Skeets
Encyclopedia
Skeets is a fictional artificial intelligence
robot
from the future in the . Usually seen as a companion to Booster Gold
, he co-stars in the limited series
52
and the subsequent Booster Gold vol. 2.
(Michael Jon Carter) with news headlines
for the next 500 years. Booster used this knowledge to become wealthy and to stop disasters before they happened. Their success led to Booster's induction into Maxwell Lord
's incarnation of the Justice League
. Skeets was apparently dismissed and kept in storage (where he killed time surfing the Internet
) during Booster's tenure in the Justice League, but was reactivated to help with repairs when Doomsday
badly mangled Booster's power suit. Although he was unable to fix the suit, Skeets revealed again his utility when Blue Beetle
acquired the "Exorian Flesh Driver", an alien technology able to feed off of Booster's particular body energy. Willing to substitute the bulkier substitute armor he was forced to build for Booster, but lacking the proper software, Beetle downloaded Skeets' consciousness into the armor. As the Flesh Driver, Skeets could still counsel and help his owner, but he could also take control of Booster's body and motor functions when Booster was knocked unconscious. He was also in charge of the more advanced features of the suit, "rationing" them to force his owner to a more rational use of the Flesh Driver.
Apparently, when Professor Hamilton
built Booster a new power suit, similar to his original 25th century technology (briefly containing Skeets' consciousness in the same way the Flesh Driver did), Skeets was again rebuilt as a stand-alone robot.
and used as surveillance technology that led to the death of Ted Kord
. Following the events of The OMAC Project
, Booster disappeared, telling his friend Bea he was going home.
Booster reappeared inexplicably with Skeets on the moon in Infinite Crisis #2. They arrived after Superboy-Prime
destroyed the Justice League Watchtower
and went off in search of the Blue Beetle scarab. They found it with Jaime Reyes and, together with Batman
and a team of heroes, they destroyed Brother Eye.
, Skeets attempts to help Booster rebuild his reputation, but incorrectly predicts several future events in the process. Skeets is later examined by Will Magnus
, who says that nothing is wrong with him. Booster and Skeets later break into Rip Hunter
's lab to question him about possible changes in time. Booster finds Rip has vanished and scrawled notes that indicate Booster is responsible for the changes in time. Booster eventually loses his fame and fortune after a staged fight with a "supervillain" backfires. A new superhero called Supernova
appears and quickly eclipses Booster in popularity. Booster attempts to regain his popularity by preventing the meltdown of a nuclear submarine, but dies after it explodes.
Skeets recruits Booster's ancestor, Daniel, a week later in order to regain access to Rip's lab. Skeets leaves Daniel trapped in a repeating time loop after Daniel uncovers the scrawled notes, which indicate that Skeets is responsible for the changes in time. Skeets later stages an invasion of Metropolis in order to draw out Rip Hunter, which results in the slaughter of several civilians and amateur superheroes. When Firestorm's new Justice League try to stop him, Skeets kills the new Super-Chief
and escapes. Skeets then tortures Waverider
and dispatches the Time Commander in order to discover Rip's location, while implying that Waverider's metal skin was melted down in order to construct Skeets itself.
Skeets eventually locates Rip in the Bottle City of Kandor
, along with Supernova. Supernova reveals himself to be a disguised Booster Gold, who faked his death with Rip's help in order to stop Skeets' plans. Rip uses a Phantom Zone
projector built in an attempt to stop Skeets. Skeets absorbs the Phantom Zone itself forcing Rip and Booster to escape. Booster reappears during World War III and steals a nanotech missile from John Henry Irons
in order to stop Skeets. Booster and Rip use T.O. Morrow
and the severed head of the Red Tornado
as bait to lure out Skeets, who takes the bait and attempts to extract the map from inside the Red Tornado's head when Booster and Rip reappear. Skeets' shell then breaks open to reveal a mutated Mister Mind
, who has used Skeets as a cocoon during a metamorphosis. Booster and Rip escape "back to where it all started."
As Mister Mind ravages the 52 new universes spawned by the Infinite Crisis, Booster Gold and Rip Hunter, using Blue Beetle
's scarab from the Crisis on Infinite Earths
and Suspendium from Sivana
's labs turn the malfunctioning, still conscious remains of Skeets into a time bomb, meant to contain Mister Mind enough to be hurled into the timestream from Booster and the new Supernova, Daniel Carter. Albeit utterly destroyed, he is later rebuilt from a salvaged responsometer
holding a partial copy of his mem-self, combined with Doc Magnus' backup from his first repair job. Housed in a new body, Skeets awakes unable to remember the last year's events, with Booster happily filling the gaps in his memory.
In Justice League: Generation Lost
, Skeets helps Booster, along with Fire, Ice
, and Captain Atom
, with the manhunt to bring the resurrected Maxwell Lord to justice. However, Max uses his psychic powers to the utmost to erase all memory of himself from the minds of the entire world. For some reason, Skeets and the JLI members are the only ones who remember Max's existence. Skeets manages to hack the Checkmate
information after he was informed to hack every file on every organization on Earth to find Max's whereabouts.
Currently housed in a new body, similar to the former one but manufactured by Will Magnus
in the modern day, he may have lost several features, like the unique golden alloy surrounding his body that Mister Mind
claimed to be Waverider's skin. He has retained his partial but extended knowledge of the future. Several time-travelling features, like the resistance to time travel ravages and a beacon meant to keep him always in contact with Rip Hunter
's Time Sphere, were later restored by Rip Hunter, who upgraded Booster Gold's costume with the same technology to employ the duo as temporal agents.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
from the future in the . Usually seen as a companion to Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
, he co-stars in the limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
52
52 (comics)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
and the subsequent Booster Gold vol. 2.
Booster Gold
A former BX9 (built by Kord Industries or at least based on Kord patents) security robot at the Space Museum, Skeets arrived from the 25th century with Booster GoldBooster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
(Michael Jon Carter) with news headlines
Headlines
Headlines may refer to:* Headlines , a 2010 song by Alcazar* Headlines , a 2011 song by Drake* Headlines , a 2007 song by the Spice Girls...
for the next 500 years. Booster used this knowledge to become wealthy and to stop disasters before they happened. Their success led to Booster's induction into Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a shrewd and powerful businessman who was very influential in the formation of the Justice League International in DC Comics.-Before the League:...
's incarnation of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. Skeets was apparently dismissed and kept in storage (where he killed time surfing the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
) during Booster's tenure in the Justice League, but was reactivated to help with repairs when Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
badly mangled Booster's power suit. Although he was unable to fix the suit, Skeets revealed again his utility when Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
acquired the "Exorian Flesh Driver", an alien technology able to feed off of Booster's particular body energy. Willing to substitute the bulkier substitute armor he was forced to build for Booster, but lacking the proper software, Beetle downloaded Skeets' consciousness into the armor. As the Flesh Driver, Skeets could still counsel and help his owner, but he could also take control of Booster's body and motor functions when Booster was knocked unconscious. He was also in charge of the more advanced features of the suit, "rationing" them to force his owner to a more rational use of the Flesh Driver.
Apparently, when Professor Hamilton
Professor Hamilton
Professor Emil Hamilton is a fictional character in DC Comics' Superman titles. He is generally portrayed as a stereotypical absent-minded professor, with a gray beard and thick glasses and, at times, a "Mr. Wizard" type character...
built Booster a new power suit, similar to his original 25th century technology (briefly containing Skeets' consciousness in the same way the Flesh Driver did), Skeets was again rebuilt as a stand-alone robot.
Infinite Crisis
Skeets was destroyed in the Countdown to Infinite Crisis one-shot by Maxwell LordMaxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a shrewd and powerful businessman who was very influential in the formation of the Justice League International in DC Comics.-Before the League:...
and used as surveillance technology that led to the death of Ted Kord
Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Blue Beetle is the second Blue Beetle, a superhero who was originally published by Charlton Comics and later picked up by DC Comics...
. Following the events of The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project is a six issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005.-Overview:...
, Booster disappeared, telling his friend Bea he was going home.
Booster reappeared inexplicably with Skeets on the moon in Infinite Crisis #2. They arrived after Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
destroyed the Justice League Watchtower
Justice League Watchtower
The Watchtower is the name of various bases used by the Justice League of America in DC Comics and various other media. It has been portrayed in DC comics as a building on Earth's moon, and as a space-station in orbit in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.The Watchtower debuted in JLA #4 during...
and went off in search of the Blue Beetle scarab. They found it with Jaime Reyes and, together with Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and a team of heroes, they destroyed Brother Eye.
52
After the events of Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, Skeets attempts to help Booster rebuild his reputation, but incorrectly predicts several future events in the process. Skeets is later examined by Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
, who says that nothing is wrong with him. Booster and Skeets later break into Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter is a DC Comics character who first appeared in Showcase #20 . Following three more appearances in Showcase , Rip Hunter was given his own series, which ran for 29 issues . He later starred in the six-issue Time Masters series , written by Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner...
's lab to question him about possible changes in time. Booster finds Rip has vanished and scrawled notes that indicate Booster is responsible for the changes in time. Booster eventually loses his fame and fortune after a staged fight with a "supervillain" backfires. A new superhero called Supernova
Supernova (comics)
Supernova is an identity used by three characters in the , all related to the Carter bloodline. The first appearance of this character was in the weekly DC Comics series 52 where the mystery of his true identity and purpose was one of the recurring themes of the series.-52:The character of...
appears and quickly eclipses Booster in popularity. Booster attempts to regain his popularity by preventing the meltdown of a nuclear submarine, but dies after it explodes.
Super-Chief
This article is about the DC Comics character. For the Major League Baseball pitcher nicknamed "Superchief" see Allie Reynolds.Super-Chief is the name of several fictional characters, three superheroes and one supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino, the...
and escapes. Skeets then tortures Waverider
Waverider (comics)
Waverider is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe, a time traveler who was merged with the time stream. Waverider first appeared in Armageddon 2001 #1 and was created by Archie Goodwin and Dan Jurgens....
and dispatches the Time Commander in order to discover Rip's location, while implying that Waverider's metal skin was melted down in order to construct Skeets itself.
Skeets eventually locates Rip in the Bottle City of Kandor
Kandor
Kandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac...
, along with Supernova. Supernova reveals himself to be a disguised Booster Gold, who faked his death with Rip's help in order to stop Skeets' plans. Rip uses a Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
projector built in an attempt to stop Skeets. Skeets absorbs the Phantom Zone itself forcing Rip and Booster to escape. Booster reappears during World War III and steals a nanotech missile from John Henry Irons
Steel (John Henry Irons)
Steel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...
in order to stop Skeets. Booster and Rip use T.O. Morrow
T. O. Morrow
T.O. Morrow is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. The original T. O. Morrow debuted in The Flash vol. 1 #143 and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino. The modern T. O. Morrow first appeared in The Flash vol...
and the severed head of the Red Tornado
Red Tornado
Red Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
as bait to lure out Skeets, who takes the bait and attempts to extract the map from inside the Red Tornado's head when Booster and Rip reappear. Skeets' shell then breaks open to reveal a mutated Mister Mind
Mister Mind and the Monster Society of Evil
Mister Mind is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain created for Fawcett Comics, and now owned and published by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and C. C...
, who has used Skeets as a cocoon during a metamorphosis. Booster and Rip escape "back to where it all started."
As Mister Mind ravages the 52 new universes spawned by the Infinite Crisis, Booster Gold and Rip Hunter, using Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
's scarab from the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
and Suspendium from Sivana
Doctor Sivana
Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...
's labs turn the malfunctioning, still conscious remains of Skeets into a time bomb, meant to contain Mister Mind enough to be hurled into the timestream from Booster and the new Supernova, Daniel Carter. Albeit utterly destroyed, he is later rebuilt from a salvaged responsometer
Metal Men
The Metal Men are fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru...
holding a partial copy of his mem-self, combined with Doc Magnus' backup from his first repair job. Housed in a new body, Skeets awakes unable to remember the last year's events, with Booster happily filling the gaps in his memory.
One Year Later
Skeets' empty shell becomes part of the Justice League's mementos in the Hall's trophy room in Justice League of America vol. 2, #7. He later appears in the 2007 Booster Gold series alongside the eponymous character, Rip Hunter, and Daniel Carter, continuing their 52 adventures. Skeets now has a new, upgraded form, more boxy than his previous round form. It is also revealed that Skeets is now a 2.0 model security bot.In Justice League: Generation Lost
Justice League: Generation Lost
Justice League: Generation Lost was a year-long comic book limited series that premiered July 2010. It ran twice a month for 24 issues, alternating with Brightest Day written by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi.-Publication history:...
, Skeets helps Booster, along with Fire, Ice
Ice (comics)
Ice is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in publications from DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire, she first appeared in Justice League International #12 ....
, and Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
, with the manhunt to bring the resurrected Maxwell Lord to justice. However, Max uses his psychic powers to the utmost to erase all memory of himself from the minds of the entire world. For some reason, Skeets and the JLI members are the only ones who remember Max's existence. Skeets manages to hack the Checkmate
Checkmate (comics)
Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
information after he was informed to hack every file on every organization on Earth to find Max's whereabouts.
Powers and abilities
Skeets is a 25th century security robot (sometimes "valet unit") with artificial intelligence. He is capable of flight, cognitive thinking, and voice projection, which is all considered highly advanced for 21st century Earth. He also has historical records and headlines which give him a vast knowledge of what will happen between the 21st and 25th centuries, though its reliability has become questionable, as stated above. He possesses numerous miniature tools and weapons kept within his shell, and is also equipped with a powerful energy blaster. He is apparently immune to reality and temporal manipulation.Currently housed in a new body, similar to the former one but manufactured by Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
in the modern day, he may have lost several features, like the unique golden alloy surrounding his body that Mister Mind
Mister Mind and the Monster Society of Evil
Mister Mind is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain created for Fawcett Comics, and now owned and published by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and C. C...
claimed to be Waverider's skin. He has retained his partial but extended knowledge of the future. Several time-travelling features, like the resistance to time travel ravages and a beacon meant to keep him always in contact with Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter is a DC Comics character who first appeared in Showcase #20 . Following three more appearances in Showcase , Rip Hunter was given his own series, which ran for 29 issues . He later starred in the six-issue Time Masters series , written by Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner...
's Time Sphere, were later restored by Rip Hunter, who upgraded Booster Gold's costume with the same technology to employ the duo as temporal agents.
Television
- Skeets, along with Booster Gold, appeared in multiple episodes of Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, voiced by Billy WestBilly WestWilliam Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival...
. - Two characters who look just like Skeets and Booster appear in the background during the first episode of the Legion of Super HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
animated series. - Billy West reprises his role of Skeets in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!". He gets kidnapped by Kru'll the EternalVandal SavageVandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
after Booster revealed what was powering him. Skeets later saves Booster from super-powered versions of Kru'll's henchmen by releasing his charge and reversing Kru'll's ray's effects. He appears with Booster Gold in "A Bat Divided!", but did not have a speaking role. Skeets returned in both parts of "The Siege of Starro!", as well as "Menace of the Madniks!". - Skeets appears in the SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
episode "Booster". He looks like a BluetoothBluetoothBluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
headset instead of his usual floating robotic design from the comics. He is voiced by Ross DouglasRoss DouglasRoss Douglas is a voice actor with Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is known for voicing Daniel O'Connell in Master Keaton and recently in the Black Lagoon series as Kageyama.-Roles:...
.
External links
- Boosterrific.com An annotated chronology of Booster Gold's published DC Comics comic book appearances, including appearances of Booster Gold's sidekick Skeets.