Origin
A bold highwayman in England in the 1700s, Nick Jolly is by definition a thief; however he is also a gentleman whose innate noble nature means he robs from the rich to help the needy. At the same time he is a staunch foe of corrupt officials and constables and heartless royals.
At one point, having fallen into a trap set by the Bow Street Runners, Nick’s death is eminent, until at the last second he is saved by time-travelling aliens called Oregans who want to conduct a social experiment and think that Nick Jolly is just the person they need.
Transporting him to the year 1973 via a transport beam that not only places him into the future, but has unusual effects on items transported with him, so that his sword is now capable of delivering electric shocks strong enough to stun without killing, his single shot pistol now can fire both energy blasts, and a form of solid energy which Nick can use to create webs sturdy enough to stop and hold a speeding car, and most amazing of all his horse Bess has been transformed into a flying jet-propelled robot horse.
Stranded in the future by “those odd magic star chaps,” Nick nonetheless not only adapts to the future, though never quite understanding it, but soon once again becomes a fighter for justice, truth and the down-trodden.
Eventually the Oregans return Nick to the 18th century, however it seems that he has proven to be an interesting enough experiment that they transport him to the 70s two more times.