Booster Gold

Volume 2

The second Booster Gold series began publication in October 2007. After twelve issues, co-writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz left the series, leaving Jurgens as the main writer and artist, along with Norm Rapmund as co-artist. With #32, Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, who wrote the 1980s Justice League International series (of which Booster was a part) took over the series, and was joined by Chris Batista as interior artist and former JLI artist Kevin Maguire as cover artist for #32-36. Giffen, DeMatteis, and Batista left the series with #43 and were replaced by a returning Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund, who provided the final story arc of the series, a Flashpoint crossover story. The series ended in August 2011 with issue #47.

Characters

Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter): A former college football star from the 25th century turned time-travelling adventurer.

Rip Hunter: Booster's boss, a mysterious time master who refuses to reveal his identity, who is later revealed to be Booster Gold's future son. His father is still unaware of his parentage. It is later revealed that Booster's future self checks up on his son's progress in shaping his younger counterpart into the hero he is destined to be.

Skeets: An artificially intelligent robot who accompanies Booster in his time-traveling adventures.

Goldstar (Michelle Carter): Booster's twin sister from the future. She worked as Booster's partner, but then fled into time after finding out that she would be dead if Rip had not saved her while time travelling. Booster later found her in Coast City and brought her back to the present.

Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes): A teen who is the latest to don the Blue Beetle mantle. He struggles in his double life as a teenager and a superhero.

Supernova (Daniel Carter): Present-day unemployed ancestor of Booster, Goldstar, Rip Hunter, and Jon Carter who reluctantly dons the mantle of the superhero Supernova.

Plot

52 Pick-Up is the first story arc (issues #1–6) of the series. Booster traveled through the ravaged time stream with Skeets and Rip Hunter to repair the damage done during 52 and to stop a group of supervillains who were exploiting temporal anomalies to eliminate the world's greatest heroes. Booster failed to save Barbara Gordon from being paralyzed and wished to try again, but Rip told him that the event was fated. Angry at Rip and wanting to save Ted Kord from being killed by Maxwell Lord, Booster is visited by Dan Garret, Jaime Reyes, and a future Blue Beetle.

Blue and Gold covered issues #0, 7–10, and 1,000,000. Booster tried to save Ted Kord from being murdered, but the resulting change to the time stream created a wormhole of problems. Realizing the time stream would never be right as long as he is alive, Ted sacrifices his life. Rip perked Booster up by showing him that he had rescued his sister, Michelle, unbeknownst to her.

Vicious Cycle ran in issues #11–12. When Batman and Batgirl foiled a heist conducted by Killer Moth at the behest of 27th century time-traveler Wiley Dalbert, they were removed from the timeline. Booster and Michelle, now working under the name Goldstar, then helped the villains get away with their crime.

Stars in Your Eyes spanned issues #13–14. When Daniel brought back a Starro spore from an attack in Paris, the alien invader used Rip to take over the world. Booster had to make a deal with Lady Chronos. Together, they stopped the invasion.

Reality Lost spread over issues #15–19. A mysterious time-traveler stole a knife and attempted to unlock a vault at Vanishing Point. Booster eventually catches him and sets reality straight. Meanwhile, Michelle discovers that she was supposed to die and is alive because of Rip. Feeling angry and betrayed, she runs away in time to live her own way.

Issue #20 revolved around the Time Sphere stalling. Booster then dives into 1952 and gets involved with Task Force X. When Booster notices Rip fix the Time Sphere, he and Rip safely retreat to the present.

Day of Death occupied issues #21–25. Booster has to fix a timeline in which Black Beetle had killed Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans. Afterwards, Rip reminds him that he needs to remove Joker's photos of him trying to save Barbara Gordon from the Batcave.

Co-feature

Blue Beetle began a co-feature in issues #21–29.

The first story arc, Armor Plated, was about Blue Beetle battling several robots that were attacking El Paso. When he, Brenda Del Vecchio, and Paco investigate who was behind the attacks, it turned out to be a convict's daughter, who later turns out to be a fembot.

The second arc, Black and Blue, features Black Beetle who tries to kill Jaime. As they fight, Jaime gets angry and his scarab goes through a transition, turning the costume into a more deadly look and the scarab starts to repeat "Kill". After this happens, Black Beetle reveals that he is a future Jaime. Jaime refuses to believe this and escapes.

In Dead Ted, a Booster story arc that Jaime guest-stars in, Jaime joins Booster in trying to stop Ted Kord. After initially failing to defeat him, Jaime and Booster grab Ted's light gun and finally succeed.

In The Beginning of the End Jaime and his friends go to Bialya. When they set off a trap, resulting in bugs attacking them, Jaime went into costume, but when he touches a scarab it takes control of him.

The following story arc, The End of the End, finished the story arc and the co-feature. Peacemaker appears and battles Jaime. The scarab told him to kill Peacemaker, but Jaime temporarily overpowered it and asks Peacemaker to destroy the pyramid and free him. Peacemaker does so, saving the day.