Issue 23- My Hero: Booster Gold
So a bit ago I wrote an article about some of my favorite superhero cartoons. I made note of Justice League Unlimited which included an episode dedicated to a hero many people never heard of. The Greatest Story Never Told actually introduced me to the character of Booster Gold and both as a concept, and a character, he sucked me in instantly.
Booster is a bit of an oddity in the superhero community in that he began his tenure with purely selfish interests. Money, branding, popularity, that was everything Booster desired. Heroing was just a way to get there and pay the bills. Usually matched with Blue Beetle, the Ted Kord version, Booster brought some much needed levity to the DC Universe at a time when they most needed it, after the Crisis.
(The Greatest hero You Never Heard OF!)
Celebrity Hero?
While the idea of a celebrity hero is much more common now a days, from Image’s Youngblood to Marvel’s Ultimates, back in the 80’s it was unheard of.
Heroes were still thought of to be pillars of good, even if they had their own issues, they sacrificed everything for the greater good.
However, in 1985, after the Crisis which rebooted the DC Universe, Dan Jurgens decided the company needed a new hero. At the time, he felt the lineup for the publisher felt a bit too stuffy. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were all good characters but they also were very serious. That made it hard to compete with Marvel’s roster who certainly were more inclined to crack a joke every now and then.
But it was the 80's. Celebrity culture was also on the rise. Endorsement deals, movies, tv’s, advertisements, being popular was the it thing so Dan figured, why wouldn’t a superhero take the same approach?
(Booster O’s...part of a balanced breakfast!)
From Zero To Hero
So who is this unknown savior! Well, Booster began life as Michael Jon Carter, a football scholarship student in the 25th Century who was convinced by his father to throw games so he could bet on himself. His ruse failed and he was found out and the college expelled him, essentially ruining his life.
However, while working at a hero museum, Michael decided to steal some super tech and a history robot named Skeets in order to go back in time and make a name for himself as a hero. With Skeet’s knowledge, he'd be able to know about crimes before hand and stop them, all in order to gain fame and fortune! And product placement!
(Skeets is awesome! And so hip!)
In his first adventure, he stopped the kidnapping of Ronald Reagan. Yes, that Ronald. The President of the United States.
Originally planning to call himself Goldstar, our new hero got tongue tied when the president asked him his name. Spouting out “Booster, uh no Gold” a new hero was born!
(Branding is everything Michael. At least it doesn’t sound like your name is something you got from your kindergarten teacher.)
League of His Own
Booster’s history really doesn’t start till after his first solo outing. It was in the pages of the new Justice League where he truly bloomed.
It’s there that his bromance with the second incarnation of Blue Beetle began. Ted and Booster were the comedic heart of the team, pulling pranks, cracking jokes, and really doing everything they could to keep the teams spirits up no matter what.
(Aw… so nice! I think...)
This is where Booster started to really embrace being a hero for something other than fame. Realizing the error of his ways, he even eventually headed back to his own time to stand trial for his crimes.
Of course good times have to end and during the prelude to Infinite Crisis where Ted is murdered, because Dc had to be darker. This was a tragic tale that fortunately ended with the birth of a new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes who we’ll get to eventually, who Booster took not only a liking too, but wished to take the new hero under his wing.
This was really the start of the new Booster, a much more serious hero who, while still was much more inclined to crack a joke, began to use his gifts to keep the timeline secure.
Media Booster
As I mentioned, make sure to check out the Justice League Unlimited episode, The Greatest Story Never Told, to get a good primer on the guy. It’s a great introduction to the character.
Happily, he's also appeared in other media from Smallville to Lego batman, to the much more recent Justice League Action. There’s even hints that there’s a movie version being made created by the father of the DC CW Arrowverse, Greg Berlanti.
But until then, I’m happy to report Booster’s still alive and well… at this time in the DC universe.
Make sure to check him out!
In the meantime, that’s it for this issue. Make sure to check out my next post on my favorite Superhero movie Themes! Excelsior!
(I’ll leave you with JLU’s Booster Gold introduction!)
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booster_Gold
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://vaughndemont.com/comicscorner/2018/08/11/issue-23-my-hero-booster-gold/