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Booster Gold and Blue Beetle are finally in the DCAU together in Justice League Infinity, just in time to be intruded upon by another DC hero.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Justice League Infinity #1 by JM Dematteis, James Tucker, Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi & Tom Napolitano, on sale now.
With the adventures of the DC Animated Universe’s Justice League continuing thanks to Justice League Infinity, a famous pairing from the comics finally makes its way into the world of the critically acclaimed series. The endearing friendship between Blue Beetle and Booster Gold is well known in the regular DC Universe, with the pair getting their own series soon in the form of Dan Jurgens and Ryan Sook’s Blue and Gold. It makes total sense then that this famous friendship should get the DCAU treatment now with Blue Beetle finally getting his animated universe debut.
However, an old rivalry from the series has give Beetle and Booster the unlikeliest of third wheels: Elongated Man.
In the original Justice League Unlimited series, Booster Gold got a starring role in the season 1 episode “The Greatest Story Never Told”. This episode saw the ego-driven hero sidelined to crowd control as almost every other member of the League responded to a major emergency. The only other Leaguer in the same spot as Booster was Ralph Dibny, Elongated Man.
Although they were both placed in the same position and shared the same feelings about how the League saw them, Elongated Man was eventually called away by Wonder Woman to join the real action. This left Booster alone on crowd control and created somewhat of a rivalry between them, with Booster’s robotic companion Skeets mocking Dibny as he smugly left with Wonder Woman.
The end of the episode saw Elongated Man soaking up his fellow Leaguers’ adoration while Booster’s other exploits went unnoticed. Booster was the one who got the last laugh in the end though. Booster had a dinner date with the beautiful woman he saved earlier, while Dibny was stuck on clean-up duty.
This rivalry lives on in Justice League Infinity #1 and is just as petty as it was in the series. However, now it’s mixing in with the comradery between Booster and his good friend Ted Kord, aka the Blue Beetle. When first shown at Flash’s birthday party, Booster and Beetle are obviously close already so it’s safe to say their friendship is already established. On the next page though, their party fun is interrupted by Dibny who’s set on stealing a piece of Booster’s cake rather than fetch a piece of his own.
Although this high-stakes battle over cake seems to be the latest addition to the rivalry between the two heroes, Blue Beetle adds a new element to the mix. He responds to Booster and Dibny’s antics as though he is close friends with them both. Flash’s comments about how, on this occasion, Beetle is the voice of maturity among the three, implies that all three of them interact with each other often. Booster and Beetle’s handling of Elongated Man could mean Dibny is a third wheel to their friendship in this universe. It also implies that the jabs in “The Greatest Story Never Told” were more than a one-time thing.
This seems to be cemented later on when, in a battle with the warring factions of Apokolips, Dibny makes his move on Booster’s cake. An unlucky tumble flings the cake from Booster’s plate right into the elongated jaws of the irksome detective. Thus, even more fuel is added to the fire of this minor Justice League rivalry and forms the idea that it will probably pop up again.
With Booster’s role in the DCAU still relegated to that of a minor character, there is still a possibility that he won’t get much time in this new series. Additionally, with the introduction of Blue Beetle and the rivalry with Elongated Man not looking to go away any time soon, the famous duo may have unwittingly become a trio.
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