Bucky Barnes

Bucky Barnes is a comic book character that first appeared in Captain America Comics #1




Believed dead at the end of World War II, Captain America's sidekick Bucky is fitted with a cybernetic arm and becomes an unstoppable, untraceable assassin for the Soviets for over 50 years. But after the death of Captain America (Steve Rogers) James Barnes has become the new Captain America.

Captain America and his Sidekick Bucky Barnes

Captain America and his sidekick Bucky
Captain America and his sidekick Bucky

After losing his father, a soldier, at a young age during World War II, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was adopted as the mascot for Camp Lehigh and nicknamed "Bucky." There he stumbled upon the secret identity of Captain America and quickly became Cap's sidekick, undergoing rigorous training. Bucky certainly got his hands dirty, doing all the brutal jobs that needed to be done. He'd sneak into enemy territory undetected, swiftly clearing a path for the U.S. soldiers and Captain America to come in and clean house. He soon joined Cap as a member of the Invaders, fighting alongside such other heroes as Namor, the Sub-Mariner, Jim Hammond, the Human Torch and Thomas Raymond the Toro. Being about the same age, Bucky and Toro would become close friends. During this time, he also teamed-up with other sidekicks to form the Young Allies and later the  Liberty Legion to help the Invaders against the Red Skull. Bucky also teamed-up with some teenage superheroes called the Kid Commandos. But in the closing days of World War II, during a mission overseas to take down Baron Heinrich Zemo, Cap and Bucky hopped on a plane hoping to disarm it. Cap couldn't reach it, but Bucky hung on. It was booby trapped and the bomb detonated. Bucky found himself too close to the explosion, which presumably killed him and dropped Captain America into the waters below. While Captain America's body was frozen in a state of suspended animation for years, Bucky's body was never found... Or was it?

The Chill of the Winter Soldier

The Winter Soldier
The Winter Soldier
In April 1945, an experimental Soviet spy-submarine helmed by Comrade Karpov was crossing the English Channel when it intercepted a transmission claiming that Captain America and Bucky had been blown up. Not far from the area, the sub quickly charted the depths and discovered Bucky's tattered body, his left arm completely torn off. Apparently flash-frozen in the waters, the Soviets slowly increased his temperature to thaw out his tissues. After administering electricity, CPR and adrenaline directly into his heart, Bucky was brought back from the dead. While he had no memory of his previous life, Bucky demonstrated a remarkable ability: reflex memories. He knew how to fight, and how to speak four languages, but had no clue how he knew all this.

Fitting him with a cybernetic arm, the Soviets began work on the Winter Soldier Project. They began mental implantation to reprogram his mind and make him loyal to no one but the Soviets. With the codename Winter Soldier, the former Bucky was sent out on spy missions to blend in with his surroundings and assassinate various Cold War power-players. After acting oddly on a few missions, Bucky served as a body guard to the proffesor behind the Winter Soldier project for a few years before the Soviets decided to store the Winter Soldier away in a suspended state until needed again, keeping his mind from learning the truth.

Recently, after killing a number of subjects including Red Skull and Nomad under the direction of Karpov's protege, Aleksander Lukin, the Winter Soldier came face to face with Captain America, still not remembering his past at all. 

Bucky is unable to accept what he has become
Bucky is unable to accept what he has become

Under orders from Lukin, Bucky is told to bring the newly obtained Cosmic Cube to a safe location. However using A.I.M technology Captain America and Falcon are able to track Bucky down and after a close battle resulting in Captain America obtaining the all-powerful Cosmic Cube, Cap held the Cube and made one short statement to the Winter Soldier: "Remember who you are." As the memories flooded back to him, the Winter Soldier couldn't take it and destroyed the Cube, vanishing with it. Although the rest believe Bucky to be dead as a result of the splash damage from the cube Captain America belives that he is alive refering to Bucky as a "Fighter". This is indeed true as Bucky is revealed to have been teleported by the cube to his old air base where he first met Steve Rogers. He soon found an ally in Nick Fury, another WWII legend who has also gone 'off the map'. Fury has equipped Bucky with the Intel and equipment (including an improved cybernetic arm) needed to remain a key player behind the scenes of the Marvel Universe.

Bucky deals with Steve's death in his own way
Bucky deals with Steve's death in his own way

Confused and angry, still reeling from shock of Steve's death, Bucky looked for a way to strike back. After getting into a bar fight and being the only man left standing Bucky decides that the only way to strike back is to kill Tony Stark blaming him for the death of Steve Rogers.  He stole Cap's shield during a transfer between two S.H.I.E.L.D. holding areas. This leads him to a confrontation with Natasha Romanov aka Black Widow is reveald to also be an old flame of his. Bucky is able to defeat Natasha with ease having trained her and goes on to ambush the Red Skull, who is revealed to be alive and currently sharing a mind with Lukin.  Bucky sucedds in infiltrating Lukins office and defeating both Crossbones and Sin but before he can pull the trigger Lukin speaks the word "sputnik" (a word implanted in him to shut him down during his time as the Winter Soldier) which causes Bucky to be unconcious and only to be temporarily taken prisoner. Bucky is taken to be brainwashed by Dr.Faustus so he can be used by the Red Skull but Bucky manages to escape and attempts to rescue Sharon Carter who unknow to him is under Faustus controll. Bucky is taken onboard a ship where Faustus attempts to escape from the coming S.H.I.E.L.D units and the Falcon who is in close pursuit. Gaining momentary sanity Sharon throws Bucky overboard knowing that the Falcon will save him and allowing him to be held by S.H.I.E.L.D custody.

The New Captain America?

Steve Rogers left instructions for Tony Stark in a letter written before his death to "save" Bucky and that the mantle of Captain America should go on. After the murder of Steve Rogers, the man who was Captain America, Cap's former partner during World War II, James "Bucky" Barnes, agreed to don the mantle. And even as he struggles with the sins he committed as the Winter Soldier, the Soviet mercenary he was brainwashed into becoming during the Cold War, the new Captain America finds his pasts as both Bucky and the Winter Soldier colliding with his present.

When the Winter Soldier (Bucky) was brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, he managed to escape. His cybernetic arm had been removed and was being examined by S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists. They were surprised at how much of their own design was in place. Either the Russians had a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Winter Soldier was working for Nick Fury. The arm sent out an electrical shock to one scientist, rose up and knocked out the other two. It then crawled up the wall and into a ventilation shaft to seek out it's owner. When the Winter Soldier was free his only goal was to attack Iron Man.

Part of the New Avengers
Part of the New Avengers
The two fought to a standstill until Stark mentioned the letter from Steve. Bucky wasn't sure that Cap had meant for him to actually become Captain America. Tony said that there's no way Bucky would let anyone else fill those boots and asked if he wanted to be the one to let Steve down. Bucky said he'd do it under two conditions. The first was that his mind was completely probed to ensure there was no trace of brainwashing or fail safe code-words left over from when he was under control was the Winter Soldier. The second condition is that he doesn't have to answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. or to Stark, just as Steve didn't. Tony thought about it and agreed. Bucky donned his own new Captain America costume as he did not feel right wearing Steves. On his first mission Bucky with Black Widow at his side fight an A.I.M radical group to which he easily defeats. He is later confronted while training with the shield by Clint Barton aka Hawkeye who does not approve of him being the new Captain America. Clint attempts to fight Bucky who merely blocks his attacks.Upon learning that they were basically thought the same moves Clint departs warning Bucky not to let the name of Captain America down. After the revealing of an imposter Captain America Bucky goes to confront him despite being told by the Falcon not to. Bucky sneaks into a room to find information only to be taken by surprise by the imposter Cap and is punched through a wall. The imposter Cap is able to defeat Bucky resulting in him getting thrown of a building but saved by the Falcon just in time. The two later knowing that the red skull will want to retrieve the imposter Cap use him as bait to gain the location of the Red Skulls base.  
 
 Bucky Since becoming Captain America he has stop the Red Skull's plans and saved the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, winning public applause. He also restarted his relationship with the Black Widow and joined the New Avengers, also giving them a new hideout. James later participates in search for Luke and Jessica's child, Danielle. When the New Avengers find out about Norman Osborn's "Avengers" James and the rest of the team try to think of a way to show that world that Osborn is still as evil as ever. They send in Spider-Woman to try and join Norman's Avengers into a trap, but Norman figures out this plan and send's  The Hood and his  gang to try and take the New Avengers down, the Avengers make their way out of the ambush and try to think of a new plan.
 
One night Bucky was up late talking to Black Widow about what he did as the Winter Soldier, Widow kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, he
Fighting for an old friend
Fighting for an old friend
went out to think but ran into Batroc, they fought but Bucky was defeated, later  he and Widow went to the U.N. to find some answers, they find out that the U.N. is covering something up, Bucky then goes to the black market to find answers, he found out about the U.N. transporting something the next day. The next day Bucky ran into Batroc again trying to steal what ever the U.N. was transporting, they began to fight, then The Man With No Face jumped into the fight, Bucky defeated Batroc, but even with the help from Black Widow The Man With No Face got away with what was left of the Original Human Torch.

James teams up with Namor and goes after The Man with No Face and Professor Chin (the man who created The Man with No Face), while Black Widow works on getting more info on this Professor Chin. Cap and Namor use Namor's old ship to sneak into Professor Chin's base and they split up but Namor is captured. James then changes into his old Winter Soldier uniform and makes his way through the base, Professor Chin begins to experiment on Namor while Black Widow make's her way to Namor's ship and sees that James is not wearing his Captain America uniform. James breaks into Chin's lab and orders Chin to let Namor go, but The Man with No Face attacks James. During the battle Chin injects Namor with some kind of chemical, but Namor is unaffected because of him Mutant-Human gene. Black Widow then joins in the fight and helps James beat The Man with No Face, as well as helps both James and Namor to escape. While on their way home, Namor mentions how good of a team James and Natalia make. Back home Namor, Norman Osborn, and others put the Human Torch to rest and James later comes to grave to pay his respects to an old friend.

On his birthday, Bucky was on patrol above the streets of New York City, when he was suddenly attacked by a group of rocket men, as Bucky ran across the roof tops avoiding heat-seeking missiles he was able to get a picture of his attackers and sent it to Clint
A Great Way to Spend Your Birthday
A Great Way to Spend Your Birthday
Barton asking him to find out who these guys were and why they were trying to kill him, as this was going on Bucky started to remember other birthdays he's had over the years, remembering himself getting into a fight after getting drunk on his 16th birthday, then remembering his 18th birthday when Toro tried to get him a cake and accidently giving themselves away to the Nazis and having to fight them off. In 1945 on his 20th birthday, Bucky spent his birthday helping Steve interrogate a German spy, during his time as Winter Soldier, Bucky just says "There were No birthdays then". Clint Barton was able to find out that Bucky's attackers were a militia group called The Watchdogs, a group of so called patriots who claimed that they pretty much worshiped Captain America. As Bucky fought The Watchdogs, he saved a lady and her child from one of The Watchdogs missiles, Bucky took two of the men out with his shield then shooting the other, making him crash into the street, Bucky then asked the guy why he was trying to kill him and the guy states "You ain't the real Captain America". Bucky then tells the guy "Believe me, I know that better then anyone...but I'm trying'..." then hitting the guy with his gun knocking him out. When Bucky returned home, he was surprised by a brithday party that Black Widow and the New Avengers had made for him, before Bucky blew out almost eighty candles on his cake, Mockingbird asked him if he's going to make a wish, as Bucky was surrounded by his closest friends and allies he just tells her "Nah...I'm good" then blew out the candles. 

Powers and Abilities

Bucky was trained by Captain America (Steve Rogers) in hand-to-hand fighting techniques as well as being skilled in the use of military weapons such as firearms and grenades. As Bucky he used throwing knives on occasion and was a gifted advance scout. His experience during World War 2 has given him a strong military background.
  
As the Winter Soldier he has super strength and quick reaction time and the ability to produce EMPs, as well as jammers for metal detectors and x-ray machines, due to his cyborg left arm. Even when this arm is removed, Winter Soldier can mentally control it from a remote location.  His time as a covert Soviet agent has further honed his skills giving him a combination of mix fighting styles for use in close combat. As  the Winter Soldier, Barnes became an expert assassin and spy and performed many behind the scenes assasinations without getting cought making some of his kills look like accidents.    

Bucky in the House of M reality
Bucky in the House of M reality
Alternate Realities

Earth-58163 Bucky

In the House of M reality, Bucky Barnes was an elite SHIELD soldier sent to Genosha by Bolivar Trask in order to murder Magneto. Bucky's squad was formed by Mimic and Nuke and although they managed to cause a great deal of damage and casualties among the mutant population (Barnes murdered Charles Xavier) they were ultimately defeated and killed by Magneto.

Buck Barnes of Earth-Law Enforcement Squad

While searching for an alternate version of Frankie Raye during the early stages of The Abraxas Incident, the Fantastic Four and Namorita encountered The Law Enforcement Squad (Marvel's JSA), an alternate reality Avengers-esque team of superheroes that was led by an intelligent version of The Hulk. Bucky (who was simply known as "Buck" in that reality) was a member of this unusual gathering alongside Battlin' Jack Murdock, Captain Universe, Doctor Druid, Living Lightning, Namora, Red Raven, Robert Frank, The Rose and The Shroud. The two teams clashed with one another when The Fantastic Four found the alternate Frankie Raye at the mercy of The Law Enforcement Squad. After being hit Namorita was tossed to the floor and ended up being hit on by Buck. Namorita said "Aren't you dead?" and the alternate Buck responded, albeit confused, with a no. He was then quickly knocked out by Namorita who told Buck not to call her "Dollface" anymore. Later, when Captain Universe "died" at the hands of the alternate Frankie Raye, the two teams set aside their differences while Reed and Buck's ally Doctor Druid went to converse with Captain Universe in the realm that existed in-between all realities. He was last seen vanishing with the rest of The Law Enforcement Squad as their reality and Earth-616 split apart from one another.


#145 in Power Rank Rank Game
Super Name: Bucky Barnes
Real Name: James Buchanan Barnes
Aliases: James Buchanan Barnes
Bucky
Captain America
Winter Soldier
Bucky Cap
Cap
Scoots
Publisher: Marvel Publishing
Gender: Male
Character Type: Human
1st Appearance: Captain America Comics #1
Appears in: 498 issues
Birthday:
Died:
Add a new death issue...
The Horror of the Doll-Devil
Il ritorno di Zarko
The Unspoken, Part 4
Grave New World

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