Supernova (comics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Supernova | |
.jpg/250px-Supernova_(comics).jpg) Supernova from 52 Week Thirty-Five. Art by Phil Jimenez. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | 52: Week Eight |
| Created by | Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Michael Jon Carter Daniel Carter |
| Abilities | Possesses advanced technology allowing flight, light emission, energy projection, teleportation |
Supernova is an identity used by three characters in the DC Comics Universe, all related to the Carter bloodline.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character history
[edit] Michael Jon Carter
A superhero from the future known as "Booster Gold", Michael Jon Carter time traveled with Rip Hunter's help to fake his death and become the new superhero Supernova, as part of their plan to stop Skeets, who was being controlled by Mister Mind.
[edit] Daniel Carter
Daniel Carter is Michael's ancestor in the present. He becomes Supernova after Michael reassumes his Booster Gold identity.
Daniel Carter, before becoming Supernova, had a life very similar to Michael's. A former high school football superstar, he permanently injures his knee in a game he lost, thus effectively ending his career. Mister Mind finds him and manipulates him, eventually trapping him in the timestream before he is rescued by Booster Gold and Rip Hunter, who defeat Mister Mind. Afterwards, Booster Gold agrees to leave Supernova's identity to Daniel, hoping to shape him into a better person. Daniel fails to make good use of the new suit, however, and it is stolen by an unknown figure[1], later revealed as Michael's father, and a direct descendant of himself [2]. Powerless, Daniel is left home, where he meets Rose Levin, his future wife, and a blogger/journalist hoping to make her fortune selling articles and photos of Booster Gold. [3]. After Booster leaves to save Ted Kord Rip comes to Daniel and Rose with a Supernova suit and a Booster Gold one, and tells him the Carter family's heroic legacy starts "right freakin' now".[4]
[edit] Booster Gold's father, Jonar Carter
The third Supernova appears in Booster Gold #1, having stolen the suit from Daniel Carter and capitalizing upon anomalies in time. Seen only in shadow, he appeared after Booster and Rip Hunter left for the timestream, knocked out Daniel, and took the suit. He works with Ultra-Humanite, Per Degaton, Despero, and the Black Beetle as a member of "The Time Stealers". He is then seen traveling to Korugar, eight years into the past, wanting to talk to the Green Lantern Sinestro about the future. He persuades Sinestro to go to Earth, years before he should, and talk to Guy Gardner, which would set in motion a chain of events, resulting in Guy's premature death, and the Sinestro Corps being formed many years before its time, causing the entire universe to be under Sinestro's command. His plan was foiled by Booster Gold, who managed to convince Sinestro that Supernova was a Qwardian in disguise, and that it was all a ploy to cause him to feel fear.
His second plot, to kill Jonathan Kent's great-grandfather, resulting in the Kents never finding Superman, was also foiled. Recently, Supernova and Rex Hunter (a boy that Rip knew) tried to ensure that the lightning that gave Barry Allen his powers did not hit him, making them the two greatest heroes of all-time. Booster was able to gain the upper hand in their battle, and was able to unmask Supernova as Booster Gold's father. However, he was unable to capture his father, as the lightning rod was struck at the same time Supernova was touching it, causing the suit's chronal machinery to burn out, leaving him stranded in prehistoric times. He was later retrieved by Black Beetle, and returned to the Time Stealers headquarters, located at the vanishing point of time. When the Time Stealers confront Booster, it is revealed that Jonar is under the control of Mister Mind. Booster manages to blast Mind out of his father, and Blue Beetle steps on him. The trauma caused by Mind's removal causes Jonar to pass away moments later.
In promotion for the new Booster Gold Series, website Newsarama had an "interview" with Booster Gold and Skeets where it was revealed that Booster's middle name, Jon, comes from his father Jonar, and that Jonar is a 25th century name meaning "he who tries and fails". It is unknown if this is a joke or the true name of the character.
[edit] Connections to Superman
Supernova's costume is similar in design—albeit with a different color scheme—to the costume of Nova, an "imaginary story" version of Superman who lost his Kryptonian powers and became a Batman-like crimefighter in a two-part story[5] This version of the character also reappeared as one of several alternate versions of Superman.[6] Later, Luthor believes Supernova to be his enemy, Superman, while Wonder Girl believed him to be her deceased boyfriend, Superboy.[7] In the Superman/Batman Annual #2, a temporarily powerless Superman wears a costume with a similar design to the Nova suit, but calls himself Supernova.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Supernova uses the Phantom Zone Projector built into his suit to teleport matter from one place to another through the Phantom Zone itself.[8] He has used this ability on several occasions, such as rescuing bystanders from various disasters,[9] removing a sea creature terrorizing Metropolis,[10] and removing a surveillance satellite trained on him from hundreds of miles away.[7] The suit contains a white dwarf star size-changing belt, as the one used by the Atom, and an advanced laser system able to melt steel, and Rip Hunter claims to have built it as resistant to all time ravages. The suit is so advanced that it is able "to freeze time for his wearer". As long as the wearer keeps the suit on, he/she feels no need for eating or drinking, able to exist indefinitely and ageless. [11] The suit is specifically keyed to the Carter DNA, requiring any wearer to be related to Booster in order for the suit's abilities to function.[12]
Supernova's other abilities are:
- Flight
- Teleportation
- Light projection
- Power suit
- Size manipulation
- Matter absorption
- Dimensional manipulation
- Time travel
[edit] References
- ^ 52 Pick-Up: Booster Gold #1
- ^ 52 Pick-Up: Booster Gold #4
- ^ 52 Pick-Up: Booster Gold #6
- ^ 52 Pick-Up: Booster Gold #6
- ^ World's Finest Comics #178 (September 1968) and #180 (November 1968)
- ^ Infinite Crisis #5
- ^ a b 52: Week Twenty-Two
- ^ 52: Week Thirty-Seven
- ^ 52: Week Eight
- ^ 52: Week Fifteen
- ^ 52 Pick-Up: Booster Gold #1
- ^ 52: Week Fifty-Two
