Booster Gold # 8 - Blue & Gold Chapter 3: Freedom Fighters

Overview

"Blue and Gold" part 3! Booster and Beetle come face-to-face with the all-new, all-different Freedom Fighters as time continues to crash down around them. Can a makeshift super-team really stop Maxwell Lord and his O.M.A.C.s? Plus, the continuing evil machinations of Supernova and Black Beetle!

Plot Summary

• Booster and Beetle are taken to the base of the Freedom Fighters, led by Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) and Hawkman (Carter Hall). However, their hopes of a A-list team up are dashed upon discovering the rest of the team consists of Pantha, Wild Dog and Anthro. 

• Meanwhile, Max tries to use his mind powers to force Superman to kill a captive Wildcat. But the one thing Max can't force Kal-El to do is kill. At least, not yet... 

• In the time stream Rip and Skeets, along with former Supernova Daniel Carter and reporter Rose Levin (who are destined to be the ancestors of Michael), are trying to follow the chronal trail left by the Black Beetle. And it's leading them to the end of time... 

• At Vanishing Point, the end of time, Black Beetle, Despero and Per Degaton decide to ignore Rip, as their true enemy appears to be Booster Gold himself. To that end, Supernova and Ultra-Humanite have traveled to Rip's time lab and proceed to destroy his last Time Sphere. 

• The Freedom Fighters decide to confront Max head on, using Beetle's O.M.A.C.-invisible Bug to fly to Switzerland. Their plans (and the Bug) take a hit though, when Superman smashes through the ship and flies away with Anthro. The rest of the team manages to make it to Max's castle. 

• The remaining Freedom Fighters try the stealth approach, taking out several Checkmate guards and Sasha Bordeaux, who in this time is still Max's subordinate. 

• One by one the remaining Fighters fall. Green Arrow is infected with the nano-virus, turns into an O.M.A.C, and immediately vaporizes Hawkman. Pantha is gunned down by Wild Dog's friendly fire, who's then forced to shoot himself by Max. 
• Max shoots Ted in the shoulder, and tells Michael he wants to learn about time travel. Booster & Beetle retreat, and manage to get into the armory. When Superman attacks, they use a Boom Tube found there to teleport away to the abandoned Justice League headquarters in New York. 

• Despite the failure of the Freedom Fighters, Michael is sure a group is needed to combat Max and his forces. So he and Ted decide to reunite the team that they and Max were a part of: Justice League International!