It's Lobo's fault he's dead! He hunted Rasputin -- even attacked me so he could get him! Well, that's it! I'll find him and make him pay -- even if I have to scour the whole galaxy! And when I get him -- no more Mr. Nice Guy! I'll smack his naughty wrist, but sore! 
- — Gold Star src
Ernest Widdle was secretly the greatest superhero of the planet Harmony, Gold Star. He was the most virtuous, upstanding and gosh-darn pleasant fellow there was. With his power to "radiate rectitude," Gold Star made crime a rare occurrence on his home planet.
History
Origin
Ernest was one of two twin boys fathered by a philosopher whose field was the study of good and evil. He conducted an experiment using his own children. Ernest was raised in a loving, moral environment, whereas his brother Rasputin was handed over to slavers.
It would be many years later when Ernest had become Gold Star that he would be reunited with his long lost bother, who had become the violent criminal, Bludhound. His psychopathic twin had come to Harmony because he had a terminal disease, and his dying wish was to take his fortunate brother down with him. Bludhound had a large bounty on his head and was being pursued by Lobo.
When Gold Star intervened with the brawling thugs, he met his brother for the first time, but it was short lived. Bludhound's disease was in the final stages and he died before Lobo could kill him. Gold Star was devastated and vowed to track down Lobo and make him pay for the death of his twin.[1]
Gold Star tracked down Lobo after he broadcast his new religion around the galaxy, The Church of the Almighty Frag. Disguised as one of the congregation, he tried to denounce the charlatan's extortionate scam but was ejected from the meeting by Pastor Jonas. Determined to make the wicked men pay for their indecency, he continued to follow them to the planet Hoozer, where Lobo intended to make one last big haul before giving up his blasphemous scheme for more violent pursuits. Gold Star uncovered their plot for a false revelation of planetary apocalypse by staging an explosion. He smashed the detonator and confronted the con-men at the stadium, but was overpowered by the two brutes and their dog. Lobo had the foresight to have a backup timer on the explosives, and the explosion in a cave rich with concussium set off a chain reaction, obliterating the entire planet. While Lobo and Jonas were able to escape, Gold Star survived the blast, left suspended in space, unconscious.[2]
Gold Star was discovered by a passing space vessel, however the planetary explosion left him with amnesia. He was stumbled upon by Lobo and Jonas in a public restroom where the confused man was working as a janitor. Gold Star vaguely recognized Lobo who was insulted he couldn't even remember his own nemesis. When the bounty hunters figured out the memory loss problem, they decided to play a cruel prank, informing him that his name was "Dick" and he was their slave. They actually required his help when they became pinned down in a firefight, forcing him to remember how to fly so he could get them to safety.[3] Jonas utilized his obedient servant to act as a waiter at Lobo's surprise birthday party. After a chandelier fell on his head, Gold Star instantaneously recalled all of his past memories, including the terrible trick the two boys played on him. The resulting brawl ended with the diner burning down.[4]
Death
Gold Star had been keeping tabs on Darkseid's operations around the Source Wall awaiting the return of the Godwave. Gold Star tasked himself with patrolling the perimeter to keep others from entering the space he deemed off-limits. However, Lobo and a bus-load of drunken bounty hunters planned to crash Darkseid's destruction of the universe party. The ignored Gold Star's warnings and ran him down, leaving him for dead.
Gold Star almost succumbed to the cold embrace of Death, yet found the strength to keep fighting, not for himself, but the fate of others, and banished the Grim Reaper with all the goodwill he could muster. The virtuous hero flew over Darkseid's vessel and spotted the bounty hunters dying at the hands of the monstrous Ziggurat. Knowing his power was no match for that of Darkseid, Gold Star willingly opened himself up to the divine energies of the Godwave. The overwhelming force was too much for a mortal host, and it tore Gold Star apart in a blazing burst of light. The brilliance blinded the Ziggurat, allowing the bounty hunters and opening to defeat the creature. The surviving rabble returned home, disrespectfully throwing empty bottles at the severed remains of the selfless hero who sacrificed his life to save theirs.[5]
Lobo was anonymously invited to Goldstar's funeral and attended just to gloat. The service was held at Heropolis, with Super-Rev giving the eulogy.[6] There were many righteous heroes attending including Captain Yodel, Little Miss Goodasgold, Mr. Bigbutnice, E.M.F., and Captain Heimlich. However, Lobo's invitation was a plot by the Goldstar Fan Club to exact revenge form their idol's demise. They hired the Morituri brothers to plant an electromagnetic generator on Lobo which, when activated, caused him to see visions of Goldstar rising up from the dead, along with a whole cemetery of fallen heroes. The illusion caused Lobo to defeat himself in battle, and as an ironic punishment, his body was rendered down to power a machine that spread good vibes across the universe.[7][8]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Alien Physiology
- Superhuman Strength: Gold Star could match Lobo's strength. He once crushed coal into a diamond.[1]
- Superhuman Durability: Gold Star could repel bullets, and easily recovered from a direct frag grenade explosion,[1] not to mention an entire planet exploding.[2]
- Superhuman Speed: Gold Star caught two people falling at terminal velocity.[1]
- Self-Sustenance: Gold Star could survived in the vacuum of space.[2]
- Flight: Gold Star had self-propelled flight.[1]
- Enhanced Senses
- A-OK Vision: Gold Star could see distant and obscured objects.[1]
- A-OK Hearing: Gold Star could hear a conversation without the speakers even being in sight.[1]
- Niceness Vibes: Gold Star could force goodwill on the immoral.[1]
- Cheating Death: Summoning all his goodwill, Gold Star was able to fend off Death itself.[5]
Abilities
- Business Management: Gold Star owned the Gold Star Rehab a "voluntary" rehabilitation centre for criminals.[1]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Notes
- Ernest Widdle is a saccharine, goody-two shoes satire of Superman. Gold Star is the heroic foil of Lobo who completely hates him for his puritanical, unrealistic morals.
- Gold Star should not be confused with DC heroine Goldstar who is sister to Booster Gold on Earth.
- Gold Star's name was originally written with a space between the words, but from Lobo (Volume 2) #20 onward it was written as "Goldstar."
Trivia
- Gold Star was a fully paid member of the Nice Guy Club.[1]
- Goldstar was buried at Heropolis. His epitaph read, Goldstar. A shining example.[6]
Related
- 8 Appearances of Ernest Widdle (New Earth)
- 4 Images featuring Ernest Widdle (New Earth)
- 3 Quotations by or about Ernest Widdle (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Ernest Widdle (New Earth)
Footnotes