Warning: This article reveals a twist from "Jessica Jones" season 1.
Will Simpson first appears as a mind-controlled cop in the third episode of Marvel’s “Jessica Jones” on Netflix. As the season continues, we see that he's unhinged (even when not brainwashed), he’s a special forces operative addicted to combat-enhancing pills, and he's very dangerous.
What viewers might not appreciate is that he based on an important character from the comics: Nuke.
Frank “Nuke” Simpson was introduced at the culmination of a legendary 1986 “Daredevil” run written by Frank Miller ("Sin City,""Dark Knight Returns") with art by David Mazzucchelli. In a series known for its narrative complexity, Nuke, a disturbing embodiment of military excess, is one of the most memorable parts.
A demented super soldier with the American Flag tattooed on his face, Nuke is first shown destroying a foreign base while a digital counter records his kills.
A few scenes later, Nuke is in New York on a mercenary contract for "Kingpin" Wilson Fisk, who convinces him it's his patriotic duty to kill Daredevil. He goes to Hell's Kitchen and starts killing at random until the vigilante shows up. It's a level of violence that would once have been unthinkable in comics.
In a poignant twist, the battle is interrupted by Captain America, a super soldier from an brighter era who is forced to confront how messed up the military is.
In the following scenes, Nuke is detained, escapes, and then gets shot repeatedly by a military helicopter.
Daredevil carries his bleeding body to the Daily Bugle newspaper for the ultimate exposure of military corruption.
Nuke's stunning two-issue debut was enough to make him a venerated part of Marvel history.
He's never been a mainstream character, however, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him get a major and ongoing role in Marvel's Netflix world. In fact, he's one of many b- or c-listers that Marvel is memorably reimagining for the cinematic universe including top-biller Jessica Jones herself.
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