Last week, we covered the new Captain America and the face of the current Avengers, Sam Wilson. This time, we’re going over a brother-in-arms, a brainwashed assassin, and ultimately, a symbol of redemption: James Buchanan Barnes. Better known as “Bucky,” he was captured by HYDRA, who broke him down and stripped him of his identity and free will, reforging him into the Winter Soldier. But in defiance of his creators’ intentions, he broke free from their control and regained his freedom, even inspiring others to step out of the darkness he once walked in.

Origins

Bucky’s life began as one of those military kids who grew up on the base alongside his sister and father. Despite his mother dying while he was still young and his father dying shortly after in a training accident, Bucky proved his strength and endurance by carrying on and training to become an elite fighter. By the time World War II began, Bucky had developed a variety of lethal skills, especially after receiving top-tier training with a Special Air Services unit. Unlike his MCU counterpart, though, Bucky never had Steve to help him get through his childhood. Instead, Bucky would meet Steve during World War II when his superiors assigned him to partner with Captain America. From then on, Bucky helped Steve defend America from Axis terrorists before finally taking the fight to their enemies (which primarily consisted of HYDRA) overseas, often taking the darker, dirtier jobs (which, of course, would be kept under tight scrutiny). Eventually, the two became like brothers as well as partners, forming the unbreakable bond we know and love today. 

However, that bond would be threatened during one fateful encounter. After capturing and torturing Steve and Bucky, Baron Heinrich Zemo (one of HYDRA’s leaders) planned to launch a prototype drone plane carrying a bomb onboard. With many lives at stake, the two escaped and jumped onto the plane just as it took off, but quickly realized a devastating truth: they didn’t have enough time to disarm the explosive. Steve escaped by jumping off the plane before it exploded, landing in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, where he would be preserved for decades until the Avengers found him. But Bucky wasn’t as fortunate, as he got stuck on the plane. While he would free himself in time, the explosion and the fall into the same freezing water cost him his arm as well as his memories. Once the Soviet Union fished Bucky out and revived him, they took advantage of this state and began transforming him into their greatest weapon: they gave him an incredibly strong and durable prosthetic arm, then brainwashed him with programming that made him a ruthless but obedient killing machine. The programming wasn’t perfect, though, as Bucky had moments where he’d disobey orders or regain memories, so the Soviets put him in cryo-sleep in between missions to keep him under control. 

Years later, Bucky would be found by a former associate of the now-disbanded Soviet Union, who would assign him to kill the Red Skull and steal the Skull’s Cosmic Cube. However, Bucky endangered many lives on his war path, so Captain America, Falcon, Nick Fury, and Sharon Carter went to stop him. After discovering the devastating truth, Steve obtained the Cube and used it to fully restore Bucky’s mind and memories, freeing him from his life as the Winter Soldier. From there, he would serve as a secret operative of Nick Fury until Steve’s supposed death after the events of “Civil War.” Originally planning to steal Steve’s shield out of distrust towards Tony Stark, Tony reached out and offered the mantle of Captain America to him. Bucky would only do it if S.H.I.E.L.D. agreed to get the rest of his Winter Soldier programming out of his head, as well as allowing him to operate independently. When Steve was revealed to be alive, Bucky relinquished the mantle back to him and eventually became the extraterrestrial protector known as The Man on the Wall. He would also assist in defeating HYDRA Captain America during “Secret Empire,” find and rescue the good Steve, and save the world. Bucky had a broken past, but this incredible journey shows that he didn’t let it define him. Instead, he rebuilt himself from a brainwashed killer to an honorable ally and friend, although still unafraid to get his hands dirty if necessary. 

Powers and Abilities

Bucky’s comic book counterpart may not have the Super-Soldier Serum coursing through his veins, but he is just as deadly without it. Raised on a military base, he developed an early understanding of discipline, awareness, and how soldiers operate under pressure. That foundation was sharpened through formal training, where Bucky didn’t just learn how to fight—he learned how to think in a fight. Through constant sparring and real-world experience, he developed the ability to read his opponents quickly, analyze their movements, and respond with calculated precision. This allowed him to exploit weaknesses or defend against incoming attacks almost instantly. Combined with his mastery of various weapons, from firearms to blades, Bucky evolved into more than just a skilled soldier—he became an efficient and highly adaptable combatant, perfectly suited to stand alongside Captain America on the battlefields of World War II.

However, in a tragic sense of irony, Bucky’s true potential would be unlocked at the hands of true evil. As mentioned previously, the Soviets found and experimented on the amputated amnesiac, starting with attaching a metal arm to him. The cybernetics would grant Bucky limited enhanced strength as well as a natural shield, meaning he can engage in situations that his pre-Winter Soldier body couldn’t handle. For instance, whenever he needs to abandon subtlety, he can punch through walls, rip off vehicle doors, or protect himself from gunfire. The cybernetics also make him strong enough to face off against skilled operatives or even certain super-powered beings, such as Captain America or Taskmaster. But the arm is only the tip of the iceberg. If the army’s training made Bucky into a highly skilled combatant, then the Soviets’ conditioning transformed him into a living weapon. Using countless neural implants, they stripped Bucky’s morals and emotions from his mind, making him easier to manipulate but also a lot more focused during missions. Bucky can now read opponents and react to scenarios twice as fast as he did in the army, but he doesn’t look for weak spots to disable his enemies this time. Instead, he immediately goes for the killing blow at any chance he gets. Such immediate kills aren’t easy to pull off, though, which is why Bucky has also been extensively trained and conditioned to operate in maximum stealth. He takes full advantage of shadows, tactical positions, and environmental awareness for successful infiltrations. Even when Steve frees him, Bucky’s battle mindset remains the same: end the fight before it begins, no matter the cost. 

But in the rare moments that occur, the cost can decide the battle. For starters, unlike his equal in Captain America, the Winter Soldier is still human. Obviously, this means he is weak to many things that can immobilize or kill anyone else: gunfire, explosions, and even precise strikes from stronger or faster opponents. In addition, his metal arm can become just as big of a weakness as it is a strength. Since the arm is technology, it can be hacked, disabled with EMPs, damaged, or blown clean off. If Bucky isn’t careful, he could suffer the same fate as his MCU counterpart, where people like Widow could disable the arm (and to an extent, Iron Man blasting it off with a concentrated blast). However, while difficult, Bucky can fight through such weaknesses and fight until he can’t anymore. But the most glaring setback isn’t even anything external, because it primarily dwells within his own mind. Losing memories can already do a lot of damage to a brain, but one that has been torn apart and stitched back together with programming? And one with countless memories of murder and destruction on top of that? A mind like that is bound to have deep scars, and sometimes that can trip Bucky up at the most critical of moments. If something doesn’t trigger his programming, his trauma might affect his decisions, and therefore, the battle’s outcome. Bucky is one of the most skilled assassins and anti-heroes in Marvel, and he looks and acts like the perfect weapon. However, despite all that training and programming, he’s still a man with layers of unresolved trauma. Even if that wasn’t an issue, no one can ever achieve such a level of perfection. 

Greatest Feats

But despite these limitations, Bucky refused to let himself be bound by them. The Soviets may have taken a huge chunk of his life away, but Bucky fought through them and took it back. A huge step in this redemption journey is when Bucky—after spending a long time hunting down other Winter Soldier programs (or anything similar to it)—discovers a young boy (RJ) being groomed by HYDRA. From surveillance and study, Bucky could tell HYDRA was trying to replicate his own programming by brainwashing the child, raising him to be an elite weapon and assassin. Not wanting another soul to suffer what was forced upon him, especially a young soul like RJ, Bucky infiltrated the organization and took the boy away from them. While on the run, he protects RJ and eliminates HYDRA agents and officials along the way, refusing to stop until RJ’s safety is guaranteed. After it’s all done, Bucky calls in Iron Man for a discreet evacuation before the two introduce themselves to each other, with the Winter Soldier granting AJ the privilege of using the nickname that few people are allowed to use. This moment is truly amazing because it not only shows a softer side to a dark anti-hero, but also shows that Bucky isn’t letting his past define him. Bucky may not be able to undo it, but at least he can prevent someone else from living it as well. 

However, not all of Bucky’s deeds are as wholesome as this one. While not all of them are necessarily dark, there comes a time when Bucky has to rise to the occasion and put duty before anything or anyone else. And such a call would come shortly after accepting the mantle of Captain America, where Bucky would have to face an element of the past that refused to die. Not only was HYDRA back again, but under new leadership: Sin, the daughter of Red Skull. Except she didn’t come to take over the world, but to destroy it psychologically. Dead set on continuing and advancing her father’s fascist, anti-American views, she began coordinating mass chaos with targeted violence, undermining American authority, and doing anything else she could to strike fear in the hearts of the nation. Thanks to his independent contract with S.H.I.E.L.D., Bucky set off on his own to stop Sin before things could escalate further. But when Bucky finds her, he doesn’t simply fight her—at least, not the way that Steve would. If Steve were here instead, he’d take a fairer, more humble approach: using the shield defensively, no firearms, and minimizing pain and wounds as much as possible. Bucky, as you might expect, is the complete opposite with Sin. Immediately, he engages in close-quarters combat, refusing to give her an inch. And in addition to defense, Bucky uses Steve’s shield as a weapon and integrates firearms into this new style. Soon, Bucky would overpower Sin and defeat her, ending her political and psychological warfare. Overall, Bucky doesn’t prolong the battle like Steve would (even if it was unintentional on Steve’s part); he actively works to end it. He may not embody what people are most associated with the title, but he still successfully carries on Steve’s legacy and earns his right to it. 

And even when he gives up the mantle and shield, Bucky still fights on as if he still did. For this last feat, Bucky doesn’t fight a would-be regime pushing for power; he fights one that has already succeeded. In the recent “One World Under Doom” line of comics, Dr. Doom tricked Dr. Strange into giving him the title and powers of the Sorcerer Supreme, then used them to win the world over and make himself emperor. Even though there was no evidence that Doom was using mind control or up to any evil deed, the superhero community would refuse to accept this new reality, and Bucky is no exception. After Doom failed to recruit him, Bucky leads a resistance effort to bring Doom down in any way he can. First, Bucky leads another hero named Songbird onto Doom’s nuclear space station, while Black Widow coordinates from the ground. However, Doom discovered their plan and launched a nuke, but Bucky latched on and desperately tried to disarm it. Even while the nuke re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, Bucky would not let go. Black Widow tried convincing him to let go, but he kept insisting she walk him through disarming the device. But unfortunately, Bucky had to agree with his lover and let go as the device destroyed his hometown of Shelbyville, and then helplessly watch Doom frame Bucky for the devastation. But despite the crushing weight of these circumstances, Bucky does not let them keep him down. Instead, he leads additional members of the Thunderbolts to target Doom’s operations, often clashing with the tyrant’s own version of the team (which included many original Thunderbolts members, such as Moonstone or Fixer). One such time was when Bucky led the team to stop Doom’s operations in Wakanda, eventually overcoming Doom’s Thunderbolts and even getting one of his members to defect to Bucky’s side. Overall, while he makes some mistakes, Bucky has proven to be a strong and effective leader, a symbol of freedom, and a warrior against oppression. He may not have saved everyone like he would’ve wanted, but he at least made Doom’s rule more difficult, paving the way for the other heroes to overcome Doom in the long run. 

Conclusion

The Winter Soldier is not your typical hero. He’s a man drafted to serve his country, torn down, and broken to serve as a weapon. But he not only fought through that darkness, but also embraced it to become more than what he was planned to be. That’s why it was so amazing and inspiring to see him grow after “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” even inspiring former villains or anti-heroes to stand up against Val even when the odds were against them. But only time will tell whether Sebastian Stan can rally everyone in the same way against Doom, or if things will end up like Shelbyville.