Last week, it was revealed that SyFy had ordered a script for a new Booster Gold television series. While Booster's certainly not a household name (though he did clock in at #59 on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes), there are an infinite number of possibilities for a television show that could reach beyond just DC fans and into the audiences of Doctor Who, Fringe, and of course, Smallville.
So who is Booster Gold? In short, Michael Jon Carter is a washed up, showboating football player from the 25th century. After losing his career in a gambling scandal, Carter steals some technology – a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring, a power suit, power gauntlets, a super-chic visor and a time machine – to go back in time and make himself a rich and famous superhero.
Ultimately becoming a laughing stock and resident thorn-in-the-side of the superhero community, Booster took on a new role for himself as the protector of the DCU's time stream, traveling through time and correcting it when needed. Though the DC Universe relaunch has again changed Booster's role, we can't imagine he'll stay out of the time stream for long – and we don't expect his potential TV series to, either.
So why do we love Booster Gold so much? Well…
So not only does Booster throw such a classic cautionary tale into the wind, potentially unraveling space and time, but he uses his 500 years of advanced technology to become nothing more than a walking corporate advertisement, not unlike a NASCAR vehicle. The movie deals and commercials followed, with some time to save the universe thrown in between.
Starting as cocky and self-centered, watching Booster Gold grow from douche to Justice League International teammate to Blue Beetle's best friend to time stream savior is even sweeter because of the character's amazing strides throughout the years.
Using the knowledge of the world's events stored in his memory banks, Skeets was Booster's primary asset in achieving fame and fortune as a superhero (and corporate sellout) in the modern era. Best of all, Skeets and Booster have an Abbott and Costello-style bromance that lets them bounce their personalities off of one another for the enjoyment of the reader.
I mean, sure, there was that time that Skeets was taken over by Mister Mind, invaded Metropolis and tried to unravel existence as we know it… but they don't talk about it much. Which leads us to…
In the aftermath of becoming the savior of the Multiverse, Booster took to the time sphere and essentially became the DC Universe's equivalent of The Doctor – a traveling madman that fixes the wibbly wobbly, timey wimey anomalies of the universe with a sense of humor, a charming grin and some crazy-cool gadgets.
Hey, that's worked on TV before, right?
With Batman's knowledge of Booster's extracurricular time traveling adventures, a level of mutual respect between the two characters was born. We've seen how paranoid Batman can be (Brother Eye, anyone?), but the fact that he's willing to accept Booster's role as a time-stream-fixer-guy is a testament to Booster's character.
Though Booster's role has changed in the wake of the DC Universe relaunch, elements of Batman's respect can be seen in the pages of Justice League International, where he insists that Booster lead the team.
And yet, Booster Gold trucked on, knowing that the acceptance of the world he'd always desired would forever be kept from him. What's a more profound display of Booster's awesomeness than that?