Booster Gold - Television Tropes & Idioms

The greatest hero history will never know!

"Light up the whole damn sky, Daniel! This one's for the blue and the gold!"

—Booster Gold, 52

Booster Gold was the first major new character to appear in The DCU after Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in "Booster Gold" #1 (February, 1986), created by Dan Jurgens. Born in the 25th century, Booster Gold, born Michael Jon Carter, was a famous college football player, until he got caught betting on his games. After that, his life was a wreck: he was disowned from his family, expelled from college and he couldn't play football anymore. It wasn't until he got a job at the Metropolis Space Museum as a security guard that he got the idea to go back in time to become a superhero and make a little money at it too. So he stole the Time Sphere and brought along Skeets, a security droid that he had befriended.

Originally intending to call himself Goldstar, at his first public appearance he flubbed it, combining his football nickname Booster with his intended superhero name. Booster then went on to be a part of the Justice League International, where he met and befriended Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle.

Currently the star of his own series, in which he roams the timestream protecting history from enemies who — if they ever saw past his foolish reputation and realized he was the one foiling their schemes — would not only kill him but do it in such a way that Booster Gold never existed. So now instead of promoting himself, Booster must do everything in his power to make people think he's an inept idiot, in order to carry out his mission to defend time itself.

Also frequently appearing in Batman The Brave And The Bold.

And for the last time He's not the Green Lantern

Tropes that can be found in Booster Gold:

A Day in the Limelight: Booster's memorable episode on Justice League Unlimited.
Arch-Enemy: Maxwell Lord.
Back from the Dead: Michelle, Booster's sister. This happened to Booster himself back in the JLI, he died on the operating table but because of the situation, was (effectively) a zombie for about a day. Then Ted built him a Power Armor suit that would double as life support.
Badass Family: The Carter's.
Barrier Warrior: Booster, Volume 2 added Goldstar.
Berserk Button: Don't hurt Skeets. Plain and simple. Just don't.
The Big Board: Rip Hunter's chalkboard, which gives hints on future events in The DCU.
Big Bad Friend: In Issue 5 of Generation Lost Max makes it clear that he still considers Booster a friend and warns him to stay out of his way.
Black Sheep: Booster goes down in history as this.
Blue Oni Red Oni: Booster (Red Oni) and Michelle (Blue Oni) have a bit of this trope.
Break Out The Museum Piece: Though the point of going to the 20th century is that these 25th century "museum pieces" are still incredibly advanced tech by our standards
Break the Haughty: Booster in the 52 miniseries.
Brother-Sister Team: Booster and Michelle.
Butterfly of Doom: Features in the various time travel plots. Such as Max Lord taking over the world because Ted lived.
Character Development: Booster's increasing popularity is largely the result of enormous amounts of character development following Ted Kord's death. A good measure of how far he's come? 1980s JLI had Booster as largely ineffectual comic relief. 2010's JLI has Booster quickly asserting himself as the natural leader.
Chest Insignia: Both Booster and Goldstar share a simple blue 5 pointed star.
Civvie Spandex: When Booster saves Cyrus's life at the end of the story, he adds a longcoat to his uniform.
Chrome Champion: Peter Platinum
Clothes Make the Superman: All of Booster's superpowers come from his costume and equipment.
Closest Thing We Got: In his Justice League episode.
Clothing Damage: Booster
Color Character
Come with Me If You Want to Live: Lampshaded. Ted Kord says the line, and Booster protests.
"You said I could say it."
Continuity Cameo: Most notably in the first episode of Legion Of Superheroes, Booster is a janitor in the museum.
Continuity Nod: They're almost constant, since this series has the entire history of the DCU to play around with.
Corporate Sponsored Superhero: Booster has been this at various points in his career.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: The series revolves around this trope. Back in the day, Booster was a shameless glory hound (though his heart was in the right place) with a reputation for screwing up. Now, he's just the opposite: he's developed into a truly great hero, but his mission depends on convincing the world that he's still just an egocentric dope.
Daydream Believer: When Booster suggests they make a pit stop in the 1950's, Rip answers, "for the last time, The Fonz is a fictional character!" Booster replies that Rip is just being mean.
Dead Little Sister: Michael's sister, Michelle, was inspired by her brother's acts of heroism and put on a similar costume to follow in his footsteps. She got killed in an explosion; Booster never forgave himself for his indirect role in her death. Thanks to Rip and the Timey Wimey Ball, Michelle got better.
Deal with the Devil: Booster made one of these with Monarch to restore himself and regain his arm. For reasons that I'm unsure of this led him to sprouting Combat Tentacles.
Dramatic Unmask: When we find out who stole the Supernova suit (but not the identity of Black Beetle).
Disappeared Dad: Jonar. Though given what a nasty guy he is Booster's life would have been better if he stayed gone.
Distaff Counterpart: Michelle as Goldstar.
Dystopia: Any of the Bad Futures, but Booster's home time has a few elements of a dystopia. Fortunately we know that it's gone by the time of the Legion.
Esperanto, the Universal Language: This is Booster's (and presumably Goldstar's) first language.
Mr. Fanservice: Arguably Booster.
Evil Counterpart: Maxmillion to Skeets, the third Supernova for Booster. Maybe the Chronos Twins to Booster and Goldstar.
Faking the Dead: In 52, the not-death of Booster Gold is hidden by Booster Gold.
Family Business: Being a Time Master is turning into this.
Fan of the Past: Booster was a history major specializing in the Age of Superheroes.
Fanservice
- The Spy Catsuit uniforms.
- Clothing Damage
Figure It Out Yourself: Booster uses a variation on this, to his past self.
Fish Out of Temporal Water
Flanderization: Played with. Booster plays up the part of being a joke hero and a glory hog so that no one will recognize his importance to the time stream, basically a self-enforced Flanderization.
Flying Brick/Flying Firepower:
- Flight: The Legion Flight Ring.
- Nigh Invulnerability: Forcefield.
- Superstrength: Power Armor and/or Clothes Make the Superman.
- Eye Beam: Frickin' Laser Beams (Or Energy Weapon, they're not really specific) for the Beam part, and the Goggles Do Something Unusual for the Eye part.
- Plus the Time Travel Circuitry.
Foe Yay: Maxwell Lord. Generation Lost #1. Wow.
Glory Seeker: Booster Gold's original characterization, and 52. The latter was an act.
Goggles Do Something Unusual: They have a targeting system built in, among other things.
The Greatest Story Never Told: Booster's Justice League Unlimited episode, the Trope Namer. Also part of Booster's current title, as he has to let history think he's an idiot in order to do what he does.
Green Eyes: One of the first things you notice about Sondra Crain.
The Gump: Booster had gained some elements of this.
Heroic BSOD: Booster, on learning that his only legacy will be the egotistical Peter Platinum. Michelle, when she finds out that she should have died.
Heterosexual Life Partners: Booster and Ted.
Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act: Remarked upon by Booster in a recent issue of the comic.
Identical Grandson: In this case, great-great-great (etc.) grandson: Booster bears a striking resemblance to Daniel Carter, his present-day ancestor, including personality and life experiences.
Kaleidoscope Eyes: Rip Hunter.
Kaleidoscope Hair: Rip Hunter again.
Kid from the Future: Rip Hunter is Booster Gold's son.
The Knights Who Say Squee: How to persuade Sinestro to do something.
Large Ham: In his Smallville Episode Booster.
Legacy Character: Goldstar; the first Goldstar was Trixie Collins. Blue Beetle — in fact it has all the Blue Beetles (including the futuristic Black Beetle) in one shot. Michelle and Trixie (as stated above). Booster becomes Supernova at one time, then gives it to Daniel Carter and in the future Booster's father even has the suit! Not to mention it's been hinted that Rip would take up the Booster Gold mantle at some point. So yeah.
Locked Out of the Loop: Michelle regarding her death. When she finds out she is pissed.
Lucky Charms Title: Booster's first series was spelled Boo$ter Gold. His current one is spelled B∞ster Gold.
MacGuffin: The Egyptian knife from the "Reality Lost" arc.
Meaningful Name: Jonar means "He who tried and failed", and Rip Hunter, who 'hunts' for 'rips' in time that need corrected and makes sure things happen how they're supposed to.
Mona Lisa Smile: Courtesy of Michelle.
Mr. Vice Guy: In Booster's case, the search for fame and money.
Mythology Gag: There's one to The Greatest Story Never Told in the comic. The Space Museum where Booster used to work? It had its own series back during DC's Silver Age.
No Hero to His Valet: In Booster's first series, Dirk Davis and Trixie Collins have this reaction when they find out Booster's backstory. Also Broderick.
No Holds Barred Beat Down: The Joker does this to Booster, and Booster Gold and Superman have both beat each other senseless.◊
Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Booster was originally less than a muggle, he was a total loser: an ex-football player from the 25th disgraced by betting on his own games who ends up as the security guard of a museum. He steals a time travel device and a robot buddy and transports himself to present day... and has surprisingly become a great hero despite himself.
Ominous Multiple Screens: In Rip Hunter's lab, and in the Vanishing Point when it's the Time Stealers' base.
Place Beyond Time: Vanishing Point.
Portal Cut: How Booster was originally supposed to die in 52.
Power Armor: They even had their own Fan Nickname.
Putting the Band Back Together:
- Max puts together the JLI in Generation Lost.
- When Booster messes up the timeline by trying to save Ted, they reunite the old members of the Justice League International to overthrow Maxwell Lord in an alternate timeline.
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The JLI, for the most part.
Ring of Power: Booster's Flight Ring.
Ripple Effect Indicator: Booster's Justice League membership in the first arc of Volume 2.
Room Full of Crazy: Rip Hunter's lab in 52.
Secret Keeper: Booster discovered that Batman had the photos of him trying to help Barbara Gordon when he tried to prevent The Killing Joke. When Batman acknowledged that Booster has a more important job to do, he became Booster's Secret Keeper.
Secret Legacy: Played with. Booster thinks that the only legacy that he's going to leave behind is the egotistical Peter Platinum. In actuality his legacy is that his family becomes the Time Masters. Also, in the Millennium event, it was revealed that Booster is a descendent of the Chosen and will aid in humanity's evolution; he still doesn't know about this.
Selective Magnetism: Goldstar has this in addition to all of Booster's powers.
Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Part of Booster's current job.
Straight Man And Wiseguy: Booster was the straight man and Blue Beetle was the wiseguy. Then these roles were reversed.
Sticky Fingers: Related to the Break Out The Museum Piece, Booster has a tendency to use things that are associated with other superheros.
Superhero Sobriquets: The Greatest Hero You Have Never Heard Of! Previously the Corporate Crusader.
Super Zeroes: Booster is thought of this way.
Tarot Motifs: In Trinity, Booster makes an appearance in the Justice League Arcana as the 15th of the major arcana (the Devil, which represents over-attachment to material things - fitting for Booster).
Tears of Remorse: What sent Booster over the edge at Blue Beetle's funeral was his inability to speak.
Theme Twin Naming: Michael (Booster) and his twin sister, Michelle.
Those Two Guys: Booster and Ted.
Those Two Bad Guys: Booster and Blue Beetle once went undercover as this.
Throwing The Fight: Originally Booster was expelled from sports for betting on his own games; over time this has morphed into throwing games in order to get money to get his mother medical treatment.
Thirteen Is Unlucky: Thirteen was Booster's Football number.
Time Machine: The Time Sphere is of the TARDIS type where you can program where and when you want to go.
Time Travel for Fun and Profit
Translator Microbes: The Red Baron, Renaissance Italians, and Ancient Egyptians all speaking modern English seems like a lazy, irritating flaw, until the writers thought to add a quick line about Universal Translator Tech from the future.
Unlimited Wardrobe: Booster has had a lot of costumes, here is a list of them.
Warts And All: Despite his flaws, Booster really is the hero he presents himself as.
We Will All Be History Buffs in the Future: Averted.
Would Hit a Girl: In Booster's first Justice League International appearance.
You Can't Fight Fate: Partially averted, partially played straight. While it is possible to change some things in the past to affect the rest of the timeline, this can lead to a Butterfly Effect that can change everything; usually the only reason Booster can affect the past is because it has already been changed/is in danger of changing on it's own due to timeholes. However the played straight part comes with the theorem of "solidified time", in which some events in time become so important to future events that they cannot be changed or will at least still happen eventually; Booster can't save Barbara Gordon because she won't then become Oracle, Blue Beetle still dies "officially" because then the events leading to Max Lord's death won't happen, which stops Infinite Crisis from occurring, which in turn means The Multiverse wouldn't exist.