#25th century and time traveled back to the 20th century to be a hero and have a fresh start

[garlic-sauc3]

hi!

i saw ur recent post :) i know nothing abt dc and booster gold but what sort of superhero is booster gold?? feel free to ramble hehe

ooh this is interesting. you see people tend to stereotype booster as either a time travelling hero, or a self absorbed sell out. and sure hes got elements of both, but he is way more than that

he kinda acts like a classic golden hero -- I mean he took a lot of inspiration from superman originally -- but he does sponsorships and advertisements and whatever because he was also a football player before, and athletes do that all the time, and he figured why dont superheroes do that? and that's the thing that most people dont understand -- both in canon (either intentionally, like in the original booster gold comics, or unintentionally like newer stuff or when he gets represented in shows a lot) and just in the general fanbase -- hes perceived as shallow and barely a hero, if anything just a laughingstock. but at his core, hes selfless and he wants to help people. he likes money, sure, he loves being rich, but he also grew up poor, so it doesnt take that big of an adjustment when he loses his funds. basically, booster gold is very heroic and can be very selfless, hes just kind of perceived as a glory hound

and then the time travelling element is fun, but I don't really like it as his main focus. nowadays hes just brought in because theres time travel involved, but I much prefer his original time aspect presented in booster gold 1986 and time masters 1990, in my opinion the aspect of him always meant to time travel back, as well as the methods of travel and the rules put in place. going to the 80s and saving people, as well as just being stuck there because the time sphere broke (and not being able to time travel instantaneously) and then we he did get to time travel forward he learned that 1) you can only use each time travel method once, which adds a fun barrier to time travel but still makes it fun and 2) he was always intended to go to the 80s and save the president, which also adds a build up to what happens in time masters which expands more on time travel and ties these two elements together in a way I really enjoy. him discovering that being booster gold, the hero, is his destiny is also a plotline I really enjoy. I feel by removing this element and restriction of time travel it kind of removes his important character arc with this

but also, the other thing that drives his character is his lack of secret identity. nobody knows his real name, sure, but he doesnt have a real real name anyway. he lives as booster gold, not as a "michael jon carter" (which he does not!! go by btw). his identity is tied so strongly to being a superhero he doesnt know how to live without it. when he loses his suit or even just power in his suit, he has no idea what to do. in booster gold #13 when his suit is drained of power and hes injured and sickly from the previous issue, he is so glad to get his flight ring back even if it's just a hint of his previous powers, and the entire time he is just struggling without the powers he was accustomed to because of the suit. on top of that, the issues in #25 that he has from not being a hero, where he doesn't know how to live normally but also considers going back to the 25th century because he cant live in the 20th century anymore (for multiple reasons) but that was also when he has to accept that being booster gold is his destiny, and he cant get rid of it (he doesnt know how)

anyways I dont know if this makes sense at all or actually answers your question but I just think that booster gold and like how he is perceived by the public and by himself is very interesting and I just love a hero who's secret identity is so tied up in being a hero (where they dont even have a secret identity) that they don't know how to not be a hero, especially when its tied with being a celebrity and having fame and wealth, while also caring deeply about being a hero and helping (if I had a nickel...) idk i just love that kind of hero

[joleneghoul]

Booster Gold! ...but a middle aged father of two.

I mentioned back when I made my Macromia Who's Who inspired page that I wanted to do other Time Masters (that exists in my mind) character sheets too so here is this man.

Text from picture under cut In case it's hard to read

Personal Data

Name: Booster Carter-Kord (He/She/They) Alias: Booster Gold Height: 6’5  Eyes: Brown  Hair: Blonde/White Marital Status: Married Occupation: Superhero, Public Personality, Secret Time Master. Base of Operations: Vanishing Point, Metropolis, New York Home origin:  25th Century Texas

Powers/Abilities  Legion Flight Ring, Power Suit with time travel modifications, Gauntlets (Booster Shots). Super Nova costume: Temporal Displacement

History Once a star quarterback fallen from grace, now a star studded superhero. His hair may be going white and there may be wrinkles at the corners of his eyes (that he swears aren't there) but Booster Gold is still (some of) the public's sweetheart. Through the years he has worked to establish a name for himself, a brand. Modeling, talk shows, advertisements, secretly saving the world— he's done it all. 

During the first few decades of his time in the 20th century Booster found his place in the Justice League International. There he met Ted Kord, the second man to hold the title of Blue Beetle. From the 80s to the mid 90s the two were a nearly inseparable heroic duo, and when they were apart they always found a way back to each other. Their partnership became romantic through the years.  Though, with the combination of Doomsday nearly throwing Beetle out of the game and The Overmaster cutting Booster’s arm off, their lives drastically changed. By 1996 The Blue and Gold was just The Gold…in a hero sense.

The days of Blue and Gold's brand of superhero adventures may be over but that doesn't mean the dynamic duo aren't still taking the world by storm. Booster continued his life as the hero Booster Gold and Ted shifted focus to building the brand of Lightspeed Entertainment- A videogame company founded by the two of them. Together they rebuilt and shaped their public image into a story of success.

Though none of that is as important to Booster nowadays than his family. Michelle Carter, his sister, found her way back out of being trapped in time leading to Booster spending his free time converging with The Time masters and butting heads with The Linear men. During a temporal mission to Daxam, he ended up saving and adopting a newly orphaned girl named Rani. With this Booster and his husband Ted shifted their focus to being fathers. Following the Birth and attempted temporal assassination of his second child, Ripley Carter-Kord, Booster created The Vanishing Point island that became the family’s home. Creating a life lived officially inside and out of time itself. 

[your-disobedient-servant]

Voltaire’s Paméla Letters Translated: Intro and Letter #1

The letters that Voltaire rewrote in the vein of Richardson’s Paméla after his falling out with Frederick the Great have intrigued me ever since I first heard of them in November or December. Only discovered to have been a rewrite and not originals in the late 20th century, it’s hard to say how much of it is authentic and how much exaggerated or made up, but for me, the fact that they have been altered only adds to the fascination.

Six months into learning French, I’m still not sure I’m quite ready to use this as translation exercises, but I’m impatient, I found the book for very cheap, and besides, I feel that to translate Voltaire you must channel some of the hubris, so bring it on. Poetry (to my surprise, it turns out I actually enjoy translating poetry in some masochistic way) and all. In the end, I am proud of the result.

This is not a very juicy letter, but I’m sure one will come along soon enough. I’m not sure how many will I be able to complete because there’s about fifty of them altogether, but I hope I manage at least a few.

Big thanks to everyone who helped me out with the draft. The rest under the cut for brevity, English followed by original French.

FIRST LETTER

In Clèves, July 1750

It is to you, please, niece of mine, to you, woman of a wit superb, philosopher of the selfsame kind, to you who, like me, of Permesse, knows the many paths diverse; it is to you I now address this disarray of prose and verse, recount my long odyssey's story; recount unlike I back then did when, in my splendid age's glory, I still kept to Apollo's writ; when I dared, perhaps courting disaster, for counsel strike for Paris forth, notwithstanding our minds' worth, the god of Taste, my foremost master!

This journey is only too true, and puts too much distance between you and me. Do not imagine that I want to rival Chapelle, who has made, I do not know how, such a reputation for himself for having been from Paris to Monpellier and to papal land, and for having reported to a gourmand.

It was not, perhaps, difficult when one wished to mock monsieur d'Assoucy. We need another style, we need another pen, to portray this Plato, this Solon, this Achilles who writes his verses at Sans-Souci. I could tell you of that charming retreat, portray this hero philosopher and warrior, so terrible to Austria, so trivial for me; however, that could bore you.

Besides, I am not yet at his court and you should not anticipate anything: I want order even in my letters. Therefore know that I left Compiègne on July 25th, taking my road to Flanders, and as a good historiographer and a good citizen, I went to see the fields of Fontenoy, of Rocoux and of Lawfeld on my way. There was no trace of it left: all of it was covered with the finest wheat in the world. The Flemish men and women were dancing, as if nothing had happened.

Go on, innocent eyes of this bad-mannered populace; reign, lovely Ceres, where Bellona once flourished; countryside fertilised with blood of our warriors, I like better your harvests than all of the laurels: provided by chance and by vanity nourished Oh! that grand projects were prevented by doom! Oh! fruitless victories! Oh! the blood spilled in vain! French, English, German so tranquil today did we have to slit throats for friendship to bloom!

I went to Clèves hoping to find there the stage stations that all the bailiwicks provide, at the order of the king of Prussia, to those who to go to philosophise to Sans-Souci with the Solomon of the North and on whom the king bestows the favour of travelling at his expense: but the order of the king of Prussia had stayed in Wesel in the hands of a man who received it as the Spanish receive the papal bulls, with the deepest respect, and without putting them to any use. So I spent a few days in the castle of this princess that madame de La Fayette made so famous.

But this heroine and the duc of Nemours, we ignore in these places the gallant adventure; for  it is not here, I vow, the land of novels, nor the one of love.

It is a shame, for the country seems made for the princesses of Clèves: it is the most beautiful place of nature and art has further added to its position. It is a view superior to that of Meudon; it is a land covered in vegetation like the Champs-Élysées and the forests of Boulogne; it is a hill covered in gently sloping avenues of trees: a large pool collects  the waters of this hill; in the middle of the pool stands a statue of Minerva. The water of this first pool is received by a second, which returns it to the third; and at the foot of the hill ends in a waterfall pouring into a vast, semi-circular grotto. The waterfall lets the waters spill into a canal, which goes on to water a vast meadow and joins a branch of the Rhine. Mademoiselle de Scudéri and La Calprenède would have filled a volume of their novels with this description; but I, historiographer, I will only tell you that a certain prince Maurice de Nassau, the governor, during his lifetime, of this lovely solitude devised nearly all of these wonders there. He lies buried in the middle of the forest, in a great devil of an iron tomb, surrounded by all the ugliest bas-reliefs of the time of the Roman empire's decadence, and some gothic monuments that are worse still. But all of it would be something very respectable for those deep minds who fall into ecstasy at the sight of poorly cut stone, as long as it is two thousand years old.

Another ancient monument, the remains of a great stone road, built by the Romans, which led to Frankfurt, to Vienna, and to Constantinople. The Holy Empire devolved into Germany has fallen a little bit from its magnificence. One gets stuck in the mud in the summer nowadays, in the august Germania. Of all the modern nations, France and the little country of Belgium are the only ones who have roads worthy of Antiquity. We could above all boast of surpassing the ancient Romans in cabaret; and there are still certain points on which we equal them: but in the end, when it comes to durable, useful, magnificent monuments, which people can come close to them? which monarch does in his kingdom what a procosul did in Nîmes and in Arles?

Perfect in the trivial, in trifles sublime great inventors of nothing, envy we excite. Let our minds to the supreme heights strive of the children of Romulus so proud: they did a hundred times more for the vanquished crowd than we solely for ourselves contrive.

In the end, notwithstanding the beauty of the location of Clèves, notwithstanding the Roman road, in spite of a tower believed to have been built by Julius Caesar, or at least by Germanicus; in spite of the inscriptions of the twenty-sixth legion that quartered here for the winter; in spite of the lovely tree-lined roads planted by prince Maurice, and his grand iron tomb; in spite of, lastly, the mineral waters recently discovered here, there are hardly any crowds in Clèves. The waters there are, however, just as good as those of Spa or of Forges; and one cannot swallow the little atoms of iron in a more beautiful place. But it does not suffice, as you know, to have merits to be fashionable: usefulness and pleasantness are here; but this delicious retreat is frequented only by a few Dutchmen, who are attracted by the proximity and the low prices of living and houses there, and who come to admire and to drink.

I found there, to my great satisfaction, a well-known Dutch poet, who gave us the honour of elegantly, and even verse for verse, translating our tragedies, good or bad, to Dutch. Perhaps one day we will be reduced to translating the tragedies of Amsterdam: every nation gets their turn.

The Roman ladies, who leered at their lovers at the theatre of Pompeii, did not suspect that one day, in the middle of Gaul, in a little town called Lutèce, we would produce better plays than Rome.

The order of the king regarding the stage stations has finally reached me; so my delight at the princess of Clèves' place is over, and I am leaving for Berlin.

***

LETTRE PREMIÈRE

À Clèves, juillet 1750

C'est à vous, s'il vous plaît, ma nièce, vous, femme d'esprit sans travers, philosophe de mon espèce, vous qui, comme moi, du Permesse connaisez les sentiers divers ; c'est à vous qu'en courant j'adresse ce fatras de prose et de vers, ce récit de mon long voyage ; non tel que j'en fis autrefois quand, dans la fleur de mon bel âge, d'Apollon je suivais les lois ; quand j'osai, trop hardi peut-être, aller consulter à Paris, en dépit de nos beaux esprits, le dieu du Goût mon premier maître !

Ce voyage-ci n'est que trop vrai, et ne m'éloigne que trop du vous. N'allez pas vous imaginer que je veulle égaler Chapelle, qui s'est fait, je ne sais comment, tant de réputation, pour avoir été de Paris à Montpellier et en terre papale, et en avoir rendu compte à un gourmand.

Ce n'était pas peut-être un emploi difficile de railler monsieur d'Assoucy. Il faut une autre plume, il faut une autre style, pour peindre ce Platon, ce Solon, cet Achille qui fait des vers à Sans-Souci. Je pourrais vous parler de ce charmant asile, vous peindre ce héros philosophe et guerrier, si terrible à l'Autriche, et pour moi si facile ; mais je pourrais vous ennuyer.

D'ailleurs je ne suis pas encore à sa cour, et il ne faut rien anticiper : je veux de l'ordre jusque dans mes lettres. Sachez donc que je partis de Compiègne le 25 de juillet, prenant ma route par la Flandre, et qu'en bon historiographe et en bon citoyen, j'allai voir en passant les champs de Fontenoy, de Rocoux et de Lawfeld. Il n'y paraissait pas : tout cela était couvert des plus beaux blés du monde. Les Flamands et les Flamandes dansaient, comme si de rien n'eût été.

Durez, yeux innocents de ces peuples grossiers ; régnez, belle Cérès, où triompha Bellone ; campagnes qu'engraissa le sang de nos guerriers, j'aime mieux vos moissons que celles des lauriers : la vanité les cueille et le hasard les donne. Ô que de grands projets par le sort démentis ! Ô victoires sans fruits ! Ô meurtres inutiles ! Français, Anglais, Germains, aujourd'hui si tranquilles fallait-il s'égorger pour être bons amis !

J'ai été à Clèves comptant y trouver des relais que tous les bailliages fournissent, moyennant un ordre du roi de Prusse, à ceux qui vont philosopher à Sans-Souci auprès du Salomon du Nord et à qui le roi accorde la faveur de voyager à ses dépens : mais l'ordre du roi de Prusse était resté à Vesel entre les mains d'un homme qui l'a reçu comme les Espagnols reçoivent les bulles des papes, avec le plus profond respect, et sans en faire aucun usage. Je me suis donc quelques jours dans le château de cette princesse que madame de La Fayette a rendu si fameux.

Mais de cette heroïne, et du duc de Nemours, on ignore en ces lieux la galante aventure : ce n'est pas ici, je vous jure, le pays des romans, ni celui des amours.

C'est dommage, car le pays semble fait pour des princesses de Clèves : c'est le plus beau lieu de nature et l'art a encore ajouté à sa situation. C'est une vue supérieure à celle de Meudon ; c'est un terrain planté comme les Champs-Élysées et le bois de Boulogne ; c'est une colline couverte d'allées d'arbres en pente douce : un grand bassin reçoit les eaux de cette colline ; au milieu du bassin s'élève une statue de Minerve. L'eau de ce premier bassin est reçue dans un second, qui la renvoie à un troisième ; et le bas de la colline est terminé par une cascade ménagée dans une vaste grotte en demi-cercle. La cascade laisse tomber les eaux dans un canal qui va arroser une vaste prairie et se joindre à un bras du Rhin. Mademoiselle de Scudéri et La Calprenède auraient rempli de cette description un tome de leurs romans ; mais moi, historiographe, je vous dirai seulement qu'un certain prince Maurice de Nassau, gouverneur, de son vivant, de cette belle solitude, y fit presque toutes ces merveilles. Il s'est fait enterrer au milieu des bois, dans un grand diable de tombeau de fer, environné de tous les plus vilains bas-reliefs du temps de la décadence de l'empire romain, et de quelques monuments gothiques plus grossiers encore. Mais le tout serait quelque chose de fort respectable pour ces esprits profonds qui tombent en extase à la vue d'une pierre mal taillée, pour peu qu'elle ait deux mille ans d'antiquité.

Un autre monument antique, c'est le reste d'un grand chemin pavé, construit par les Romains, qui allait à Francfort, à Vienne et à Constantinople. Le Saint-Empire dévolu à l'Allemagne est un peu déchu de sa magnificence. On s'embourbe aujourd'hui en été, dans l'auguste Germanie. De toutes les nations modernes, la France et la petit pays des Belges sont les seules qui aient des chemins dignes de l'Antiquité. Nous pouvons surtout nous vanter de passer les anciens Romains en cabarets ; et il y a encore certains points sur lesquels nous les valons bien : mais enfin, pour les monuments durables, utiles, magnifiques, quel peuple approche d'eux ? quel monarque fait dans son royaume ce qu'un proconsul faisait dans Nîmes et dans Arles ?

Parfait dans le petit, sublimes en bijoux, grands inventeurs de riens, nous faisons des jaloux. Elevons nos esprits à la hauteur suprême des fiers enfants de Romulus : ils faisaient plus cent fois pour des peuples vaincus que nous ne faisons pour nous-mêmes.

Enfin, malgré la beauté de la situation de Clèves, malgré le chemin des Romains, en dépit d'une tour qu'on croit bâtie par Jules César, ou au moins par Germanicus ; en dépit des inscriptions d'une vingt-sixième légion qui était ici en quartier d'hiver ; en dépit des belles allées plantées par le prince Maurice, et de son grand tombeau de fer ; en dépit enfin des eaux minérales découvertes ici depuis peu, il n'y a guère d'affluence à Clèves. Les eaux y sont cependant aussi bonnes que celles de Spa et de Forges ; et on ne peut avaler de petits atomes de fer dans un plus beau lieu. Mais il ne suffit pas, comme vous savez, d'avoir du mérite pour avoir la vogue : l'utile et l'agréable sont ici ; mais ce séjour délicieux n'est fréquenté que par quelques Hollandais que le voisinage et le bas prix des vivres et de maisons y attirent, et qui viennent admirer et boire.

J'y ai retrouvé, avec une très grande satisfaction, un célèbre poète hollandais, qui nous a fait l'honneur de traduire élégamment en batave, et même vers pour vers, nos tragédies bonnes ou mauvaises. Peut-être un jour viendra que nous serons réduits à traduire les tragédies d'Amsterdam : chaque peuple a son tour.

Les dames romaines, qui allaient lorgner leurs amants au théâtre de Pompée, ne se doutaient pas qu'un jour au milieu des Gaules, dans un petit bourg nommé Lutèce, on ferait de meilleurs pièces de théâtre qu'à Rome.

L'ordre du roi pour les relais vient enfin de me parvenir ; voilà mon enchantement chez la princesse de Clèves fini, et je pars pour Berlin.

[loisinherlane]

Consider this my magnum opus of why I love Booster Gold and why you should read these comics, but also: how Michael Carter and his family are connected to time travel. It’s kind of a hot mess because I run through a bunch of comics, but hopefully this makes sense!

Michael Carter, alias Booster Gold, is the first new hero introduced after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Booster is from the 25th century, where he was a college football player who got caught betting on his games and expelled, eventually becoming a janitor in a museum.

(Booster Gold (2007) #1)

At this museum, he befriends a security robot called Skeets. Eventually, Booster decides that he wants the adoration superheroes had in the 20th/21st century, and with future technology, he would be able to join up in the past. So Booster steals a Time Sphere, a suit, and a Legion of Superheroes flight ring. (Wait, the legion is from the 30th century, right? Yes. There are reasons this ring is in the past, and that’s mostly because Booster was always meant to become a superhero.) In the past, Booster establishes himself as a superhero, with a manager and number of sponsors. He’s about making money. This doesn’t necessarily make him a lot of friends. But he joins the Justice League International, makes friends with some heroes (including Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle), and has a standard fare for a non-central character.

So flash forward to Countdown to Infinite Crisis. For those of you who haven’t read this one: This is a lead-in to the OMAC Project, and later, to Infinite Crisis, where Ted Kord notices a number of things that don’t add up. Unfortunately, Ted is not the most respected hero in the community, and no one quite takes him seriously. Wonder Woman says she’s busy but to keep her updated, and Oracle is trying to get him to pay more attention to other matters.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

So Ted seeks out his best friend Booster to help. Booster, after some initial reluctance, joins up. There’s some noticeable moments where Booster hints that he knows some things about the future (particularly, that Ted is going to die, and the Scarab means that the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, is about to take over): Booster keeps staring at the newly found Scarab. He asks Ted when he found it. Ted, in his narration, hints that Booster knew Doomsday would kill Superman, and he still took the first punch.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

All of this parallels what happens next: Booster shoos Ted away from the computer and takes over. Booster gets hit by an explosion meant for Ted.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

Consider: Later implications of time travel suggest that some small things can be changed, but the big things can’t. If Booster knew what was going to happen, did Booster only postpone Ted’s death?

With that, Ted does die at the end of this story, and a part of The OMAC Project is Wonder Woman and Booster investigating Ted’s death. But as much as I love Ted, we’re mostly talking about Booster and time travel today. So moving on!

In Infinite Crisis, Booster is the one who fetches Jaime Reyes. After returning to the 25th century to access historical records, he tracks down Jaime via the scarab. (Of course, this is another example of a potential change: Booster says he may be saving millions or billions of lives, but this is unsubstantiated.)

(Infinite Crisis #2)

(Infinite Crisis #5)

So this brings us to 52, the fallout of Infinite Crisis. Booster Gold’s plot, while not obviously central in its introduction, plays a major role in bringing back the multiverse to the Post-Crisis continuity. Booster Gold, in the wake of the loss of his best friend Ted Kord, has sold-out again.

(52 #1)

With the help of Skeets, he’s returned to his origins. He wants to be a hero and make bank. Superman’s not around, so who else could Metropolis turn to?

Booster is on the outs though. First, with the heroes: Ralph Dibny blames him for not realizing his wife Sue was going to be murdered. Beatriz de Costa (Fire) shames him for how he’s acting after Ted’s death.

(52 #7)

(52 #4)

Pay attention to that notepad. Booster writes the names of Rip Hunter and his fellow Time Masters, as well S.T.A.R. Labs Time Travel Division. Everyone but Rip Hunter is crossed out. Rip’s name is circled, but he’s noted as “unlisted?????”

Because he’s noticed a number of events that don’t line up with the history Booster and Skeets remember, Booster goes to visit Rip Hunter in his Time Lab in Arizona. Skeets has to hold the door open because of the lock, so Booster goes in by himself...

(52 #6)

...and sees this... (Feel free to read what’s on the chalkboard. A lot of it hints to happenings in both 52 and the One Year Later event, as well as other stories. It can be fun to make connections.)

(52 #6)

...and this. Yikes.

We soon find out that Booster hired an actor to fake an incident on a subway. Why? Well... that answer’s not so clear. But considering the rest of the story, it’s likely Booster wanted to discredit himself.

(52 #7)

Unfortunately for Booster, this ruins his reputation with the public, and he’s soon replaced by a new, more humble hero: Supernova.

(52 #10)

And the public adores Supernova. Meanwhile, Booster’s sponsors pull out as his reputation goes down the drain.

Booster gets one last moment in the limelight, when he pushes too hard trying to upstage Supernova, and he dies... though he’s recognized as a hero for his tragic sacrifice.

((Hold on if you haven’t read 52. You’re going to find this one funny.))

(52 #15)

So... Booster is dead. Ha. What next? Well, Skeets seeks out Booster’s ancestor, Daniel Carter, for help to get back into the Time Lab. After all, Booster didn’t give Skeets the details.

(52 #19)

Daniel lets Skeets see into the Time Lab, where Skeets finally sees the same things Booster saw.

(52 #19)

Whoops! The real problem is Skeets. A little more menacing now, isn’t it? So Skeets abandons Daniel in the Time Lab, where he’s sucked into a vortex that’s part of Rip’s security measures. Meanwhile, Skeets is free to handle his evil plan. Whatever that is.

Back to Metropolis: Supernova is still out there, doing good. He’s also grabbing items that seem a little... eclectic. 

(52 #20)

And everyone is theorizing about who’s really under the mask. Cassie Sandsmark thinks it’s Kon-El. Lex Luthor thinks it’s Superman. Ralph Dibny puts the pieces together...

(52 #31)

But Supernova asks him not to say it out loud.

Later, we see that Supernova is actually working for Rip Hunter. Everything he’s gathered has been for Rip, who, as you can see, is really going through it. (Sad they never followed up on why Rip Hunter was affected like this, but I have my own thoughts that I might say later.)

(52 #36)

Where are they working anyway? In the jarred city of Kandor! Of course, Skeets can’t find them here, can he?

(52 #36)

Whoops. Spoke too soon.

(52 #37)

But who is Supernova? That burning question we’ve had for all these issues?

It’s... Michael Carter! Booster Gold!

(52 #37)

So, as Rip asks, Booster tells him. Booster knew something was off with Skeets. At the Time Lab, he almost asked him. But Rip Hunter arrived and recruited him for the long con. Rip needed Booster to gather materials, but they couldn’t alert Skeets. However, using a suit Rip rigged, Booster could be in two places at once: through time travel. After faking his death (using his real corpse from the future), Booster was sent back in time twelve weeks to complete Supernova’s actions.

Now Rip, Booster, and Skeets are engaged in a battle that, uh... is not continued until Week 50 on panel. If you count this as continued. I just love this panel.

(52 #50)

Actually, Skeets follows Rip and Booster to a lab where T.O. Morrow has searched the Red Torado’s brain to find out the truth of the 52 that he’s been repeating throughout the series.

(52 #51)

Of course, it’s not actually Skeets. The real Skeets was used as a chrysalis for Mister Mind... who has become a horrifying moth hellbent on eating the new multiverse.

(52 #51)

Rip drags Booster out, back to the Time Sphere, where they travel back to the beginning.

(52 #52)

After the events of Infinite Crisis, the multiverse was recreated. 52 identical Earths came into existence, and the same struggle has been taking place on all of them. These Earths are slowly aligning, and for some reason, Rip can see this, but Booster can’t. (Hold tight: Let’s keep in mind, for some reason, Rip was totally non-linear earlier. We’ll come back to this.)

(52 #52)

Rip intends to save all of the Earths, as they slowly settle into the new multiverse, with help from Supernova! ...This time, Daniel Carter, the Carter family ancestor that Skeets/Mister Mind used earlier.

(52 #52)

Bad news is that Mister Mind is still bent on eating a universe. As he eats parts of the various Earths, he changes their history, which leads to each Earth being unique.

(52 #52)

Booster has doubts about their ability to face something this big, but Skeets, now broken from Mister Mind, cheers him on... Booster heads back to the one place he knows to get the right power source, and Rip hints about Booster’s “glory days” soon to come. So now we know there’s a connection between Booster and Rip.

(52 #52)

But where is Booster going to get that power source?

(52 #52)

The immediate aftermath of the first crisis, where he talks a little with very young Ted Kord. (Sad.) Now we have to wonder how Booster knows to go back here? How much about time travel does Booster know yet?

Anyway, together, Rip, Booster, and Daniel succeed in defeating Mister Mind, and the multiverse is restored. Rip is very optimistic!

(52 #52)

So... let’s cut to Booster Gold’s second solo. Notice the title of his first story is “52 Pick-Up.” Booster, after saving the multiverse, wants nothing more than to be a hero again. He wants to join the Justice League again! Unfortunately, he’s recruited by Rip Hunter once again, who makes it clear that Booster’s destiny lies in time travel instead. And the world needs to think Booster is an idiot.

(Booster Gold (2007) #1)

Notice how Rip mentions his father? We’re finally getting somewhere.

Meanwhile, the other weird Time Stuff, that’s going on. Back at Rip Hunter’s Lab, Rip has written a number of interesting things on his chalkboard again.

Notice how Rip notes 1939 (the year Detective Comics was first published), 1985 (Crisis on Infinite Earths), and 2006 (Infinite Crisis). This shows how the crises actually affect time in the DC universe. Rip is, of course, aware of it. Is Booster too? How else would he know about the first crisis?

What is the connection between Rip and Booster anyway? Why does Rip care so much about Booster? Well...

(Booster Gold (2007) #1000000)

That’s right! Booster is actually Rip Hunter’s dad! So a lot of stuff we’ve been over must make more sense now.

But seriously, the Carter family is heavily involved in time travel, and the way it interacts with them is interesting. We’ve already seen how Rip isn’t linear when the timestream is disrupted... but what about the other members? How does this all affect Booster?

Honestly, I’m not sure. And I just ran out of energy for this post. If you want to know more, send an ask! And read the comics. You will not regret it.

[aftermathdb]

DEATH BATTLE Review: Cable vs. Booster Gold

So, for some reason, people were confused about this matchup? Like… C’mon. It was either this, or Cable vs. Trunks.

Cable′s Preview.

So, the convoluted story begins with Mister Sinister wanting to ship and breed the X-Men, specifically Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

And because of a lot of convolutedness, he had to use a clone of Jean to get the ultimate mutant that he wanted.

Enter Nathan Summers.

And because this is comic books, he had a rare disease, and had to be take to the future for a cure… Where there wasn’t one, because that world had been taken over by Apocalypse, another villain.

But through his training, a lot of experience, Nate was far more recognizable by one name: Cable.

The hosts go over his abilities that he has both in part of his heritage and the Techno-Organic Virus that he has. From all sorts of visions, to lasers, to being able to repair his metal arm at a whim.

And Cable’s also an Omega-Level Mutant, which means he’s super powerful.

And he’s been using these powers to keep himself together this whole time. Boomstick asks how he does it in his sleep, and… Yeah, I kinda want to ask that too.

And we go over his weapons and abilities.

I’m gonna level with you: Due to my new job at a grocery store, I can’t do the full Wiz and Boomstick segments due to time constraints. I’d love to quit, but at the time, there’s a pandemic, and I wouldn’t be able to find better work otherwise. Just know that this kinda just goes on to make a joke about how Nathan is basically Mutant Jesus. Really sorry that I can’t show more, and yeah… This is kinda how it’s gonna be from now on. Really sorry.

Anyways, after going over how Nate saw other timeline versions of himself, he decided to get rid of his Virus… By rewriting his DNA!

And the hosts go over his feats.

Like how he moved the earth, or ionized the entire atmosphere, or telepathically read everyone’s mind at once.

Booster Gold′s Preview.

There’s a lot to know about Booster Gold.

He’s an icon, a brand, and a Superhero.

However, if there’s anything that you should know about the guy…

It’s that he’s full of it.

In a nutshell, Michael Jon Carter was a football player in the 25th century, but he had to start doing dirty plays to make money to pay for a treatment that his mom needed, and was eventually kicked out.

As the hosts noted, he got a job at a museum that featured 20th century Superheroes, and became inspired to go back in time… And profit.

But instead of giving the name Goldstar, he accidentally gave the name Booster Gold.

And since he’s a huge dick, he got quite the reputation as being an asshole among the Superhero community

Even Superman wasn’t a fan. And that guy’s like one of the most positive people ever.

It wasn’t all bad. He had an actual friend in Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle.

Onto the arsenal, Booster’s Power Suit basically makes him like Iron Man, but with time travel. He’s got enhanced strength, speed, and durability just as long as he’s got power running through the thing.

His shield won’t let anything pass, even bacteria, and it can even block from telepathic attacks.

Again: Sorry that I can’t make these longer. I think I might have to go back to the older ways of doing this of only featuring the background, powers/arsenal, and end line while also trying to get screenshots of the important info and maybe some Wiz/Boomstick segments. Trust me, I’d love to quit the grocery job and do something like video edit, but I don’t have the time, nor do I have the ability to go out and do interviews.

Anyways, Booster can not only hang out with other timeline versions of himself, but he’s also got an impressive field of feats to pull off too.

And after a while, Booster became an actual hero, and learned humility so that meant that he couldn’t really publicize it.

Still though, he’s the main character in the greatest story never told, and he’ll be protecting the timestream while doing what he does best:

Showboating.

The Battle Itself.

Luis and Zack lead on animation, Cable will be voiced by Dave J. Dixon and Booster Gold will be voiced by Ricco Fajardo. , Days of Booster Past by Brandon Yates, and audio led by Chris Kokkinos.

So, the battle starts off with Booster showboating in front of a crowd, when Cable shows up. Because Booster is Booster, he assumes that Cable’s there to steal his spotlight.

Cable responds… Like most people would if they saw Booster, and when Booster challenges him, Cable shows off that gritty 90s attitude.

Cable takes an early lead, hitting Booster with all sorts of attacks until Booster turns on his shield and starts his counter.

We get a bit of a back and forth, and I know that I don’t have a lot of screenshots, but please bare with me.

This little “ZA WARULDO” segment doesn’t really phase Cable too much, and he surmounts a counter attack.

(Let’s do the time warp again!)

We get a little attack cycle through and it just shows that Booster is tanking everything that Cable is throwing at him without much effort.

So Cable counters by using his time-travel prep time to take Booster Back to the Past where he has a trap set for him.

Booster’s shield doesn’t break, so, yeah.

And Booster calls in backup.

This goes on for a bit until Cable tries to use his telepathy to force Booster to turn off his shields.

Finishing blow in

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Booster gave the shield to Cable.

Verdict + Explanation.

So, at first, Boomstick is exasperated that some tool like Booster was able to take down a badass like Cable.

Once again, it’s similar to Sasuke vs. Hiei, where one of the fighters has one advantage, but the other has perfect counters to everything that the other could trow at them. In this case, Cable had the better training and experience, but Booster had everything else.

For starters, while Cable could move planets, Booster’s shields were the big thing keeping him in the game. And they were the big thing letting him stay ahead of it too, credit where it’s due, it was only reallyone thing keeping Cable from winning, and if it weren’t for that, he would have won.

So yeah, Cable could move planets, but Booster’s shields could block planets being destroyed sub-atomically. And since apparently everyone in the DC universe can tap into the Speed Force, Booster was holding speed as well. Telepathy wasn’t going to do much since Booster’s shields could stop that, and Cable had no real ways to bypass it.

Since Booster’s weapons were also using the same power as his shields, that meant that he had some big power on his side.

And we also get a neat little Aesop at the end, where the goofiness and siliness of one character, and the seriousness and grit of the other only really matters in the context of their respective universes, but in a DEATH BATTLE, that means comparing them directly, which means a total goofball that you’ve never heard of, like Booster Gold, can defeat a serious and gritty guy like Cable.

Overall impression.

If anything, it took me spending a few hours at work to really ruminate about this fight and what it means. The animation and music are really great, and the lesson at the end is very meaningful.

Despite that, I gotta say that I’m getting really tired of DC characters that aren’t the Flash or Flash-Adjacent being able to tap into the Speed Force like Booster or Green Lantern. It kinda ruins what makes the Flash special. That’s more of a criticism of DC than it is this episode, so I’ll stop.

Overall, there wasn’t really much to write home about. Like I said, it was either this, or Cable vs. Trunks, and there’s a lot to unpack in regards to power scaling for that bout.

7.5/10

Next Time…

Y’know, when I saw Obi-Wan in the season preview, I had a short list of characters that he could fight, and this guy was probably number 1.

So, I guess we’re going to find out if a knight is better than a ninja, huh?

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

Knight vs. Ninja.

[ecentrikartistry]

"Booster Gold" . Done for a recent client & based on a personal favorite character of mine. In the 25th Century, Michael Jon Carter was a night watchman at the Metropolis Space Museum. Carter stole technology from the museum (namely a Legion flight ring and a Brainiac force field belt), left a lackluster life in the 25th century and traveled back to the 20th century and became a super hero. Eventually Booster would work alongside time traveler Rip Hunter and his sidekick, Skeets the Robot (on the back of the shoes) and go on adventures stopping criminals who attempted to travel through time and change history, namely that which would prevent well known heroes like Superman, Green Lantern, etc. from ever existing. Booster also served stints as a member of the Justice League. . This was a fun project especially since Booster is one of my personal favorite characters (His early 2000s comic series was fantastic) and I always believed the original concept of the TV show Legends of Tomorrow was loosely inspired by this book and character. . #boostergold #skeets #dccomics #riphunter #legendsoftomorrow #legionofsuperheroes #justiceleague #dcuniverse #dccomics #ecentrikartistry #creativityoverhype #AirJordan #customshoes #sneakerhead (at 25th Century Communications) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs6iwaHHmai/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gkl31q9bmjdm

[jokerfan99]

Dc+Marvel Character Fusions by RobertMacQuarrie1 Part 4

31. Namor + Black Adam= The Black Prince

Centuries ago, Prince Namor ruled the kingdom of Atlantis with a firm yet honorable hand. Renowned for both his skills as a warrior and as a just ruler, it was these qualities that he was chosen by the wizard Shazam to serve as his champion. Imbued with incredible magical energy, Namor's incredible power was magnified a thousand fold. Initially, Namor used his powers wisely and justly. But soon the power began to corrupt Namor, as he soon believed the best way to bring peace to the land was to use his powers to lead the armies of Atlantis to conquer the world. With Namor leading the way, the armies of Atlantis cut a bloody swath across the land, decimating entire nations. Soon, Namor became known as "The Black Prince," and civilizations began to fear his name. Eventually, the wizard Shazam intervened, and punished Namor and his kingdom for abusing his gifts. Shazam used his incredible might to sink Atlantis beneath the waves, while imprisoning Namor in a crystal sarcophagus deep beneath the ocean, hoping to teach the Black Prince humility and to respect the powers at his command. However, Shazam's punishment had the opposite effect, making Namor even more twisted and cruel. And when the Black Prince was accidentally revived by undersea explorers in the modern age, Namor swore to use his incredible might to conquer the world and restore the majesty of Atlantis to it's former glory.

32. Punisher + Deadshot = Deathwish

Floyd Castle was a former mercenary who gave up his former life when he fell in love. Marrying the love of his life, Floyd became a doting husband and eventual loving father. However, Floyd's life was changed forever when he and his family were caught in a crossfire of a political assassination, with only Floyd surviving. Enraged that the killer was to avoid punishment for his crimes due to his political connections, Floyd repurposed his old mercenary gear and became the bounty hunter known as Deathwish in order to hunt down the criminals out of the normal reach of the law. His name has a double meaning, however, as Floyd secretly wishes his time on earth to be over, so he can see his family again, caring little whether he lives or dies. Taking any job, as long as it allows him to eliminate the "right people," Deathwish cuts a bloody swath of destruction across the criminal underworld in any part of the world.

33. Deadpool + Harley Quinn = Jester

Harlene Wilson was a promising- if naive and gullible- scientist, working under the charismatic Dr. Killbrew. Harlene fell in love with Killbrew, never realizing that he didn't reciprocate her interest and was only using her for his own ends. When Harlene contracted an untreatable form of cancer, Killbrew manipulated her into being a guinea pig for his experiments with cellular regeneration, using the cells culled from the mutant Deathclaw. Killbrew had no intention of curing Harlene, but he hoped to learn from the experimentation on her form to further his research. His treatment on Harley ravaged her body and destroyed her mind, causing her to break from reality in order to cope with the pain. Finding out about Killbrew's betrayal of her trust, Harlene broke out of captivity and slew Killbrew in a rage. With her newfound abilities and a powerful healing factor, Harlene took up the identity of the Jester, becoming a merc for hire, figuring that if the world was one big joke, she might as well look the part.

34. The Leader + Hector Hammond = Hector Sterns

Hector Sterns was just an ordinary janitor of slightly low intelligence working at a government lab. Jealous of all the intelligent scientists working above him and secretly believing they were mocking him behind his back, Hector yearned for power to show up all he believed wronged him. He got his wish when he was exposed to a strange meteor that was brought to the lab he worked at for study. Hearing that the meteor had strange mutagenic properties, Hector broke into the storage chamber and exposed himself to the gamma radiation emitting from the stone under the hopes that it would grant him incredible powers. Hector got his wish, in that he developed increased intelligence and amazing telekinetic and telepathic abilities. However, it came at a horrible cost, as it caused him cranium to swell to a massive size, while atrophying his muscles and bones. He was gifted with a genius level intellect and powerful mental abilities, but at the cost of his physical form. But along with his mind, Sterns' ambition also increased. Now, simple revenge would not be enough to satiate him. Sterns wished to rule the world, and turned his incredible intellect towards that task. So far, only the might Orca has been able to halt his plans, pitting his brawn and Sterns' incredible brain.

35. Nova + Firestorm = Sunstorm

Travelling through space, a dying alien from the Nova Corps was searching for a suitable being to inherit his incredible abilities and take up his role of protecting his sector of space. Coming across Earth, the alien was met with a dilemma- he could not find one being who fit the specific requirements needed to inherit and use his abilities. The alien did find two people who had some of the traits he was looking for. Richard Raymond had the spirit to wield the powers of the Nova corp, and was a perfect physical specimen, but he did not have the discipline nor the intelligence. Dr. Martin Rider had the vast intellect and maturity to handle the powers, but was physically weak. Left with no choice, the alien made a desperate gambit, choosing to merge Richard Raymond and Martin Rider into one form, using the strongest elements from both- Richard's body and Martin's mind. Coming to term with their merging, the duo christened themselves Sunstorm, taking up their alien benefactor's mission to protect the solar system, using their newfound abilities of flight, super strength and the ability to alter the molecular makeup of any inorganic object.

36. Hawkeye + Booster Gold = Goldeneye Mockingbird + Blue Beetle = Bluebird

Clint Carter was born in the 25th century to a group of carnival performers. He had honed his natural abilities to become an incredible archer. However, in his time period, the common citizens weren't interested in stuntmen and feats of physical strength anymore, and were more interested in the popular holo-vids. Seeking fame and fortune, Goldeneye decided to head back to the 20th century to wow the audiences with his abilities. However, Clint landed late in the 21st century, where archery skills weren't as highly regarded as they once were. However, Clint decided to stay in this time frame and use his archery skills along with his futuristic technology to become a superhero, taking on the name and identity of Goldeneye. While initially using his abilities for fame and fortune, Clint eventually evolved into a true- albeit flawed- hero.

Bobbi Kord was a genius inventor and agent of SHIELD. When she was passed over for field work, she quit the agency and returned to head Kord Industries. Bobbi combined her combat training along with the resources of Kord Industries to develop a wide arsenal of crime fighting tools, and took up the identity of the Bluebird. She served as a solo adventurer for a while before eventually meeting up with Goldeneye. The two became crimefighting duo and eventually lovers, being partners both on and off the field.

37. Apocalypse + Vandal Savage = Vandal Sa'Vag Nur

The being who would become known as Vandal Sa'Vag Nur began life as an ordinary caveman. Brutal by even the standards of that more savage age, Vandal was cast out from his clan and became a nomad. His entire existence changed the day he investigated the site of what seemed to be a meteorite. In reality, it was the remains of a destroyed Celestial starship. Coming into contact with it, Vandal was exposed to the alien technologies and transformed. Wrapped in a life sustaining coccon, the ship slowly changed Vandal over the course centuries, eventually emerging into Ancient Egypt where he gained his name- Vandal Sa'Vag Nur. Transformed into a being of incredible power, Vandal realized the alien machine transformed him in order to improve the world and make it stronger and better than it was before. However, Vandal interpreted this directive as that the only way the world can improve is through struggle and conquest. By knocking down what came before in order for the world to build a better society in its' place. From that point on, Vandal would use his newfound might to topple civilizations and bring ruin and destruction to the world, under the belief that only the strong could survive, often returning to the same alien cocoon that birthed his new form to slumber for centuries between his conquests. Now, he has awoken in the modern day, and plans to once again destroy civilization as a whole in order for the weak to be weeded out and for the strong to survive. And in this new age of heroes, Vandal believes that with this new breed of humanity, it is the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean of humanity and populate the world with living Gods.

38. Arcade + The Riddler = The Gamemaster

Edward R. Cade was a spoiled brat of a wealthy New Gotham couple who grew up loving puzzles and games. The only thing that Edward loved more, however, was murder. After killing his parents to inherit their wealth at a young age, Edward dedicated his fortune in order create the most gruesome and imaginative murders possible. He enjoyed spending his fortune creating elaborate deathtraps to lure his victims into. His puzzles and mazes would be filled with lethal traps and consequences, but he always prided himself on playing "fair."  If his victims solved his puzzles or escaped his mazes with their lives intact, he would let them go, no questions asked. Eventually, Edward- now calling himself the Gamemaster- solicited his services as a master assassin to wealthy clients around the world, under the condition that he is allowed to dispose of his targets his way. With this new source of revenue, the Gamemaster set up "Murderworld" amusement parks all over the world. His actions, however, would eventually draw the attention of many superheroes who would either be caught up or try to stop his insane schemes. The Gamemaster doesn't mind, however, as superheroes are just a new challenge for him to refine his skills and come up with even more creative puzzles and games to eliminate his foes.

39. Ghost Rider + Demon = Demon Rider

In medieval Camelot, Sir Jason Blood was one of the most noble Knights of the Round Table. When his son was stricken ill, however, Sir Jason turned to the dark arts in order to find a way to save him. Summoning a powerful demon, Jason pledged his soul to find a way to save his son. The demon agreed, curing Jason's son of his ailment. However, Jason was later betrayed, in that while his son was cured, the demon arranged it so that he would later die from accident while riding a horse. Calling upon his payment, Jason was bonded with a powerful demon called Zarathigan, transforming him into a mindless, savage monstrosity who then proceeded to ravage the kingdom. Jason's rampage came to a end when the wizard Merlin cast a spell to separate Zarathigan from Jason, transforming Jason back to normal. However, Merlin's spell could not completely sever the tie, only weaken it, as Jason's bloodline would forever be tainted with Demon blood. And some day, a future generation would one day again be bonded to Zarathigan and once again be transformed into a powerful demon. That day came centuries later when Sir Jason's descendant, Jason Blaze, would be transformed on his 18th birthday and once again be bonded with Zarathigan. But having never pledged his soul to the darkness, Jason Blaze still retains some control over Zarathigan's bloodlust.  As such, Jason Blaze uses his newfound powers as the Demon Rider to avenge the innocent and wage war on evil, while struggling to control the demon within.

40. Psylocke + Huntress = Mindhunter

Helena Braddock was the daughter of a notable crime boss in New Gotham. Under siege by other mobsters, Helena's father turned to the mystical sect known as the League of the Hand for help. The League agreed to wipe out his enemies, but for a price- he would turn his daughter over to them. Helena's father agreed, and she was taken by the League and trained to become their greatest assassin. Undergoing a brutal regime to make her into one of the greatest warriors on the planet, the League also tried to transform Helena mystically, to give her even greater power. Their efforts paid off, and Helena's latent mutant abilities were activated, granting her incredible psionic powers. The League trained her to refine her powers, eventually allowing her to focus her telepathic abilities into her Psionic Knife, the focused totality of all her telepathic abilities. However, Helena was never loyal to the League, filled with a burning hatred for both them and her father.  After a decade of training, Helena broke free of her captivity, slaying her captors, and returned to New Gotham to avenge herself on her father and his organization. Now, as Mindhunter, she wages a brutal war against the criminals who take advantage of the innocent, and isn't afraid to use lethal measures to end a threat.

[lushscreamqueen]

PLANET OUTLAWS – 1953 on the Schlocky Horror Picture Show

PLANET OUTLAWS – 1953

OPENING: Hello good evening and yes to follow the old cliché', welcome to the SCHLOCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with me, your host Angelica Houston, just kidding, yes really me Nigel Honeybone here again to thrill you chill you and fulfil you. Tonight we go back to the future as ATOMIC WAR comes from outer space …again…and we explore the 25th Century with Buck Rogers as he saves the world..again , in the 1953 classic PLANET OUTLAWS, Oh wait, was that a spoiler?

BREAK: Wowie, how about that. I'm so excited I'm just going to sit here for a few minutes…………………………….want something more mind numbing? How about a word from ouR sponsers, and then after the break back to the wibble wobble that is "PLANET OUTLAWS"

MIDDLE: AMAZING EXPLOITS OF DEATH-DEFYING DARING!...Zooming from planet to planet in spark-sputtering space ships! Battling human robots! Conquering new worlds! And that's just the tagline. ? I guess 20th century viewers were less sophisticated than we are in the 21st century. We wouldn't stand for someone taking 12 perfectly fine Thrill-thronged chapters of BUCK ROGERS from 1939 and cutting it down into 68 minutes of silver screeniness. I mean really people it was a 14 year old repeat I guess Universal thought no-one would notice because it had a new name. PLANET OUTLAWS. Director Ford Beebe who also worked on Flash Gordon was straight from The Phantom Creeps and then went back to Flash to finish Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. PLANET OUTLAWS stars Buster Crabbe, or as his family knew him, Larry. Now Larry Buster Crabbe had also previously starred in two Flash Gordon serials a couple of Tarzans and a long string of westerns, so it was only natural for Universal to decide he was perfect as the heroic Buck Rogers aka the really old guy who keeps saving the universe but isn't Flash Gordon. Buster Crabbe was not actually the first actor to play Buck Rogers physically. That honour goes to an unknown man who played Buck in a Virginia department store, instead of that store's regular Santa Claus. He couldn't be found for the movie I guess.

Constance Moore who was probably just glad to get the work in what would come to be her first highly recognized film role. was cast as the as relatively seldom-seen romantic interest Wilma Deering, a role made far more famous by Erin Gray in the 70's, while Jackie Moran being one of the lesser remembered but quite active child actors during the 30s and 40s found his feet as sidekick and special friend George "Buddy" Wade. Interesting enough, Evil "Killer" Kane being played by Anthony Warde, who has a huge amount of work under the pseudonym "uncredited" also had a name was change for the movie. In the original comic strip, his was called Oba Kane, and he had a twin brother named Nova and a pistol called "Baby". In the comic he also had a girlfriend named Ardala Valmar but movie regulations would not allow any of this background to be used, so instead, Oba "Killer" Kane is presented as the despotic ruler of a future Earth. Aren't they all? But if you are starting to think sixty eight minutes of a black and white futuristic blast from the past is a bit beyond you and you have all those socks to wash before Monday, You should stick around just to see Prince Tallen of Saturn. He is so wonderfully played by Philip Ahn in an embarrassing piece of typecasting you may recognise him as as Master Kan from Kung Fu. I think he probably should have kept the costume, if only to see what it looked like in colour. There I don't think I gave too much of the plot away! So come fly with me as we return you to the future-uture-uture (echo voice) in PLANET OUTLAWS

CLOSING: It strikes me that PLANET OUTLAWS is almost like a male fantasy come to life. Think about it, Buck gets to take a nice, long five-hundred-year nap! With my busy schedule I'm ecstatic if I can get a fifteen-minute nap on a weekend! Then when he wakes up, Buck is the smartest, most dynamic guy around. Never mind that in real life you would treat someone five centuries behind the times like something that escaped from the zoo. Everyone needs Buck to go on exciting missions, fight the bad guys, test exotic equipment and fly rocket ships and crash them -- I think out of five or six flights Buck makes in the serial, he only lands successfully once. Plus it's easy to see the bullet cars used in the movie are the same ones from Flash Gordon's trip to Mars in 1938. Even the script is a bit suspect. PLANET OUTLAW is probably based on an unofficial Flash Gordon story in which Flash Gordon travels to Saturn, but this story was not and has never been part of the original Flash Gordon universe it was illegally published in 1936 and the final rip-off, the music for PLANET OUTLAWS is from Bride of Frankenstein in 1935. Is there no shame in Hollywood? And so as Uranus sinks slowly into the west I bid you goodnight until we reach into the black hole that is Public Domain for next week's Celluloid Hero and say "Toodles!!"

by Lushscreamqueen Dec 26, 2008

[afspfsjklf]

BASICS 

name: michael jon carter

alias: booster gold

age / birthday: -421/34 // december 29th, 2442

gender / pronouns: cis man // he/him

sexuality: bisexual

team affiliation: the justice league

earth of origin / source material: like, 90% new earth, 10% prime earth

faceclaim: aaron tveit

occupation: businessman (ceo of booster gold international)

identity status: public

positive traits: amiable, diligent, gregarious, jovial, respectful, self-sacrificing.

negative traits: arrogant, easily distracted, forgetful, impulsive, overconfident, self-doubting (those are conflicting personality traits, and yet.... a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.)

where was your character during the invasion?: he was having a _grand_ disagreement with rip hunter over whether or not the invasion was supposed to be a part of the timeline. _it was_, but booster, being the impulsive man he is, still took some of the equipment to travel back and try to stop it before it began. he was almost killed in the process and, in the future of his altered timeline, he realized he fucked it all up. so then rip had to help him undo things, dammit booster.

what are they doing now?: biding his time and trying not to fuck up the time stream anymore, no matter how many things he thinks don’t line up. he’s following rip’s protocol and just protecting the earth when it needs it as the greatest superhero the world will never know.

how has the invasion and superheroes being public figures changed their life?: it hasn’t! hell, his first move when he got to the 21st century was to save the president and become famous! of course, that had to be undone, but he had his taste of fame. he’s still largely enjoying the limelight that superheroes are in now, but he’s seen what that can do to people.... aka, what that can do to him.

any canon divergencies: well! travelled to the 21st century instead of the 20th, but that’s all i can think of _for sure_ as of right now!

ABILITIES / POWERS 

like many gothamites, he has no inherent powers. but what he does have? cool gadgets from the future! -legion flight ring: you can probably gather what it does: this gadget helps him fly. -powersuit: arguably the most important of the gadgets he stole from the space museum before traveling back in time to gotham, this provides him with: --- enhanced durability --- super strength --- forcefield generation --- time-travel circuitry: OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT TO A GUY WHO HAS MANY MISSIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE TIME STREAM --- gauntlets ( blasters ) --- enhanced vision --- enhanced hearing -skeets: my favorite of them all - and probably his too. skeets is a cute little drone who came along for the ride to the 21st century. he provides companionship, advice, security, and is pretty small - can fly places booster can’t and report back to him. -time sphere: belongs to rip hunter, but he uses it often to enter the stream. -also i can’t get over that his ‘prime earth’ wiki lists ‘Mental Illness’ as his weakness that KILLED ME ALFKHOAIELJSDK

CONNECTIONS 

-ted kord: he ain’t here yet i’m just manifesting -selina kyle:  -pyro: chaos buddies -rip hunter: boss but also son who i’m manifesting <3 -goldstar: sister who i’m manifesting <3

HEADCANONS 

- 110% has adhd. i can write an essay on this. - his canon birthday makes him a capricorn, which i can believe. but he’s def sag rising.

THREAD TRACKER 

tbd!

OTHER INSPIRATION 

-my sister’s ex-boyfriend. big himbo. (thought bermuda shorts were a brand and said he was going to buy the company with his beanie baby money, used to say “living bicuriously” instead of “living vicariously,” referred to audio books as “reading books with your ears,” etc. but also gave her many flowers and drank his respect women juice. only broke up with him because things were getting too serious too quickly.) -favorite quotes: -- “living down to expectations!” - his motto with ted kord -- “disgraced and desperate, michael jon carter of the 25th century traveled into the past to recapture his fame and glory. accompanied by his security droid, skeets, michael failed miserably due to his pride, ego and arrogance. but unknown to anyone, that's all changed now. michael protects all of time and space from evil exploitation as the greatest hero history will never know... BOOSTER GOLD ☆” (intro to his 2007 comic series) -- “you put a STARRO in a JAR? HOW are we RELATED?”

[loisinherlane]

Consider this my magnum opus of why I love Booster Gold and why you should read these comics, but also: how Michael Carter and his family are connected to time travel. It’s kind of a hot mess because I run through a bunch of comics, but hopefully this makes sense!

Michael Carter, alias Booster Gold, is the first new hero introduced after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Booster is from the 25th century, where he was a college football player who got caught betting on his games and expelled, eventually becoming a janitor in a museum.

(Booster Gold (2007) #1)

At this museum, he befriends a security robot called Skeets. Eventually, Booster decides that he wants the adoration superheroes had in the 20th/21st century, and with future technology, he would be able to join up in the past. So Booster steals a Time Sphere, a suit, and a Legion of Superheroes flight ring. (Wait, the legion is from the 30th century, right? Yes. There are reasons this ring is in the past, and that’s mostly because Booster was always meant to become a superhero.) In the past, Booster establishes himself as a superhero, with a manager and number of sponsors. He’s about making money. This doesn’t necessarily make him a lot of friends. But he joins the Justice League International, makes friends with some heroes (including Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle), and has a standard fare for a non-central character.

So flash forward to Countdown to Infinite Crisis. For those of you who haven’t read this one: This is a lead-in to the OMAC Project, and later, to Infinite Crisis, where Ted Kord notices a number of things that don’t add up. Unfortunately, Ted is not the most respected hero in the community, and no one quite takes him seriously. Wonder Woman says she’s busy but to keep her updated, and Oracle is trying to get him to pay more attention to other matters.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

So Ted seeks out his best friend Booster to help. Booster, after some initial reluctance, joins up. There’s some noticeable moments where Booster hints that he knows some things about the future (particularly, that Ted is going to die, and the Scarab means that the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, is about to take over): Booster keeps staring at the newly found Scarab. He asks Ted when he found it. Ted, in his narration, hints that Booster knew Doomsday would kill Superman, and he still took the first punch.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

All of this parallels what happens next: Booster shoos Ted away from the computer and takes over. Booster gets hit by an explosion meant for Ted.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

Consider: Later implications of time travel suggest that some small things can be changed, but the big things can’t. If Booster knew what was going to happen, did Booster only postpone Ted’s death?

With that, Ted does die at the end of this story, and a part of The OMAC Project is Wonder Woman and Booster investigating Ted’s death. But as much as I love Ted, we’re mostly talking about Booster and time travel today. So moving on!

In Infinite Crisis, Booster is the one who fetches Jaime Reyes. After returning to the 25th century to access historical records, he tracks down Jaime via the scarab. (Of course, this is another example of a potential change: Booster says he may be saving millions or billions of lives, but this is unsubstantiated.)

(Infinite Crisis #2)

(Infinite Crisis #5)

So this brings us to 52, the fallout of Infinite Crisis. Booster Gold’s plot, while not obviously central in its introduction, plays a major role in bringing back the multiverse to the Post-Crisis continuity. Booster Gold, in the wake of the loss of his best friend Ted Kord, has sold-out again.

(52 #1)

With the help of Skeets, he’s returned to his origins. He wants to be a hero and make bank. Superman’s not around, so who else could Metropolis turn to?

Booster is on the outs though. First, with the heroes: Ralph Dibny blames him for not realizing his wife Sue was going to be murdered. Beatriz de Costa (Fire) shames him for how he’s acting after Ted’s death.

(52 #7)

(52 #4)

Pay attention to that notepad. Booster writes the names of Rip Hunter and his fellow Time Masters, as well S.T.A.R. Labs Time Travel Division. Everyone but Rip Hunter is crossed out. Rip’s name is circled, but he’s noted as “unlisted?????”

Because he’s noticed a number of events that don’t line up with the history Booster and Skeets remember, Booster goes to visit Rip Hunter in his Time Lab in Arizona. Skeets has to hold the door open because of the lock, so Booster goes in by himself...

(52 #6)

...and sees this... (Feel free to read what’s on the chalkboard. A lot of it hints to happenings in both 52 and the One Year Later event, as well as other stories. It can be fun to make connections.)

(52 #6)

...and this. Yikes.

We soon find out that Booster hired an actor to fake an incident on a subway. Why? Well... that answer’s not so clear. But considering the rest of the story, it’s likely Booster wanted to discredit himself.

(52 #7)

Unfortunately for Booster, this ruins his reputation with the public, and he’s soon replaced by a new, more humble hero: Supernova.

(52 #10)

And the public adores Supernova. Meanwhile, Booster’s sponsors pull out as his reputation goes down the drain.

Booster gets one last moment in the limelight, when he pushes too hard trying to upstage Supernova, and he dies... though he’s recognized as a hero for his tragic sacrifice.

((Hold on if you haven’t read 52. You’re going to find this one funny.))

(52 #15)

So... Booster is dead. Ha. What next? Well, Skeets seeks out Booster’s ancestor, Daniel Carter, for help to get back into the Time Lab. After all, Booster didn’t give Skeets the details.

(52 #19)

Daniel lets Skeets see into the Time Lab, where Skeets finally sees the same things Booster saw.

(52 #19)

Whoops! The real problem is Skeets. A little more menacing now, isn’t it? So Skeets abandons Daniel in the Time Lab, where he’s sucked into a vortex that’s part of Rip’s security measures. Meanwhile, Skeets is free to handle his evil plan. Whatever that is.

Back to Metropolis: Supernova is still out there, doing good. He’s also grabbing items that seem a little... eclectic. 

(52 #20)

And everyone is theorizing about who’s really under the mask. Cassie Sandsmark thinks it’s Kon-El. Lex Luthor thinks it’s Superman. Ralph Dibny puts the pieces together...

(52 #31)

But Supernova asks him not to say it out loud.

Later, we see that Supernova is actually working for Rip Hunter. Everything he’s gathered has been for Rip, who, as you can see, is really going through it. (Sad they never followed up on why Rip Hunter was affected like this, but I have my own thoughts that I might say later.)

(52 #36)

Where are they working anyway? In the jarred city of Kandor! Of course, Skeets can’t find them here, can he?

(52 #36)

Whoops. Spoke too soon.

(52 #37)

But who is Supernova? That burning question we’ve had for all these issues?

It’s... Michael Carter! Booster Gold!

(52 #37)

So, as Rip asks, Booster tells him. Booster knew something was off with Skeets. At the Time Lab, he almost asked him. But Rip Hunter arrived and recruited him for the long con. Rip needed Booster to gather materials, but they couldn’t alert Skeets. However, using a suit Rip rigged, Booster could be in two places at once: through time travel. After faking his death (using his real corpse from the future), Booster was sent back in time twelve weeks to complete Supernova’s actions.

Now Rip, Booster, and Skeets are engaged in a battle that, uh... is not continued until Week 50 on panel. If you count this as continued. I just love this panel.

(52 #50)

Actually, Skeets follows Rip and Booster to a lab where T.O. Morrow has searched the Red Torado’s brain to find out the truth of the 52 that he’s been repeating throughout the series.

(52 #51)

Of course, it’s not actually Skeets. The real Skeets was used as a chrysalis for Mister Mind... who has become a horrifying moth hellbent on eating the new multiverse.

(52 #51)

Rip drags Booster out, back to the Time Sphere, where they travel back to the beginning.

(52 #52)

After the events of Infinite Crisis, the multiverse was recreated. 52 identical Earths came into existence, and the same struggle has been taking place on all of them. These Earths are slowly aligning, and for some reason, Rip can see this, but Booster can’t. (Hold tight: Let’s keep in mind, for some reason, Rip was totally non-linear earlier. We’ll come back to this.)

(52 #52)

Rip intends to save all of the Earths, as they slowly settle into the new multiverse, with help from Supernova! ...This time, Daniel Carter, the Carter family ancestor that Skeets/Mister Mind used earlier.

(52 #52)

Bad news is that Mister Mind is still bent on eating a universe. As he eats parts of the various Earths, he changes their history, which leads to each Earth being unique.

(52 #52)

Booster has doubts about their ability to face something this big, but Skeets, now broken from Mister Mind, cheers him on... Booster heads back to the one place he knows to get the right power source, and Rip hints about Booster’s “glory days” soon to come. So now we know there’s a connection between Booster and Rip.

(52 #52)

But where is Booster going to get that power source?

(52 #52)

The immediate aftermath of the first crisis, where he talks a little with very young Ted Kord. (Sad.) Now we have to wonder how Booster knows to go back here? How much about time travel does Booster know yet?

Anyway, together, Rip, Booster, and Daniel succeed in defeating Mister Mind, and the multiverse is restored. Rip is very optimistic!

(52 #52)

So... let’s cut to Booster Gold’s second solo. Notice the title of his first story is “52 Pick-Up.” Booster, after saving the multiverse, wants nothing more than to be a hero again. He wants to join the Justice League again! Unfortunately, he’s recruited by Rip Hunter once again, who makes it clear that Booster’s destiny lies in time travel instead. And the world needs to think Booster is an idiot.

(Booster Gold (2007) #1)

Notice how Rip mentions his father? We’re finally getting somewhere.

Meanwhile, the other weird Time Stuff, that’s going on. Back at Rip Hunter’s Lab, Rip has written a number of interesting things on his chalkboard again.

Notice how Rip notes 1939 (the year Detective Comics was first published), 1985 (Crisis on Infinite Earths), and 2006 (Infinite Crisis). This shows how the crises actually affect time in the DC universe. Rip is, of course, aware of it. Is Booster too? How else would he know about the first crisis?

What is the connection between Rip and Booster anyway? Why does Rip care so much about Booster? Well...

(Booster Gold (2007) #1000000)

That’s right! Booster is actually Rip Hunter’s dad! So a lot of stuff we’ve been over must make more sense now.

But seriously, the Carter family is heavily involved in time travel, and the way it interacts with them is interesting. We’ve already seen how Rip isn’t linear when the timestream is disrupted... but what about the other members? How does this all affect Booster?

Honestly, I’m not sure. And I just ran out of energy for this post. If you want to know more, send an ask! And read the comics. You will not regret it.