James Gunn recently announced a whole new slate of DC movies and TV shows, including some lesser-known properties. One hero who will finally enjoy the spotlight is Booster Gold, a time traveling crime fighter with imposter syndrome. Gunn describes him as “a loser from the future who uses his basic future technology to come back to today and pretend to be a superhero so that people will love him. It is basically the superhero story of imposter syndrome.”
Intriguing! Booster Gold had a brief appearance in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, but other than that, he hasn’t had much screen time. So what exactly is Booster Gold’s deal? If you haven’t caught up on the comics yet, here’s what you need to know!
Who is Booster Gold?
Booster Gold’s real name is Michael Carter. Born in Gotham City in the 25th century, Michael starts off as a promising football player, earning the nickname “Booster” on the field. However, when his mother gets sick, he takes up his father’s gambling habit to try to pay for her medical treatment. His gambling eventually lands him in jail.
When he gets out, Michael gets a job in a museum in Metropolis. There, he learns about the Justice League, and decides to travel back in time to join them. He steals some artifacts from the museum, along with a security robot named Skeets and a time machine from scientist Rip Hunter.
Sure enough, Michael’s future technology gives him what looks like superpowers in the present day, and he’s launched to fame when he saves the life of Ronald Reagan. After that, he joins the Justice League and fulfills his fantasy of becoming a superhero.
Booster Gold’s powers
Booster has no innate superpowers, but his tech grants him some fantastical abilities (by our puny 21st century standards, that is). Booster can fly and manipulate time, but his main power is shooting gold blasts from his hands.
Booster Gold’s villains
Although Booster Gold doesn’t really have a nemesis in the same way that Batman fights the Joker or Superman goes up against Lex Luthor, he has fought a variety of villains over the years. Some of these villains include Black Beetle, Master Mind, and the Time Stealers.
Can’t wait to see Booster Gold on TV? The show probably won’t premiere until at least 2025, but in the meantime, you can get plenty of Booster at your local comic book shop.
(featured image: DC Comics)
