Character Spotlight: Rip Hunter

Character Spotlight: Rip Hunter

A man out of time but always there in the nick of it. Able to move through history the way most people move through a room. A name unlikely the one he was born with. Capable of bringing other heroes to just the right time they are needed. Who is he? Rip Hunter, Time Master! How does he leap around putting right what once went wrong? Let’s find out!

Richard “Rip” Hunter created a time machine he called the Time Sphere. Joined by his best friend, his girlfriend, and her brother, theyd go on many adventures through time and space. Rip would frequently get entangled in superhero events and aide as best he could.

riphunterdcu0

During the Crisis of Infinite Earths, Rip would help many heroes travel to the dawn of time so they could confront the Anti-Monitor. He’d be a key factor in stopping the Anti-Monitor and the creation of a single universe instead of the multiverse from before. While most people could not remember the full history of the Crisis, Rip did. He remembered and lived out of time, soon finding there was now even a new Rip Hunter in this new universe.

riphunter

Finding himself without a home, he’d attract the attention of the Linear Men, a team who police the timestream for paradoxes. Rip would join them and help solve many paradoxes and prevent horrible futures from possibly coming into existence. He’d unite with young heroes to help them stop the anti-hero Gog from causing a catastrophic even years before he was supposed to which would cause even worse devastation.

rip_hunter_0014

Interestingly, the Rip of this post-Crisis Earth also creates a Time Sphere and begins time traveling to aide superheroes. He’d work with Booster Gold to try and prevent Vandal Savage from creating his powerful Illuminati organization. This Rip would get stranded in prehistoric times with no one the wiser.

riphunterjsa

Rip is eventually sought out by Booster Gold to help either saving the timestream once again and is eventually found. It is revealed that Rip is Booster’s son from the future hiding his identity to keep his father from knowing too much about his own future. Rip would aide in trying to find a time-tossed Batman who had been presumed dead originally. When the New 52 happened, Rip disappeared for years only to reappear, once again, apart from the main timestream, along with Booster Gold, who is still his father but now at odds with one another.

rip_hunter_arrow_0001

There you have it! Time travel is weird and wild stuff. Rip Hunter is probably more well known now as being part of the TV series, Legends of Tomorrow. This Rip belongs to an order called the Time Masters who police time and he goes rogue to stop Vandal Savage from becoming a dictator on Earth. Sounds familiar. Who knows what future adventures Rip may have both on and off the comics page. See you next time!

Suggested Reading
Showcase #20
Time Masters
Time Masters: Vanishing Point
Challengers of the Unknown
Booster Gold Vol. 2

Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net

Leave a Reply