Lemar Hoskins was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, and first appeared as an unnamed man in Captain America #323 (November 1986). He was a former soldier in the U.S. Army, who along with his friend John Walker, underwent the Power Broker process after leaving the service. The Power Broker was a villain who used biological engineering and technology to create superhumans, granting them enhanced strength, agility, stamina, durability and reflexes. Hoskins and Walker became part of the Bold Urban Commandos (BUCs), a group of costumed political agitators who supported Walker’s alter ego, the Super-Patriot. The BUCs staged attacks on Super-Patriot during his rallies to build his popularity and reputation.

When Walker was chosen by the government to become the new Captain America after Steve Rogers resigned, he asked Hoskins to join him as his sidekick. Hoskins agreed and adopted the identity of Bucky, the name of Cap’s original partner who died during World War II. He first appeared as Bucky in Captain America #334 (October 1987). However, he soon learned that the term “Buck” was considered a derogatory term among African-Americans, as it was used to refer to male slaves before the Civil War. He was convinced by Dwayne McDuffie, a black comic book writer who worked for Marvel at the time, to change his name to Battlestar. He also donned his own unique costume and became more of a partner than a sidekick to the new Cap. He first appeared as Battlestar in Captain America #341 (May 1988).

As Battlestar, Hoskins fought alongside Walker against various enemies, such as the Flag-Smasher, the Serpent Society, the Watchdogs, and the Red Skull. He also helped Walker deal with the psychological pressure of being Captain America and the death of his parents at the hands of a terrorist group. However, when Walker became increasingly unstable and violent, Hoskins decided to quit working with him and returned to his hometown of Chicago. He later auditioned for Silver Sable’s mercenary team, the Wild Pack, and had a romantic relationship with Lightbright, a Somali mutant with light powers.

During the Civil War event, Battlestar sided with Captain America’s anti-registration faction and teamed up with Typeface. He was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and imprisoned in the Negative Zone prison. He was later released and joined the final battle against Iron Man’s pro-registration forces. After the Dark Reign event, he reappeared as part of the Guardsman Alpha Squad, a team of superhuman agents sent to investigate Project Pegasus and fought against the Squadron Supreme.

Battlestar was also recruited by Howard the Duck to join his Ducky Dozen, a team assembled by A.R.M.O.R. to prevent an alternate reality invasion of Nazi zombies from Earth-12591. Battlestar was among the few members of the Dozen who succeeded in wiping out the Nazi zombie threat and survived to return home thanks to Taxi Taylor’s reality-transporting powers.

At the time when Hydra took over the United States under the leadership of a brainwashed Captain America, Battlestar appeared as a member of the Underground, a resistance movement led by Hawkeye and Black Widow.

Some little known facts about Battlestar are:

– He is one of only five characters who have used the name Bucky in Marvel comics. The others are James Buchanan Barnes (the original Bucky), Rick Jones (who briefly became Bucky during an alternate timeline), Rikki Barnes (a female version of Bucky from another dimension), and Julia Winters (a young girl who was adopted by Bucky Barnes when he became the Winter Soldier).
– He is one of only two black characters who have been partners to Captain America. The other is Sam Wilson, aka Falcon.
– He has a degree in sociology from Northwestern University.
– He has a nearly indestructible shield made of adamantium-vibranium alloy that he sometimes uses in combat. He also carries firearms as backup weapons.
– He is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained by Taskmaster to fight in the style that Captain America used. He also became accomplished in acrobatics and gymnastics under Taskmaster’s tutelage.

Battlestar has appeared in some media outside of comics, such as:

– The 2017 animated series Spider-Man, voiced by Clé Bennett. He appears in the episode “School of Hard Knocks” as a member of the Wild Pack who fights against Spider-Man and Moon Knight.
– The 2021 live-action series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, also played by Clé Bennett. He appears in the second episode as John Walker’s best friend and partner, who accompanies him in his missions as the new Captain America.

Battlestar is a fascinating character who has a rich history and a loyal fan base. He is a brave and noble hero who has fought for justice and freedom alongside some of the greatest heroes of the Marvel universe. He is also a trailblazer who broke racial barriers and stereotypes in comics. He deserves more recognition and appreciation for his contributions to the Marvel mythos.