Bucky
Encyclopedia
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters
, masked superhero
es in the Marvel Comics
universe
. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon
and Jack Kirby
as a sidekick
character in Captain America Comics
#1 (cover-dated March 1941), published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics
. In 2005
, the original Bucky was brought back from supposed death
as the Winter Soldier. In 2008
, he became Captain America
after Steve Rogers
was presumed to be dead. In 2011
, Bucky resumed his identity as the Winter Soldier after faking his death
.
created his initial sketch of Captain America
for Marvel Comics precursor Timely Comics
in 1940, he included a young sidekick. "The boy companion was simply named Bucky, after my friend Bucky Pierson, a star on our high school basketball team," Simon said in his autobiography. Following the character's debut in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941), Bucky Barnes appeared alongside the title star in virtually every story in that publication and other Timely series, and was additionally part of the all-kid team the Young Allies
. In the post-war era, with the popularity of superheroes fading, Bucky appeared alongside team-leader Captain America in the two published adventures of Timely/Marvel's first superhero group, the All-Winners Squad
, in the unhyphenated All Winners Comics
#19 & 21 (Fall-Winter 1946; there was no issue #20). After Bucky was shot and seriously wounded in a 1948 Captain America story, he was succeeded by Captain America's girlfriend Betsy Ross, who became the superheroine Golden Girl
. Captain America Comics ended with #75 (Feb. 1950), by which time the series had been titled Captain America's Weird Tales for two issues, with the finale a horror/suspense anthology issue with no superheroes.
Captain America and Bucky were both briefly revived, along with fellow Timely stars the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner, in the omnibus Young Men #24 (Dec. 1953), published by Marvel's 1950s iteration Atlas Comics
. Bucky appeared alongside "Captain America, Commie Smasher!", as the hero was cover-billed, in stories published during the next year in Young Men and Men's Adventures, as well as in three issues of Captain America that continued the old numbering. Sales were poor, however, and the series was discontinued with Captain America #78 (Sept. 1954).
Retroactive continuity, beginning with The Avengers
#4 (March 1964), established that the original Captain America and Bucky went missing near the end of WWII and were secretly replaced by then-U.S. President Harry S. Truman
by successor heroes using those identities.
Bucky appeared in very occasional flashback
s from the 1960s on, and co-starred with Captain America in flashback WWII adventures in Tales of Suspense
#63-71 (March-Nov. 1965). His apparent death was depicted in flashback in The Avengers #56 (Sept. 1968).
In 2005, series writer Ed Brubaker
returned Bucky from his seeming death near the end of World War II. He additionally revealed that Barnes's official status as Captain America's sidekick was a cover-up, and that Barnes began as a 16-year-old operative trained to do things regular soldiers and the twenty-something Captain America normally would not do, such as conduct covert assassinations.
Bucky's death had been notable as one of the few comic book death
s that remained unreversed. An aphorism among comic book fans, known as the Bucky Clause, was that in comics, "No one stays dead except Bucky, Jason Todd
and Uncle Ben". However, all three were brought back to life in their respective universes in 2006, although Uncle Ben turned out to be an alternate Ben from another reality.
Bucky's death has also been used to explain why the Marvel Universe has virtually no young sidekicks, as no responsible hero wants to endanger a minor in similar fashion. Stan Lee also disliked the plot device of kid sidekicks, saying in the 1970s that "One of my many pet peeves has always been the young teenage sidekick of the average superhero". Roger Stern
and John Byrne had also considered bringing Bucky back, before deciding against it. However, in 1990, co-creator Jack Kirby, when asked if he had ever heard talk of resurrecting Bucky, answered: "Speaking completely for myself, I wouldn't mind bringing Bucky in; he represents teenagers, and there are always teenagers; he's a universal character".
A climactic scene of Bucky's return involves Captain America using the reality-altering Cosmic Cube to restore the Winter Soldier's memories. Writer Ed Brubaker, in an interview, said he intended no loophole, and that Captain America did not "will" the Winter Soldier to have Bucky's memories.
, the 15th President of the United States
), was born in Shelbyville, Indiana
in 1925. He is an orphan, the son of a soldier killed in training at U.S. Army Camp Lehigh in Virginia just before the United States' entry into World War II
. As a result, he is unofficially adopted by the camp as a mascot. Nicknamed "Bucky," he takes to wearing a uniform and becoming savvy with the ins and outs of military life, even though he is a teenager. It was at Lehigh that he meets and befriends Private Steven Rogers, who by all appearances is the clumsiest soldier in the camp. This was at the same time that reports of the then-mysterious Captain America
begin to appear in news magazines, and Barnes eagerly devours the accounts of this new hero.
In 1940, Bucky accidentally walked in on Rogers changing into his uniform, thus discovering his friend was Captain America and insisted that he join him. He underwent extensive training and was assigned to be Captain America's partner. The military justified putting a 15-year-old in harm's way by using him as a symbol to rally the youth of America (as revealed in Captain America vol. 5, #12, Dec 2005). They fight the Red Skull
together, and Captain America accepts Bucky as his partner. Together, Captain America and Bucky fight Nazis
both at home and abroad, as a duo and as part of the superhero team known as the Invaders
, fighting Master Man
in their first mission. Barnes also teams up with the sidekicks of other heroes in a group called the Young Allies
. Additionally, Bucky was retconned in 1976 as the organizer of the flashback World War II
super-team the Liberty Legion
, set between the formations of the Invaders
and the post-war All-Winners Squad
. He was also briefly one of the Kid Commandos
at this time. Bucky served as an advance scout for Captain America and the Invaders, often being assigned tasks that none of the heroes could be seen doing.
In the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Baron Zemo
from destroying an experimental drone plane
. Zemo launches the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reach the plane just before it takes off. Bucky unsuccessfully tries to defuse the bomb, and it explodes in mid-air before reaching its intended target. He is believed to have been killed in action, and Rogers is hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic
. Rogers' body, preserved in suspended animation
in a block of ice, is found decades later by The Avengers
when the Grandmaster was defeated.
It was only in modern times that Captain America would learn that Bucky had a sister, Rebecca, whom he met at a veterans Christmas celebration. Bucky also had one notable post-mortem appearance when the Grandmaster challenged the West and East Coast Avengers
for the destruction of the universe, apparently resurrecting long-dead friends and foes
for them to fight. Captain America battled Bucky, whom he defeated, and the apparitions disappeared.
After the plane explodes, General Vasily Karpov and the crew of a Russian patrol submarine find Bucky's cold-preserved body, minus one arm. Bucky is revived in Moscow, but suffers brain damage with amnesia
as a result of the explosion. Scientists attach a bionic arm, upgrading it every time technology improves.
Programmed to be a Soviet assassin for Department X, under the code name the Winter Soldier, he is sent on covert wetworks missions, i.e. missions involving assassination, becoming increasingly ruthless and efficient as he kills in the name of the state. While a Soviet agent, he also has a brief relationship with The Black Widow. The Winter Soldier is kept in a cryogenic stasis when not on missions, and as a result has aged only a few years to a young adult since the closing days of World War II. In 1968, the Winter Soldier was to kill Professor Zhang Chin, whom he had met in WWII. Unfortunately, he was pinned down by an intangible being called The Man with No Face, though he was able to escape. On assignment in the United States
in the 1970s, he suffers a breakdown and goes missing for days after assassinating
his target. It has also been revealed that as the Winter Soldier he aided in Wolverine
's escape from the Weapon X laboratory and later murdered Wolverine's wife Itsu, seemingly killing their unborn son Daken
who survived the attack after being cut from his mother's womb.
In the present day, the Winter Soldier seemingly kills the Red Skull
and Jack Monroe (Nomad) under orders from former Soviet general Aleksander Lukin
(Karpov's former protégé). The Soldier launches a terrorist attack on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, killing hundreds, and charges the Cosmic Cube
which Lukin sent him to retrieve. He kidnaps Sharon Carter
, an agent of the international espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
and a former lover of Steve Rogers (Captain America). Upon her rescue, Carter tells Captain America the Soldier looked like Bucky. S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury
confirms the Winter Soldier's existence, but cannot ascertain his identity.
Captain America tracks down and confronts the Winter Soldier. Upon gaining control of the Cube, he tells the Soldier, "Remember who you are". Regaining his memories, Bucky becomes overwhelmed by guilt over his past actions, crushing the Cosmic Cube and teleporting away.
He reappears shortly afterward in London, England, where he helps Captain America fend off a terrorist attack. He asks Nick Fury for employment and new equipment following the loss of his bionic arm. Following the events of the superhuman Civil War, the Soldier helps Fury plan the escape of an arrested Steve Rogers. Before the plan can be implemented, however, Rogers is assassinated. Considering registration architect Tony Stark
(Iron Man) as ultimately responsible, the Soldier plans to kill Stark in revenge. Deducing that Stark will oversee the appointment of a new Captain America, the Soldier steals Captain America's shield from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow (his former lover while brainwashed in the Soviet Union) so that it cannot be handed down. Ultimately, he heads to Kronas's headquarters, where Lukin reveals he is the Red Skull and has the evil psychiatrist Dr. Faustus
attempt unsuccessfully to brainwash the Winter Soldier.
After escaping from Faustus and being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.
, Barnes learns from Executive Director Tony Stark
that Steve Rogers had left Stark a letter asking Stark to watch over Barnes and that the mantle of Captain America should continue. Stark suggests that Barnes become the new Captain America. Barnes agrees to become the new Captain America only if Stark guarantees him complete autonomy. As this arrangement is illegal under the Superhuman Registration Act, Stark keeps his support of the new Captain America secret. As Captain America, Barnes wears a new costume laced with adamantium, and carries a pistol and a combat knife. Barnes' first major adventure as the new Captain America has him, Falcon, Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting against the original Red Skull and Dr. Faustus who have revived the 1950s Captain America in a plot to secure one of their pawns attaining the US Presidency. Barnes and his allies succeed in aborting the Skull's plans, and Barnes saves the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates from assassination, winning public applause. The adventure ends with Barnes accepting himself and addressing himself now as "Captain America". He also restarts his relationship with Black Widow.
A still-teenaged Barnes is transported from 1941 and appears in the 2008 Avengers/Invaders miniseries alongside his fellow Invaders when a time travel
incident takes them from a World War II
battlefield to the present-day Marvel Universe
, where they encounter both the Mighty Avengers and New Avengers. At the conclusion of Avengers/Invaders #4, while attempting to break out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, which he believes to be a German base, Barnes encounters his future self dressed as Captain America. During this meeting, the future Barnes attempts to change his history by telling his past self to abandon the missile that he was 'killed' trying to disarm, without ever telling his younger self his true identity. Barnes decides to let his life turn out the way it should after witnessing the devastating risks involved in changing history.
During the "Secret Invasion
" storyline, after most of the other heroes have fallen as the Skrull invasion of Earth
continues, Captain America is seen watching Thor
defend a group of civilians in Central Park
. Later, after a brief confrontation with Thor, he joins the other group of heroes (the Mighty Avengers, the New Avengers, the Initiative, the Thunderbolts
, Nick Fury
and his Secret Warriors
, Young Avengers
, and the Hood's
group) in battle against an army of Super-Skrulls led by Queen Veranke
herself.
Following the "Secret Invasion" storyline, Barnes discovers that the remains of Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, has been recovered and studied by the United Nations
. The body was stolen by Professor Zhang Chin who used the Torch to create a virus to exterminate half the Earth's population. Teaming up with Namor, they stop Chin and make sure that Hammond receives a proper burial.
In the aftermath of "Secret Invasion", Barnes joins the New Avengers and offers his home as a base of operations. He later participates in the search for Luke Cage
and Jessica Jones
' child, Danielle. He was considered a possible team leader but turned it down because he didn't have the proper team experience.
In the Captain America: Reborn
storyline, Barnes finds out from Sharon that she didn't really kill Steve. As explained by Doctor Zola
to Norman Osborn
, Rogers was trapped in a fixed position of time and space. But since Sharon ruined the machine that was supposed to bring him back, Steve was reliving his own past. Barnes and Black Widow attempt to steal the device from H.A.M.M.E.R.
but are captured. Osborn sends the Black Widow back to Sharon with an ultimatum: either she turns herself in, as Osborn had implicated her as Rogers' second shooter, or he'll kill Barnes. Barnes was then sent into the custody of the Thunderbolts
who told him that he'll be inducted into their group once Rogers is brought back. However, Barnes is secretly freed by Ant-Man
and then rescued by the Falcon
. Barnes then teams up with Clint Barton, Natasha, the Falcon, Hank Pym, and the Vision
to save Sharon. The group intercepts the Red Skull's ship beside the Lincoln Memorial
and attacks. The Red Skull has already taken over Steve's body, and Barnes attacks him. The two battle while Hank saves Sharon and the others battle Crossbones
and a squad of M.O.D.O.K.S.
. Sin shoots Barnes in the shoulders, giving the Skull the opportunity to take Barnes' shield. He pins Barnes to the ground and cuts off his cybernetic arm with the shield. However, inside Steve's body, Steve prepares to kill the Red Skull to keep him from doing any more evil in his body. The Skull's consciousness leaves Steve's body and returns to his robotic body. Hank and Sharon manage to cause the Skull's body to enlarge in size, and after Steve (who has taken control of his body) leads an attack, Vision uses the Skull's ship's weapons to destroy the Skull.
Leading up to the "Siege
" storyline, Bucky Barnes is shown still as Captain America talking with Steve Rogers, who is in a dark body suit and standing next to him. In Invincible Iron Man #21 Rogers is back in costume and seen alongside Barnes who is still in his own Captain America costume. The two are helping restore Tony Stark's mind by using the shield as a conduit for Thor's lightning. In the second issue of Siege, Barnes teams up with Steve Rogers in Steve's team of heroes. Barnes (still in his Captain America suit) pulls Rogers aside just before they are about to leave for Asgard. Barnes tells Rogers that they should "skip the argument" and insists that Rogers use the shield. Rogers takes the shield, and Barnes is shown with a large gun in his hands, ready for the fight ahead. In the following issue, Barnes is shown fighting alongside Rogers with both wearing their respective Captain America uniforms in Asgard. After the events of Siege, Rogers returns the shield to Barnes and retires his uniform, leaving Barnes as the only Captain America.
Barnes is a member of the main Avengers team formed in the aftermath of the "Siege
" storyline. Barnes was then put on trial for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier. He was found not guilty in an American court, but Russian officials took him away, having convicted him of crimes against the state and claiming that he had gone rogue and killed two civilians. But as Sharon Carter and Black Widow discover, Barnes' victims were connected to Russia's Department X's Red Room division. He escaped imprisonment with help from Black Widow and returned to the USA, however it was decided he was too tainted by events to be allowed to continue as Captain America.
companywide storyline, Barnes takes up the Captain America identity again, but is apparently killed in battle with Sin (in her Skadi form). It is later revealed that he survived thanks to being injected with the infinity formula and with the world believing him dead, has gone to perform special jobs behind the scenes relating to his days as the Winter Soldier. Only Steve, Nick Fury and the Black Widow know the truth of his "death." After this event, Bucky return to his former identity of Winter Soldier.
Barnes' left arm is a cybernetic prosthetic with superhuman strength and enhanced reaction time. The arm can function when not in contact with Barnes and can discharge bolts of electrical energy from its palm. The arm can discharge an EMP causing electronics to either shutdown or become useless. The use of Barnes' EMP is shown when Barnes uses it to shutdown a Nick Fury LMD
and when he attempts to use it on Iron Man. The arm has a holographic function to disguise it as a flesh and blood arm.
As Captain America, Barnes possesses the original, indestructible, vibranium-steel alloy shield used by his predecessor, as well as a Kevlar
/Nomex
blend, shock-absorbing costume. He often carries several conventional weapons such as knives, guns - mostly a P08 Luger -, and grenades.
asked William Naslund, the hero known as the Spirit of '76
(a member of the Crusaders
), to assume the identity of Captain America. Assisting him was Fred Davis, a former bat-boy for the New York Yankees
, who had posed as Bucky in 1942. The new Captain America and Bucky finished the rest of the war and continued to fight crime with the All-Winners Squad
. Naslund was killed in 1946 fighting the android Adam II
, and Captain America's identity passed to Jeff Mace
, the Patriot
.
Davis assisted Mace until 1948, when he was shot and wounded, forcing him to retire and leaving him with a permanent limp. In 1951, Davis joined the V-Battalion
, a secret organization that hunted war criminals, and eventually became one of its leaders on the Penance Council. He served the V-Battalion in both a leadership role in the Penance Council, and as an engineer.
had discovered, in some old Nazi files stored in a warehouse in Germany
, the lost formula for the Super-Soldier serum that had given Captain America his abilities. The two used the serum and began to fight Communists
as Captain America and Bucky.
Unfortunately, "Rogers" and Monroe were unaware of the stabilizing "Vita-Ray" process used on the original Captain America. As a result, despite their bodies being enhanced to peak human efficiency, they slowly grew paranoid
and dangerously insane. By the middle of 1954 they were irrationally attacking anyone they perceived to be a Communist. In 1955 the Federal Bureau of Investigation
managed to hunt them down and placed them in suspended animation. The 1950s Captain America and Bucky would be revived years later after the return of Steve Rogers, going on another rampage, and would be defeated by the man they had modeled themselves after.
Monroe was eventually cured of his insanity and took up the superhero identity of Nomad
, an identity that Rogers himself had once taken in the 70s (when he discarded Cap's mantle as a consequence of the Marvel-version of the Watergate Scandal
, engineered by the Secret Empire
), even teaming up with the original Captain America on a number of occasions. At one point during his solo career, Monroe was injured severely enough to need to be placed in stasis once again. He was revived and brainwashed by Henry Peter Gyrich
(who was in turn being manipulated by Baron Strucker
). Monroe was then forced to become the new Scourge of the Underworld
and sent to kill the reformed supervillain team known as the Thunderbolts
. Monroe eventually broke free of the conditioning, helped the Thunderbolts to defeat Gyrich, and then disappeared.
Monroe was last seen reassuming his original Nomad costume. At this time, he had checked in on his former ward he called Bucky, who had since been adopted. Monroe was starting to have delusions again, and started hallucinating; his sanity was again destabilizing, as it had when he first became Bucky. In the same story, Jack Monroe was shot by the Winter Soldier (James Buchanan Barnes, the original Bucky) and dumped in the trunk of a car.
, John Walker teamed up with a group known as the Bold Urban Commandos (BUCkies) as a backup team, who were sometimes used in staged attacks on the Super-Patriot during his public demonstrations. Walker's main partner was African-American Lemar Hoskins, who was allowed to continue to serve as Walker's partner when Walker became Captain America, while the other Buckies, disgruntled after being left out by the Commission on Superhuman Activities
, became Left-Winger
and Right-Winger
. Hoskins used the name and costume of "Bucky" until he realized the racist connotations of the alias when applied to him (Prior to the American Civil War
, a male slave was often referred to as a "buck"). He then assumed the name "Battlestar".
.
, who was from the alternate Earth
created by Franklin Richards
in the wake of the Onslaught
incident. Rikki Barnes is still a member of the Young Allies
on Counter-Earth.
In the wake of the Onslaught Reborn series, another Rikki Barnes (from an alternate Heroes Reborn universe where the Avengers and Fantastic Four never left) has been transported to the mainstream Earth. She sought to make contact with the new Captain America (Bucky Barnes) by contacting Patriot
, befriended the Patriot in the process. In a new miniseries she is assuming the Nomad identity.
/Marvel Comics
one-shot intercompany crossover
Batman/Captain America (Dec. 1996), written and drawn by John Byrne and set during World War II
, Bucky briefly takes Dick Grayson/Robin's
place as Batman's
sidekick, while Robin becomes Captain America's. In this alternate reality
(set in one of DC Comics' numerous "Elseworlds
" continuities), Bucky dies (off-page) as he had done in numerous Avengers and Captain America recollections.
In the alternate reality of the five-issue Bullet Points miniseries (Jan.-May 2005), James Barnes never teams up with Steve Rogers as the Super-Soldier program was never activated. However, Rogers volunteers for the 'Iron Man' program and as such, saves Barnes and several fellow soldiers from an advancing tank during the battle of Guadalcanal. Unfortunately he is not swift enough to save Barnes from severe damage to his legs.
James Buchanan Barnes is one of the United States government agents (alongside Mimic
and Nuke) sent to Genosha to kill Magneto and as many of his followers as possible. Nuke and Mimic served as a distraction while Agent Barnes sneaked into Magneto's headquarters; and though he fatally stabs Professor Xavier, Bucky was killed by Magneto.
In the second issue of the crossover miniseries Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
, a zombified Winter Soldier appears and attempts to devour Dazzler
. This version of the Winter Soldier is ultimately killed by Ash Williams
, who shoots his head off with his "boomstick
".
In the alternate reality
Ultimate Marvel
universe, Captain America had an adult sidekick, Bucky Barnes. This Bucky was a childhood friend of Steve Rogers who accompanies him on his missions as an Army press photographer
. Surviving the war and believing Rogers had died during his last mission, Bucky eventually marries Rogers' fiance Gail and has a large extended family. During which, Bucky is diagnosed as having lung cancer
from chain smoking
back in the War. Barnes and Gail both live to see Rogers' revival in the 21st century and renew their friendship with him. After America was taken by the Liberators, Bucky is captured at a cemetery with Cap and remains unseen until Ultimate Comics Avengers. Here, both he and Gail are seen being taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. protective custody after Captain America goes rogue upon discovering that the Red Skull is his illegitimate son.
In the alternate reality
Marvel MAX series U.S. War Machine, Bucky was serving in the present as Captain America
, as the Captain had died in his stead in World War II. Bucky was accompanied here by two assistants, Hawkeye
and Falcon
, neither wearing a costume and both addressed by their real names.
In the 2005 What If?
event, the Captain America story, set during the American Civil War, featured Steve Rogers' commanding officer, Colonel Buck Barnes, whom the men called "Bucky". His mercenary tendencies led to Rogers' desertion, and when he later intervened in Rogers' transformation into Captain America, his face was destroyed, turning him into an undead being known as the White Skull.
In Ruins, which is set in a dystopian alternate future, Bucky is taken into custody alongside Victor Creed and others for several heinous crimes, including cannibalism.
An alternate-universe Bucky appears in the 2011 miniseries "Captain America Corps".
listed Bucky Barnes as the 53rd greatest comic book hero of all time stating that after Robin, Bucky is easily the most iconic superhero sidekick of the Golden Age and describing him as one of the central players in the Marvel Universe since his role of being Captain America.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, masked superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon
Joe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
as a sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
character in Captain America Comics
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#1 (cover-dated March 1941), published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
. In 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
, the original Bucky was brought back from supposed death
Comic book death
In the comic book fan community, the apparent death and subsequent return of a long-running character is often called a comic book death. While death is a serious subject, a comic book death is generally not taken seriously and is rarely permanent or meaningful...
as the Winter Soldier. In 2008
2008 in comics
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
, he became Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
after Steve Rogers
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
was presumed to be dead. In 2011
2011 in comics
-January:*January 4 Axel Alonso is named editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, replacing Joe Quesada.-September:*During the whole month of September DC Comics released 52 brand new titles as part of their The New 52 publishing scheme after canceling all titles in August.-Conventions:*July 2–3 -...
, Bucky resumed his identity as the Winter Soldier after faking his death
Faked death
A faked death occurs when an individual leaves evidence to suggest that he or she is dead in order to mislead others. This may be done for a variety of reasons, such as to fraudulently collect insurance money or avoid capture by law enforcement for some other crime.People who fake their own deaths...
.
Publication history
When Joe SimonJoe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
created his initial sketch of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
for Marvel Comics precursor Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
in 1940, he included a young sidekick. "The boy companion was simply named Bucky, after my friend Bucky Pierson, a star on our high school basketball team," Simon said in his autobiography. Following the character's debut in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941), Bucky Barnes appeared alongside the title star in virtually every story in that publication and other Timely series, and was additionally part of the all-kid team the Young Allies
Young Allies
Young Allies is the name of three superhero teams in the .-Golden Age:The Golden Age's Young Allies were a gang of kids who fought the Axis...
. In the post-war era, with the popularity of superheroes fading, Bucky appeared alongside team-leader Captain America in the two published adventures of Timely/Marvel's first superhero group, the All-Winners Squad
All-Winners Squad
The All-Winners Squad is a fictional superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. The company's first such team, it first appeared in All Winners Comics #19 , published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.While the comic-book...
, in the unhyphenated All Winners Comics
All Winners Comics
All Winners Comics was the name of two American comic book series of the 1940s, both published by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. A superhero anthology comic in both cases, they variously featured such star...
#19 & 21 (Fall-Winter 1946; there was no issue #20). After Bucky was shot and seriously wounded in a 1948 Captain America story, he was succeeded by Captain America's girlfriend Betsy Ross, who became the superheroine Golden Girl
Golden Girl
Golden Girl is the name of two fictional superheroine characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics, the first of them during the 1930-1940s period known to historians and collectors as the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Golden Girl :...
. Captain America Comics ended with #75 (Feb. 1950), by which time the series had been titled Captain America's Weird Tales for two issues, with the finale a horror/suspense anthology issue with no superheroes.
Captain America and Bucky were both briefly revived, along with fellow Timely stars the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner, in the omnibus Young Men #24 (Dec. 1953), published by Marvel's 1950s iteration Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics (1950s)
Atlas Comics is the term used to describe the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities, used Atlas as the umbrella name for his comic...
. Bucky appeared alongside "Captain America, Commie Smasher!", as the hero was cover-billed, in stories published during the next year in Young Men and Men's Adventures, as well as in three issues of Captain America that continued the old numbering. Sales were poor, however, and the series was discontinued with Captain America #78 (Sept. 1954).
Retroactive continuity, beginning with The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#4 (March 1964), established that the original Captain America and Bucky went missing near the end of WWII and were secretly replaced by then-U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
by successor heroes using those identities.
Bucky appeared in very occasional flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
s from the 1960s on, and co-starred with Captain America in flashback WWII adventures in Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
#63-71 (March-Nov. 1965). His apparent death was depicted in flashback in The Avengers #56 (Sept. 1968).
In 2005, series writer Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
returned Bucky from his seeming death near the end of World War II. He additionally revealed that Barnes's official status as Captain America's sidekick was a cover-up, and that Barnes began as a 16-year-old operative trained to do things regular soldiers and the twenty-something Captain America normally would not do, such as conduct covert assassinations.
Bucky's death had been notable as one of the few comic book death
Comic book death
In the comic book fan community, the apparent death and subsequent return of a long-running character is often called a comic book death. While death is a serious subject, a comic book death is generally not taken seriously and is rarely permanent or meaningful...
s that remained unreversed. An aphorism among comic book fans, known as the Bucky Clause, was that in comics, "No one stays dead except Bucky, Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
and Uncle Ben". However, all three were brought back to life in their respective universes in 2006, although Uncle Ben turned out to be an alternate Ben from another reality.
Bucky's death has also been used to explain why the Marvel Universe has virtually no young sidekicks, as no responsible hero wants to endanger a minor in similar fashion. Stan Lee also disliked the plot device of kid sidekicks, saying in the 1970s that "One of my many pet peeves has always been the young teenage sidekick of the average superhero". Roger Stern
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
and John Byrne had also considered bringing Bucky back, before deciding against it. However, in 1990, co-creator Jack Kirby, when asked if he had ever heard talk of resurrecting Bucky, answered: "Speaking completely for myself, I wouldn't mind bringing Bucky in; he represents teenagers, and there are always teenagers; he's a universal character".
A climactic scene of Bucky's return involves Captain America using the reality-altering Cosmic Cube to restore the Winter Soldier's memories. Writer Ed Brubaker, in an interview, said he intended no loophole, and that Captain America did not "will" the Winter Soldier to have Bucky's memories.
Origin and World War II
Barnes (named after James BuchananJames Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, the 15th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
), was born in Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana, United States. The population was 17,951 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Shelby County...
in 1925. He is an orphan, the son of a soldier killed in training at U.S. Army Camp Lehigh in Virginia just before the United States' entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As a result, he is unofficially adopted by the camp as a mascot. Nicknamed "Bucky," he takes to wearing a uniform and becoming savvy with the ins and outs of military life, even though he is a teenager. It was at Lehigh that he meets and befriends Private Steven Rogers, who by all appearances is the clumsiest soldier in the camp. This was at the same time that reports of the then-mysterious Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
begin to appear in news magazines, and Barnes eagerly devours the accounts of this new hero.
In 1940, Bucky accidentally walked in on Rogers changing into his uniform, thus discovering his friend was Captain America and insisted that he join him. He underwent extensive training and was assigned to be Captain America's partner. The military justified putting a 15-year-old in harm's way by using him as a symbol to rally the youth of America (as revealed in Captain America vol. 5, #12, Dec 2005). They fight the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
together, and Captain America accepts Bucky as his partner. Together, Captain America and Bucky fight Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
both at home and abroad, as a duo and as part of the superhero team known as the Invaders
Invaders (comics)
The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol...
, fighting Master Man
Master Man (Marvel Comics)
Master Man is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Master Man first appears in the title Giant-Size Invaders #1 and was created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins. The second version , first appears in Namor the Sub-Mariner #11 ...
in their first mission. Barnes also teams up with the sidekicks of other heroes in a group called the Young Allies
Young Allies
Young Allies is the name of three superhero teams in the .-Golden Age:The Golden Age's Young Allies were a gang of kids who fought the Axis...
. Additionally, Bucky was retconned in 1976 as the organizer of the flashback World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
super-team the Liberty Legion
Liberty Legion
The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II...
, set between the formations of the Invaders
Invaders (comics)
The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol...
and the post-war All-Winners Squad
All-Winners Squad
The All-Winners Squad is a fictional superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. The company's first such team, it first appeared in All Winners Comics #19 , published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.While the comic-book...
. He was also briefly one of the Kid Commandos
Kid Commandos
The Kid Commandos is a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Kid Commandos first appeared as a team in Invaders #28 , and were created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins....
at this time. Bucky served as an advance scout for Captain America and the Invaders, often being assigned tasks that none of the heroes could be seen doing.
In the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
from destroying an experimental drone plane
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
. Zemo launches the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reach the plane just before it takes off. Bucky unsuccessfully tries to defuse the bomb, and it explodes in mid-air before reaching its intended target. He is believed to have been killed in action, and Rogers is hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Rogers' body, preserved in suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
in a block of ice, is found decades later by The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
when the Grandmaster was defeated.
It was only in modern times that Captain America would learn that Bucky had a sister, Rebecca, whom he met at a veterans Christmas celebration. Bucky also had one notable post-mortem appearance when the Grandmaster challenged the West and East Coast Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
for the destruction of the universe, apparently resurrecting long-dead friends and foes
Legion of the Unliving
The Legion of the Unliving is the name of five groups of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The five versions first appear in Avengers #131 ; Avengers Annual #16 ; Avengers West Coast #61 ; Avengers #353 and Avengers vol. 3, #10 respectively...
for them to fight. Captain America battled Bucky, whom he defeated, and the apparitions disappeared.
Winter Soldier
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
as a result of the explosion. Scientists attach a bionic arm, upgrading it every time technology improves.
Programmed to be a Soviet assassin for Department X, under the code name the Winter Soldier, he is sent on covert wetworks missions, i.e. missions involving assassination, becoming increasingly ruthless and efficient as he kills in the name of the state. While a Soviet agent, he also has a brief relationship with The Black Widow. The Winter Soldier is kept in a cryogenic stasis when not on missions, and as a result has aged only a few years to a young adult since the closing days of World War II. In 1968, the Winter Soldier was to kill Professor Zhang Chin, whom he had met in WWII. Unfortunately, he was pinned down by an intangible being called The Man with No Face, though he was able to escape. On assignment in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1970s, he suffers a breakdown and goes missing for days after assassinating
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
his target. It has also been revealed that as the Winter Soldier he aided in Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
's escape from the Weapon X laboratory and later murdered Wolverine's wife Itsu, seemingly killing their unborn son Daken
Daken
Akihiro, also codename as Daken is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Daken is the mutant son of Wolverine and his deceased wife Itsu...
who survived the attack after being cut from his mother's womb.
In the present day, the Winter Soldier seemingly kills the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
and Jack Monroe (Nomad) under orders from former Soviet general Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who exists in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in Captain America #1, and was created by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.-Fictional character biography:...
(Karpov's former protégé). The Soldier launches a terrorist attack on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, killing hundreds, and charges the Cosmic Cube
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
which Lukin sent him to retrieve. He kidnaps Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter, alias Agent 13, is a fictional character, a secret agent in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an ex-field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D...
, an agent of the international espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
and a former lover of Steve Rogers (Captain America). Upon her rescue, Carter tells Captain America the Soldier looked like Bucky. S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
confirms the Winter Soldier's existence, but cannot ascertain his identity.
Captain America tracks down and confronts the Winter Soldier. Upon gaining control of the Cube, he tells the Soldier, "Remember who you are". Regaining his memories, Bucky becomes overwhelmed by guilt over his past actions, crushing the Cosmic Cube and teleporting away.
He reappears shortly afterward in London, England, where he helps Captain America fend off a terrorist attack. He asks Nick Fury for employment and new equipment following the loss of his bionic arm. Following the events of the superhuman Civil War, the Soldier helps Fury plan the escape of an arrested Steve Rogers. Before the plan can be implemented, however, Rogers is assassinated. Considering registration architect Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
(Iron Man) as ultimately responsible, the Soldier plans to kill Stark in revenge. Deducing that Stark will oversee the appointment of a new Captain America, the Soldier steals Captain America's shield from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow (his former lover while brainwashed in the Soviet Union) so that it cannot be handed down. Ultimately, he heads to Kronas's headquarters, where Lukin reveals he is the Red Skull and has the evil psychiatrist Dr. Faustus
Doctor Faustus (comics)
Doctor Faustus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain.An Austrian by birth, he is most commonly associated with Captain America, first appearing in issue #107 of his first series.-Creative origins:...
attempt unsuccessfully to brainwash the Winter Soldier.
The new Captain America
After escaping from Faustus and being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, Barnes learns from Executive Director Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
that Steve Rogers had left Stark a letter asking Stark to watch over Barnes and that the mantle of Captain America should continue. Stark suggests that Barnes become the new Captain America. Barnes agrees to become the new Captain America only if Stark guarantees him complete autonomy. As this arrangement is illegal under the Superhuman Registration Act, Stark keeps his support of the new Captain America secret. As Captain America, Barnes wears a new costume laced with adamantium, and carries a pistol and a combat knife. Barnes' first major adventure as the new Captain America has him, Falcon, Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting against the original Red Skull and Dr. Faustus who have revived the 1950s Captain America in a plot to secure one of their pawns attaining the US Presidency. Barnes and his allies succeed in aborting the Skull's plans, and Barnes saves the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates from assassination, winning public applause. The adventure ends with Barnes accepting himself and addressing himself now as "Captain America". He also restarts his relationship with Black Widow.
A still-teenaged Barnes is transported from 1941 and appears in the 2008 Avengers/Invaders miniseries alongside his fellow Invaders when a time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
incident takes them from a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
battlefield to the present-day Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, where they encounter both the Mighty Avengers and New Avengers. At the conclusion of Avengers/Invaders #4, while attempting to break out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, which he believes to be a German base, Barnes encounters his future self dressed as Captain America. During this meeting, the future Barnes attempts to change his history by telling his past self to abandon the missile that he was 'killed' trying to disarm, without ever telling his younger self his true identity. Barnes decides to let his life turn out the way it should after witnessing the devastating risks involved in changing history.
During the "Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
" storyline, after most of the other heroes have fallen as the Skrull invasion of Earth
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
continues, Captain America is seen watching Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
defend a group of civilians in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. Later, after a brief confrontation with Thor, he joins the other group of heroes (the Mighty Avengers, the New Avengers, the Initiative, the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
, Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
and his Secret Warriors
Secret Warriors
The Secret Warriors is a Marvel series featuring Nick Fury and Team White, a fictional team of superpowered agents in the . Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the characters were introduced in Mighty Avengers #13, and debuted as a team in Secret Invasion #3, both published in...
, Young Avengers
Young Avengers
Young Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
, and the Hood's
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
group) in battle against an army of Super-Skrulls led by Queen Veranke
Veranke
Veranke is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics who serves as the queen of the Skrull empire in the Marvel Universe. She plays a significant role in the events of Secret Invasion as she leads her empire to invade and conquer Earth....
herself.
Following the "Secret Invasion" storyline, Barnes discovers that the remains of Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, has been recovered and studied by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. The body was stolen by Professor Zhang Chin who used the Torch to create a virus to exterminate half the Earth's population. Teaming up with Namor, they stop Chin and make sure that Hammond receives a proper burial.
In the aftermath of "Secret Invasion", Barnes joins the New Avengers and offers his home as a base of operations. He later participates in the search for Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
and Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones
Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos. Jones debuted in the series Alias as an embittered former superheroine who had used the aliases Jewel, Knightress, and currently Power Woman...
' child, Danielle. He was considered a possible team leader but turned it down because he didn't have the proper team experience.
In the Captain America: Reborn
Captain America: Reborn
Captain America: Reborn is a six-issue monthly comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics between July 2009 and January 2010...
storyline, Barnes finds out from Sharon that she didn't really kill Steve. As explained by Doctor Zola
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is a fictional character a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a master of biochemistry, and frequent foe of Captain America and the Avengers.-Publication history:...
to Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
, Rogers was trapped in a fixed position of time and space. But since Sharon ruined the machine that was supposed to bring him back, Steve was reliving his own past. Barnes and Black Widow attempt to steal the device from H.A.M.M.E.R.
H.A.M.M.E.R.
H.A.M.M.E.R. is a fictional espionage and law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe led by Norman Osborn. The organization is formed in Secret Invasion #8 to replace S.H.I.E.L.D.. The organization plays a large part in Marvel's "Dark Reign" and Siege events.What H.A.M.M.E.R. stands for,...
but are captured. Osborn sends the Black Widow back to Sharon with an ultimatum: either she turns herself in, as Osborn had implicated her as Rogers' second shooter, or he'll kill Barnes. Barnes was then sent into the custody of the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
who told him that he'll be inducted into their group once Rogers is brought back. However, Barnes is secretly freed by Ant-Man
Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady)
Ant-Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is the third character to use the name Ant-Man. He first appears in The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 and was created by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester....
and then rescued by the Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
. Barnes then teams up with Clint Barton, Natasha, the Falcon, Hank Pym, and the Vision
Vision (comics)
Vision, in comics, may refer to:*Vision , a Marvel Comics android and member of the Avengers*Vision , a Golden age superhero and alien law enforcer...
to save Sharon. The group intercepts the Red Skull's ship beside the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
and attacks. The Red Skull has already taken over Steve's body, and Barnes attacks him. The two battle while Hank saves Sharon and the others battle Crossbones
Crossbones (comics)
Crossbones is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Kieron Dwyer in Captain America #359-360 . Crossbones usually appears as a henchman of the Red Skull...
and a squad of M.O.D.O.K.S.
MODOK
MODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
. Sin shoots Barnes in the shoulders, giving the Skull the opportunity to take Barnes' shield. He pins Barnes to the ground and cuts off his cybernetic arm with the shield. However, inside Steve's body, Steve prepares to kill the Red Skull to keep him from doing any more evil in his body. The Skull's consciousness leaves Steve's body and returns to his robotic body. Hank and Sharon manage to cause the Skull's body to enlarge in size, and after Steve (who has taken control of his body) leads an attack, Vision uses the Skull's ship's weapons to destroy the Skull.
Leading up to the "Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
" storyline, Bucky Barnes is shown still as Captain America talking with Steve Rogers, who is in a dark body suit and standing next to him. In Invincible Iron Man #21 Rogers is back in costume and seen alongside Barnes who is still in his own Captain America costume. The two are helping restore Tony Stark's mind by using the shield as a conduit for Thor's lightning. In the second issue of Siege, Barnes teams up with Steve Rogers in Steve's team of heroes. Barnes (still in his Captain America suit) pulls Rogers aside just before they are about to leave for Asgard. Barnes tells Rogers that they should "skip the argument" and insists that Rogers use the shield. Rogers takes the shield, and Barnes is shown with a large gun in his hands, ready for the fight ahead. In the following issue, Barnes is shown fighting alongside Rogers with both wearing their respective Captain America uniforms in Asgard. After the events of Siege, Rogers returns the shield to Barnes and retires his uniform, leaving Barnes as the only Captain America.
Barnes is a member of the main Avengers team formed in the aftermath of the "Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
" storyline. Barnes was then put on trial for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier. He was found not guilty in an American court, but Russian officials took him away, having convicted him of crimes against the state and claiming that he had gone rogue and killed two civilians. But as Sharon Carter and Black Widow discover, Barnes' victims were connected to Russia's Department X's Red Room division. He escaped imprisonment with help from Black Widow and returned to the USA, however it was decided he was too tainted by events to be allowed to continue as Captain America.
Fear Itself and return as Winter Soldier
During the Fear ItselfFear Itself (comics)
"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...
companywide storyline, Barnes takes up the Captain America identity again, but is apparently killed in battle with Sin (in her Skadi form). It is later revealed that he survived thanks to being injected with the infinity formula and with the world believing him dead, has gone to perform special jobs behind the scenes relating to his days as the Winter Soldier. Only Steve, Nick Fury and the Black Widow know the truth of his "death." After this event, Bucky return to his former identity of Winter Soldier.
Powers and abilities
Having trained under Steve Rogers, the original Captain America in World War II, and others in the time leading up to WWII, "Bucky" Barnes is a master of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, as well as being skilled in the use of military weapons such as firearms and grenades. He also used throwing knives on occasion and was a gifted advance scout. His time as the covert Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier helped to further hone his skills, making him the equal to his predecessor in combat skills and an expert assassin and spy. He is also fluent in many languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, and Japanese. He can understand French.Barnes' left arm is a cybernetic prosthetic with superhuman strength and enhanced reaction time. The arm can function when not in contact with Barnes and can discharge bolts of electrical energy from its palm. The arm can discharge an EMP causing electronics to either shutdown or become useless. The use of Barnes' EMP is shown when Barnes uses it to shutdown a Nick Fury LMD
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy is fictional android appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is designed to function as an exact body double for VIPs...
and when he attempts to use it on Iron Man. The arm has a holographic function to disguise it as a flesh and blood arm.
As Captain America, Barnes possesses the original, indestructible, vibranium-steel alloy shield used by his predecessor, as well as a Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
/Nomex
Nomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
blend, shock-absorbing costume. He often carries several conventional weapons such as knives, guns - mostly a P08 Luger -, and grenades.
Fred Davis - Late-WWII and post-war Bucky
Fearing that the deaths of Captain America and Bucky, if revealed, would be a blow to morale, President TrumanHarry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
asked William Naslund, the hero known as the Spirit of '76
Spirit of '76 (comics)
The Spirit of '76 is the name of two fictional comic book characters, one each from Harvey Comics and Marvel Comics.-Harvey Comics:The first comics character by this name is a patriotic superhero created by writer Gary Blakey and artist Bob Powell in Harvey's Pocket Comics #1...
(a member of the Crusaders
Crusaders (Marvel Comics)
The Crusaders is a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in The Invaders #14 and were created by Roy Thomas, Jack Kirby, and Frank Robbins.-Publication history:...
), to assume the identity of Captain America. Assisting him was Fred Davis, a former bat-boy for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, who had posed as Bucky in 1942. The new Captain America and Bucky finished the rest of the war and continued to fight crime with the All-Winners Squad
All-Winners Squad
The All-Winners Squad is a fictional superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. The company's first such team, it first appeared in All Winners Comics #19 , published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.While the comic-book...
. Naslund was killed in 1946 fighting the android Adam II
Adam II
Adam II is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, a supervillain and most known as an enemy of the All-Winners Squad. He is an android created to duplicate another android success, the Human Torch...
, and Captain America's identity passed to Jeff Mace
Jeffrey Mace
Jeffrey Solomon "Jeff" Mace, also known as the Patriot and Captain America, is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, created during the 1940s period which fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books...
, the Patriot
Patriot (comics)
Patriot is the name of two fictional, comic book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe: the Golden Age hero Jeffrey Mace and the modern-day character Eli Bradley.-Patriot :...
.
Davis assisted Mace until 1948, when he was shot and wounded, forcing him to retire and leaving him with a permanent limp. In 1951, Davis joined the V-Battalion
V-Battalion
The V-Battalion is the name of two incarnations of a fictional secret organization composed of Golden Age superheroes and their descendents in stories from Marvel Comics...
, a secret organization that hunted war criminals, and eventually became one of its leaders on the Penance Council. He served the V-Battalion in both a leadership role in the Penance Council, and as an engineer.
Jack Monroe - 1950s Bucky
In 1953, an orphan named Jack Monroe, who idolized Captain America and Bucky, discovered that his history teacher also had a similar passion, to the extent of undergoing plastic surgery to make him look like Steve Rogers and assuming his name as well. In addition, "Rogers"Grand Director
The Grand Director , also known as the Captain America of the 1950s is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe...
had discovered, in some old Nazi files stored in a warehouse in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the lost formula for the Super-Soldier serum that had given Captain America his abilities. The two used the serum and began to fight Communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
as Captain America and Bucky.
Unfortunately, "Rogers" and Monroe were unaware of the stabilizing "Vita-Ray" process used on the original Captain America. As a result, despite their bodies being enhanced to peak human efficiency, they slowly grew paranoid
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and dangerously insane. By the middle of 1954 they were irrationally attacking anyone they perceived to be a Communist. In 1955 the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
managed to hunt them down and placed them in suspended animation. The 1950s Captain America and Bucky would be revived years later after the return of Steve Rogers, going on another rampage, and would be defeated by the man they had modeled themselves after.
Monroe was eventually cured of his insanity and took up the superhero identity of Nomad
Nomad (comics)
Nomad is the name of a number of superhero characters who have appeared in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Nomad name and costume was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema as an alternate identity for the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, in Captain America #180...
, an identity that Rogers himself had once taken in the 70s (when he discarded Cap's mantle as a consequence of the Marvel-version of the Watergate Scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, engineered by the Secret Empire
Secret Empire
-Fictional organization history:This subversive organization has been headed by a number of different leaders, always known as “Number One,” with each iteration's goals following the desires of its current leader. The Secret Empire was originally founded by a scientist who felt like an anonymous...
), even teaming up with the original Captain America on a number of occasions. At one point during his solo career, Monroe was injured severely enough to need to be placed in stasis once again. He was revived and brainwashed by Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
(who was in turn being manipulated by Baron Strucker
Baron Strucker
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
). Monroe was then forced to become the new Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
and sent to kill the reformed supervillain team known as the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
. Monroe eventually broke free of the conditioning, helped the Thunderbolts to defeat Gyrich, and then disappeared.
Monroe was last seen reassuming his original Nomad costume. At this time, he had checked in on his former ward he called Bucky, who had since been adopted. Monroe was starting to have delusions again, and started hallucinating; his sanity was again destabilizing, as it had when he first became Bucky. In the same story, Jack Monroe was shot by the Winter Soldier (James Buchanan Barnes, the original Bucky) and dumped in the trunk of a car.
Powers and abilities
Monroe had augmented strength and reflexes superior to that of any Olympic athlete. Monroe has extensive experience in hand-to-hand combat, having received personal tutoring by Captain America. He is also an expert marksman.Rick Jones
Soon after awakening in the modern age, Steve Rogers met perennial Marvel sidekick Rick Jones. A little demented from his time spent encased in ice, Rogers would refer to Rick as Bucky whom he greatly resembled. Jones also donned the Bucky costume in an attempt to make himself Captain America's partner. However, Rogers was still wracked with guilt over the original Bucky's death, and refused to make this a permanent arrangement although Jones was insistent that Rogers should finally put the tragedy behind him. While Jones' time in this identity is short lived and the task of measuring up to the original Bucky was daunting, he profits from it with invaluable training from Rogers.Powers and abilities
During his position as Bucky, Jones received training in combat gymnastics along with hand-to-hand combat by Captain America.Lemar Hoskins
As the Super-PatriotU.S. Agent
U.S. Agent is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those starring Captain America and the Avengers. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary in Captain America vol...
, John Walker teamed up with a group known as the Bold Urban Commandos (BUCkies) as a backup team, who were sometimes used in staged attacks on the Super-Patriot during his public demonstrations. Walker's main partner was African-American Lemar Hoskins, who was allowed to continue to serve as Walker's partner when Walker became Captain America, while the other Buckies, disgruntled after being left out by the Commission on Superhuman Activities
Commission on Superhuman Activities
The Commission on Superhuman Activities is a fictional government group from the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, became Left-Winger
Left-Winger (comics)
Left-Winger is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Hector Lennox was born in Houston, Texas. He was a U.S. Army veteran who grew bored during peace-time service. He signed up for the Power Broker's strength augmentation process, and joined the Unlimited...
and Right-Winger
Right-Winger (comics)
Right-Winger is a fictional comic book character who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Jerry Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a veteran who had served 4 years in the U.S. Army with his friend, John Walker. Both became disillusioned and grew bored...
. Hoskins used the name and costume of "Bucky" until he realized the racist connotations of the alias when applied to him (Prior to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a male slave was often referred to as a "buck"). He then assumed the name "Battlestar".
Powers and abilitites
Hoskins had superhuman strength, endurance, durability and resilience as a result of the experimental mutagenic process conducted on him by Karl Malus on behalf of the Power Broker. His agility and reflexes are of the order of a superior Olympic athlete. Hoskins is also highly trained in gymnastics and acrobatics. He is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, and received rigorous training in unarmed combat from the Commission on Superhuman ActivitiesCommission on Superhuman Activities
The Commission on Superhuman Activities is a fictional government group from the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
.
Rikki Barnes
Rikki BarnesRikki Barnes
Rebecca "Rikki" Barnes is a fictional character in the . First introduced as the Counter-Earth incarnation of Bucky during the "Heroes Reborn" event, Rikki crossed over to Earth-616 in Onslaught Reborn where she operates as Nomad....
, who was from the alternate Earth
Counter-Earth (comics)
In the fictional Marvel Universe, there have been three versions of the hypothetical planet known as Counter-Earth, each one a near-duplicate of Earth.-Publication history:...
created by Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
in the wake of the Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
incident. Rikki Barnes is still a member of the Young Allies
Young Allies
Young Allies is the name of three superhero teams in the .-Golden Age:The Golden Age's Young Allies were a gang of kids who fought the Axis...
on Counter-Earth.
In the wake of the Onslaught Reborn series, another Rikki Barnes (from an alternate Heroes Reborn universe where the Avengers and Fantastic Four never left) has been transported to the mainstream Earth. She sought to make contact with the new Captain America (Bucky Barnes) by contacting Patriot
Patriot (comics)
Patriot is the name of two fictional, comic book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe: the Golden Age hero Jeffrey Mace and the modern-day character Eli Bradley.-Patriot :...
, befriended the Patriot in the process. In a new miniseries she is assuming the Nomad identity.
Powers and abilities
Barnes is a natural athlete who was trained by SHIELD and Captain America. She is a gifted fighter, marksman and acrobat with the familiarity with technological devices of a SHIELD agent. As Bucky she wore a bulletproof costume modeled after the original Bucky. She also made use of a vibranium-photonic energy shield along with vibranium soled boots that allowed her to run up walls, move silently, leap greater distances and land from great heights. She also wielded a pistol.Julia Winters
Other persons who have used the Bucky alias include an unnamed baby that Nomad looked after for a period (after which she was adopted and given the name Julia Winters).Other versions
In the DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
/Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
one-shot intercompany crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
Batman/Captain America (Dec. 1996), written and drawn by John Byrne and set during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bucky briefly takes Dick Grayson/Robin's
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
place as Batman's
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
sidekick, while Robin becomes Captain America's. In this alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
(set in one of DC Comics' numerous "Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
" continuities), Bucky dies (off-page) as he had done in numerous Avengers and Captain America recollections.
In the alternate reality of the five-issue Bullet Points miniseries (Jan.-May 2005), James Barnes never teams up with Steve Rogers as the Super-Soldier program was never activated. However, Rogers volunteers for the 'Iron Man' program and as such, saves Barnes and several fellow soldiers from an advancing tank during the battle of Guadalcanal. Unfortunately he is not swift enough to save Barnes from severe damage to his legs.
James Buchanan Barnes is one of the United States government agents (alongside Mimic
Mimic (comics)
Mimic is a Marvel Comics fictional character who was briefly a member of the X-Men in the 1960s. He was then the first character to be added to the team after the original line-up and the first X-Man who was not a mutant....
and Nuke) sent to Genosha to kill Magneto and as many of his followers as possible. Nuke and Mimic served as a distraction while Agent Barnes sneaked into Magneto's headquarters; and though he fatally stabs Professor Xavier, Bucky was killed by Magneto.
In the second issue of the crossover miniseries Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
, a zombified Winter Soldier appears and attempts to devour Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
. This version of the Winter Soldier is ultimately killed by Ash Williams
Ash Williams
Ashley J. "Ash" Williams is the protagonist in the Evil Dead horror film franchise, played by Bruce Campbell, and created by director Sam Raimi. Throughout the series, Ash has to face off against his loved ones inside an abandoned cabin as they are possessed by "deadites", the evil souls of the dead...
, who shoots his head off with his "boomstick
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
".
In the alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
universe, Captain America had an adult sidekick, Bucky Barnes. This Bucky was a childhood friend of Steve Rogers who accompanies him on his missions as an Army press photographer
War photography
War photography captures photographs of armed conflict and life in war-torn areas.Although photographs can provide a more direct representation than paintings or drawings, they are sometimes manipulated, creating an image that is not objectively journalistic.-History:Photography, presented to the...
. Surviving the war and believing Rogers had died during his last mission, Bucky eventually marries Rogers' fiance Gail and has a large extended family. During which, Bucky is diagnosed as having lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
from chain smoking
Chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
back in the War. Barnes and Gail both live to see Rogers' revival in the 21st century and renew their friendship with him. After America was taken by the Liberators, Bucky is captured at a cemetery with Cap and remains unseen until Ultimate Comics Avengers. Here, both he and Gail are seen being taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. protective custody after Captain America goes rogue upon discovering that the Red Skull is his illegitimate son.
In the alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
Marvel MAX series U.S. War Machine, Bucky was serving in the present as Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, as the Captain had died in his stead in World War II. Bucky was accompanied here by two assistants, Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
and Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
, neither wearing a costume and both addressed by their real names.
In the 2005 What If?
What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
event, the Captain America story, set during the American Civil War, featured Steve Rogers' commanding officer, Colonel Buck Barnes, whom the men called "Bucky". His mercenary tendencies led to Rogers' desertion, and when he later intervened in Rogers' transformation into Captain America, his face was destroyed, turning him into an undead being known as the White Skull.
In Ruins, which is set in a dystopian alternate future, Bucky is taken into custody alongside Victor Creed and others for several heinous crimes, including cannibalism.
An alternate-universe Bucky appears in the 2011 miniseries "Captain America Corps".
Television
- Bucky appears in the Captain America portion of The Marvel Super Heroes.
- Bucky appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
, voiced by Scott MenvilleScott MenvilleScott David Menville is primarily an American voice actor, actor, musician, and comedian.-Early life and career:The son of Chuck Menville, he was bassist for the Southern California rock band Boy Hits Car, which released three albums until he left the band in 2006. He was with the group since...
. In this continuity, Bucky threw Captain America off the rocket before it blew up, believing the world needed Captain America more than him. In the episode "Hail, Hydra", after the Captain touches the Cosmic Cube, it granted his wish of letting Bucky survive the explosion (minus his left arm) as a result of Steve Rogers' use of the Cube. - Bucky appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "World War Witch", voiced by Rod KellerRod Keller (actor)Rod Keller is an American actor and singer, best known for his film role as "Bruce" in He's Just Not That Into You, and stage roles in the 2003 Broadway Revival of Big River and the Los Angeles productions of Hair as "Woof" and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown as "Linus".-Early and personal...
. He is seen as a member of the Invaders.
Film
- Ultimate Bucky appears in the animated movie Ultimate AvengersUltimate AvengersUltimate Avengers is a direct-to-DVD animated film based on the Marvel comic book The Ultimates, and released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The DVD was released on February 21, 2006 in America, and in Europe on October 2, 2006...
, but his voice actor is never credited. - Sebastian StanSebastian StanSebastian Stan is a Romanian-born American actor. He is best known for playing Prince Jack Benjamin on the television drama Kings and Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
portrays James Barnes in Captain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
feature film. In this version, Bucky is the equivalent age of Rogers and is physically taller than him prior to Rogers' Super-Soldier enhancements. After Captain America saves him from HYDRA, Bucky joins his handpicked unit clothed in a blue jacket that vaguely suggests his original costume. In the comic book tie-in to the film, it is revealed that the movie's version of Bucky met Steve Rogers when they both were children, and then they both became friends after the young Barnes saved Rogers from bullies. He was recruited by Rogers as part of his special team (the film's version of the Howling CommandosHowling CommandosThe Howling Commandos is the name of several fictional groups led by Nick Fury in the Marvel Comics Universe.-World War II:The first group of Howling Commandos was an elite special unit formed in World War II...
/InvadersInvaders (comics)The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol...
). During one of his incursions onboard a train, which turned out to be an ambush by Arnim Zola, he fell to his apparent death when a weapons blast knocked him out of the train and over a cliff into a distant frozen river. - Captain America director Joe JohnstonJoe JohnstonJoseph Eggleston "Joe" Johnston II is an American film director and former effects artist best known for such effects-driven movies as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumanji, The Rocketeer, Jurassic Park III, the period drama October Sky, The Wolfman, and Captain America: The First Avenger.- Life and...
has expressed interest in doing a Bucky solo film, quoted as saying "I told the Marvel guys that there is a character that I’m really interested in called ‘The Winter Soldier’ and that if, ‘you guys decide to make that picture I would definitely be interested.’ […] I just think that it would be interesting to take a character that was in ‘Captain America’ and build a story around him. Plus, I like Sebastian Stan a lot (who played Bucky) I think he would be an interesting actor to build another feature around." While no official word has been given, Johnston said that the film most likely won't happen until after Captain America 2, and has expressed interest in working with Scarlett JohanssonScarlett JohanssonScarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
and crossing over with her character of the Black Widow (Natalia Romanova). In the comics, Bucky and Black Widow have a romantic history dating back to the Cold War, and though Black Widow appeared in Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, and the Cold War conflict was alluded to with Whiplash's treacherous father Anton Vanko, they did not develop any relationship between the Black Widow and the Soviets, leaving the possibility for it to be expanded, whether in a Winter Soldier or a Black Widow solo film. Though the film is only in the planning stages and has yet to start development, Sebastian Stan is signed on to reprise his role in a total of 6 Marvel films.
Video games
- The Winter Soldier appears in the video game Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
voiced by Crispin FreemanCrispin FreemanCrispin McDougal Freeman is an American voice actor, and Mythology scholar. His roles have included Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Karasu from Noein, Togusa from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as Holland Novak from Eureka Seven, Touga Kiriyu in...
. In the game, he is a member of Dr. Doom's Masters of EvilMasters of EvilThe Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
. He is seen working with Radioactive Man on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. They are thwarted by the Marvel Heroes. He has a special dialogue with Captain America, Thor, and Doctor Doom. - The Winter Soldier appears in the Wii, PS2, and PSP versions of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. In the game, he appears as a villain taken over by the Fold where he tries to stop the heroes from leaving Prison 42 in the Negative Zone.
- Bucky/Winter Soldier appears in the Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity GauntletMarvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity GauntletMarvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet is a continuation of the video game Marvel Super Hero Squad and it was released on November 16, 2010. Similar to the first game, it features cartoonish Super-deformed versions of the Marvel Comics characters, as seen in the Marvel Super Hero Squad toy...
video game voiced again by Rod KellerRod Keller (actor)Rod Keller is an American actor and singer, best known for his film role as "Bruce" in He's Just Not That Into You, and stage roles in the 2003 Broadway Revival of Big River and the Los Angeles productions of Hair as "Woof" and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown as "Linus".-Early and personal...
. - Sebastian Stan reprises his role as Bucky for the video game based on the feature filmCaptain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
: Captain America: Super SoldierCaptain America: Super SoldierCaptain America: Super Soldier is a third person single player video game loosely based on the film Captain America: The First Avenger...
. - Bucky (as Captain America) is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed Bucky Barnes as the 53rd greatest comic book hero of all time stating that after Robin, Bucky is easily the most iconic superhero sidekick of the Golden Age and describing him as one of the central players in the Marvel Universe since his role of being Captain America.