Analyzing the Nomad:The Wanderer Finale

A nomad, a person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer. That is Jack Monroe. He is a nomad, in his 1990s series, Jack moves from town to town, place to place fighting bad guys and villains others just won't. Sometimes even hitching rides from town to town. What makes Jack Monroe so different is that he isn't based in a single city or place like other heroes. Spider-Man, Iron Man and Daredevil all fight crime in New York. The West Coast Avengers fight crime in San Francisco. Even the Punisher who Jack Monroe is similar to, fights a majority of his criminals in New York City. Nomad is the man without a place, he is a wanted man. And I know, superheroes fight all over the world and fight for the bigger picture. But Jack Monroe fights for the common man. He fights for the smaller guy, the guy no one else focuses on. Even the opening panels in issue one of his second series, sees him stopping a burglary in a small town and then paying for the stuff he gets from the store. Nomad never played much in the bigger picture of Marvel, which is a shame. The only big story he had was Dead Man's Hand with Punisher and Daredevil. He was also a member of the Secret Defenders for two issues. So it goes to show you that Jack Monroe was too busy saving the guys in the small towns while everyone else was saving the universe. I mean, hey someone has to do it!

Analyzing the Nomad

Jack Monroe. He has gone by many names. Bucky. Nomad. Scourge. But he is best known for being the 3rd Nomad and sidekick of Captain America for over a year in the 1980s. But Jack Monroe's story starts 30 years before he became Cap's partner. In 1953-1954, Captain America stories, were published  and written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Mort Lawrence and John Romita, Sr., and supposedly starred Steve Rogers (the original Captain America) and Bucky and were clearly set in the 1950s, with the duo prominently battling communism and a communist Red Skull. However, when the character returned in Avengers #4 (March 1964), it is revealed that the original Captain America has been in a state of suspended animation since a battle he fought near the close of World War II, a battle in which Bucky Barnes perished. So who were the Captain America and Bucky in the 1950s? The 1950s stories were thus considered outside of official canon until in 1972's Captain America #153–156. 

Jack Monroe and William Burnside, who had been operating together for some time as Bucky and Captain America, respectively, were placed in suspended animation. The two superheroes were reawakened decades after being put in said suspended animation. In their delusional state, the man and teenager were the 1950s Captain America and Bucky, and attempted to kill the original Captain America and new partner The Falcon. However they are eventually captured and returned to a state of suspended animation. 

The formula that initially granted the original Captain America (Steve Rogers), his abilities granted Burnside and Monroe their abilities. However, the formula made no mention of the essential Vita-ray exposure portion of the treatment and the absence caused its effects to eventually give them psychotic symptoms.Monroe was subsequently taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and seemingly cured of his psychotic symptoms, but Burnside was not as lucky. Monroe would later become Steve Roger's partner and ally, but would abandon his spandex and become a urban vigilante, going solo, fighting criminals superheroes wouldn't.    



COME BACK NEXT WEDNESDAY FOR PART II OF ANALYZING THE NOMAD! 

Analyzing...

The next character on the Analyzing series is a personal favorite of mine and a very underrated one at that. We will be taking a look at Jack Monroe, the third man to be called Nomad.