The life of any comic book hero would be a lonely one if not for the many characters who have made up their supporting cast. Just as Superman has Lois Lane and Batman has Alfred, Booster Gold has also shared his adventures with quite a few people over the years. Today we look at one of those, Dirk Davis.

As seen in Booster Gold Volume 1, #9 (1986), Dirk Davis was covering a presidential visit to Metropolis as a member of the press when he got his first glimpse of Booster Gold in action. Davis knew then and there that Booster could be worth a fortune.

According to Davis in Booster Gold #2, Booster would seek him out to be his agent, presumably because of Davis' experience managing the careers of larger-than-life professional wrestlers. Within just a few months, Davis had made Booster's Goldstar, Incorporated a marketing empire, with lucrative contracts promoting Flakies breakfast cereal, Brysler Motors, Blaze Comics, and Dusk Cologne. He took steps to create a super suit for a sidekick for Booster Gold. He even attempted to get Booster his own Hollywood movie.

Unfortunately for Dirk, not all press is good press. His close association with a genuine super hero led to some unwanted attention when the 1000 kidnapped his daughter, Sarah, in an attempt to lure Booster Gold into a trap (Booster Gold #7). Things got worse when the 1000 also kidnapped Goldstar, Inc. secretary, Trixie Collins (Booster Gold #10), and forced him to turn over the access codes to the Goldstar computer mainframe (Booster Gold #11).

Booster eventually managed to defeat the 1000, but at great personal cost. The only way to repair his power suit and his health was to travel back to the future. Davis used the time while Booster was away to reorganize Goldstar, Inc. into Booster Gold International (B.G.I.) with the intention of building a multi-national corporate conglomeration the likes of LexCorp (Booster Gold #16). Booster gave Dirk a promotion from agent to C.E.O. This would prove to be a mistake.

When Earth became ground zero in the war between the Oans and Manhunters during the "Millennium" event, a Manhunter agent stole all B.G.I. assets in an effort to force Booster to joining their side (Booster Gold #24). That Manhunter agent was Dirk Davis.

The Manhunters lost "Millennium," and it would be years before Booster eventually confronted Davis over his betrayal in Extreme Justice #6 (1995). By then, Davis had lost the entire fortune on a series of terrible investments. So Booster seized control of Davis' corporation, Lightspeed Entertainment, and had Davis thrown out of the building.

Davis swore that Booster hadn't "seen the last of" him, but like so many of Davis' promises, it proved to be so much hot air.

To read creator Dan Jurgens' take on Dirk's journey from confidant to villain, click here to read my post from May 29, 2015.

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The life of any comic book hero would be a lonely one if not for the many characters who have made up their supporting cast. Just as Superman has Lois Lane and Batman has Alfred, Booster Gold has also shared his adventures with quite a few people over the years. Today we look at one of those, Rani.

In the 30th century, when the evil god Darkseid will take over the planet Daxam in what will become known as "The Great Darkness Saga," time-traveller Booster Gold will do what he can to save innocent lives (in Booster Gold Volume 2, #32). Unfortunately for everyone, Booster is no match for an army of billions of super-powered Daxamites, and he manages to save the life of only one child, little orphan Rani.

With Rani's parents dead and her foster parents fallen victim to Darkseid's invasion, Booster has little choice but to take the poor girl home with him to 21st-century Arizona where she could be cared for by Booster's grown son, Rip Hunter, who Rani nicknamed "Boppy" after her own grandfather (Booster Gold #33). Hunter was concerned that Booster had damaged the space-time continuum by bringing Rani to the past, but Booster's twin sister, Michelle, refused to allow them to send the little girl back to a death sentence in the future (Booster Gold #34). Just like that, Rani became part of Booster's family.

Despite her young age, Rani has an advanced knowledge of technology (Booster Gold #35) and a drive to join the family business. In Booster Gold #38, she pilots a stolen time sphere to 1943 to confront Maxwell Lord's parents before he was born, and would later "borrow" Michelle's Goldstar costume (Booster Gold #39). In response, Michelle grounded her for two whole days.

Rani was mature for her age, but she would continue to be traumatized by her experiences on Daxam. For example, when Doctor Nishtikeit and his time-traveling Nazis attacked Hunter's Arizona home (in Booster Gold #41), Rani suffered a prolonged PTSD episode that only resolved when Booster returned to "rescue" her. She cried for the duration of Booster's 25th-century prison sentence (though that was only 10 minutes of her relative time) as seen in Booster Gold #42. So far as she is concerned, Booster is her new daddy, and he treats her like the daughter he never had.

In the last days before Flashpoint changed history and destroyed everyone's memories of the history of the world that was, Rani was fittingly last seen in Booster Gold #43 on 30th-century missing child poster.

"The Great Darkness Saga" is still in Booster Gold's future. Will Rani be there? Will Booster Gold save her? Only time will tell.

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The life of any comic book hero would be a lonely one if not for the many characters who have made up their supporting cast. Just as Superman has Lois Lane and Batman has Alfred, Booster Gold has also shared his adventures with quite a few people over the years. Today we look at one of those, Jack Soo.

Jack Soo was the best young inventor at Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories (aka S.T.A.R. Labs) when he was hired to create a new female super suit for Goldstar, Inc (in Booster Gold Volume 1, #7). Soo delivered on his reputation.

The super suit he devised, a white and gold counterpoint to Booster Gold's familiar blue and gold suit, used magnetic waves to attract and repel metallic objects (Booster Gold #11). That suit is still in use by Booster's female sidekick, Goldstar.

When Booster needed to take a trip back to the future, Soo introduced him to his former classmate, time-travel specialist Ripley "Rip" Hunter, as seen in Booster Gold #13. He accompanied them into the 25th century, where he learned quite a bit about future history and technology. Back in the present day, Soo leveraged that information to good advantage, leaving S.T.A.R. Labs to become the head of the newly rebranded Booster Gold International's research and design division (Booster Gold #16).

Dr. Soo would go on to help Booster Gold thwart a terrorist attack (Booster Gold #17), work with Skeets to design the C-4 Personal Drill Robot, nicknamed Seymour, to keep Booster Gold in fighting shape (Booster Gold #18), and reverse the color-sapping technology of the Rainbow Raider (Booster Gold #20).

Jack was last seen attending the funeral of Michelle Carter, Booster's twin sister (Booster Gold #22). Booster Gold International declared bankruptcy soon after, and it seems likely that the multi-talented Dr. Soo returned to his old job at S.T.A.R. Labs where he has no doubt continued his stellar career in the field of super science.

For some insight into what creator Dan Jurgens was thinking when he introduced Jack Soo to the DCU, click here to read my post from June 12, 2015.

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The life of any comic book hero would be a lonely one if not for the many characters who have made up their supporting cast. Just as Superman has Lois Lane and Batman has Alfred, Booster Gold has also shared his adventures with quite a few people over the years. Today we look at one of those, Daniel Carter.

After a gruesome injury ruined his promising football career, Daniel Carter had became stuck in an unfulfilling job as Evergreen Insurance Company's fifth-best term-life salesman. He dreamed of being a super hero and reclaiming his lost glory. Perhaps it was that dream — or maybe it was fate — that lured him to Booster Gold's sparsely attended funeral in 52 #18.

Daniel was completely unaware that Michael Jon "Booster Gold" Carter was his descendant until Skeets told him the truth. Unfortunately for Daniel, that was the only truth Skeets told him (52 #19).

Skeets wasn't Skeets at all, but the villainous Mr. Mind in disguise. Fortunately for Daniel, Rip Hunter was already aware of Mr. Mind's schemes. Hunter enlisted Daniel to become the second Carter to don the mask of Supernova, world-famous super hero. Together with faked-his-own-death Booster Gold, Daniel defeated Mr. Mind and saved the multiverse (52 #52). Daniel Carter's dreams had come true!

Afterwards, Booster and Daniel became roommates (Booster Gold Volume 2, #1). Though Daniel meant well, he was also rather stupid. He was often left behind while Booster was out adventuring. This made it easy for Booster's ne'er-do-well father to steal the Supernova costume and use it for evil (Booster Gold Volume 2, #2). It would also present the opportunity for Daniel to meet his future wife, reporter Rose Levin, when she came snooping into Booster Gold's personal life (Booster Gold, Volume 2, #3).

Rip Hunter would eventually recover the Supernova costume, and Daniel would continue to play the role of hero for Rose. He traveled through time to find his wife the perfect gift — and only accidentally gave longtime Justice League foe Starro the Conqueror the ability to conquer all history (Booster Gold, Volume 2, #13). He would redeem himself by protecting Rose from a maurading Black Lantern Blue Beetle in Booster Gold, Volume 2, #27.

Supernova hasn't been seen since Flashpoint, but so long as Booster Gold is still around, Daniel and Rose have to be out there somewhere.

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The life of any comic book hero would be a lonely one if not for the many characters who have made up their supporting cast. Just as Superman has Lois Lane and Batman has Alfred, Booster Gold has also shared his adventures with quite a few people over the years. Today we look at one of those, Trixie Collins.

Theresa "Trixie" Collins was introduced in Booster Gold Volume 1, #1 (1986) as the red-headed secretary of Goldstar, Inc, the small corporation that managed neophyte hero Booster Gold's commercial marketing activities. Her responsibilities included both public relations and administrative assistance to both Booster and his managing agent, Dirk Davis.

Like Booster, Trixie wasn't native to 20th-century Metropolis. She originally hailed from Kansas, relocating to the big city where she lived with her old-fashioned (and somewhat prudish) Aunt Jeanie in Jeanie's spacious townhouse in one of Metropolis' nicer old neighborhoods (Booster Gold #3). She didn't spend too much time at home, however. Her bosses often took advantage of her work ethic and willingness to please, leading to many late nights at the office, filing reports and answering correspondence.

Overwork would be the least of Trixie's problems. Being secretary to a super hero comes with a unique set of challenges. She was soon kidnapped by the 1000, who held her hostage in exchange for access to Goldstar's secrets (Booster Gold #10). At the time, Trixie barely knew Booster's real name. She wouldn't learn the full truth of Booster's origins until after Booster saved her at great personal expense (Booster Gold #12). To return the favor, Trixie donned a super suit designed by Jack Soo that gave her the power of magnetism. She became the literal personification of her employer, Goldstar, and followed Michael "Booster" Carter back to the future where he could get the medical help he needed to recover (Booster Gold #13).

Trixie didn't enjoy playing at being a super hero. Once she and Booster were safely returned to the 20th century, she hung up the tights for good and resumed her role as secretary for the newly renamed Booster Gold International (Booster Gold #16). Trixie would remain Booster's loyal secretary until his corporation was bankrupted by an embezzler during the Millennium Crisis (Booster Gold #24).

Over the course of their adventures together, Trixie developed strong feelings for Booster and began to resent the time he spent with other women, especially "sex symbol" movie star Monica Lake. Sadly, their mutual friendship never had a chance to develop into anything romantic. The pair kissed only once, a kiss goodbye just before Booster left Metropolis for good (Booster Gold #25, 1988).

Trixie and Booster would cross paths only one more time. By 1998, Trixie had become the landlord of The Stain, one of Metropolis' hottest nightclubs and headquarters of the Teen Titans. Trixie visited the Titans' public appearance at the L.L. Siegel & Shuster toy store in Metropolis. It was there she and Booster, who was dropping in to take advantage of the large crowd, exchanged a brief greeting (as seen in the pages of Chase #4). Whatever feelings the pair once shared had clearly cooled during their long separation. Not every love story has a happy ending.

For a bit of insight into creator Dan Jurgens' intentions into creating Trixie, click here to read my post from June 26, 2015.

Are you interested in meeting other "People in his Neighborhood"? Follow these links to get to know Daniel Carter, Michelle Carter, Nurse Devlin, Dirk Davis, Rani, Skeets, Jack Soo, Mackenzie Garrison, Rip Hunter, Monica Lake, Doctor Shocker, and Blackguard.

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