Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter)

Booster Gold is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Dan Jurgens, he has been a member of the Justice League and first appeared in Booster Gold #1 (1986).

Background / History

From the future

Michael Jon Carter is a college football star in the 25th century, who is banned from the sport when he is caught betting on his own football games. He takes a job as a night watchman at the Metropolis Space Museum, where he begins to study displays about superheroes and villains from the past, particularly the 20th century.

With the help of a security robot named Skeets, he steals devices from the museum displays, including a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring and Brainiac 5’s force-field belt. He uses Rip Hunter’s time machine, also on display in the museum, to travel to the 20th century, intent on becoming a superhero and a corporation based around himself to make a comfortable living. As such, he is a shameless self-promoter whose obsession with fame and wealth irritates other heroes.

Carter’s nickname as a football player was Booster, but his chosen 20th century superhero name was Goldstar. After saving the president, Carter mangles the two names, causing the president (who resembles Ronald Reagan) to introduce him as “Booster Gold.” The name stuck.

Celebrity

Booster Gold is originally based in Metropolis, the home city of Superman. He starts his hero career by preventing the shape-shifting assassin Chiller, an operative of The 1000, from killing the president of the United States and replacing him. With the public exposure he gains from this rescue, Booster is quickly able to sign a multitude of commercial and movie deals. During Booster’s superhero career, his sister Michelle Carter, powered by a magnetic suit, follows in his footsteps as the superheroine Goldstar.

She dies soon after, leaving him devastated. Amassing a small fortune, Booster founds Goldstar, Inc. (later Booster Gold International) as a holding company and hires Dirk Davis to act as his agent. During the Millennium event, Davis reveals that he is a Manhunter in disguise and has siphoned money from Booster’s accounts for months in hopes of leaving Booster no choice but to do the Manhunters’ bidding. Although the Manhunters are ultimately defeated, Booster is left bankrupt.

Justice League

Booster Gold is a key character in the late ’80s/early ’90s Justice League revamp by writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis. Booster Gold is frequently partnered with fellow Justice League member Blue Beetle, and the two quickly become best friends. The duo of Booster and Beetle is responsible for some of the most memorable moments in the Justice League series, including a stint as superhero repo men and the construction of a gaming resort, Club JLI, on the living island Kooey Kooey Kooey.

After one too many disgraces and longing for the reputation he once had, Booster quit the League to found The Conglomerate, a superhero team whose funding was derived from corporate sponsors. Booster and his team were determined to perform as legitimate heroes but found that their sponsors compromised those values far too often. The Conglomerate re-formed several times after Booster rejoined the League, though never finding much success.

When an alien of awesome power comes to Earth and rampages, it is Booster Gold who coins the name Doomsday for it. In the ensuing battle with Doomsday, Booster’s costume is destroyed. Blue Beetle is able to design a new (albeit bulkier) costume to replace it, although this costume often malfunctions. During a later battle with Devastator a servant of the Overmaster, Booster is nearly killed and loses an arm. Again, Blue Beetle comes to his aid, designing a suit that acts as a life support system in addition to replicating the powers of Booster’s previous costumes. This suit also includes a cybernetic arm to replace the arm Booster had lost.

Extreme Justice

After the Justice League falls apart, Booster Gold joins Extreme Justice, a team led by Captain Atom. While a member of this team, Booster makes a deal with the super-villain Monarch, who fully heals Booster’s wounds so that he can once again remove his battle suit. Booster dons a new costume created in part by Skeets, who aids Booster and is even able to take control of the costume if Booster is rendered unconscious.

Following the disbanding of Extreme Justice, this suit was destroyed. A new costume was created by Professor Hamilton, based on the designs of both the original 25th century costume and the energy containment suit Superman was wearing at this time. This costume was apparently later “tweaked” to more closely resemble Booster’s original costume.

Originally Posted by Kain Darkwind of the Dicefreaks forums.

On this Thread

Michael Jon Carter, Booster Gold
Medium humanoid
Wounds	14 WP, 91 VP (14d8+28)
Initiative	+3
Speed	30 ft.; fly 100 ft. (average)
AC	23 (+10 deflection, +3 Dexterity) touch 23, flat footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple	+10/+20
Attack	Forceblast +18 ranged touch (Varies, see below) or unarmed strike +20 melee (1d6 + 10)
Full Attack	Forceblast +16/+16/+11 ranged touch (Varies, see below) or unarmed strike +20/+15 melee (1d6 + 10)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Forceblasts
Special Qualities	Forcefield, strength enhancement
Saves	Fort +6, Ref +19, Will +3
Abilities	Strength 15 (30), Dexterity 16, Constitution 14, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 9, Charisma 15
Skills	Bluff +19, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (current events) +6, Knowledge (history) +6, Listen +8, Perform (acting) +19, Spot +8
Feats	Brawl, Improved Bullrush, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (blasters)
Climate/Terrain	Metropolis
Organization	Solitary (unique) or with Blue Beetle or with Skeets
Challenge Rating	10
Treasure	Equipment
Alignment	Neutral

Possessions All of Booster’s abilities come from his costume’s technology.

Flight ring Booster has one of the Legion of Super-Heros’ flight rings, which allow him to fly at 100 ft. (average)

Forceblasters Booster’s standard weapon is a pair of arm mounted force cannons.

He can alter the damage between nonlethal and lethal as a swift action.

He can deal between 1d6 and 10d6 force damage with a ranged touch attack (100 foot range) as an attack action. Each d6 of damage he deals drains one charge from his forceblasters.

Booster receives a +4 bonus to attack with his forceblasters.

Forcefield This shield absorbs all incoming attacks. It has 50 hit points, which are replenished at a rate of 1 per round. The shield has damage reduction 10/-. If the shield is completely breeched, it drains 50 charges to reactivate it. The shield can be raised or lowered as an immediate action. The shield drains 1 charge per minute of usage.

The forcefield also provides a +10 deflection bonus to AC and a +10 resistance bonus to Fortitude and Reflex saves. This feature is active so long as there are any charges remaining in the suit.

Strength Enhancers As long as there remains any charges in the suit, it provides Booster with a +15 enhancement bonus to Strength. His lifting capacity is aided even further, allowing him to lift 15x the normal weight limit for his improved Strength score. Booster can deal lethal or nonlethal damage with his unarmed attacks while the suit is enhancing his Strength.

Power Supply Fully charged, Booster’s suit has 1000 charges. Once drained, the power supply needs an hour of charging to replenish itself.