Issue(s): Nomad #7
Cover Date: Nov 92
Title: "Airport insecurity"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
S. Clarke Hawbaker & Mike Harris - Penciler
Mark McKenna - Inker
Hector Collazo - Assistant Editor
Glenn Herdling - Editor

Review/plot:
This Infinity War tie-in is a little unusual in that Nomad fights a Gambit doppelganger.

In Los Angeles. So not only do we have a case where the hero of the book doesn't have to face their own doppelganger, but we have a doppelganger wandering all the way from New York. He's in LA because he got on a plane thinking he was going to Louisiana, Gambit's home state. We'll see in the Sleepwalker tie-in that the doppelgangers do seem to be self-motivated to an extent, but for the most part they seem focused on fighting their counterparts or other heroes, not living their own lives.

Nomad stops the Gambit doppelganger with the help of an FBI agent at the airport.

By taking the time to build up the character of the cop a bit, Nicieza gives us a fun little story.

There's also this scene, which i assume is setting up an upcoming plot.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This occurs while the Infinity War doppelgangers are roaming about, which could really be any time after (or even slightly prior to) Infinity War #1, as long as it's before the whole world is frozen thanks to Magus' universe duplication efforts. I assumed it should take place after the Gambit doppelganger fights the real Gambit as part of the attack on the heroes that remained on Earth (the fight at the beginning of Infinity War #4), but i suppose that doesn't have to be the case, and see fragsel's comments.

References: N/A

Crossover: Infinity War

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Only tracking the main doppelgangers, yeah?

This cop becomes a recurring character in Nomad's series and reappears in a few issues of Thunderbolts. Vernon Hatchway is his name.

Yeah, i'm only tracking the ones that are important to the core Infinity War story or that live on afterwards.

I've added Vernon, thanks.

Vernon Hatchway is a FBI agent, not an ordinary cop.

Thanks, Roger. I'm sure i'll get an opportunity to talk about him more when he appears in future issues.

Since Gambit doppleganger is clearly trying to get to New Orleans, probably to fight real Gambit there, I would say this issue definitelly takes place around the same spot as Spider-Man 24, before the meeting in Four Freedom Plaza.

Why was the doppelgänger trying to get to Louisiana? Didn’t he know that Gambit was living in New York?

I can only suspect that Gambit was visiting New orleans shortly prior to FF building meeting and that's why doppelganger was trying to get there.

Or his intentions were similar to Speedball doppelganger: do as much damage in Gambit home town to bring his attention, but without X-men support (similary how Wolverine was attacked in Kanada, where he was alone)

fragsel, can you elaborate on your reasoning here? I've moved it as you suggest because it seems pretty context free, but i'm not sure what the dependency is.

My reasoning is: if I were Gambit doppelganger and I just fought with Gambit in Four Freedom Plaza, or few of my colleagues fought him there instead of me than why the hell would I be looking for him in New Orleans?
And he managed to reach LA. He wouldnt have enough time to reach LA from NY if it supposed to take place between IW #4 and #5