Once upon a time, Booster Gold appeared quite regularly in the annual crossover events uniting the DCU. For example, it was just 25 years ago today that Booster Gold appeared in a supporting role in Action Comics Annual #4.

Words by Dan Vado, Art by Chris Wozniak and a team of inkers

Back then, Booster and other members of the Justice League International were on the scene to try and free Superman from the clutches of Eclipso. These days that job would go exclusively to Batman, because... well, Batman.

It might be interesting to note that Blue Beetle wasn't with the rest of the Justice League for this mission (he had gone missing in the JLA Annual the previous month). That is consistent with the approach to the character taken by the current Blue Beetle series.

According to writer Kieth Giffen in an interview with Vaneta Rogers for Newsarama.com, the modern "rebirth" incarnation of Ted Kord was never a member of any Justice League. But Giffen also says that the events of Justice League 3000 are in Blue Beetle's future. JL3k was openly stated to take place in the same continuity as the original Justice League International stories. So . . . I have no idea what all that means for the current status of Blue and Gold.

Congratulations, DC. I'm not even trying to make sense of your continuity anymore.

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Booster Gold hasn't always had the most reliable appearance schedule. For every Booster Gold appearance you collected, there is probably one you missed. Maybe on purpose. Our hero's inclusion in Eclipso #18 likely falls into this category.

The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide describes this early 90s series as something trying "hard to be different — Eclipso is both villain and host — but in the end it becomes another team book because Eclipso's evil is too downbeat and serious for him to carry the narrative by himself." I assure you, it wasn't that good.

The series is best known for the mass murder of several minor C-List heroes in issue 13. This event was used to justify drawing the Justice League into the series starting with issue 14, including Booster Gold, in all his extreme 1990s power armor glory:

Art by Luke McDonnell, Audwynn Jermaine Newma, Raymond Kryssing, & Tom McCraw

"It means we're all in deep doo-doo!" Ah, the 1990s. How I do not miss you.

Eclipso issue 18, released on this date in 1994, was the final issue of this series. Too bad the cancellation came five months too late to save Commander Steel and Major Victory. Rest in peace, guys.

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