Action Comics

Cover Description: This book has multiple covers; Booster Gold appears on two: Cover A by Ryan Sook and Cover D "Things to Come Variant" by Skylar Patridge.

Brief Synopsis: Superboy assists Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, and Mary Marvel in defending against the unrevealed scheme of Epoch.

Issue Summary: Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, and Superboy fight Epoch, the Lord of Time, in the Metropolis Expo Space Museum until Epoch unexpectedly flees. The heroes from the future accompany Superboy back to Smallville so that they can be present when Epoch attacks again, which the villain does, absconding with Superboy's Kryptonian rocket ship. Reveal Potential Spoilers

Booster Gold's role in this story:
Featured (Booster Gold plays a prominent role)

Costume Worn: MARK I.v2 power-suit

Page 2, panel 1
Continuing from the previous issue, the fight between Epoch and Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, and Superboy goes poorly, destroying the interior of the Metropolis Expo Space Museum.

Page 5, panel 1
SOLIDIFIED TIME: Even though it appeared he was winning the fight, Epoch flees once he learns that he is fighting Superman as a teenager. Also known as The Lord of Time, Epoch has a long history (future?) of fighting the Justice League, and defeating the heroes as children was his plan in 1997's JLA/WildC.A.T.s #1, which chronologically takes place after this story. Did he just get the idea? (Time travel is a tricky business.)

Page 5, panel 2
Booster Gold nearly lets it slip that he knows Superboy's future history. It's an easy mistake to make; who doesn't know that Superman dies in 1992's Superman #75?

Page 6, panel 3
Considering that these events have to take place "years ago," Booster Gold is being anachronistic when he uses Generation Z slang while giving his (heavily edited) autobiography to Superboy. "Sus" has become Generation Z speak for "suspicious," although Merriam-Webster Dictionary reports that the first recorded use of "sus" in this manner was in 1955. Maybe that was a mistake by time travelers, too.

Page 7, panel 5
LIQUIFIED TIME: Obviously, this story takes place before Superboy learns that he's the Last Son of Krypton. Not to get too deep in the weeds on this, but according to Superman: Secret Origin #1, which is explicitly referenced in the appendix of Mark Waid's New History of the DC Universe #2, young Clark Kent learns that he is from the planet Krypton the very first time the Kents show him his rocket ship before he becomes Superboy. So does this narrative count as a retcon? (Time travel is a very tricky business.)

Page 10, panel 2
FASHION ALERT: To disguise himself before traveling to Smallville, Booster Gold dons a "future scientist" t-shirt from the Space Museum's souvenir shop. Given that the shop was closed at the time (and Booster probably isn't carrying any currency for the appropriate era), this implies that Booster has stolen from the Space Museum to hide a costume that he stole (will steal?) from the Space Museum of the future (as first revealed in Booster Gold #6).

Page 10, panel 5
This is Booster Gold's first meeting with Clark Kent's parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.

Page 13, panel 3
HIS STORY: Although Booster's refusal to recognize a rooster may just be a bit of wordplay on the similarity with his own codename, "We didn't have farms where--when--I grew up," is an accurate statement. Booster was raised in the slums of Gotham City in the 24th century. Again, see Booster Gold #6 for details on Booster's hard-knock early life.

Page 13, panel 6
History itself was damaged in DC All In Special #1, causing Manhunter and the rest of the Justice League to forget Booster Gold (who Manhunter first met way back in 1987's Justice League #3). Is Manhunter's apology an indication that Superman's victory in the King Omega tournament has restored Manhunter's memories?

Page 14, panel 1
Booster's time in the future as a prisoner of Darkseid's Dark Legion was first revealed in Summer of Superman Special #1.

Page 14, panel 2
Again, not to get too deep in the weeds on this, but pretending that he's fine is pretty much the core of Michael Jon "Booster Gold" Carter's entire psychology. As a disgraced athlete who ran away into the past to reinvent himself as a hero, Booster has been "faking it until he makes it" since his very first appearance in 1985's Booster Gold #1.

Page 15, panel 1
"Grifing"? Okay, you got me. I have no idea what this is supposed to mean, Michael. I'm old.

Page 19, panel 4
POWER DOWN: Epoch, having attacked the Kent's farm, defends himself with a "Force Conversion Field" resistant even to Superboy's punches. Epoch is from the far future (the 38th century, to be exact), so it is possible that his technology is superior to Brainiac 5's 31st-century force field belt worn by Booster Gold.