THE BIG FALL APART (1990-1991)

Jack Monroe was the third kid to take on the Bucky identity, operating alongside the fifth Captain America (William Burnside) in the 1950s at the height of the Cold War. Monroe and Burnside were given a version of the Super Soldier Serum which turned them into violent paranoids, so the US Government stuck them in suspended animation. 

They were revived in the modern age by the original Captain America (Steve Rogers) only for Burnside to become the villainous Grand Director. Rogers rehabilitated Jack Monroe the only way he knew how - by putting blue and yellow spandex on him and giving him his old Nomad identity.

As Nomad, Monroe operated as Captain America's partner for a time before striking out on his own, giving his costume more of an '80s vibe and relocating to Miami. When he makes an enemy of gunrunner Umberto Safilios, and faces more street-level enemies that laugh in the face of spandex, Nomad will opt for a style that's a little less Miami Vice and a little more Dog the Bounty Hunter...

• Captain America Annual #9[3/3]
• Nomad #1-4

Captain America Annual #9[3/3]
Nomad's drug-addicted informant, Patty Joplin, has been murdered. He confronts druglord Umberto Safilios who he believes is behind it, but Safilios tells Nomad to talk to Patty's father. After taking out the security guards at Miller Joplin's fancy home, he confronts the man himself who's holding a little girl in his arms. The kid is his granddaughter - Patty Joplin and Umberto Safilios' daughter - and he took her into his care, while Safailios kept quiet about Miller Joplin's own dodgy dealings. Having missed another chance to take Umberto Safilios down, Nomad decides to change tack. Three days later, he's got himself a black vest top, some huge sunglasses, a sudden mullet and a sawn-off shotgun. Now it's time to get serious. While looking ridiculous...

Nomad #1

Nomad gets aggressive when Safilio's men when they gun down young Elia Arriguez in the street, leaving her paralysed. Her father, Hector Arriguez, explains Umberto Safilios is his brother in law and he's been pressuring Elia to obtain information from her employer, CyberOptics. Captain America confronts Nomad over his increasingly-violent methods, but does little to dissuade him from them. Later, Nomad learns Hector Arriguez struck up a deal with DEA agent Joseph Kittle, exchanging guns and money for technology. The deal goes south as Hector is killed in the shoot-out. Nomad blows the tires of Umberto Safilios' truck, which goes careering off a conveniently placed cliff edge and explodes. He manages to save the million in cash from the deal and gives half to Elia Arriguez' mother. The only clue he has leads him to Lexington, Kentucky. Days later, in Washington, the Commission on Superhuman Activities find out about Nomad's actions and order in a psych-evaluation...

Nomad #2

In Lexington, Nomad gets a job as a stable-hand on Orinn Boothe's farm which acts a front for a drug operation. On further investigation, it looks like Boothe has been setting fires to make bogus insurance claims while his daughter, Jennifer Boothe, is the one who's really been running the drugs through the business. When he confronts them, the father and daughter shoot each other, leaving Nomad to walk away and pursue another clue. In Washington, psychiatrist Andrea Sterman presents her uncertain findings to the Commission on Superhuman Activities who decide they want Nomad brought in, dead or alive...

Nomad #3

Nomad's actions become even more violent as the trail leads him to Minneapolis where he hopes to find the hi-tech weapon the US Government were willing to exchange for drugs. He ends up shooting a hooker's pimp in the head, reclaiming her baby and trying to use it to barter for information on CyberOptics. In an unexpected move, Nomad keeps the kid and heads to Alaska. The Commission on Superhuman activities order Captain America to apprehend Nomad...

Nomad #4
The trail finally leads Nomad and his new, infant companion Bucky (complete with domino mask) to the weapon everyone's been after. He boards a ship in Juneau where he finds the cybernetic gun that'll shoot whatever you think about firing at. Nomad messes with the tech  so it only responds to him once the hardware's been installed. Captain America catches up with him, takes him down and hands him over to the Commission who pass Nomad on to the US Army. 

Major General Sokolowski spills the beans to Nomad about the government being the ones who ordered the hit on Elia Arriguez because she knew too much. They planned to sell drugs to the Russians in return for the hardware to power the gun. Also, Umberto Safilios somehow survived his fall in that truck in Miami. Andrea Sterman convinces Cap to go back and rescue Nomad before Sokolowski can kill him. In the scuffle, Nomad gets hold of the gun and kills Sokolowski, the Russians and Safilios. He's immediately filled with remorse, so Cap lets the broken Nomad go and allows him to take baby Bucky with him. 

Captain America Annual #10 (1991) 

Nomad continues his mission with baby Bucky in tow.

Nomad #2 (1992) 

Andrea Sterman continues to report on Nomad.

Nomad #18 (1993) 

Captain America and Nomad run into each other again during THE FAUSTUS AFFAIR.

Nomad #24 (1994) 

Bucky's mother is killed by the Neo-Nazi hitman, 88.

Nomad #25 (1994) 

Nomad is put back into cryogenic suspension; following Nomad's faked death, Andrea Sterman leaves the Commission on Superhuman Activities and starts writing a book about his exploits; baby Bucky is given up for adoption and is given the name Julia Winters.

These issues have not yet been collected.