Recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. after he graduated college and joined the army, Jack Truman became the agency’s best manhunter. He saw service across the world; against the ninja Hand; and saved the U.S. President from assassination by a rogue Dum-Dum Dugan LMD. Tasked with apprehending Cable, Truman unleashed Zzzax in Hell’s Kitchen to draw out and weaken his prey, then moved in and captured Cable, in spite of heavy-handed interference from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Air Cavalry, led by Larry Young.
Learning the ExTechOp division was using Cable in experiments to create controllable, artificial intelligent agents, and desiring a fair rematch, Truman freed Cable, but during their subsequent fight, a ruptured turbine bathed Truman in burning fuel. He clung to life, ironically handed over to ExTechOp, who put him through inhuman experiments; with sight his only remaining sense, Truman tried a Tibetan technique to bounce his psyche into S.H.I.E.L.D. employee Ted Bailey, then inadvertently into Ted’s six year old son Billy. Meanwhile his body’s brain and nervous system were transplanted into a new Deathlok cyborg, built using technology harvested from Machine Man; when the Nazi Red Skull invaded the Helicarrier, Douglock activated Deathlok and later released him into the outside world. The mindless cyborg rampaged through Las Vegas, pursued by Larry Young’s Air Cavalry and Zero Company, until “Billy Bailey” arrived to reclaim his body.
Back with S.H.I.E.L.D., Truman led a cyborg squad to overthrow Central American dictator Miguel Mezro; discovering ExTechOp had been in cahoots with Mezro, Truman went A.W.O.L. He visited his sister in L.A., where he fought Puff Adder, before being brought back to S.H.I.E.L.D. to retrieve the missing Nick Fury. Truman found Fury running a crime family, hypnotized by Presidential hopeful, Martin Thraller (secretly the Ringmaster). Truman restored Fury to his proper mind, and saved him from being slain by the Clown (Eliot Franklin). Though suffering from mounting headaches and nightmares as his mind rejected his cyborg form, Truman aided Fury in bringing down Thraller. The mission completed, Truman located the dishonorably discharged Larry Young, and swapped bodies with him, leaving Young trapped in the cyborg while Truman departed, human once again.
