The 52 special

Tarnished: Booster Approval Ratings Show “No Confidence”

by Ron Troupe

METROPOLIS, AUGUST 17 — 

One would think he would have seen this coming. After all, if the stories about him are to be believed, he comes from the 25^th Century. Yet, following the revelation that most of his recent “brave acts of heroism” were actually faked as part of a huge promotional campaign, the super hero career of the man known as Booster Gold is in freefall, with seemingly no end in sight.

The now disgraced costumed crime-fighter, once a member of the prestigious Justice League, has seen his approval rating drop to an all-time low. In a new survey of 5,000 Metropolis citizens conducted by the Daily Planet, Booster Gold’s approval rating is now at a meager 2 percent-a drop of 89 points from his all-time high of 91 percent following his rescue of Flight 2824 just three months ago. Even “Bibbo” Bibbowski, current owner of the notorious roughneck Ace O’ Clubs bar in Suicide Slum, rates higher as a hero to the city populace, with a 15 percent approval rating.

Booster Gold’s former teammates in the Justice League, including the Batman, Captain Marvel, Black Canary, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and the Elongated Man, could not be reached for comment about their onetime associate’s current troubles. However, a dog-like creature calling himself G’nort, who claims to have been a member of both the Justice League and the Green Lantern Corps, issued a statement expressing his strong support for Booster, whom he described as “a fihn man” and “as ahnist and trustwirthee as the grait Maxwell Lord.”

To add to Booster Gold’s woes, he is reportedly losing his key corporate sponsors. Inside sources requesting anonymity reveal that executives at Big Belly Burger, Lit beer, and Sundoller Coffee are all investigating ways to end their endorsement deals with Booster well before their contracts with him expire. “We might as well have the Brotherhood of Evil pushing our stuff, for all the good Booster Gold is doing us right now,” said one of the sources.