Ratwing did not emote at the rather insulting words of Big Red. While he wasn't exactly rich, there was no arguing that Ratwing did have the largest soul income in hell by volume. He offered one of his business cards written in cuneiform. Stubborn as he was, he'd never seen the need to get it updated. Anywhichway, he'd already seen this group wandering around the city. He'd seen everyone that wandered around this city. They weren't much different than anyone else, but it was likely all that Big Red could get together on short notice. however, he looked at the most beastly among them. Somehow, his beak twisted into a look of disgust as he recoiled.
Age: Born December 29th, 2442- but he's around 28.
City: Metropolis, though he monitors the timestream from a metaphysical dimension known as "Vanishing Point"- a self-contained space station situated in the last nanosecond before entropy consumes the universe.
Day Job: Michael Jon Carter works as a PR agent for other superheroes and a liaison between charities and heroes. Booster Gold, however, operates as a freelance timecop, protecting the integrity of the timestream from both time-terrorists and time-terrors.
Powers: Legion Flight Ring- Engraved with the signature "L" of the Legion of Super-Heroes, this ring enables its wearer the ability to fly in both atmospheric environments and outer space. The Suit- The suit is comfy and easy to wear. The suit itself is very durable, able to withstand bullets without losing its integrity (although being shot hurts). --Wristblasters- The suit is able to fire powerful energy blasts, via blasters in the costume's gauntlets. At their highest setting, these blasts are capable of plowing through two solid feet of concrete. Booster usually turns them down to conserve energy though. --Force Field Belt- This belt generates a forcefield strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast- but it has limited power. --Super Strength- The microcircuitry woven into the mesh affords Booster a high measure of super-strength, enough to easily shift twenty tons- and a great deal more if he exerts himself. However, Booster must take into account the fact that attempting to lift things that heavy often causes them to fall apart under their own weight. --Time Travel Circuitry- While wearing the suit, Booster Gold can travel forward or backward to any point in history- and jump between parallel timelines as well. It can traverse chronological anomalies without issue. Skeets- A reprogrammed security robot and personal assistant.
Weaknesses: Aside from the suit, Booster's a regular guy- a guy with a college footballer's physique and future genetics, but still a regular guy.
Skills: Business Management- Booster WAS a business major for his three years of college. History- Being a time traveler, Booster knows all about history- even events that seem inconsequential at the time can have effects that echo throughout the epochs. Athletics- He's actually extremely athletic, and while he doesn't eat as well as he should, he spends more than enough time in the gym to stay in top shape. Gridiron Football- Booster actually got into college on a football scholarship. Surprisingly, this actually gives him some hand-to-hand combat training after rule changes in 2337 made football a full-contact sport. Gymnastics-
Appearance:
BRIEF Bio: Michael Jon Carter and his sister Michelle Carter were born as twins to a loving mother and an irresponsible father in Gotham City in the 25th Century. On their 4th birthday, their father left the household to pursue his true love, gambling. Michael would attend college on a football scholarship, hoping that he would make it into the big leagues, when his mother came down with a debilitating disease that required a treatment that his family could not afford. Turning to the same vice as his father, Michael made bets on his own games in order to earn enough money for the treatment. After his mother was cured, Michael was arrested and put in jail for gambling, instantly breaking his mother's heart. After he was set free from jail, Michael decided get a job as a security officer for the Metropolis Space Museum to support himself. There, he saw images of superheroes from the 21st Century that were legends in his time. Deciding to do something worthwhile with his life and become a superhero himself, Michael stole some artifacts from the museum as well as the security robot Skeets and used Rip Hunter's time machine to travel back to the 21st Century. It was there that he made his public debut, saving the life of the President of the United States from the Chiller as the new superhero Goldstar. Nervous, Michael misspoke on live television and got stuck with the name Booster Gold instead.
From there, it was a bit of a whirlwind- he used his knowledge of the future to make a fortune and establish the Michael Jon Carter people of the 21st century are familiar with. He set himself up as Booster Gold's publicity agent, dealing with sponsorships and charities who wanted to partner with the highly public hero. He'd go on to extend this service to other heroes as well, forming a bridge between various charitable organizations and the superhuman community.
Story Arcs: The Land That Crime Forgot [solo]- In the distant future, mundane crime has been all but forgotten... so when Joe Coyne, a robber from the early 20th Century knocks over a bank, his basic knowledge of mugging and robbery makes him an unstoppable master criminal!
Stupid Jetpack Hitler [Teamup]- A secret force of Nazi time travelers called the "Zeitwaffen" come to the 21st century to steal weapons and technology.
Boost and Ted's Excellent Adventure [teamup]- Booster Gold takes Blue Beetle along for a typical day of crimefighting.
Supporting Characters: The Land That Crime Forgot- Joe Coyne, future citizens
Mike and Ted's Excellent Adventureโ Blue Beetle, Vandal Savage, Jason Blood/Etrigan, Clock King, Thomas Edison, William Shakespeare, Gallus and Heroditus, Ea-Nasir, H.P. Lovecraft, Spy Smasher, Catullus, Aten The Living Mummy, Chronos the Time Thief, Victor Frankenstein, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Vladimir Tepes Dracula III, Dr. Tyme.
Eddy smiled and gave Rebecca the thumbs up. It was good to see she was reasonable on some level. Carrie, meanwhile, was starting to choke on potatoes- she might be awake or might just have trouble swallowing when she was asleep, Eddy wasn't sure.
"Don't worry, take as long as you need to freshen up. I'm pretty sure people can handle getting jumped by caterpie for a while. We'll go chill in town somewhere, call us when you're done and we'll meet up."
Eddie coughed a bit as this "Rebecca" girl came up to him. The smell wasn't getting any better. The Abra, unable to smell in its sleep, continued eating mashed potatoes. Suddenly, Eddy had an epiphany- he knew how to deal with "artiste" types. Maybe a reporter could be worked the same way? He spoke clearly into the microphone.
"I'm Eddy. Eddy Kaufman. I'm a cameraman and effects guy for Trauma Pictures. Those last two... er... three? kind of mesh together. If you want the story, though, you're going to need a shower and a change of clothes. You've gotta look your best in an interview, right?"
The question about the Pokedex's workings did get him. He'd just read the little manual on the inside of the folding bit.
"Look, it'd take a while to figure this thing out. We'll worry about it later. For now let's get you ready for that interview."
With a distinct "vwoort," a sleeping Abra and her trainer appeared in the lobby by teleportation. As Eddy drew near the reception counter, the woman watched him approach with abject dread. The lazy girl had been a handful, and the reporter had been worse. The guy in the sweatervest seemed okay, but quiet. The encounter with this one could go either way. There was that fancy-looking camera bag in addition to his backpack, as well as the fact the Abra was holding something under her arm and protecting it like it was her egg or something.
It was to her great relief when Eddy took out his Trainer's License and nodded. "Hey there. I'm Eddy Kaufman, she's Carrie. Where do I need to go for the trainer program?"
After the first two, the receptionist was confused. That was brief and courteous. No weirdness that was immediately apparent. In stunned silence, she pointed down the hall to Professor Sumac's office. Eddy gave a quick "thank you" before heading down, making his way straight for the office. As he entered, Sumac immediately launched into his spiel, taking out a Pokeball.
"Hello there, and welcome to the world of Pokemon! My name is Professor Sumac, but people call me the Pokemon Professor! As I'm sure you know, this world is inhabited by-"
Eddy was quick to interrupt, looking at Carrie before turning back to the professor. "...Dude. I'm 22. I got this speech when I was five. I'm pretty sure everyone got this speech when they were a kid."
The professor looked a bit flustered, tugging at his tie to loosen it. "But... but don't you want to learn about how people and Pok-"
Eddy, however, did not let up. "Like literally everyone else, I've been around Pokemon since I was born. So has pretty much everybody It'd be weirder if I hadn't."
Sumac scrambled to regain control of the conversation. So far, it just seemed like one of those days. "...Alright fine but don't you want your fi-"
Eddy reached down, and with a good deal of effort, picked up the Abra. for her part, Carrie snored a little louder. "I've been working with Carrie since I was twelve. Dude, there are literal preschoolers who have Pokemon."
Sumac finally threw up his hands in frustration, collapsing into the chair behind his desk. "...Just take your crap and go. I don't need to be reminded how pointless my job is."
Eddy sighed, feeling just a bit guilty. This couldn't have been what Sumac had expected when he became a professor. He sat down in the chair across the desk. "...Would listening to your speech make you feel better?"
"No! ...maybe a little."
Well, the speech had taken a while, but getting to go through it seemed to actually cheer the professor up a bit. And so it was that Eddy, Pokeballs and dex in hand, stepped into room 4 and immediately gagged before covering his nose.
"HOLY SHIT did someone butcher a tepig in here?!"
He stepped around the Whismur, taking a seat on the other side of the room from the smelly blonde girl. Still holding his nose, he turned the Pokedex to his partner to make sure it was working.
Abra- the Psi Pokemon. Average height 2'11". Average weight 43 lbs. It sleeps 18 hours a day. Even while sleeping, it uses various psychic powers, so you can't tell whether or not it's awake. It will teleport itself to treetops and pick and eat berries there while staying asleep. It senses impending attacks and teleports away to safety before the actual attacks can strike.
True to the dex's word, it seemed that while she was asleep she couldn't quite get the odor of garbage and investigative journalism that pervaded the room. She finally placed the object she'd been carrying around all day in her lap- a bowl full of milky-white creamy goodness- and psychically moved a spoon to shovel mashed potatoes into her mouth.
โ B-movies- Eddie has a deep, abiding love for low-budget films. They're a testament to what people can do when they set out to create something wonderful, without caring about money. โ Gross/weird Pokemon- Eddie can appreciate Pokemon with more... "unique" anatomy. They're sturdy creatures that cope with their environments in unique ways. โ Filmmaking- Eddie believes that motion pictures are the ultimate form of art, but he's not exactly a snob about it- his favorite movies include "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and "Blood Island XII: Trouble In Scare-adise."
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โ The "Devil-worshipping international media conglomerates"- Whether or not it's true is up for debate, but Eddie's uncle Lloyd taught him that the big studios and media companies- including Pokestar and others- are seeking to destroy, discredit, or subsume all independent companies to ensure a safe, marketable environment. โ CGI- Eddie believes that CGI is horrible, looking dated within years of release and costing ever more money, when practical effects are cheaper and age better. โ Celebrities.
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Eddy's family lived comfortably in a mobile home in a town that proudly proclaimed itself "The Cleanest Spot In Unova." However, his parents were often busy with work, so they didn't have much time to keep an eye on him after school. As such, Eddy's father came up with a solution- his brother Loyd, the owner of Trauma Pictures, an up-and-coming independent film company. Well, Loyd was frequently busy with production, but he wasn't going to say no to babysitting his favorite nephew. Of course, film sets are a busy place, and they need all the help they can get. Eddy was eager to lend a hand, and proved a capable gofer. However, Loyd began to notice the boy's avid interest in the special effects- and decided to let him help in that department. Eddy proved to be a ready learner, much to his uncle's surprise.
One day, some suit from a Kantonian animation company with an office on the Pokestar lot came forward and entered talks with Loyd. Eddy, being a kid, wasn't privy to the specifics of the talks, but Loyd seemed quite certain he'd hit the big time- they were interested in using one of his signature characters, the Toxicroaksader- a hideously deformed monster hero of superhuman size and strength that fought to protect the environment from evil aliens. There was to be a full 65-episode animated series about the Toxicroaksader, complete with a toyline.
A few months later, however, Loyd was bitter and angry. Apparently something had fallen through, and he'd lost the rights to the Toxicroaksader to an even less important no-name director who happened to work for Pokestar. Two godawful Toxicroaksader sequels were written, which used Trauma Pictures's name and imagery. Loyd was furious, but the lawyers said there was nothing he could do. Eddy still did his best on the set of Trauma's films, but he was shaken by the change in his once jovial uncle.
Recently, though, a loophole in the contract was discovered. Trauma Pictures is back making its own films, their properties are back in the hands of their creators, and Toxicroaksader 4: A Bold Day in Hell opened its credits with a written apology for the films of the intervening years. Loyd might have been left a little unhinged, however... He insisted that what had happened to his darling character could only be the work of "a conspiracy of international devil-worshiping media conglomerates." Whether it was Silph or Pokestar, Jubilife TV or the studio that crippled Hoenn Rangers, the mass media was only interested in destroying independent companies and varied programming. Whether or not it's true, Eddy was curious about the animation studio that worked with his uncle- and the sort of artistic inspiration and personal growth traveling abroad brings didn't hurt either. He grabbed one of the Special Effects Pokemon, a pudgy female Kadabra he'd worked with frequently, and set off for Kanto.
Helped film, shoot, and choreograph battles for over 37 films, including "Return to Nukem High" and "Blaziken Saddles", so he has an idea of how to do flashy moves and combinations. He's also helped care for a number of Trauma Films' star Pokemon.