Booster Gold
Origin - Michael Jon Carter was born poor in the Gotham City of the 25th century. He speaks Esperanto as his first language. He and his twin sister Michelle never knew their father because he left after gambling away all their money. Luckily for Michael, he was a gifted athlete and he managed to get into Gotham University on a football scholarship. In college, Booster became a star quarterback with a bright future. His father then reentered his life and convinced him to bet on games and then throw them. He was exposed and his once bright future shattered. He took a job as a night watchman at the Metropolis space Museaum, where he began to study displays about superheroes and villains from the past, particularly the 20th century. With the help of a security robot named Skeets, Michael stole devices from the museum displays, including a Legion of Super Heroes flight ring and Brainiac 5's force field belt. He used Rip Hunter's time machine, 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. As such, he is a shameless self-promoter whose obsession with fame and wealth irritates other heroes. 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 the president (at the time Ronald Reagan ) to introduce him as "Booster Gold". The name stuck. There is a running joke with his name throughout the DC Universe where people call him "Buster" instead of "Booster". Booster Gold was a main player in the revamped Justice League International, run by Maxwell Lord during the late 1980's. 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. After the death of his friend Blue Beetle, Carter quit the Justice League and set out on his own. 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 bollostro 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. 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. Eight weeks after defeating Mr. Mind, and therefore saving the multiverse, Booster seeks out acceptance into the Justice League. Rip Hunter has other plans and attempts to recruit Booster to aid him in repairing the time stream. 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 I 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. Since his beginning, characters within the DC Universe have hinted that there is a greater purpose to Gold than even he knows. During the Millenuem event, Harbinger reveals to Martian Manhunter that Booster is descended from the Chosen, and that he must be protected due to his involvement in elevating the human race. In fact, it is revealed that Booster is destined to come to the past to protect him from an unknown event in the future. In 52 Week 52, Rip Hunter and Booster's ancestor, Daniel, discuss Booster. Rip states that the moment Booster helped save the multiverse from Mister Mind would be remembered in the future as the start of Booster Gold's "glory years." Later, in the new Booster Gold series, Rip hints at a "Carter heroic legacy." It is then revealed that Booster is important to the Time Masters, as he will train "the greatest of them all," being the father and the teacher of Rip Hunter himself, who willingly chose, to protect his identity against other time-travellers, to pass down the history as the only loser of the clan. Despite the general world distrust of Booster, Rip Hunter and his future descendants are implied to know the truth, always honoring Booster for his sacrifices.
Powers and Abilities - While Booster has no superhuman abilities (he relies on equipment), he is an excellent athlete. He has also demonstrated enough will power to use his Legion flight ring at range, a feat few have been able to demonstrate. Booster gained his "powers" from the artifacts he stole from a museum in the future. A power suit grants him super strength and wrist blasters allow him to project force blasts. The wrist blasters contain the primary controls and power supply for the suit as well as communications equipment to monitor communications frequencies. Circuitry from a force field belt that is incorporated into his costume allows Booster to resist physical and energy attacks, and he uses the force field to repel objects with great force and generate a breathable self-contained environment. The force field centers on Booster's body, but can expand and even project outward. The costume's goggles have infrared and magnifying capabilities as well. In addition to the powers from his suit, Booster can fly thanks to a Legion of Super Heroes flight ring. Booster can also absorb mass and eject it either in its original form or as a melted mass, although this depletes his force field for a time afterward. According to the third issue of Booster Gold vol. 2, Booster's original uniform included a cape which was taken by Superman after telling Booster, "You can't handle a cape." 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). 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. 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. 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. After being infected and later cured of chronal leprosy, Booster's body now ages at a much slower rate than a normal human being.
Weaknesses and Limitations - Although his suit is able to take quite a bit of punishment (it has taken a direct force blow from Doomsday completely protecting Booster from any harm) on several occasions it has malfunctioned right after the large blow and stopped working altogether. Without his power suit, Carter possess the same weaknesses and limitations a man in his early to mid thirties is peak physical condition would have.
Origin - Michael Jon Carter was born poor in the Gotham City of the 25th century. He speaks Esperanto as his first language. He and his twin sister Michelle never knew their father because he left after gambling away all their money. Luckily for Michael, he was a gifted athlete and he managed to get into Gotham University on a football scholarship. In college, Booster became a star quarterback with a bright future. His father then reentered his life and convinced him to bet on games and then throw them. He was exposed and his once bright future shattered. He took a job as a night watchman at the Metropolis space Museaum, where he began to study displays about superheroes and villains from the past, particularly the 20th century. With the help of a security robot named Skeets, Michael stole devices from the museum displays, including a Legion of Super Heroes flight ring and Brainiac 5's force field belt. He used Rip Hunter's time machine, 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. As such, he is a shameless self-promoter whose obsession with fame and wealth irritates other heroes. 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 the president (at the time Ronald Reagan ) to introduce him as "Booster Gold". The name stuck. There is a running joke with his name throughout the DC Universe where people call him "Buster" instead of "Booster". Booster Gold was a main player in the revamped Justice League International, run by Maxwell Lord during the late 1980's. 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. After the death of his friend Blue Beetle, Carter quit the Justice League and set out on his own. 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 bollostro 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. 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. Eight weeks after defeating Mr. Mind, and therefore saving the multiverse, Booster seeks out acceptance into the Justice League. Rip Hunter has other plans and attempts to recruit Booster to aid him in repairing the time stream. 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 I 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. Since his beginning, characters within the DC Universe have hinted that there is a greater purpose to Gold than even he knows. During the Millenuem event, Harbinger reveals to Martian Manhunter that Booster is descended from the Chosen, and that he must be protected due to his involvement in elevating the human race. In fact, it is revealed that Booster is destined to come to the past to protect him from an unknown event in the future. In 52 Week 52, Rip Hunter and Booster's ancestor, Daniel, discuss Booster. Rip states that the moment Booster helped save the multiverse from Mister Mind would be remembered in the future as the start of Booster Gold's "glory years." Later, in the new Booster Gold series, Rip hints at a "Carter heroic legacy." It is then revealed that Booster is important to the Time Masters, as he will train "the greatest of them all," being the father and the teacher of Rip Hunter himself, who willingly chose, to protect his identity against other time-travellers, to pass down the history as the only loser of the clan. Despite the general world distrust of Booster, Rip Hunter and his future descendants are implied to know the truth, always honoring Booster for his sacrifices.
Powers and Abilities - While Booster has no superhuman abilities (he relies on equipment), he is an excellent athlete. He has also demonstrated enough will power to use his Legion flight ring at range, a feat few have been able to demonstrate. Booster gained his "powers" from the artifacts he stole from a museum in the future. A power suit grants him super strength and wrist blasters allow him to project force blasts. The wrist blasters contain the primary controls and power supply for the suit as well as communications equipment to monitor communications frequencies. Circuitry from a force field belt that is incorporated into his costume allows Booster to resist physical and energy attacks, and he uses the force field to repel objects with great force and generate a breathable self-contained environment. The force field centers on Booster's body, but can expand and even project outward. The costume's goggles have infrared and magnifying capabilities as well. In addition to the powers from his suit, Booster can fly thanks to a Legion of Super Heroes flight ring. Booster can also absorb mass and eject it either in its original form or as a melted mass, although this depletes his force field for a time afterward. According to the third issue of Booster Gold vol. 2, Booster's original uniform included a cape which was taken by Superman after telling Booster, "You can't handle a cape." 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). 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. 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. 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. After being infected and later cured of chronal leprosy, Booster's body now ages at a much slower rate than a normal human being.
Weaknesses and Limitations - Although his suit is able to take quite a bit of punishment (it has taken a direct force blow from Doomsday completely protecting Booster from any harm) on several occasions it has malfunctioned right after the large blow and stopped working altogether. Without his power suit, Carter possess the same weaknesses and limitations a man in his early to mid thirties is peak physical condition would have.
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