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[shinydiscosuit]

You hate me, I love you ... this is the beginning of a fairytale of You vs Me.

Player Aim: BoosterisGold Available for concrit, chat, or questions about the forum.

Michael Jon Carter/ /Booster Gold -Specific Canon/Fandom- DCU (New Earth, post-GenLost)/Current In-Game Fandom (NotQuiteThere AU) Booster Gold continues to obfuscate stupidity in order to protect the Time Stream. After nearly losing his company for the umpeenth time in a row, Carter is now working for S.H.I.E.L.D., while continuing to -technically- be a free agent. He's quickly established himself as a familiar face around Torchwood's Malibu Hub, much to the ire of a certain former Avenger.

Bio Codes Credit l NotQuiteThere | FaceBook | FaceBook Cast | NQT Blog

-Name of character:
Michael Jon Carter/ Booster Gold

-Specific Canon/Fandom:
DCU (New Earth, post-GenLost)/Current In-Game Fandom (New affiliation with Torchwood, involvment w/ the Hub Family, Jonar Carter is going to be back as the current Supernova, etc.)


-Appearance:
Caucasian male around 34 years of age in appearance (originally from 25th century Gotham City), 6’ 5’’ in height and weighs 215 lbs. Booster is a large framed, athletic male (ex-college football quarterback) with you-wish-this-came-in-a-bottle golden blonde hair, cut in a short, assymetrical style. His facial features are angular and well-defined, with literally model worthy blue eyes and a strong, ‘heroic’ chin. His hands are large and square-palmed, while his physique embodies the Greek aesthetic of sportsman-like beauty. Beneath the suit is a latticework of old and healing scars, one of the largest disfiguring traits being a thick line of scar tissue encircling his arm (once severed, but he ‘got better’). His advanced genetic traits allow him to heal at an accelerated rate and give him hyperimmunity to most biological diseases.

His powersuit is incredibly ostentacious and attention-grabbing (one word: SHINY), covering most of his body in gold and royal blue fabric/reinforced metal weave. He wears a translucent visor-combination headset and a half-cowl covering up his neck and part of his lower scalp. Full gloves and gauntlets encircle his wrists like modern technology bracers.

At ease and in his element, Mike dresses like a stereotypical jock; function and comfort being the main choices concerning his wardrobe. Due to his love of vintage 40’s and 50’s culture (blame Happy Days and The Fonz), he seems right at home in a double-breasted suit, fedora, cabana set, and other classic, period fashion that is well suited to his muscular and wide shouldered frame.

-Powers:
Possessing no superhuman feats, Booster Gold’s abilities are entirely dependent on the technology he stole from the 25th century Space Museum. Currently, the original items he’d stolen have been upgraded over time, especially during Gold’s absence when he decided to return to the 25th century after Ted Kord’s murder.

- MARK IB Power Suit (an advanced-microcircutry-powered-all-purpose combat suit): Bestows super strength (though Gold’s physique and capabilities are certainly above average without, being an impressive athlete). The micro-fiber woven into the mesh makes Gold capable of lifting over 5 tons without difficulty- and a great deal more if he exerts himself. However, when he attempts to lift objects of great mass, they do tend to fall apart under their own weight.

The suit itself has enhanced durability, being able to withstand bullets without losing it’s integrity (though the impact still hurts). The material the suit is constructed of doesn’t hamper Booster’s movement, as it remains lightweight and flexible.

The suit and all of it’s abilities are powered by 25th century energy cells.

[[Note: Maxwell Lord beat Michael nearly to death after having disabled his suit with some technology stolen from Ted Kord. There’s no reason why this couldn’t happen again or any other power/macguffin couldn’t have a similar effect, since Booster’s not supposed to be overpowered (despite what madness the comics canon introduced and power-gaming doesn’t interest me). He’s had the snot beaten out of him on more than several occasions and his suit is very susceptible to over expending power reserves. I know it sounds like a ton of stuff, but he’s just as mooshable as any other hero.]]

-30th century Legion Flight Ring (high-speed flight): Pretty straight forward, he can fly at high-speeds. [[Don’t even bother trying to wrap your head around the obvious time paradox, his acquisition of the ring was written in 1986 and somehow involves Braniac 5 lending it to Ronald Reagan... *facepalm*]]

-Force-Field Belt (adjustable energy field via Braniac 5’s generating belt): The suit also can create a defensive force-field. Prior field experience confirms Booster withstood a direct punch from Doomsday and survived, intact. However, the blow fried the force-field capabilities and the power suit itself was similarly damaged to the point of being nonfunctional (Ted had to make him some new ones that actually worked). Currently, the generator’s power is back to it’s original level.

-Mass Dispersion: Least used power ever, his force-field can ‘reverse polarity’ to absorb or redirect projectiles.

-Time-Stream Access: Originally, Booster had to rely on Rip Hunter’s Time Sphere, but later had time-travel circuitry built into the suit. This grants him access to the time-stream (both past and future), enabling him to traverse chronal anomalies without any adverse effects. The suit is permanently linked w/ Hunter, which allows the man to be a rather obnoxious voice in Michael’s ear when he feels the blond needs insight and counseling in time-travel matters. Or anything else he wants to harp on Booster for.

-Booster Shot: Two gauntlets at the suit’s wrists provide offensive, but adjustable energy blasts. The output can be reduced to merely stun targets, but at their highest setting, the rays can punch through 2 feet of solid concrete. Nicknamed the “Booster Shot”, this puts the most strain on the suit’s power reserves and is generally not to be overused.

-Visor: A translucent visor provides Gold with auditory and visual amplification devices and a HUD for targeting and threat-identification. Low-light, ultraviolet, and telescopic vision are within the suit’s powers. It’s miles less effective, ditch-effort defense measure is delivering several blinding flashes of light to give Gold a chance to retreat or take the opportunity to strike while his foe is blind sided.

-Skeets: Another article of contraband a younger, impetuous Gold stole from the Space Museum, Skeets I was a flying, football-shaped information and security droid that functioned as Booster’s sidekick. The droid was a tactical, technical, and cultural adviser, as well as occasional backup during a fight. Skeet’s aid basically allowed Michael to accumulate the fame and wealth he’d dreamed of, when the man wasn’t endeavoring to ruin his own progress by being... well, himself.
Skeets I had a cheerful and endearing personality for an A.I., often acting like Gold’s personal cheerleader.

Skeets II (upgraded and reprogrammed by Rip Hunter after sustaining damage, now a 2.0 model Security Bot) has limited time-travel abilities, prehensile arms that extend and retract from it’s now sleeker and boxy frame, as well as adopted a use of biting sarcasm. Rather than egging Booster on and celebrating what positive (in a manner of speaking) points could be gleaned from the hero’s numerous screw ups, Skeets II is Gold’s voice of reason and takes a more active, almost nagging role in keeping his master on task. Arguably, Skeets II is more like Rip Hunter in terms of personality and maintaining goals, which has somewhat put a damper on it and Booster’s interactions. Hunter also made extensive upgrades to Skeets’ encyclopedic knowledge of historical events.

Predestination Paradox: Unknown to Gold, he is a descendant of The Chosen and apparently one of the keys to humanity’s evolution, while his family line is predestined to become Time Masters (the “greatest of them all” having been trained by Booster himself). He obviously has to maintain the mission and nothing is certain, but his future (obviously successful) self exists. Future Michael Carter is a “master of Time, the Multiverse, and Hypertime”, having trained his sister and son (none other than Rip Hunter, though Booster remains unaware of this). Whether that future will come to pass is still up in the air.

-Weaknesses:
Arguably, one of Booster’s greatest (of... numerous) flaws is his inability to make objective decisions and see the greater picture. For a man who’s not only from the future, but can freely traverse the time stream, Booster all too easily lets the past and his own loyalties cloud his judgment. He’s freely admitted that he’s completely oblivious to situations where he’s getting ‘screwed over’.

His attachment to Maxwell Lord kept him from outright hating the man after his first betrayal of the League (Booster and J’onn are of the few who know the motives behind the act weren’t black and white), even to the point of defending him against a generally negative comment made about the JLI. His volatile outburst stemmed the fact that Lord had invested so much time in the League previously, not to mention been the one who recruited a down-on-his-luck Booster in the first place. The fact that Lord murdered the blond’s long time friend and ally, Ted Kord (Blue Beetle II), was understandably traumatizing. Despite that, Gold later confessed that upon hearing of Max’s resurrection, he was “hoping that it was the old Max. The one I trusted. The one who was my friend.”

He eventually got over it (in spades) to lead what JLI members (Fire, Ice, Rocket Red, and Captain Atom) still recalled Max’s existence, after Lord's attempt to wipe himself from the world’s memory. Booster would rally his comrades in a shockingly unexpected surge of leadership, not only to avenge Beetle, but to prove that ‘C-List’ heroes were capable of just as much good as the ‘A-Listers’.

Carter can still marginally hold onto these prejudicial feelings towards main players of the DCU cast of heroes, as in the past, Booster and his comrade’s requests for aid were often snubbed outright. He and the JLI were considered lazy, ineffectual wannabes for most of their prominence, despite what positive qualities they brought to the table. This rivalry came to a head when Michael, in a fit of grief-induced rage, wrongfully accused Batman of being negligent and dishonest when Kord began investigating who was draining his company’s funds and the subsequent disappearance of Brother I. Ted having been dismissed by a majority of the other DC heroes, Batman was actually the exception who responded to Beetle’s concerns (KORD Industries is a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises). Superman had to forcefully intervene, shielding Wayne from a near pointblank blast of Booster’s energy rays. Gold blamed the Dark Knight (and other ‘A-listers’ who had ignored his friend) for Kord’s death childishly, until the JLI got to the bottom of the murder.

After Ted’s death, Booster violated one of the cardinal rules of time travel (repeatedly, even) to rescue his former comrade. He finally succeeded, only to realize that without Kord’s sacrifice, Maxwell Lord would have accomplished his master plan of ‘purging humanity’ from the influence of metahumans. Beetle willingly reentered the time sphere to accept his fate, while Booster pleaded with Kord that he could find another way, before being forced to lose his friend for the second time.

While he promised Rip Hunter that no further attempts to save Beetle would occur (discounted, as during the events of Blackest Night, Carter pretty much suggested the same plan), Booster occasionally makes trips to the past simply to be with Ted again, or to passively witness some of their fonder memories from a safe distance. Skeets has continuously chided him not to torture himself, considering the future of humanity depends on his physical and psychological well being. Gold always finds a way to justify his behavior in the end.

While he’s definitely not the fame-hungry, greedy, and shallow opportunist he once was, Michael suffers from self-doubt and bitterness about his fate. In order to draw attention away from himself (to survive long enough to fulfill his role in the future), Gold has to go down in history as a colossal failure; the only member of the Carter line who- publicly, at least- accomplished nothing in his lifetime. While future generations of Carters and Time Masters would honor his memory in secret, it still bothers Gold to be belittled and written off by a majority of his peers. Considering his tenacity and bravery during pivotal crisises, there are times when Booster would be grateful for a little acknowledgment in continuing to do what he feels is his duty and taking accountability for his past flaws.

At times, his urge to do all he possibly can (partly due to past shame, partly due to guilt for not ‘honoring’ Kord’s memory) verges on suicidal. The few who are close to him grow increasingly concerned, since Michael oftentimes allows himself to be haunted by past events and subsequently loses sight of the bigger picture at hand. The fact of the matter is, Booster lost his reputation (though that wasn’t the first time), his best friend, and even the chance to enjoy simple pleasures such as pursuing a relationship. There’s nothing keeping him from trying (assuming he’s not busy with his crazy time master duties), though abusing time-travel simply to maintain a personal life isn’t exactly something Rip Hunter intended. Michael did manage to re-connect with his sister, Michelle, setting aside moments to fully train her in their duties of preserving what should be the ‘natural course’ of history.

-A brief history:
Michael Jon “Booster” Carter, a disgraced 25th century football player from Gotham City, travels to the past in hopes of achieving fame and wealth as the celebrity superhero “Booster Gold”. He quickly gets his comeuppance when he’s recognized as the greedy, opportunistic douche he is. Carter’s public image is horrendous and considered a joke, as he’s proved to be a celebrity trainwreck. He’s described as a rude, smug, vain, and self-centered irritant.

If you haven’t heard of or seen Booster Gold, then you’re clearly not a native of Earth or have been living in a coma for the past decade. Carter’s face and public identity has been broadly advertised, plastered on a metric ton of personally endorsed, household name products. Booster Gold’s name and image are best known for being paired with Sundoller Coffee, Solder-Cola, Gingold Soda, Brysler Motors Futura, and B. B. Burger.

He has no metahuman abilities, as his future-tech powersuit and various accessories grant him super strength and durability, high-speed flight, energy rays, time-stream access, and a personal HUD. His flying (not to mention sarcastic) droid assistant, Skeets ver. 2.0, functions as a tactical and technical aid, as well as providing an encyclopedic knowledge of past and future history. Without Skeets’ and Rip Hunter’s guidance, Booster’s mission to keep the time-stream intact would be near impossible.

He is a former member of the Justice League International, where he became best friends with Ted Kord/Blue Beetle II and Maxwell Lord. His teammates during those years are considered the only real friends and family he’s ever had.

To other DCU heroes, Booster Gold and Ted Kord were infamous for being an inseparable odd couple (under the team moniker Blue & Gold, of course). Their hare-brained business attempts, laundry list of things A-Listers said they weren't allowed to do anymore, and ambiguously gay dynamic pretty much defined them in the eyes and ears of other supers. Booster and Beetle's trademark "Bwa-ha-ha" laugh was rumored to be simultaneously annoying and frightening (because then SOMEONE had to go find out what they were doing that time).

Becoming ‘employed’ by Rip Hunter (a time traveller charged with maintaining the ‘natural course of history’), Gold is predestined to found the Time Masters and assume the role of guardian of the time-stream. Due to the fate of the future and ‘humanity’s evolution’ riding on his survival, Booster must continue to play the public role of a complete failure, lest he draw unwanted attention and history-altering murder attempts down on his head. His genuine heroics are destined to be unsung, his legacy being honored only by his descendants and the few other DCU heroes who saw past his ‘inept moron’ front.

Booster’s personality took a drastic change for the better at the cost of Ted’s life, his friend’s murder triggering the C-List hero to own up to his past flaws and seriously dedicate himself to helping others. Despite being more mature and serious, Booster is still an over-excitable, smart-aleck motormouth with the mentality of a 17 year old. Case in point:
Rule 6b (on NOT editing any JL computer files): This includes every instance of "Booster Gold" being replaced with "that golden Adonis, whose beauty makes men weep for the pure joy of the sight, and women swoon for love. Even the most hardened criminals' hearts melt like ice in the summer when they behold the glowing countenance of our hero, the beloved Booster Gold."

Never insult the JLI or Ted Kord in his presence. Booster’s reaction could very well be no more than an impassioned and angry speech, though a rage-fueled physical assault is the more likely outcome.