DC’s Legends of Tomorrow revealed a surprising addition to the Arrowverse recently, and now Donald Faison is officially playing Booster Gold in The CW’s superhero universe. While the world waits to see where we’ll see him next (hopefully, Legends of Tomorrow gets to Season 8), fans might be curious to learn some of Booster Gold’s history from the comics.
It’s unknown at this time just how comic-accurate the Arrowverse’s Booster Gold will be, but it’s always good to look at what the comics tell us all the same. With that in mind, let’s touch on some of the more important parts of the character’s history and give anyone interested a better idea of what he’s all about.
He’s A Time Traveler From The Future
About the most important thing to know about Booster Gold is that he’s from the future. 25th-century citizen Michael Jon Carter was a disgraced former college quarterback kicked out of the league for fixing games when life gave him a second chance. While at his job working security for the Metropolis Space Museum, Booster learned about the heroes of our present. He ultimately stole a number of museum artifacts from heroes, including a time sphere that he used to go to the 20th century.
Carter traveled back in time with the goal of reinventing himself as a superhero and using his knowledge of the past to create a comfortable living for himself. He originally intended to take on the name Goldstar but got Booster Gold when he accidentally fudged up his name to President Ronald Reagan, and it was promptly announced to the world. Thus, Booster Gold was born.
He’s Has A Robot Sidekick
Booster Gold’s grand plan to travel to the past wasn’t accomplished alone, as he had the assistance of a 25th-century security robot named Skeets. Skeets is pretty advanced by robotic standards and as such, is able to do a variety of things for Gold, in addition to being a close friend and confidant. It’s not often the two are separated, and if they are, something is probably wrong.
In DC Comics, Skeets is capable of doing everything from taking over Booster Gold’s costume when the hero is unconscious to reciting key events from DC’s timeline up to anything before the 25th century. Unfortunately, he’s not indestructible, and there are a few times in DC’s lore where Skeets was destroyed are deactivated, and Booster Gold had to go without him. Like the mantle of Robin, though, he always returns eventually, even if he’s just a little different than the previous version.
Booster Gold Is The Father Of Rip Hunter
Legends of Tomorrow fans might be interested to learn that Booster Gold has ties to another notable DC character associated with the Arrowverse show. In DC Comics, Booster Gold is the father of Rip Hunter, who is ultimately responsible for Booster Gold’s trip to the past in the first place. The hero stole Hunter’s time sphere to travel back in time, so in a way, Rip Hunter is responsible for his own existence.
Obviously, fans of Legends of Tomorrow will want to know if the Booster Gold introduced to the Arrowverse is indeed the father of this universe’s Rip Hunter. At the present, we actually have no idea if that’s the case, though in the event this is the final season of Legends of Tomorrow, this could be a great moment to take the series full circle. I’m personally rooting for the timeline where this show ends with the birth of Rip Hunter, though again, we have no idea if that’s what The CW series intends to do, or if this moment from Booster Gold’s life will be canon.
He's Obsessed With Fame
If there’s one flaw that Booster Gold has as a comic character, it’s that he’s obsessed with fame. While superheroes like Superman and Batman tend to shy away from the spotlight and don’t revel in their international renown and fame. Booster Gold is not like that, and if cameras are watching, he’s more than inviting to anyone willing to give him a spotlight. Suffice to say this can rub a lot of DC heroes the wrong way and make them a bit apprehensive to work with Booster Gold at times.
Of course, the tragic part of Booster Gold’s search for fame feels rooted in the fact that his original life didn’t quite work out in his favor. His father manipulated him into match-fixing football games, and suddenly the big man on campus became a villain of the sports world. Booster Gold just wants to recapture those moments in life where he felt like the top dog, and perhaps it’s the fact that he’s so desperate for fame that he doesn’t always get it in the ways he wants. Plus, it’s awfully hard to be one of the coolest heroes out there when Batman is around, right?
Booster Gold Is Best Buddies With The Blue Beetle
DC heroes often have friendly working relationships, though it’s hard to argue that there were many heroes that were as great of buddies as Booster Gold and Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle (which is not the same Blue Beetle as in the upcoming movie). The two had a few encounters in their early runnings, but it wasn’t until the 1987 run of International Justice League International that we saw them become thick as thieves. They really reveled in poking fun at each other, concocting schemes, and generally getting into all sorts of shenanigans. It’s the kind of luxury one gets when not the most important heroes in the Justice League, but it’s not all fun and games.
Unfortunately, the story of Booster Gold and Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle had a very tragic end. Kord was murdered by the Justice League then-business manager Maxwell Lord. As a time traveler, Booster Gold ultimately tried to save his friend, but bad things often happened when he did. It’s a sad end to one of DC’s greatest friendships between heroes, and one that’s still one of DC’s most memorable.
He’s Often Used As Comic Relief
Booster Gold has some serious arcs in the DC Universe, but a lot of the time, when he pops up in the comics or in other DC projects, there’s a comedic slant to it. Hey, it’s not like Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman are known for their ability to crack jokes, so it’s a job that falls on other heroes to provide levity in tough moments.
Everyone loves a clown, unless that clown is Joker. The fact of the matter is, the world of DC is dark and grim, and there aren’t a ton of moments for the average heroic endeavor to have humor. One could argue that Booster Gold brings something to the table a lot can’t do when the going gets tough, and for that, he’s gained a reputation as a beloved hero in the DC universe.
Hopefully, Booster Gold’s appearance in the Legends of Tomorrow Season 7 finale on The CW is the first of many future appearances. It’s even possible he’ll spring up on a different Arrowverse show, so be sure to keep track of which are airing and returning on the TV premiere schedule in the coming weeks to see if and when he’ll spring up.
