Steve Rogers' adopted son Ian Rogers aka Nomad knows that he won’t be the next Captain America, and he's perfectly fine with that. Nomad is a very complicated man with his own sense of justice but has a profound respect for his father’s legacy. However, Steve Rogers himself decides to tell his adopted son why he will not the mantle of Captain America to him.
Following the events of 2015’s Secret Wars, Nomad winds up stranded in a New York City controlled by HYDRA, which is run by the villainous supercomputer Arnim Zola. The 2015 miniseries Hail Hydra by Rick Remender and Roland Boschi sees Nomad meet up with the former Avengers, now known as the Resistance, which consists of Tony Stark, Daredevil, Nick Fury and his own father, Steve Rogers. Even after Nomad gains the trust of the heroes, the HYDRA Avengers attack and kill most of the heroes including Captain America. Alongside his sister, Ellie Rogers, Nomad must defend this twisted version of New York against these supervillains, one of whom reveals Nomad’s future as a superhero.
Nomad is NOT Captain America, and That’s OK
Nomad realizes he doesn’t have to be Captain America thanks to a revelation in a dream world created by the HYDRA Avenger known as Dr. Mindbubble. The evil doctor specializes in creating “mindbubbles” that trap its victims inside a fantasy realm of their desires before they are killed in both the dream and in reality. During the final battle against the HYDRA Avengers, Nomad and Ellie Rogers find themselves trapped in a mindbubble, and they enter a dream where Steve Rogers is alive and retired as Captain America. It’s here where Nomad’s true feelings towards the Captain America title are made clear.
Nomad’s true desire is to make his father proud by refusing the mantle of Captain America. The dream world quickly shows the fans that Nomad never really wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. Ian, as the biological son of Arnim Zola, is always wrestling with his past even though Steve Rogers adopted him and did his best to teach him right from wrong. However, Ian knows he has matured from a Zola lab experiment into a brave Avenger thanks to his dad. After all this time, Ian just wants Steve to be proud of him, despite his faults. He wants to inspire others as an Avenger, but more importantly, as Nomad.
This is Nomad’s Chance to Shine on his Own
Ian believes he can carry on the legacy of Captain America by making his own history as Nomad. Ian Rogers is proud to be Steve’s son, but knows he is a grown adult who can make his own decisions. He doesn’t have to carry a red, white, and blue shield or preach American values to be a hero. All he has to do is be himself and do his very best to protect others. As he escapes the mindbubble and eludes the HYDRA Avengers, Nomad returns to his home of Earth-616 to begin his new history as a superhero without the pressure of one day becoming Captain America.
