Rip Hunter
Encyclopedia
Rip Hunter is a DC Comics
character who first appeared in Showcase
#20 (May 1959). Following three more appearances in Showcase (#21, 25, 26), Rip Hunter was given his own series, which ran for 29 issues (1961-65). He later starred in the six-issue Time Masters series (1990), written by Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner
. He was created by Jack Miller and Ruben Moreira
.
were a quartet of science fiction adventurers created by Jack Kirby
. They debuted in 1957, and their commercial success spawned two other science fiction characters: Cave Carson
and Rip Hunter. Hunter was the more successful of the two, with art in his early appearances by Joe Kubert
, Mike Sekowsky
, and Nick Cardy
. Hunter was the leader of a gang of time travelers who were featured in brisk and historically accurate adventures in various eras. DC editor Jack Schiff reported that he and writer Jack Miller had "lots of fun" creating the comics.
Rip Hunter has had a number of revisions within the fictional DC Universe. Those changes are generally connected to larger events and story lines. The writing and editorial staff often use a narrative device within the comics known as a crisis event to explain dramatic changes to the appearance or personality of characters. Rip Hunter has undergone a number of different developments within this fictional universe.
In his original incarnation, Rip Hunter is portrayed as an ordinary man who uses his self-invented Time-Sphere to travel through time. Aided by his friend Jeff Smith, girlfriend Bonnie Baxter, and Bonnie's kid brother Corky, they have adventures in time. Those stories were told in the self-titled series Rip Hunter...Time Master which ran for 29 issues between 1961 - 1965.
The character is next seen in the series Challengers of the Unknown, where, in the year 12,000,000 A. D., he assists the Challengers of the Unknown
, Swamp Thing
and Deadman
in defeating the dictatorial Sun Lords . The character's next major appearance is in Action Comics
#552-554. With the aid of Superman
and the team known as the Forgotten Heroes
, an alien invasion of Earth is prevented .
The Forgotten Heroes are then seen in the 1985 series Crisis on Infinite Earths
, a mini-series intended to change the fictional universe shared by DC characters. During that story, Hunter is used as a plot device to enable the superheroes of the Multiverse
to travel to the dawn of time
where they face off against the Anti-Monitor
. The battle effectively destroys the Multiverse. Hunter reunites with some of his Forgotten Heroes teammates, as well as cosmic heroes Adam Strange
and Captain Comet
, in a quest to defeat the Anti-Monitor once and for all. With the help of Brainiac
, they journey to Apokolips
, where the tyrant Darkseid
uses his advanced science to peer into the Anti-Matter universe and aid Alex Luthor
, Superman, and Superboy-Prime
in the ultimate destruction of the Anti-Monitor.. This narrative event allows the writing staff of DC comics to alter many of their heroes and fictional situations.
The Crisis on Infinite Earths
series was used as a plot device to dramatically alter the fictional histories of many characters. Unlike most other characters, Hunter continues with the same personality and memories that preceded the event. This is used as a literary device to portray him as a man out of time without a home. No one remembers that he existed. The writers further expanded on this by having their new fictional universe contain an alternative version of the character, one who was native to this timeline, also a master of time travel.
This original version of the character is then depicted as attracting the attention of the Linear Men with his attempts to reach his original universe. Impressed by Hunter, the Linear Men
recruit him into their ranks and the writers alter the appearance of the character using the stress of time travel as an explanation for those changes. Now with white hair and bionic implants, he is seen in a number of series that involve time or the manipulation of time as an element of the narrative — most notably during the Zero Hour
mini-series and event.
In The Kingdom, Hunter is seen to turn on the other Linear Men- who believe that Time follows a single course of events- and joins forces with Superman, Batman
, and Wonder Woman
, as well as some young heroes from the future, to defeat the time-traveling villain Gog
in his efforts to destroy Kansas twenty years ahead of schedule. As a result of the battle, he finally breaks down the barrier to Hypertime
, revealing that the Linear Men are wrong about the non-existence of alternate timelines in the post-Crisis universe and that the timeline of the Kingdom can exist regardless of what happens in the present.
Shortly thereafter, the Linear Men, including the original character of Hunter, are destroyed during the Imperiex
onslaught. Although their consciousnesses survive and they eventually construct new bodies for themselves, they have been driven insane by the experience. The Quintessence disband the Linear Men and Hunter vanishes in a whirlwind.
Running parallel to those stories, another version of the character is seen having adventures, as the inventor of time travel technology in the Post-Crisis universe, Hunter aids heroes Booster Gold
and Animal Man
in their own time-traveling adventures before taking on the vast Illuminati conspiracy during the eight issue series Time Masters. This more gritty and realistic (symbolized by jeans and a t-shirt rather than a costume) take on the character attempts to change the past to prevent the Illuminati, led by Vandal Savage
, from coming into existence. During the series, a relative of the character known as Dan Hunter decides to stay in the past at the time of the Revolutionary War. This is used to create a link between Rip Hunter and the pre-existing western themed Dan Hunter, a character associated with Tomahawk
. The series concludes with Hunter being stranded in the prehistoric past.
In the Chronos
series, starring Walker Gabriel, an alternate version of Gabriel, experimenting on time travel to avert World War III, mentions a horrible accident suffered by a Commander Hunter, who apparently scattered himself across time, with only "bits of flesh and bone" which kept resynchronizing in the lab.
The character's next major appearance is within the page of 2004's Justice Society of America where he takes members of the modern day Justice Society of America
back in time to fight the villainous Per Degaton
. Once again, the character is used as a device to allow for time-travel and for other heroes to travel forwards and backwards in time. This version of the character returns to a sci-fi influenced costume and the use of a time bubble. The ramifications of being a time-traveler are explored by the writer Geoff Johns
, who turns the name Rip Hunter into an alias. This is explained as being part of an attempt by the character to hide all of the details of his history, lest an enemy travel back in time and kill him as a child.
The themes of time and changes to the timeline are next explored in the weekly series 52
. Following up from events in the Infinite Crisis
mini-series, Booster Gold
tries to contact Hunter. Booster discovers his base of operations in a time-locked concrete bunker in the Arizona
desert, but when he finally manages to enter the bunker, he finds only a blackboard
, a globe
, and some pieces of paper filled with writings about the future, with references to facts and events like the mortality of Vandal Savage
, the last Lazarus Pit
of Nyssa Raatko
, and the appearances of the mysterious Supernova
. The purpose of the blackboard was to provide clues for the readers of upcoming storylines within that series and other DC Universe titles.
As the series progresses, more and more time-traveling characters, such as Waverider
are killed by a mysterious figure who is later revealed to be Skeets
..
Hunter finally emerges in the Bottle City of Kandor
. Working with Supernova, Hunter has been trying to put together a machine that will "fix" time before Skeets can find him. When Skeets attacks Kandor, Supernova turns back into Booster Gold and battles Skeets using special items gathered from the planet. Rip Hunter and Booster then teleport away, angering Skeets even more. Upon discovering Mr. Mind burrowing into Skeets' shell, Rip Hunter uses T.O. Morrow and the severed head of Red Tornado
as a bait for the Venusian
worm
. Mr. Mind metamorphoses into a nigh-omnipotent imago
form, a hyperfly feeding on universes. Hunter then reveals to Booster Gold
and Booster's ancestor Daniel Carter that the Multiverse
is restored as 52 individual universes as a result of Alex Luthor's actions after he escaped his "paradise dimension". Mr. Mind seeks to devour every parallel universe. Sealing Mr. Mind in a time-rift, the multiverse is saved.. Hunter warns the others to keep the Multiverse a secret for the time being as he eagerly prepares to explore it.
adventuring outfit. The series uses the events of 52 as a basis for the characters to travel in time and attempt to fix or prevent lingering anomalies or evil time travelers from altering the present. As in 52, the blackboard in Rip Hunter's lab provides clues to the readers about upcoming events and storylines within the fictional universe. During the beginning of the series' course, it is revealed that Rip Hunter is not his real name but one of his many aliases.
In Booster Gold #1,000,000, the series writer Geoff Johns
revealed that Rip is the son of Booster Gold. Rip traveled back in time to ensure that his father would do what he needed to do in order to start the Carter family legacy of being the Time Masters. As a side-effect of his needed manipulations, however, Rip Hunter is unable, or unwilling, to reveal to Booster the details of his mission or his future legacy, and while he will ensure that the Time Masters will always remember Booster Gold as the one who trained The Greatest of them All (namely, Rip Hunter himself), and selflessly sacrificed himself to ignite their legacy, he will also act to make his father pass down the history as the black sheep of their family, inept, cowardly and bumbling. It also later reveals that Hunter is not alone on this, as Booster's future self has been watching him like a guardian angel to ensure he would become the hero he's destined to be and would survive on each mission. Rip and the older Booster occasionally would interact during the present version's mission.
In Carl Draper
's Checkmate
blog, a reference is made to the Smith-Baxter Group, a time-travel consultancy whose founders were trained by Hunter (presumably Jeff Smith and Bonnie and/or Corky Baxter from the Time Masters mini-series).
Rip, as a member of the Linear Men
, reveals that he never agreed with the Linear Men's methods of handling time and locked them away in a cell after becoming tired of their interference.
, Superman
and Hal Jordan
, starred in Time Masters: Vanishing Point, a limited series
that is a companion piece to Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
. The series followed the heroes' journey to find Batman who was lost in time following Final Crisis
.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character who first appeared in Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#20 (May 1959). Following three more appearances in Showcase (#21, 25, 26), Rip Hunter was given his own series, which ran for 29 issues (1961-65). He later starred in the six-issue Time Masters series (1990), written by Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner is an American writer.Shiner began his career as a science fiction writer, identified early on with cyberpunk, and later wrote more mainstream novels, albeit often with magical realism and fantasy elements...
. He was created by Jack Miller and Ruben Moreira
Ruben Moreira
Ruben Moreira was a Puerto Rican comic book artist and writer best known for his work on Tarzan and as a DC Comics artist.-Biography:...
.
Publication history
The Challengers of the UnknownChallengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a group of fictional characters in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, or co-created with Dave Wood , this quartet of adventurers explored science fictional and apparent paranormal occurrences and faced fantastic menaces.Scripts for the first...
were a quartet of science fiction adventurers created by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
. They debuted in 1957, and their commercial success spawned two other science fiction characters: Cave Carson
Cave Carson
Calvin "Cave" Carson is a fictional character that appeared in stories published by DC Comics. Carson, a spelunker, first appeared in Brave and the Bold #31 ; he was created by France Herron and Bruno Premiani.-Publication history:...
and Rip Hunter. Hunter was the more successful of the two, with art in his early appearances by Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert is an American comic book artist who went on to found The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman...
, Mike Sekowsky
Mike Sekowsky
Michael Sekowsky was a Jewish American comic book artist best known as the exclusive penciler for DC Comics' Justice League of America during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on Wonder Woman during the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Early life and career:Mike Sekowsky began...
, and Nick Cardy
Nick Cardy
Nick Cardy , a.k.a. Nick Cardi, is an American comic book artist best known for his DC Comics work on Aquaman, the Teen Titans and other major characters....
. Hunter was the leader of a gang of time travelers who were featured in brisk and historically accurate adventures in various eras. DC editor Jack Schiff reported that he and writer Jack Miller had "lots of fun" creating the comics.
Rip Hunter has had a number of revisions within the fictional DC Universe. Those changes are generally connected to larger events and story lines. The writing and editorial staff often use a narrative device within the comics known as a crisis event to explain dramatic changes to the appearance or personality of characters. Rip Hunter has undergone a number of different developments within this fictional universe.
In his original incarnation, Rip Hunter is portrayed as an ordinary man who uses his self-invented Time-Sphere to travel through time. Aided by his friend Jeff Smith, girlfriend Bonnie Baxter, and Bonnie's kid brother Corky, they have adventures in time. Those stories were told in the self-titled series Rip Hunter...Time Master which ran for 29 issues between 1961 - 1965.
The character is next seen in the series Challengers of the Unknown, where, in the year 12,000,000 A. D., he assists the Challengers of the Unknown
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a group of fictional characters in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, or co-created with Dave Wood , this quartet of adventurers explored science fictional and apparent paranormal occurrences and faced fantastic menaces.Scripts for the first...
, Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
and Deadman
Deadman
Deadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
in defeating the dictatorial Sun Lords . The character's next major appearance is in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#552-554. With the aid of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and the team known as the Forgotten Heroes
Forgotten Heroes
The Forgotten Heroes are fictional superhero team in the DC Comics universe. The group is composed of superheroes that had faded from the limelight...
, an alien invasion of Earth is prevented .
The Forgotten Heroes are then seen in the 1985 series 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...
, a mini-series intended to change the fictional universe shared by DC characters. During that story, Hunter is used as a plot device to enable the superheroes of the Multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
to travel to the dawn of time
Dawn of Time
Dawn of Time is an American science fiction short story collection edited by Robert Silverberg, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph Olander.The collection has the tagline 'Prehistory Through Science Fiction'. All the included short stories have paleontology/prehistory as a common theme.-Stories in Dawn...
where they face off against the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
. The battle effectively destroys the Multiverse. Hunter reunites with some of his Forgotten Heroes teammates, as well as cosmic heroes Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
and Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
, in a quest to defeat the Anti-Monitor once and for all. With the help of Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, they journey to Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
, where the tyrant Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
uses his advanced science to peer into the Anti-Matter universe and aid Alex Luthor
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
, Superman, and 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...
in the ultimate destruction of the Anti-Monitor.. This narrative event allows the writing staff of DC comics to alter many of their heroes and fictional situations.
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...
series was used as a plot device to dramatically alter the fictional histories of many characters. Unlike most other characters, Hunter continues with the same personality and memories that preceded the event. This is used as a literary device to portray him as a man out of time without a home. No one remembers that he existed. The writers further expanded on this by having their new fictional universe contain an alternative version of the character, one who was native to this timeline, also a master of time travel.
This original version of the character is then depicted as attracting the attention of the Linear Men with his attempts to reach his original universe. Impressed by Hunter, the Linear Men
Linear Men
The Linear Men are fictional characters, a fictional superhero team in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Adventures of Superman #476 .-Fictional history:...
recruit him into their ranks and the writers alter the appearance of the character using the stress of time travel as an explanation for those changes. Now with white hair and bionic implants, he is seen in a number of series that involve time or the manipulation of time as an element of the narrative — most notably during the Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
mini-series and event.
In The Kingdom, Hunter is seen to turn on the other Linear Men- who believe that Time follows a single course of events- and joins forces with Superman, 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 Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, as well as some young heroes from the future, to defeat the time-traveling villain Gog
Gog (comics)
Gog is the name of several different fictional characters in the comics published by DC Comics. The first version first appeared in New Year's Evil: Gog #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Jerry Ordway.-The Kingdom:...
in his efforts to destroy Kansas twenty years ahead of schedule. As a result of the battle, he finally breaks down the barrier to Hypertime
Hypertime
Hypertime is a fictional concept presented in the 1999 DC comic book series The Kingdom, both a catch-all explanation for any continuity discrepancies in DC Universe stories and a variation or superset of the Multiverse that existed before Crisis on Infinite Earths.- The Kingdom :The basic premise...
, revealing that the Linear Men are wrong about the non-existence of alternate timelines in the post-Crisis universe and that the timeline of the Kingdom can exist regardless of what happens in the present.
Shortly thereafter, the Linear Men, including the original character of Hunter, are destroyed during the Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
onslaught. Although their consciousnesses survive and they eventually construct new bodies for themselves, they have been driven insane by the experience. The Quintessence disband the Linear Men and Hunter vanishes in a whirlwind.
Running parallel to those stories, another version of the character is seen having adventures, as the inventor of time travel technology in the Post-Crisis universe, Hunter aids heroes 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...
and Animal Man
Animal Man
Animal Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals...
in their own time-traveling adventures before taking on the vast Illuminati conspiracy during the eight issue series Time Masters. This more gritty and realistic (symbolized by jeans and a t-shirt rather than a costume) take on the character attempts to change the past to prevent the Illuminati, led by Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal 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....
, from coming into existence. During the series, a relative of the character known as Dan Hunter decides to stay in the past at the time of the Revolutionary War. This is used to create a link between Rip Hunter and the pre-existing western themed Dan Hunter, a character associated with Tomahawk
Tomahawk (comics)
Tomahawk is a comic book character whose adventures were published by DC Comics during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as a backup feature in Star Spangled Comics and World's Finest Comics and in his own eponymous series...
. The series concludes with Hunter being stranded in the prehistoric past.
In the Chronos
Chronos (comics)
Chronos is the name of several fictional characters of DC Comics, both supervillains who take their name from the Greek personification of Time and have the ability of time travel and can manipulate history.-David Clinton:...
series, starring Walker Gabriel, an alternate version of Gabriel, experimenting on time travel to avert World War III, mentions a horrible accident suffered by a Commander Hunter, who apparently scattered himself across time, with only "bits of flesh and bone" which kept resynchronizing in the lab.
The character's next major appearance is within the page of 2004's Justice Society of America where he takes members of the modern day Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
back in time to fight the villainous Per Degaton
Per Degaton
Per Degaton is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who can travel through time. Per Degaton made his first appearance in All Star Comics #35 and was created by John Broome and Irwin Hasen...
. Once again, the character is used as a device to allow for time-travel and for other heroes to travel forwards and backwards in time. This version of the character returns to a sci-fi influenced costume and the use of a time bubble. The ramifications of being a time-traveler are explored by the writer Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
, who turns the name Rip Hunter into an alias. This is explained as being part of an attempt by the character to hide all of the details of his history, lest an enemy travel back in time and kill him as a child.
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...
. Following up from events in the Infinite Crisis
Infinite 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...
mini-series, 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...
tries to contact Hunter. Booster discovers his base of operations in a time-locked concrete bunker in the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
desert, but when he finally manages to enter the bunker, he finds only a blackboard
Blackboard
A chalkboard is a reusable writing surface.Blackboard may also refer to:* Blackboards are synonymous with "boards of infamy", an element of agitation-propaganda in the Soviet Union in 1930s, coincidental with Holodomor...
, a globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
, and some pieces of paper filled with writings about the future, with references to facts and events like the mortality of Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal 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....
, the last Lazarus Pit
Lazarus Pit
A Lazarus Pit is a fictional natural phenomenon in the . They are primarily found in the Batman titles and are commonly used by Ra's al Ghul for their restorative powers.-Fictional history:...
of Nyssa Raatko
Nyssa Raatko
Nyssa Raatko is a fictional character, an assassin and terrorist created by Greg Rucka and Klaus Janson for the Batman series of comic books.-Fictional character biography:...
, and the appearances of the mysterious 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...
. The purpose of the blackboard was to provide clues for the readers of upcoming storylines within that series and other DC Universe titles.
As the series progresses, more and more time-traveling characters, such as 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....
are killed by a mysterious figure who is later revealed to be Skeets
Skeets
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...
..
Hunter finally emerges 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...
. Working with Supernova, Hunter has been trying to put together a machine that will "fix" time before Skeets can find him. When Skeets attacks Kandor, Supernova turns back into Booster Gold and battles Skeets using special items gathered from the planet. Rip Hunter and Booster then teleport away, angering Skeets even more. Upon discovering Mr. Mind burrowing into Skeets' shell, Rip Hunter uses T.O. Morrow and the severed head of 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 a bait for the Venusian
Venusians
In science fiction and ufology, a Venusian is a native inhabitant of the planet Venus.-Etymology:The word "Venusian" is simply a combination of the name of the planet Venus and the suffix -ian, formed on the analogy of "Martian" . It is usually pronounced or...
worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
. Mr. Mind metamorphoses into a nigh-omnipotent imago
Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
form, a hyperfly feeding on universes. Hunter then reveals 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...
and Booster's ancestor Daniel Carter that the Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
is restored as 52 individual universes as a result of Alex Luthor's actions after he escaped his "paradise dimension". Mr. Mind seeks to devour every parallel universe. Sealing Mr. Mind in a time-rift, the multiverse is saved.. Hunter warns the others to keep the Multiverse a secret for the time being as he eagerly prepares to explore it.
Booster Gold
The character is next seen as an integral part of the cast of the Booster Gold series. Here, the character acts as a companion and adviser to Booster Gold. Rip has also since changed his outfit from a futuristic red and green to a more classical Indiana Jones-typeIndiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
adventuring outfit. The series uses the events of 52 as a basis for the characters to travel in time and attempt to fix or prevent lingering anomalies or evil time travelers from altering the present. As in 52, the blackboard in Rip Hunter's lab provides clues to the readers about upcoming events and storylines within the fictional universe. During the beginning of the series' course, it is revealed that Rip Hunter is not his real name but one of his many aliases.
In Booster Gold #1,000,000, the series writer Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
revealed that Rip is the son of Booster Gold. Rip traveled back in time to ensure that his father would do what he needed to do in order to start the Carter family legacy of being the Time Masters. As a side-effect of his needed manipulations, however, Rip Hunter is unable, or unwilling, to reveal to Booster the details of his mission or his future legacy, and while he will ensure that the Time Masters will always remember Booster Gold as the one who trained The Greatest of them All (namely, Rip Hunter himself), and selflessly sacrificed himself to ignite their legacy, he will also act to make his father pass down the history as the black sheep of their family, inept, cowardly and bumbling. It also later reveals that Hunter is not alone on this, as Booster's future self has been watching him like a guardian angel to ensure he would become the hero he's destined to be and would survive on each mission. Rip and the older Booster occasionally would interact during the present version's mission.
In Carl Draper
Carl Draper
Carl Draper is a fictional character in DC Comics, an enemy of Superman. He has gone by the names Kator, Master Jailer, and Deathtrap. Draper made his first appearance in Superman Vol 1 #331 , written by Martin Pasko and drawn by Curt Swan and Frank Chiaramonte.-Pre-Crisis:In Pre-Crisis comics,...
's 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!...
blog, a reference is made to the Smith-Baxter Group, a time-travel consultancy whose founders were trained by Hunter (presumably Jeff Smith and Bonnie and/or Corky Baxter from the Time Masters mini-series).
Rip, as a member of the Linear Men
Linear Men
The Linear Men are fictional characters, a fictional superhero team in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Adventures of Superman #476 .-Fictional history:...
, reveals that he never agreed with the Linear Men's methods of handling time and locked them away in a cell after becoming tired of their interference.
Time Masters: Vanishing Point
Rip, along 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...
, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
, starred in Time Masters: Vanishing Point, a 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....
that is a companion piece to Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne is a 6-issue American comic book limited series published by DC Comics beginning in May 2010 to November 2010, written by Grant Morrison and featuring a team of rotating artists starting with Chris Sprouse and Frazer Irving.The series picks up from Batman and Robin...
. The series followed the heroes' journey to find Batman who was lost in time following Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
.
Television
- Rip Hunter appears in 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 "Time Out for Vengeance!" voiced by Brian BloomBrian BloomBrian Keith Bloom is an American actor, voice actor, and screenwriter.Bloom was born in Merrick, New York, the brother of producer/actor Scott Bloom and musician Mike Bloom....
. He helps out BatmanBatmanBatman 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 the Justice League InternationalJustice League InternationalJustice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
travel in time to save other versions of Batman from the minions of Equinox.