Origin

Michelle Carter is the twin sister of Booster Gold and, like him, is originally from the 25th century.

Born in 25th-century Gotham City, Michelle and her twin brother, Michael Carter, were raised by a loving mother and an irresponsible father. On their fourth birthday, their father abandoned the family to pursue his true passion—gambling—leaving behind a massive debt. Growing up with a single mother, the twins developed a deep love for football.

At one point, Booster had to return to his own time to seek treatment for an illness, which led to a reunion with Michelle. Unexpectedly, she chose to travel back to the past with him. She adopted the name Goldstar, a title her brother originally intended for himself but failed to claim after nervously stuttering in public and accidentally saying "Booster" instead.

Finding more opportunities in the past than in the future, Michelle set out to explore the world, partly financed by Booster. Unbeknownst to him, she took the Goldstar suit along, determined to gain a better understanding of her brother’s life as a superhero.

Creation

Goldstar was created by Dan Jurgens and she appeared first in Booster Gold #1 (1986). She would only appear as her superheroine identity some time later.

Character Evolution

Michelle was initially portrayed as a character not as interested in superheroics for the same reasons as most other heroes, but as she has characteristics more in line with those of brother. Despite this she has made herself relatively well known as a competent heroine in her career.

Major Story Arcs

Goldstar’s Legacy: Michelle Carter’s Journey Through Time

The Goldstar suit was not originally worn by Michelle Carter but by Trixie Collins, Booster Gold’s secretary. She first used the suit to save Booster from being killed by a mob of anti-superhero activists while he was hospitalized. Later, she traveled to the 25th century with Booster and the suit, but by then, she had already decided she had no interest in a superhero career. When Michelle returned to the past, she took the suit for herself.

Michelle’s journey took a tragic turn when she was killed by a group of aliens planning to invade Earth. However, years later, it was revealed that she had not actually died—Rip Hunter, the famous time traveler (and secretly her nephew), had saved her moments before her supposed death. Since she was already living outside the timeline, rescuing her did not disrupt the flow of time.

Upon returning to life, Michelle became her brother’s partner in his time-traveling adventures. Eventually, she discovered that she had been fated to die, which deeply disturbed her. Despite Skeets’ efforts to comfort her, she struggled with the revelation and felt increasingly suffocated by those around her. Overwhelmed, she fled through a time portal before Booster could reach her.

Later, her death was revealed to have been completely erased from the timeline. Since no body was ever found after the explosion, Rip Hunter had actually pulled her from her doomed fate, placing her safely years after her supposed demise. For a time, Michelle lived unaware of the deeper implications of her resurrection. However, she was eventually confronted by Jason Goldstein, also known as Rex Hunter, a villain who had been erased from his intended timeline by the Time Thieves due to Rip Hunter’s actions. Now transformed into a being of chronal energy, Rex forced Goldstar to witness her originally intended fate.

Though Rex was defeated, the encounter left Michelle traumatized. She became obsessed with her own death, convinced that she was an anomaly in the timeline. Resentful toward Rip Hunter and Booster Gold for keeping the truth from her, she disabled Skeets with powerful magnetic blasts and escaped into the time stream, vanishing without a trace.

It was later revealed that Michelle’s suit possessed greater abilities than originally seen. Like her brother, she could now fire energy blasts from her wrists, though hers remained magnetism-based rather than purely energy-driven like Booster’s. It is assumed that Rip Hunter modified her suit in the same way he upgraded Booster’s, enhancing its protective capabilities for time travel and possibly amplifying her powers in the process.

Haunted by the belief that she was supposed to die, Michelle felt that being saved had robbed her of her rightful place in history. She fled once more to an unknown destination, and despite Rip and Booster’s attempts to locate her, they found no trace of her.

Most recently, however, it was revealed that Michelle had traveled to Coast City on the eve of its destruction. Booster managed to find her in time and bring her back to the present.

The Tomorrow Memory

Goldstar finds herself in the past and for some unknown reason finds herself in Coast City, with her boyfriend Drew, on the day that Cyborg Superman and Mongul destroy it. Lucky for her Booster finds her in time to take her back to the present, but unluckily Drew is forced to be left behind because he was destined to die in Coast City. Goldstar takes some time to forgive Booster but she does and joins Rip and Booster in protecting the time stream.

Personality

Goldstar is the younger twin, but Michelle is the more responsible and reliable of the two siblings, often scolding her outspoken brother. However, like him, she shares a deep passion for time travel, drawn to the thrill it offers. She has a tendency to wake up in a bad mood sometimes, especially in the mornings.

She gets along well with her adoptive niece, Rani, who adores Michelle and aspires to become the next Goldstar.

Initially, Michelle was portrayed as someone less interested in being a superhero—not for the usual reasons, but because she often bent the rules even more than her brother. She would save people regardless of how it might impact the timeline. Over time, however, she established herself as a capable and well-respected hero in her own right.

Powers and Abilities

Michelle is otherwise a normal human. She comes from the 25th century but other than generic knowledge from the time frame, she is not considered particularly technologically adept. Her most important piece of equipment is the Goldstar costume. The costume gives her the ability to influence magnetism. This allows her to fly, move metallic objects, create force field, and fire beams of magnetism. The suit has also been modified by Rip to offer protection from the time stream.

Interesting Trivias About Michelle Carter

• During a break-in at Wayne Manor, she briefly and illegally assumed the role of Batgirl.
• She was once painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Although Booster had to step in to prevent historical disruptions, she still managed to keep the painting.