Do you remember that my favorite page in Justice League International #24 was Booster and Beetle behaving badly at a super-hero gathering?

If so, then you can probably already guess which page is my favorite in Hawk and Dove #1.

These panels are a flashback to events behind the scenes of Invasion! Book Two, which means this party actually takes place before that one. So if Booster seems comparatively immature here, don't worry; he grows up fast.

Comments (2) | Add a Comment | Tags: dove favorite pages hawk invasion

The Invasion! event was one of the few over the years that did, genuinely, change the ongoing status quo of the DCU when the Alien Armada detonated its Gene Bomb in issue #3, activating and super-charging the innate abilities of countless heroes and villains.

One long-term result of this was Fire becoming the familiar (if you'll pardon the expression) human torch we all know and love today. Another is the development of Maxwell Lord's mind-manipulation. But the immediate aftermath of the Gene Bomb was chaos, as powers ran wild across the globe.

Of course, in a world gone mad, it was up to heroes without the so-called "meta gene" to step up and save the day, heroes like Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

Note that the first line on this page (spoken by Booster) is a reference to advertising campaign for Excedrin pain reliever and the final line (spoken by Beetle) is a reference to the George of the Jungle cartoon. Obviously, those two guys watch too much TV.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: animal man blue beetle favorite pages invasion

The Invasion! crossovers continue in Justice League International #23, in which the League finds themselves tasked with disarming potentially deadly alien technology in the South Pacific. Granted, it's not a glamorous job, but somebody's got to do it.

And it does give Booster Gold a chance at a well-earned beach vacation.

I love this page mostly for the single panel of Booster making sandcastles, but I also find it interesting to be reminded that in the early years, Fire couldn't fly. Although it will still be several issues before she will "green flame on" on-panel (in Justice League America #28), the trigger for that power upgrade occurs in this very issue.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: favorite pages fire invasion justice league international

DC's late 1988 event was Invasion!, and in the early days of the alien assault on Earth, Booster Gold played an important role... as the Justice League International member assigned to monitor duty.

Booster has a brief supporting role answering a telephone call from Wally West in Flash #21. Since that's just a one page appearance, we'll skip to Booster's larger supporting role in Justice League International #22, where our hero confronts the invading enemies directly.

JLI #22 is divided evenly into two stories: a surprise alien ambush on the League's New York Embassy, and the League's first battle against a fleet of alien warships over the South Pacific Ocean. The first story is mostly comedy, so of course that's the one that features Booster Gold.

It doesn't go well for our hero, especially on page 5.

Poor Booster. He should have been on his toes. As everyone who has ever read a Justice League comic knows, there's nothing more dangerous than being assigned to monitor duty.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: favorite pages invasion justice league international oberon

On this day in 1998, Booster Gold was in the field when the Gene Bomb was detonated by a rogue alien Dominator. The Gene Bomb threatened the lives of the super-powered people in the world, and it was up to our hero and other heroes without genetic powers (like the Blue Beetle!) to keep the peace.

Invasion! #3 by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, Bart Sears, et. al.

Invasion! was Booster Gold's second major DC Universe event. There have been many since, and Booster has usually been relegated to a minor role.

Such is the difficulty of being a time cop dedicated to the preservation of history. Even when Booster knows what's coming, there's very little he can do to stop it.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: blue beetle invasion