip Hunter as a member of A.R.G.U.S.. This future self warns him that Superman and Wonder Woman must be stopped, then both of them fade away into nothing.^[25]

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

Abilities

• Business Management
• Historiography
  

ParaphernaliaEdit

Equipment

• Legion Flight Ring: As the name suggests, this ring provides Booster with flight. It is the only piece of equipment stolen from the Space Museum which has survived to the most recent version of Booster's suit unscathed.^[26][27]
• Power Suit: In lieu of any metahuman powers, Booster Gold uses an advanced microcircuitry-powered all-purpose combat suit that allows him a wide range of options to use in combat.
  • Enhanced Durability: The suit is extremely durable, very lightweight, and easy to wear. The suit itself is able to withstand bullets without losing its integrity (although being shot hurts).
  • Superhuman Strength: The microcircuitry woven into the mesh affords Booster a high measure of super-strength, enough to easily shift twenty tons - and a great deal more if he exerts himself. However, Booster must take into account the fact that attempting to lift things that heavy often causes them to fall apart under their own weight.^[26][27]
  • Force Field Generation: The suit is capable of generating a force-field that in prior incarnations was powerful enough to take a direct punch from Doomsday and leave Booster intact (this fried the force-field though, and eventually the suit didn't fare much better). It remains constant at that level for the current incarnation.^[28]
  • Time-Travel Circuitry: At some point between The OMAC Project and 52, Booster had time-travel circuitry built into his suit, enabling him to travel through the time stream, both into the past and the future. The suit has since been upgraded by Rip Hunter to enable him to traverse chronal anomalies without any adverse effects.
  • Gauntlets: The suit is able to provide powerful energy blasts, via blasters in the costume's gauntlets. At their highest setting, the blasts are capable of plowing through two solid feet of concrete.
  • Visor Devices: Booster's visor is outfitted with both sensory amplification devices (both auditory and visual) and a HUD for targeting and threat-identification.
    • Enhanced Vision: The visor provides broad scanning along the electromagnetic spectrum, providing infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray vision.
    • Enhanced Hearing

Transportation

• Rip Hunter's Time Sphere
  

TriviaEdit

• Booster Gold identifies himself as an atheist.^[29]
  

Recommended ReadingEdit

• Booster Gold

• Booster Gold (Volume 1)
• Booster Gold (Volume 2)
• 52
• Justice League
• Justice League America
• Formerly Known as the Justice League

Related

• 441 Appearances of Michael Jon Carter (New Earth)
• 175 Images featuring Michael Jon Carter (New Earth)
• 31 Quotations by or about Michael Jon Carter (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Michael Jon Carter (New Earth)

LinksEdit

• Michael Jon Carter (New Earth) at Wikipedia.org 
• Boosterrific!--a fansite
• Booster Gold article at Toonopedia
• Booster Gold profile at the Oracle Files
• Booster Gold profile at Cosmic Teams
• Booster Gold profile at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
• Booster Gold series review at the Cosmic Treadmill
• The Origin of Booster Gold at DC Comics' Heroes and Villains Page
• Booster Gold at TV Tropes
• Booster Gold at the DC Animated Universe Wikia

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• Search this site for: Booster Gold · Michael Jon Carter · Michael Jon Carter (New Earth)
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Footnotes

Booster Gold Supporting Cast This character is or was an incarnation of or a close ally of Booster Gold. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Booster Gold Supporting Cast" category.

Justice League member This character is or was a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from both interstellar and domestic threats. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.