James Barnes

James Barnes
Alias(es)	Bucky Barnes Buck Sergeant Barnes Winter Soldier White Wolf
Status	Alive
Appeared in	Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Ant-Man Captain America: Civil War Black Panther Avengers: Infinity War Avengers: Endgame The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Thunderbolts
Actor	Sebastian Stan

"I am no longer the Winter Soldier. I am James "Bucky" Barnes, and you're part of my efforts to make amends."

―Bucky Barnes

Sergeant James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is the childhood and life-long best friend of Steve Rogers and a member of an elite special unit of Allied soldiers formed in World War II known as the Howling Commandos. He was assumed deceased after falling off of Zola's Train. Unbeknownst to the Commandos, Zola's experimentation allowed Bucky to survive the fall. HYDRA subjected him to brainwashing as part of their "Winter Soldier" program. Under HYDRA's control, Bucky would be responsible for countless assassinations including political targets. Bucky became a formidable fighter and an even more ruthless killer. His experiences with the KGB would earn him the name of the Winter Soldier.

After the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Bucky started to remember who he was. Bucky was living quietly in Bucharest, when he was framed by Helmut Zemo for the UN bombing which had claimed the lives of many people, including King T'Chaka. Steve found him at his safe house. He fled the scene after fighting off German Special Forces. Bucky was suddenly attacked by T'Challa, the Black Panther, who wanted revenge for his father's death, but he was eventually captured. With Bucky in custody, Zemo posed as a doctor and activated Bucky's Winter Soldier programming with code words. He almost escaped, but was stopped by Steve. Afterwards, Bucky told both Steve and Sam that here are five other Winter Soldiers Zemo could potentially control, believing Zemo wants to free the other Winter Soldiers from cryostasis, and unleash them upon the world and worked with his old friend and Tony Stark to stop it. However, the trio soon discovered that all of the Winter Soldiers had been shot in their Cryostasis Chambers. Zemo than told them his plan was to bring them there. Zemo than reveals that Barnes had kill Tony's parents while brainwashed by HYDRA, a fact which Steve kept from Tony. Blinded by vengeance, Tony attacked Bucky, destroying his metal arm in a brutal two on one fight. After the battle, Bucky is taken to Wakanda, where T'Challa has granted him and Steve sanctuary, T'Challa overheard Zemo plan to turn the Avengers against each other. In Wakanda, Bucky chooses to return to suspended animation until his brainwashing is removed, which is achieved with the help of the people of Wakanda who give him the name of White Wolf.

However, while Bucky and his allies managed to kill off all of Thanos' forces, Thanos came to Wakanda. The Mad Titan completely overpowered Bucky and the heroes and retrieved the Mind Stone, completing the Infinity Gauntlet. Bucky disintegrated into ashes alongside Sam Wilson, T'Challa, Wanda Maximoff, and Groot when Thanos wiped out half of every civilization in the universe with the completed Infinity Gauntlet, but was later restored by Bruce Banner.

Following the restoration of the universe and Thanos' defeat, Bucky was pardoned for his crimes on the condition of him attending therapy. Returned to society and seeking to make amends for his past, Bucky worked with a reluctant Sam Wilson to stop the Flag Smashers and their plans.

Biography

Captain America: First Vengeance

In 1930, when he was thirteen, James Buchanan Barnes noticed a weak, scrawny-looking boy around his age getting beaten up by some bullies and stepped in to save the kid, who introduced himself as Steve Rogers. Years later, during an art class, Bucky and Steve found out that America had joined the Second World War. Over the next two weeks he trained Steve at Goldie’s Boxing Gym. They visited a U.S. Recruiting and Induction Center in New York where Steve was classified as 4F and rejected from service, but Bucky was accepted into the Army.

Captain America: The First Avenger

"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war!"

―Bucky Barnes

After meeting him in his childhood, Bucky became Rogers' best friend. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Bucky joined the U.S. Army and attained the title of Sgt. Barnes.

The day before shipping out to England, Bucky saved his friend Steve from being beat up by a bully by punching him in the jaw and kicking him in the backside as he ran. Bucky and Steve then went to the Modern Marvels Pavilion on a double date Bucky had arranged, but Steve was more interested in attempting to enlist for the fifth time. Despite Bucky's protests, Steve still went through with it, but they parted on good terms before he did. Bucky and his regiment, the 107th, then shipped to England the next day.

A year later, Bucky and his regiment consisting of 200 men went up against a Nazi science division named HYDRA lead by Johann Schmidt at the orders of the SSR but 150 of the men were either killed or captured while 50 barely escaped. Bucky and the future Howling Commandos were among those captured. Bucky was taken to a prison camp in Austria where he was forced to work to build components for a super plane called the Valkyrie, but the enforced labour eventually became too much when he contracted pneumonia, and despite the efforts of his fellow prisoners to keep the HYDRA officers off his back, he was taken to an isolation ward for experimentation. But a little less than month later, Steve (who had become Captain America) infiltrated the base, freed the prisoners, and located Bucky strapped down to an examination table, suffering from whatever it was they had been doing to him. Steve freed Bucky and the two friends made their escape from the factory that was now self destructing. During the escape, Bucky and Steve encountered Schmidt and Zola but were able to evade them and flee the facility before it blew and then walked all the way back to the SSR base in Italy located more than 30 miles away.

After Steve's impressive job saving the prisoners, he was officially promoted to Captain and allowed to put together a special team. Bucky was of course completely on board with joining and following "that little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight." Over the course of several months, Captain America and his team, now known as the Howling Commandos, went on special missions taking down HYDRA facilities and forces. On one of these missions, Bucky, Captain America and Gabe Jones zip-lined onto the top of a HYDRA train carrying one of HYDRA's top scientists, Arnim Zola. They ran into trouble inside the train and a gun fight broke out, Steve temporarily went down and Bucky took up his shield and saved him from enemy fire. But Bucky didn't have the upper body strength to hold on to the shield when hit with Hydra's powerful advanced weapons and the blast pushed him out of the blown open side of the train. Steve was unable to save him, and he fell hundreds of feet into an icy ravine below.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Prologue

"Sergeant Barnes... the procedure has already started. You are to be the new fist of HYDRA!"

―Arnim Zola

Bucky survived the fall from Zola's train (although he lost his left arm) thanks to the results of Zola's experiments he endured when he was held captive with the 107th. Though found by Soviet patrols, it was HYDRA that eventually took custody of the fallen soldier and replaced his missing arm with a cybernetic one. Bucky underwent further experimentation to enhance his body and had his memories of his former life wiped clean in order to make him nothing more than a puppet and eventual weapon in the hands of the newly recreated HYDRA embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D. Subsequently, Bucky was subjected to cryonic preservation.

Bucky would remain frozen for long periods of time until HYDRA saw fit to unfreeze him for certain missions. Over the next seventy years, Bucky would be responsible for dozens of assassinations including politicians and scientists. Due to his expertise in the field and the shadowy nature of his existence, Bucky became something of a ghost story within intelligence agencies, many doubting he even existed. The legend around him would earn him the name of the Winter Soldier.

During his long career as HYDRA's personal assassin, it was heavily implied that the Winter Soldier was responsible for the death of former ally Howard Stark. Years later, he was sent to kill a nuclear scientist and found his target being escorted by Natasha Romanoff. Without hesitation, he attacked his target, sending the nuclear scientist and Natasha over a cliff in their vehicle. Finding that Natasha had saved the target from falling to his death, the Winter Soldier then fired a single round through Romanoff's stomach and into the scientist, killing him. He then made his getaway without pursuit.

Upon crossing paths with Romanoff years later, the Winter Soldier spoke Russian to his subordinates; commanding them to leave him to pursue her alone. This, along with the Red Star on his arm, implies that the Winter Soldier indeed spent some time in the service of the Soviet Union during his career. This was later confirmed by the revelation that Soviet General Vasily Karpov was a HYDRA mole, and was the one who oversaw the Winter Soldier program. Sometime following the collapse of the USSR, the Winter Soldier was transferred from Karpov's command to that of Alexander Pierce.

The Avengers

In a deleted scene from the film, Bucky Barnes' file is among the ones viewed by Steve. Oddly enough, he is reported as "Missing in Action" rather than KIA, implying that S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks he may potentially still be alive.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Seeds"

S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel Skye and Grant Ward see Barnes' name on a wall in a memorial to those who were killed in action. As Barnes was assumed killed before the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D; it can be presumed that he received posthumous honors.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, but the ones that do call him The Winter Soldier. He's a ghost, you'll never find him."

―Natasha Romanoff

The Winter Soldier was activated to assassinate Nick Fury when the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. began to investigate Project Insight. During an intense car chase in Washington D.C. between Fury and a rogue tactical unit disguising as officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Winter Soldier appeared in the middle of the street, armed with a magnetic disk grenade launcher which he fired at Fury's SUV. Upon arriving at the wrecked vehicle, intending to kill Fury, the Winter Soldier discovered that Fury had escaped into the sewers. Later that night, the Winter Soldier gunned Fury down at Steve Rogers' apartment from a nearby rooftop. As the Winter Soldier attempted to flee into the night, Rogers chased after him and threw his shield at him. However, he caught the weapon and threw it back at Steve, before vanishing into the night.

When Rogers and Natasha Romanoff became a troublesome threat, Brock Rumlow requested assistance from "the asset". The Winter Soldier arrived at the residential home of Alexander Pierce who ordered for Rogers' and Romanoff's immediate termination. The Winter Soldier then proceeded to track them down when they, with the help of Sam Wilson, kidnapped Agent Jasper Sitwell who they were transporting on the highway. Using his enhanced strength, the Winter Soldier pulled Sitwell out the window and threw him into oncoming traffic where a truck ran him over and killed him.

While holding onto the roof of the car, the Winter Soldier fired his gun into the roof and when the brakes kicked in, he was thrown clear across into the pavement, but used his metal arm and acrobatics to stabilize his landing and slide to a stop. He then stood up without a scratch on him. When Wilson tried to run him over, he simply leaped on top of the car once again and ripped the steering wheel out through the windshield. Romanoff fired at him, but he leaped onto his Humvee which was tailing close behind. The henchman driving the Humvee rear ended the heroes' car, and they jumped out right before it lost control and flipped over, Rogers uses the car door to protect them from being torn up by the road. The Winter Soldier then fired a grenade at Romanoff, but Rogers pushed her out of the way and used his shield to deflect it, sending him flying off the bridge and onto the streets below right into a bus.

The Winter Soldier, aided by his own crew of mercenaries, advanced on Romanoff and Wilson, with the henchmen firing their guns. Romanoff ran for cover, but the Winter Soldier fired his grenade launcher at a nearby car. It exploded, sending Romanoff over the edge, but she saved herself with a grapple gun. While running, she saw the Winter Soldier's shadow on the pavement from under the bridge and then went in a different direction to catch him off guard, firing at him several times while his attention was elsewhere. One of her shots hit the upper part of his mask and broke his goggles.

Silently enraged, the Winter Soldier exchanged blind fire with Romanoff before she ran away. Then, he ordered his men to kill Rogers while he dealt with her personally. He jumped off the bridge and onto a car, followed by some of his men who used wires to lower themselves instead. He saw Rogers and fired at him, but lost him. He then heard Romanoff's voice coming from behind a parked car and rolled a grenade to the curb. The car was destroyed, but her voice was just a recording, a distraction for the Winter Soldier. Romanoff leaped on top of him from behind and the two engaged in combat. She ran and threw a taser disc at his bionic arm. The Winter Soldier furiously detached the disc and pursued her, then shot Romanoff through the shoulder from afar. He advanced on her, about to finish her once and for all, but Rogers intervened and the two exchanged blows.

After an intense fight, Rogers ripped off the Winter Soldier's mask and instantly recognized his best friend. Petrified, he exclaimed, "Bucky?", to which the Winter Soldier responded, "Who the hell is Bucky?" He was about to shoot Rogers but was knocked down by Wilson. When he got up again, he hesitated for a split second before aiming his gun at Rogers again. But an injured, but still strong Romanoff fired at the Winter Soldier with his own discarded grenade launcher, but he evaded the projectile and vanished. The STRIKE team (now known to be undercover HYDRA operatives) arrived to arrest - and once away from public eyes, kill - the heroes.

That night, as the Winter Soldier was being prepared for his next mission, he started to remember fragments of his past: falling off of the train, being found by Dr. Zola, and receiving his bionic arm. His mind having snapped from the flashbacks, the Winter Soldier threw a doctor across the room. Alexander Pierce was summoned and the Winter Soldier started to question him about Rogers. Pierce told him that he had seen Rogers on a mission earlier and that he (Winter Soldier) needed to do his part. When the Winter Soldier still insisted he knew Rogers, Pierce ordered for his mind to be wiped again to ensure his cooperation. As the mind wiping process began, the Winter Soldier screamed in agony.

Fully reprogrammed, the Winter Soldier reappeared at the Triskelion loading bay preventing S.H.I.E.L.D. pilots from aiding Captain America in his mission to take down the three Insight Helicarriers. He took control of a Quinjet and landed on Helicarrier Charlie where he ambushed Sam Wilson and Rogers, he used a grappling hook to break apart one of Falcon's wings and kicked him off the platform of the Helicarrier.

He then went after Rogers, confronting him on the deck blocking his path from the Helicarrier's Targeting System chip centre. Rogers attempted to plead with his best friend to remember who he really was, and that they were not enemies. As the Winter Soldier proceeded to attack Rogers furiously in hand-to hand combat, Rogers tried his best to fend him off and detain him without seriously hurting him until he obtained the targeting chip.

Trying to regain the targeting chip from the Winter Soldier and forcing him to release it from his hand, Rogers broke Bucky's human arm and had his legs in a submission lock as he began to choke him. Finally releasing the chip from his grasp by rendering the Winter Soldier unconscious, Rogers quickly raced up to the control station. However, the Winter Soldier regained consciousness quicker than normal and shot him multiple times from afar, severely wounding him. In spite of the wounds, Rogers managed to swap the Data Chips, causing the three helicarriers to target each other instead of the people HYDRA was determined to eliminate. Then he told S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill to start firing even with himself still aboard one of the targeted carriers.

As the Carrier began to fall apart in mid-air, the Winter Soldier became trapped under a steel foot column. A badly injured Rogers made his way to him, and with all of the remaining strength he could muster lifted the column, allowing the Winter Soldier to be freed. Rogers again pleaded with him to remember who he was, and told him his name is James Buchanan Barnes, and that he has known him his whole life. Rogers let his shield drop to the water below, refusing to fight his friend. The Winter Soldier refused to listen, and violently began beating Rogers' face into a bloody mess, stating he's only a mission. Rogers then quoted something Bucky had once said to him years ago when his mother had died: "I'm with you to the end of the line." These words restored small pieces of Bucky's memories, enough to believe Rogers, just in time to save him after he plummeted into the water below. With his enhanced bionic arm, he dragged Rogers to a nearby shore. Then, filled with internal conflict, Bucky left, knowing Steve would survive.

Later, disguised in civilian clothing, Bucky resurfaced at the Smithsonian, viewing the Captain America exhibition. He read a memorial in his honor, A Fallen Comrade. Finally seeing the reality of his identity, Bucky realized that Steve had told him the truth about his past.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Steve joined the other the Avengers, with Sam Wilson and James Rhodes for a party to celebrate their victory over HYDRA at Avengers Tower. Rogers and Wilson discussed working together and their continued "missing person's case."

Captain America: Civil War

"I don't do that anymore."

―Bucky Barnes to Steve Rogers

Realizing the sins he committed whilst he was brainwashed by HYDRA, Barnes went on the run from the government and other interested parties to keep himself from causing further harm. Baron Zemo had bombed the United Nations, killing Wakandan king T'Chaka and many more people and blamed it on him. The CIA and German Special Forces had found Barnes and were planning on moving in on him. The information was leaked to Steve by Sharon Carter. He goes to Bucky's home and finds him there. Falcon informs Steve that the Germans were moving in on their location, with orders to shoot to kill. Steve and Bucky fight their way out, with Bucky trying to also get away from Steve. He jumps to the roof of another building and encounters the Black Panther. The two fight and Steve is able to give Bucky time to continue to run. Bucky steals a motorcycle and drives away from his pursuers. Black Panther is able to cut his wheels and forces Bucky down. Steve stops him from ending Bucky's life, however, and the German Special Forces and Romanian police, assisted by James Rhodes in his War Machine suit, surround Bucky, Sam, Steve, and Black Panther, who is revealed to be T'Challa.

Bucky is arrested and brought to a German prison. There he is interrogated by a disguised Zemo, who is able to cut out the power and get the information he needs from him. Bucky then goes and takes out, and even kills, several guards and servicemen. He attacks Steve and Sam, throwing Steve out an elevator shaft and knocking Sam out. He is then pursued and attacked by Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, and Sharon Carter, but he defeats all of them. T'Challa then attacks Bucky, who escapes during it. He goes up to the roof and tries to escape on a helicopter. Steve stops him and grabs the chopper, refusing to let go. Bucky decides to then crash the chopper in an attempt to kill him. He crashes into the river and is knocked out but saved by Steve.

Later, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson eventually managed to capture Barnes and took him to a remote location and trapped him by putting his cybernetic arm in a vice, leaving him defenseless and unable to continue fighting. Unable to run, Barnes accepted defeat and sat silently awaiting his fate. Rogers asked if Bucky now knows who Rogers is, and Barnes replied that Rogers' mother was Sarah Rogers. Rogers and Wilson discussed the situation, noting that they would not inform Tony Stark of Barnes' capture and that Wilson knew a guy who could help them.

Barnes reappears, this time with more memories of the past solidifying and hopefully counteracting his dangerous programming and unstoppable nature. He trusts Steve and though he has no skin in the game of Avenger vs. Avenger, he allies with Captain America against Iron Man for his own redemption and to reclaim his original identity as Bucky Barnes.

Black Panther

"Good morning, Sergeant Barnes."
"Bucky."
"How are you feeling?"
"Good. Thank you."
"Come. Much more for you to learn."

―Shuri and Bucky Barnes

Bucky woke up in a Wakandan village to boys messing with his face. He later met with Shuri, who called him "Sergeant Barnes", which he didn't like, so he corrected her with "Bucky".

Avengers: Infinity War

After Bucky was awakened from cryo-freeze again, he worked as a farmer. When T'Challa shows up, with a newly reconstructed Wakandan made Vibranium arm, Bucky simply asks: Where's the fight? After Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bruce Banner, Rhodey, Vision, Wanda Maximoff, and Natalie show up, Bucky comes around a corner to meet them. After a quick greeting, they discuss a plan, which will extract the Mind Stone from Vision's forehead, while the rest provide time. When they arrive on the battlefield, they stand and wait for the Chitauri to attack. They try to breach the barrier, but can't. After a few failed attempts, they try to go around, which will give them a path to Vision and Suri. Hopefully making the right decision, T'Challa orders a single section of the gate to be opened. When it is, Bucky is part of the few that sprint ahead of the others, racing into battle. Later in the battle, after Thor Odinson, "Tree", and Rocket show up, we see Bucky holding Rocket in one hand, while firing his gun in the other. After that, Rocket asks Bucky a few questions: "How much for the gun?" "Guns not for sale." "How 'bout the arm?" *sighs* and Bucky walks away, but Rocket snickers, and tells himself that he's getting that arm. After the battle ends, and Thanos retrieved all 6 infinity stones after using the Time Stone to revive Vision, then take the stone from him, and snaps his fingers even though his chest had Stormbreaker in it. Bucky then calls out to Steve as he turns to dust, presumed dead, just like Sam, Wanda, T'Challa, and countless others.

Avengers: Endgame

After traveling through past during the Time Heist, Captain Steve "America" Rogers retrieves the Tesseract after tricking Brock Rumlow and Jasper Sitwell to thinking that he was part of HYDRA, when he whispered "Hail HYDRA" to Sitwell. While making his mistake, Steve from 2023 encounters Steve from 2012. The two fight, as it started on a bridge intersecting two sides, and a long fall down below, but soon escalated down below, as Steve from 2023 flips Steve from 2012 over the side. After both being shaken up, they go right back at it, but Steve from 2012 puts Steve from 2023 in a choke-hold, but lets go of Steve from 2023, when Steve from 2023 tells Steve from 2012 (who didn't know that Bucky was alive until a few years later) that Bucky from 2012 was alive. Then, Steve from 2023 punches Steve from 2012, then to touch his chest with Loki's Scepter.

After the Avengers retrieve all 6 Infinity Stones, Bruce Banner, who was the most logical choice to snap their fingers, successfully snaps his, but suffers serious injuries while doing so. Bucky was revived on Wakanda, along with Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Groot, T'Challa, Shuri, and many more.

In the Battle of Earth, Bucky walked through the portal from Wakanda to the New Avengers Facility ruins after Thanos destroyed it with Sanctuary II that came back in time from 2014. Bucky participated in the battle, and also witnessed Tony Stark's death after he snapped his fingers, which killed Thanos and his army for the second time. During the funeral, Bucky is with Wanda near the back-middle, as he was not a close friend to him unlike Steve, Thor or Bruce. After the funeral, when Steve is sent back in time to return the stones in the third Quantum Tunnel to return the stones, Bucky was there with Sam, as they are his two best friends. After Bruce was unable to bring Steve back, Bucky notified Sam of an old man on a bench recognizing him as Steve, and told him to go talk. Bucky watched as Sam and Steve talked, which eventually led to Steve giving Sam his shield. Sam looked back to Bucky, almost as if he was asking for Bucky's permission to try it on, and Bucky nodded. Sam tried it on and continued to talk with Steve.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

"New World Order"

Bucky was having nightmares from his days as the Winter Soldier, including killing RJ Nakajima. Bucky visited a therapist to help him make amends for what he had done under HYDRA's control. They had three rules: don't do anything illegal, don't hurt anyone, and make sure the person knew he wasn't the Winter Soldier; he was James Bucky Barnes. He disliked the notebook that she used when he did not cooperate. At lunch time, Yori Nakajima and Bucky went to lunch at the usual place. Yori told the waitress there that Bucky would like to take her on a date. Bucky apologised, but she said that she was game. Bucky went to the diner at about the next day after she finished her shift and they played battleship and chatted. After she brings up Yori's son, Bucky left, feeling too much guilt for killing RJ. Bucky stopped by Yori's apartment and repaid him for lunch, clearly wanting to do more but unable to bring himself to do so.

"The Star-Spangled Man"

Bucky watched the news and saw John Walker being interviewed as the new Captain America. Bucky met with Sam Wilson and asked him firmly why he gave up the shield, claiming that Sam had no right to do that. Sam told him that he had more important things to worry about, and introduced Bucky to the Flag Smashers.

Bucky decided to go along with Sam to investigate the Flag Smashers. On the plane, Bucky and Sam stared at each other, until the alarm comes on, and Joaquín Torres told them that they were 30 seconds from the drop zone. Bucky insisted on knowing what the plan was but Sam jumped out of the plane. Bucky asked Torres where the parachute was, but Torres told him that they were only 200 feet from the ground so it was too low for a chute. Bucky jumped out of the plane and crashed through the trees to the forest floor. Redwing located him, and Sam told him that he got all of that on camera before giving him instructions to head north.

Bucky met up with Sam who told him that the Flag Smashers were in the next room. Bucky stealthily made his way through the building to get eyes on the enemy. Sam followed almost immediately and Bucky wanted to engage the enemy thinking there there were only two of them. Sam showed Bucky how many there actually were with Redwing's heat signatures, which he showed him seven.

Just as the lorries pull away, Sam detected an eighth person, thinking they must have a hostage. As soon as the trucks pulled out of the garage, Bucky sprinted after them. Bucky circled around one truck, and opened the gate to find a girl, Karli Morgenthau. She smiled and kicked him back onto the other truck. Bucky was grabbed by two more Flag Smashers, and pulled up onto the roof of the truck, where he started getting beaten up by the girl.

Sam joined the fight, and Bucky tried to escape. Redwing used its minigun to shoot at the Flag Smashers, but Karli grabbed Redwing out of the sky and snapped it in half. Bucky and Sam continued to fight and soon recieved help from John Walker who jumped out of a helicopter, suited up as Captain American including Steve's shield. Lemar Hoskins also joined the fray and the fight continued. Bucky is knocked from the truck and clings to the side, nearly falling into the road until he was rescued by Sam. Sam deduced that the Flag Smashers were Super Soldiers and wanted to know how they got the serum.

John picked up Sam and Bucky and discussed a team up. Sam and Bucky refused and jumped out of the jeep to walk the rest of the way to the airport. Bucky suggested that they take the shield but Sam refuted the idea, reminding Bucky what happened when Sharon stole the shield.

On plane back to the US, Bucky revealed that there was someone Sam should meet who might help them. The plane took them to Baltimore, and Bucky takes Sam to the home of Isaiah Bradley. The man who answers the door, Isaiah's Grandson Eli, says that Isaiah doesn't live there, and Bucky tells Eli to tell Isaiah that the "man from the bar in Goyang" is there. Bucky tell Sam that he and Isaiah had a skirmish in the Korean War.

Once Eli passed on the message, Isaiah has him let Sam and Bucky in. Bucky said that Isaiah was a hero, and one of the ones that HYDRA feared like Steve. He told Sam that he and Isaiah met in '51, and Isaiah explained that the U.S. military dropped him to bring in Bucky, and he took half of his metal arm.

Isaiah wonders if Bucky came to kill him, and Bucky says that he's not a killer anymore. The older man isn't convinced, and Bucky tells him that there are more Super Soldiers out there, and they need to know how. Isaiah refuse to talk about it anymore, and throws a tin into the wall with a casual gesture. He told them that they jailed him for 30 years, and ran tests on him. Isaiah yell at them to get out of his house, and Eli take them out.

Outside, Sam asked Bucky why nobody told him about Isaiah. Bucky says that Steve didn't know about Isaiah, and two policemen pull up and ask to see Sam's ID. They say him arguing with Bucky, and ask Bucky if Sam was bothering him. The cops finally recognize Sam and apologize, and go to explain to more police that have pulled up. Bucky told Sam that he didn't tell anyone about Isaiah because he'd already been through enough.

The police come over and tell Bucky that there's a warrant out for his arrest, because he missed his court-mandated therapy. They take Bucky away in their squad car, and Bucky goes peacefully. Sam glances over at Isaiah's house, then walk away. The police take Bucky to the station, and Sam goes there on his own. Dr. Raynor arrives and introduces herself to Sam, Walker show up, and Raynor admit that he's the one who got Bucky out of jail. He comes over and tells them that he authorized Bucky's release, even though Bucky hasn't finished his therapy with Raynor.

As the police bring Bucky in, Captain America tells Sam that he has unfinished business with Bucky and Sam, and then leaves. Raynor tell Bucky to come to his session with her, and Sam as well. They go into an interrogation room, and Sam says that he's fine. He and Bucky both agree that it's ridiculous, and Raynor has them do an exercise. She asked them what they would like to see if a miracle occurred while they were asleep.

Bucky says that his miracle would be that Sam would talk less. Sam says that he was thinking the same thing about Bucky, and Raynor has them do the soul-gazing exercise. The two men face each other and look into each other's eyes. They end up in a staring contest, and Raynor asks Bucky why Sam aggravated him. Bucky asked Sam why he gave up his shield, and said that Steve believe in Sam and trusted him. Bucky wonder if that Steve was wrong about Sam, he might have been wrong about him as well. Sam tell Bucky that he did what he thought was right. When he got no answer, Sam tell Raynor that they have other stuff going on, and when they deal with that they can go their separate ways and never see each other again. He walks outside, and Raynor asks Bucky what's wrong. Bucky has Raynor confirm that Rule #2 was "Don't' hurt anyone", and leaves.

As Sam and Bucky leave, they find John and Lemar waited for them. John said that they have to work together, and has already identified Karli. They think she took the vaccine to a displaced camp, and they figure they'll figure out which one eventually. Sam agrees with John that they have to find the Flag Smashers as soon as possible, but they're free agents while John and Lemar aren't, so it wouldn't make sense for them to work with them. As Sam and Bucky go, John tells them to stay out of his way. As Sam and Bucky walk away, Bucky figured that they should go to see Helmut Zemo, who used to hunt down HYDRA.

"Power Broker"

Bucky and Sam visit Zemo in prison. Bucky suggests he go in alone. Zemo goads Bucky with the words to trigger his assassin programming. Zemo and Bucky discuss the Winter Soldier project and Bucky tells him about the new super soldiers. Zemo suggests he break them out so he can help them. Sam objects, but goes along with listening to Bucky’s plan, considering how much Zemo hates super soldiers. Bucky describes the breakout, and Zemo pulls it off. He meets them to Sam’s shock and dismay, not realizing the plan was already in motion. Sam and Zemo agree that Zemo only moves with their permission. Zemo agrees.

Zemo takes them to his garage, where he finds a flag smashers mask that he hides from the two in a bag. Zemo tells them they are going to see a woman named “Selby.” He takes them on a private jet he is a Baron after all. Zemo appears to have recovered Bucky’s notebook. Bucky angrily takes it back. Zemo tells him he knows those are the names of people he “wronged” as the Winter Soldier. Sam recognizes the notebook as Steve Rogers’ from when he came off the ice. They briefly bond over the song “Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye, one of Steve’s favorites. Zemo explains his problem with super soldiers and how they are looked upon by society. Sam worries about where Zemo is going with it as he compares the recent events that led up to WWII. Zemo tells them that’s why they are flying to Madripoor, an island nation and pirate sanctuary in Indonesia. For safety reasons, Zemo suggests they disguise themselves, and that Bucky will have to “become someone he thinks is gone.”

In Madripoor, Zemo provides Sam with a fake ID. They get into a car and head for High Town. On their way, they are surrounded by six people on motorbikes. They are escorted to a tunnel, where they enter the town. Dals are being made at different shops left and right, with the graffiti “POWER BROKER IS WATCHING” on a brick wall. The three arrive at a bar, and is greeted as the Smiling Tiger. Bucky is recognized as the Winter Soldier. The bartender cuts open a snake to serve Sam a drink containing one of its eggs. Sam hesitatingly knocks back the drink, and the bartender looks on him suspiciously. A man approaches Zemo and tells him he isn’t welcome there. Zemo insists he has no business with the Power Broker. The man notices Bucky as Zemo suggests he send Selby for a chat. Zemo tells Sam how the Power Broker is judge, jury, and executioner in Madripoor. As he notices a man approaching to fight, Zemo says to Bucky, in German, “Winter Soldier. Attack.” Bucky takes on several bar brawlers until everyone starts to ready their weapons. Zemo calls off Bucky as the bartender tells him that Selby will see them now.

Zemo meets with Selby, and offers Bucky in exchange for information about the super soldier serum. Selby tells him that Dr. Wilfred Nagel worked on the serum at the Power Broker’s behest until “things went sour.” She tells them that they will need her to find Nagel. Sam gets a call from his sister Sarah, and Selby demands that he answer it on speaker. When Sarah calls him “Sam”, Selby gives the kill order as a bullet from outside kills her. Sam, Bucky and Zemo take out the other goons and reassess the situation as a text is sent offering a 1,000 bitcoin bounty for her killers. As they hastily walk back to their jet, they realize they have become the targets, and must make a more action-packed escape. They are separated, but Bucky and Sam are saved by presumably the same sniper who took out Selby. Zemo appears and comments on their “guardian angel.” At that point, Sharon Carter shows up and explains how she has been on the run since Civil War, without the Avengers to back her up. She lives completely off the grid. She takes the three back to her place in High Town. Her place is an art gallery that sells authentic original artwork. The four discuss the situation and ask Sharon about Nagel. Sam offers to clear her name if she helps them out, and she agrees.

The four attend a night club where Sharon finds out where Nagel is. She takes them to a freight cart. The three go in and go through the back, and upstairs to the secret lab. They come upon Nagel as he is mixing chemicals. Sharon alerts the three to some armed goons approaching, three of which she takes out with a lead pipe. She is able to take care of herself, but warns them that every bounty hunter in the city is looking for them. In the lab, Nagel talks about his initial recruitment by HYDRA, and later by the CIA, to work on the super soldier serum after the five Winter Soldiers in Siberia had failed. Nagel proudly describes his work with the CIA, and its interruption as he was snapped away during The Blip. When he returned, he found the Power Broker and made 20 vials of serums, all of which were stolen by Karli Morgenthau. While Nagel describes her asking him to help Donya Madani as Zemo finds a hidden gun. Outside, Sharon continues to fight. Bucky asks if there is any serum in the lab. Nagel says, “No,” as Zemo shoots him and a missile hits the compound. Zemo makes a run for it before the rest follow as the lab explodes. The three take on the assassins as Zemo dons his purple Baron mask to take out the rest. The three make a run for it as Zemo picks them up in a convertible. Sam invites Sharon to join. She turns it down and tells Sam to get her her pardon. A the three depart, Sharon approaches a car, where she tells her valet that they have a big problem and must go.

Elsewhere, Karli waits outside a GRC Supply Depot in Lithuania. She discusses life choices with another soldier, particularly finding power and survival skills in Madripoor. He tells her that the Power Broker will eventually get them. Walker and Hoskins investigate the Zemo breakout. Hoskins begins to question Walker’s methods. Walker excuses it by saying that they won’t be asked.

On the flight back, Sam and Bucky discuss the reacquisition of the shield from Walker. Sam receives the call that Madani was found dead. Zemo changes their course to a new location. Bucky walks about Riga and notices a Kimoyo Beads, and comes face-to-face with a Ayo, who tells him she is there for Zemo.

"The Whole World Is Watching"

Bucky is asked by Ayo why he freed Zemo, as he is the one that used Bucky and framed him for the murder of King T’Chaka in Avengers Civil War. Bucky tells her that Zemo is a means to an end. She gives him eight hours before the other Wakandans come for Zemo. Bucky returns to the safehouse Zemo is sharing with him and Sam. As Sam scolds Zemo for killing Nagel, Bucky received the update on Karli’s attack that, 11 injured, 3 dead. Zemo identifies Karli as a supremacist, exactly the type of thing he wanted to prevent by destroying the Winter Soldiers. Though Sam agrees that Karli has been radicalized, but thinks he can save her. Zemo doubts it. Bucky jokes about turning in Zemo as Sam suggests they monitor observances of Donya’s death, as she has a similar cultural background.

Elsewhere, at a Flag Smashers camp, Karli and her gang listen in on the news of their attack. She appears uncomfortable. Zemo leads Bucky and Sam to his old stomping ground. Sam tells them to scout the place while he goes inside to ask about Donya. Everyone leaves the floor as Sam approaches them to ask about Donya, noticing Flag Smashers marks on different items. Outside, Bucky has no more luck. Sam finally comes to a room where children are being taught a school lesson. He asks about Donya, and the teacher scoffs at his identification of Donya and the others there as refugees. The teacher then tells Sam that they don’t trust outsiders as he dismisses his student. He tells Sam that the GRC promised to send more teachers six months, but never did. He admonishes Sam once more before leaving with the children. Outside Zemo approaches some children and lays out Turkish delight candies. He asks once of the children about Donya. She tells him where Donya’s funeral will be. Sam and Bucky watch as Zemo tells the children not to tell them about Donya. Zemo doesn’t tell them he found out.

Back at the safehouse, Sam discusses how the world was forced to come together during the blip, and after five years needed to readjust with everyone returning. Bucky asks Zemo what the girl told him. He tells them that the funeral will be this afternoon. Bucky warns him of the Doras there to apprehend him. Bucky briefly confronts Zemo, but Sam breaks it up. Sharon Carter speaks on the phone with Sam. She promises to pull whatever strings she can, but urges Sam to find Karli. At the grave of one Lukasz Kovaczsik, Karlie is hiding the remaining 7 vials of super soldier serum. She asks her friend, Lukasz’s grandson, if she is doing the right thing. He tells her that she reminds him of Captain America and that their legacy ought to be greater than the shield. Karli comments that the shield should be destroyed. She suggests they make their way to Donya’s funeral.

Walker and Hoskins found Bucky, and Sam, and Zemo. The five discuss the situation as they continue to follow Zemo. Hoskins agrees that Sam’s skills as a veteran counselor could help bring Karli down. Walker agreed. They find the girl who told Zemo where the funeral is, and she takes the lead. She takes them supposedly to Karli’s hideout. Walker handcuffs Zemo and gives Sam 10 minutes to come back with Karli. At the funeral, Karli delivers a eulogy for “Mama Donya.” When she sees Sam observing from the window, she becomes nervous, but continues on about how they are all one people, as Donya had intended. She allows the rest to pay their respects and waits from everyone to leave. Sam approaches Karli and makes a concerted effort to get through to her. Walker becomes nervous and decides to go in. Bucky stops him, and Walker tries to goad him into letting him help Sam. Sam tells Karli that Zemo calls her a supremacist as she reveals to him that she has more serum. Sam tells her she killed innocent people. She says, “They weren’t innocent. They were roadblocks in my journey and I’d kill them again if I had to.” Immediately realizing what she has said, Karli attempts to backpedal her statement. Karli tells Sam that the people she is fighting are the same people trying to take away his home in Louisiana. Sam tells Karli that while he agrees with Karli’s ends, her means are unjustified. At that point, Walker called out for her arrest, and Karli realizes it was a setup. Sam tries to stay with her, but Walker and Hoskins engage and Karli makes short work of them and escaped, but Bucky follows in hot pursuit. Outside, Zemo has escaped. Karli makes her way to the basement, where she is confronted by Zemo, who fires at her multiple times. Zemo recognizes the super soldier serum and begins destroying the vials. Karli manages to get away before Zemo is knocked out by the shield. Walker notices one last vial still intact on the ground. He puts it in his pocket. Karli reconsiders the strategy. She receives a message from the Power Broker demanding the return of the serum. She suggests separating Sam from the team before killing Captain America.

At the safehouse, Sam sends a message to Sharon to keep her satellite eyes on Walker in case he moves on Karli. Zemo explains that Karli and the other super soldiers cannot be left alive. Sam counters that as Walker barges in to arrest Zemo. His visit is short-lived as Ayo and the Dora arrive to take Zemo back to Wakanda. Walker’s intimidating attitude once again causes a fight to break out, with Bucky and Sam reluctantly joining in. During the conflict, Zemo sneaks away. Ayo detached Bucky’s vibranium arm as they realize Zemo has escaped. Walker laments over the fact that he lost to the Wakandans who were not even super soldiers. Walker discusses the use of the serum with Hoskins, who insists he doesn’t need it. They recall a day in Afghanistan, which they agree would have resulted in fewer lives lost had they had the serum.

In Louisiana, Sarah received a call from Karli. Sarah tells Karli that Sam is not working for the new Cap. Karli gives Sarah coordinates to give to Sam, and only to Sam. Sam receives the coordinates and arrives in the Falcon suit with Bucky. Karli ask Sam to join her. Sharon tells Sam that Walker is moving toward Karli. Sam and Bucky have a brief fight with Karli and the Flag Smashers before all three go separate ways. Walker and Hoskins enter. Walker hears a distant gunshot as he searches for Hoskins. In another room, Hoskins is tied up by a Flag-Smasher. Walker engages the super soldiers as Sam and Bucky close in on the location. As Walker bends a pipe, it becomes obvious that he took the vial of super soldier serum. Hoskins manages to cut himself free. He joins the fight, but Karli accidentally kills him by kicking him into a pillar. Walker stands over Hoskins' dead body.

In far more rage, violence, and aggressiveness than before, Walker tracks Nico one of the Flag Smashers, demanding Karli’s location. Walker finally beats the man to death with the shield in full view of dozens of spectators, including Karli, in shock and horror.

"Truth"

Finally no longer able to tolerate John Walker's actions after he used the legacy of his friend to murder a surrendering villain, Bucky, along with Sam, furiously confronted Walker in a warehouse. Painfully aware of what kind of a life a man moved by vengeance, self-loathing, and a desire to murder enemies would be, Bucky tried to reason with John only to be viciously rebuffed. As things escalated when Sam demanded the shield from Walker only to be refused, Bucky grimly decided the only way to get the shield would be to defeat Walker. He and Sam fought viciously against Walker, Bucky's own superhuman physical prowess and combat skills allowing him to handle Walker much better than Sam, disarming him of his pistols and pushing him back persistently, but ultimately being overwhelmed by Walker's usage of the shield and temporarily knocked out. However, he recovered before Walker could kill Sam and managed to closely match him in another vicious exchange of blows. As he held off Walker's attempt to kill him with the shield at bay, Sam came in and attempted to disarm Walker of the shield, with Bucky helping to ultimately break Walker's arm. Now able to fight Walker unarmed, Bucky effortlessly defeated him and lifted him for Sam to deal the finishing blow to. Getting back up subsequently from being knocked down by the attack, Bucky lifted the shield before coldly throwing it down near Sam, making his disappointment and blame of Sam having allowed Steve's legacy to be tarnished.

Returning alongside Wilson to the Global Repatriation Council resettlement camp, they met with Joaquin Torres there. Although Torres greeted Barnes and commented on how Barnes seemed to have gotten his sleeve back after having ripped it off back to jump out of the plane in Munich, Bucky, still in no mood to talk and angry over Sam's abandonment of the shield, dejectedly left to find Zemo. He located him in the Sokovian Memorial and the two talked about how the problem with the Flag Smashers must be dealt, Bucky rejecting the idea of killing Morgenthau yet. Bucky then faked being about to kill Zemo with his handgun before he then smiled and dropped the blank bullets out of his hand, showing Zemo that he wasn’t a killer anymore and how he was a free man.

The Dora Milaje led by Ayo arrived then and arrested Zemo. Zemo wished Barnes well and told him he had crossed his name off in his book, before being led away. Ayo told Barnes that Zemo would be going to the Raft and told Barnes to lay low from Wakanda for sometime due to his involvement with Zemo’s escape, calling him White Wolf, signalling she wasn’t disappointed with him anymore. She then left, but Barnes stopped her, and asked for a favour from them for Wilson.

With the box containing the equipment the Wakandans had provided for Wilson acquired, Bucky returned to the United States of America and went to Delacroix, Louisiana to be with Sam Wilson. He helped lift a heavy box off of the Wilson's family boat, gave Wilson the box and also helped Wilson out. Shortly, Barnes was introduced to Wilson's sister Sarah, who was happy to meet him. Later in the day, Barnes told Wilson that he would stay at a nearby hotel, but Wilson told him to stay with him at Sarah's house instead.

For the next few days, as Barnes stayed with Wilson, he opted to sleep on the couch at Sarah's house, where he met Wilson's nephews Cass Wilson and AJ Wilson. Working with Wilson on the boat, Barnes occasionally would watch Wilson struggle with manually removing objects, and then use his vibranium arm to lift it easily. Each time Barnes saw Sarah, he would say hello to her and give her a big smile, leading Wilson to jokingly tell him not to flirt with her.

After fixing the boat, Barnes helped improve Wilson's skill with the shield, his superior skills making it no problem for him in throwing and catching the shield, while Wilson had to work harder at it. As they were practicing, Barnes apologized to Wilson for criticizing him after he gave the shield to the government and told him that the shield was of sentimental value to him. He then told Wilson that when he and Steve Rogers talked the night before Rogers handed Wilson the shield, they had no idea what it would have been like for a black man to have the shield. Wilson understood, and helped Barnes come to peace with his time brainwashed as the Winter Soldier and told him to not just help himself, but the victims of the Winter Soldier's actions.

Barnes agreed and expressed his gratitude for Wilson's pep talk, knowing that Wilson use to be a counsellor. They then did a handshake hug and commented on how they weren't technically friends but more like co-workers, but then realized they were actually friends. Barnes then told Wilson to call him once he heard from the Flag Smashers, patted him on the shoulder, and left for New York City.

"One World, One People"

Karli brought her team through their endgame. There is a complete lockdown at the GRC center in Manhattan as the Flag Smashers took it over. Bucky is on the ground while Sam approached by air. Bucky enter the building, accompanied by Sharon, much to Sam’s grateful surprised. The Flag Smashers take the GRC hostage using moles from within. The moles are quickly taken out by Sam in his new Captain American suit.

Sam confronted Batroc and the two fight. Karli guided her team to lead another mole to join the hostages. While Bucky is given a phone, where Karli tried to negotiate with him. Bucky tell her to end her quest for revenge. One of the moles places a device on the police trucks holding the hostages. Bucky continued to remind Karli that she is going down a dark path. Karli end the call, and Bucky run after them. As Sharon scolded him for the way he handled the call, Bucky got on a motorcycle and take off.

As Sam went after the chopper, he diverts to save officers from an NYPD chopper that crash into the Hudson River. Karli catch up with one of the hostage vans and commandeers it, but Bucky is hot on her trail. He confront a smashers, but Karli sets the van on fire to distract him. Karli is confronted by John Walker carrying his homemade shield. Walker fights off smashers as Karli make her escape while Bucky works to free the hostages. Bucky free the hostages, who thank him for saving them. He accept the gratitude and goes to fight Karli.

Walker fight Karli as hostages look on from a nearby van. Karli subdued Walker and steal a van. Bucky continues fighting another soldier while Karli sends the van over the edge of building construction, but Walker save it. He is attacked by Karli and other smashers while the van is safely placed by Sam, who release the hostages. Karli attack and is confronted by Sam, Bucky, and Walker. Suddenly, a barrage of smoke grenades give Karli the cover to escape. Sam used his goggles to track her. Bucky and Walker follow. Walker follows Bucky, shieldless, as Sam splits up. Karli attempt to round up the Flag Smashers using their whistle, but she is confronted my Sharon. The two take aim at each other, but Sharon lowers her gun to tell Karli how she betrayed her trust when she came to Madripoor. Batroc reveals himself as Sharon’s spy because she is the Power Broker. Sharon shoots Batroc, killing him, but Karli used the opportunity to shoot Sharon. Sam enters to stop Karli from killing Sharon. He defend himself against her but does not attack. Elsewhere, Bucky and Walker get the police to converge on the location of the super-soldiers, leading to their arrest. Karli take aim at Sam, but Sharon shoots her several times. Karli apologize to Sam as she dies in his arms. Sam carries Karli’s body back to the authorities. Sam confronted the GRC on their tactics in relocating people. Sam expresses his admiration for being Captain America despite being a black man and having no super soldier serum. He deliver a message to the GRC about how to use their power before leaving. The entire encounter is live-streamed, Bucky look on proudly. Bucky, Walker and Sharon discreetly depart as Sam is debriefed on the last Flag-Smasher he dumped in the river.

Bucky meet with Yori Nakajima and finally told him that he is the assassin who killed his son. He delivered a package containing his notebook of names all crossed off to the Doctor Raynor. He pass by Izzy's restaurant and see Nakajima enjoying his regular drink with Leah with this Bucky finally forgive himself for his past. In Louisiana, Bucky with the Wilsons family and their neighbors, celebrate at a barbecue. Afterward, Sam looks out to sea and Bucky joins him. They smile, go back to the party.

Thunderbolts

To be added

Character traits

In Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky is a great friend to Steve, sticking up for bullies for him, and trying to keep him safe, and get him to have some fun. Bucky was a loyal troop, not to Captain America, but to 'that scrawny little kid from Brooklyn who was too damn stubborn to back away from a fight". Steve shows a lot of emotions when Bucky falls off the train that was transporting Doctor Arnim Zola.

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, thanks to Zola's experiments and HYDRA's brainwashing, Bucky became their master assassin known as the "Winter Soldier", without a doubt, the Winter Soldier is one of the deadliest combatants on the entire planet, he is credited with over two dozen assassinations as stated by Natasha Romanoff. He will not stop until his mission is accomplished, he will eliminate his target without hesitancy or remorse, he was normally extremely calm and reserved in life-threatening situations, but he is capable of violent rages, displayed especially when he became confused why Steve kept calling him by his real name, which he didn't know at the time and for the first time he lost control of his emotions. Given that Bucky was in a brainwashed mentality for seven decades, it seems that he was mentally unconscious of his wrongdoings. However, he ultimately was able to realize the truth of his old friend's words as he continued to beat up Steve and saved him, abandoning HYDRA and going on a journey of self-discovery.

In Captain America: Civil War, Bucky is no longer an assassin, but still being considered to be a criminal and starting to remember his old-self, Bucky has started to change, as he does not kill the police officers sent after him, and merely incapacitates them and avoided conflict with T'Challa when chased by him, but after being controlled by Zemo and getting snapped out of it upon being knocked out by Steve Rogers, Bucky completely recovers his memories, now having the same morals and selflessness he had prior to being brainwashed by HYDRA, he actively tries to reason with T'Challa when fighting him and when fighting Iron Man's team, he avoided killing his opponents. He does not hesitate to allow himself to be placed in cryogenic stasis, until he can be cured of HYDRA's mental programming completely, as it would be the best course of action, fearing for the safety of his friends and allies.

Now that Bucky has regained his identity and former values, he feels a lot of guilt, shame and remorse for the actions that he had committed as the Winter Soldier, further worsened by his photographic memory of every single individual that he has ever killed and solemnly acknowledges that the fact that he was brainwashed does not change the fact that he killed them, due to this, he feels undeserving of Steve's friendship and his team's sacrifices to ensure his escape alongside with Steve, although this does not prevent him from feeling grateful for it and feels bad on how their allies were left on the mercy of the government, due to their escape. When his murder of Howard and Maria Stark was revealed to Tony, he is visibly horrified and ashamed to see himself murder his former friend even as he vainly tried to ask him for help and although more than willing to fight Tony, he does not kill him after having him pinned down, merely trying to rip his Arc Reactor to incapacitate him, which allowed Tony to blast off his cybernetic arm and after Steve has managed to prevail, he does not stop Steve from abandoning his shield, as like with his old friend, though to a lesser extent, as he feels sympathy for Tony's plight, having been the one, who killed his parents and thus not having any say on it.

While Bucky retains the serious demeanor he had as Winter Soldier, he does retain some of his old sense of humor, as seen when he and Sam Wilson were both smiled with approval at Steve's kiss with Sharon Carter, and later as the two reminisced over earlier times in their friendship. His sense of humor can also sometimes be dry, as seen when he asked Sam why he couldn't use his gadget on Spider-Man earlier to take him down.

In Avengers: Infinity War, having been cured of HYDRA's programming, Bucky appears to have come to terms with his past, as the White Wolf, Bucky lived quietly in Wakanda, where he spent his time entertaining children and farming until T'Challa asked for his assistance in the Battle of Wakanda. When presented with a replacement cybernetic arm, Bucky, recognizing it's meaning, didn't hesitate to join his allies in the battle. He displays more of his old humor when talking to Steve.

In Avengers: Endgame, after Tony sacrificed himself to use the Infinity Stones to disintegrate the 2014 Thanos and his army, Barnes was among those who knelt in respect over his sacrifice and attended his funeral, despite the fact that the former tried to (wrongfully) kill him 7 years ago, not only out of respect for Steve, as he was a close friend of Tony, but also because he genuinely respected the sacrifice that Tony had made and regretted not being able to fully make amends with Tony over the death of his parents who Bucky was friends with.

Bucky was able to accurately deduce that Steve had planned to retire and supported his friend's happiness and when Steve gave the mantle of Captain America to Sam, despite Bucky himself being a much superior candidate, he not only accepted it calmly but also showed pride as Sam took up the shield.

In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, while Bucky has been forgiven by the government, due to his invaluable contribution in defeating Thanos and he was able to come to terms with his past, but he still suffers from deep guilt and remorse over his crimes as the Winter Soldier. He was more than willing to accept the government's decision to put him under psycho-evaluation and even went as far as to try to make amends with the loved ones of those he had killed. He shows his old gentlemanly and kind nature towards the people who was hurt because of him and visibly shows his somber side whenever reminded of it to where RJ Nakajima's loved ones mentioning him was enough to make him back away.

Bucky admits that having experienced decades of conflict, his greatest desire would be to live his live in peace, but his desire to make amends allowed him to openly will himself out of it despite being free to live his life the way he wanted and continue to fight for the sake of good, putting himself back on the field against the Flag Smashers and remnants of HYDRA.

Bucky maintains his strong respect towards Steve and staunchly defends him from Sharon's bitterness at him despite sympathizing with her situation. He is particularly incensed when he learns Sam had abandoned the shield and allowed the government to chose John Walker to be the next Captain America. This initially strains their relationship, but he still shows genuine care for Sam by defending Sam when a cop who doesn't recognize him tries to defend Bucky and is truly hurt whenever they argue as Sam points out several correct bad things about him showing he maintains his reasonable side.

Bucky has no respect for Walker, the latter not earning it by acting arrogant and pretentious. Telling him that just because he has the shield doesn't make him Captain America, for this is a symbol of humility and sacrifice. Bucky is proven correct as John succumbs to his darker side when he takes the Super Soldier Serum and kills Nico out of revenge over Lemar Hoskins' death. Despite their bad relationship, Bucky tries to help and guide Walker by telling him that, in his own experience, nothing good comes of following the path of violence. Likewise, Bucky came to John's rescue when he was taking a beating from the Flag Smashers. With Sam's help Bucky was finally able to forgive himself for his past as the Winter Soldier. He told Yori Nakajima the truth about what he done to his son, giving the old man peace.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

The Winter Soldier - Fight Moves Compilation HD-0

The Winter Soldier's combat compilation

• Super Soldier Physiology: After being injected with Arnim Zola's Super Soldier Serum, Bucky gained several superhuman physical attributes.
  • Superhuman Strength: Winter Soldier is much stronger than normal humans. He is able to deliver strikes of exceptional force that can send other individuals flying several feet away relatively easily. Winter Soldier's strength is also proven to be on par with Captain America and Black Panther.
    • Bionic Arm: HYDRA removed the remnants of the Winter Soldier's severed left arm and replaced the missing limb with a cybernetic one that was comprised of titanium. The bionic arm has physical strength that is almost equal to Tony Stark's Iron Man armor, enough that he could smash rock and crush metal with ease, Winter Soldier was also able to rip open an armored SUV and effortlessly threw Jasper Sitwell from a moving car into an oncoming truck. In Captain America: Civil War, the bionic arm was pushed to its limit and he was able to almost match Black Panther in terms of physical strength. However, when engaging Spider-Man, his arm was effortlessly caught and casually overpowered by Spider-Man. Later, Winter Soldier almost ripped out the Arc Reactor from Tony Stark's mark forty-six Iron Man armor. He is later given a new cybernetic arm by T'Challa that is comprised of vibranium.
  • Superhuman Durability: Winter Soldier is far more durable than normal humans. He was able to leap off a bridge to the top of a car below, crushing the roof and shattering the windows while he was unfazed by the landing. He was also able to withstand blows from several opponents that would have outright smashed the bones of any normal human. This ability enabled him to survive the normally fatal fall from Zola's Train.
  • Superhuman Speed: Winter Soldier is much faster than normal humans. He is able to catch up to or outrun speeding vehicles relatively easily. Winter Soldier's speed is also proven to be on par with Captain America and Black Panther as he was initially able to outrun Black Panther for a time on foot, but was eventually caught.
  • Superhuman Agility: Winter Soldier is far more agile than normal humans. He was able to dodge gunfire at close range from Falcon's two machine pistols.
  • Superhuman Reflexes: Winter Soldier's reflexes are much faster than normal humans. He was able to catch Captain America's shield being thrown at him and and throw it back at a high velocity. He was also able to catch enemy grenades thrown at him, dodge fire from Falcon's Steyr SPPs and leap on top of a moving car accelerating towards him with pinpoint accuracy.
  • Superhuman Stamina: Winter Soldier possesses far more stamina than normal humans, allowing him to remain physically active for long periods of time. He can physically exert himself for several hours before experiencing fatigue. Winter Soldier was able to fight off a dozen armed officers in a staircase, leap down several stories from a balcony to another building, briefly fight off Black Panther and outrun him without any signs of fatigue.
  • Accelerated Healing Factor: Winter Soldier's metabolism allows him to heal much faster, more extensively, and efficiently than normal humans. After the injuries the Winter Soldier had received during his battle with Iron Man, he was completely healed in a matter of days without any bruises or scars.
  • Superhuman Immunity: Due to Winter Soldier's accelerated healing factor, he is immune to all types of diseases, illnesses, sickness, drugs, poisons, toxins, radiation, disorders, disabilities, etc. He cannot become intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, toxins or impurities.
  • Superhuman Longevity: Due to Winter Soldier's accelerated healing factor, he ages much slower than normal humans. Despite being 100 years old, he still maintains the physical appearance of a man in his prime.

Abilities

• Master Acrobat: Through his training from both the United States Armed Forces and HYDRA, Bucky is a highly skilled acrobat and gymnast. He is skilled in all kinds of acrobatics and gymnastics, using flips to evade fire when he was being shot at by Falcon's Steyr SPPs. He was also able to maintain balance of a moving motorcycle he was utilizing while engaged in a fight with Black Panther.
• Eidetic Memory: Bucky has a photographic memory and remembers the actions he committed and every single individual that he has ever killed as the Winter Soldier.
• Master Hand-To-Hand Combatant/Martial Artist: Through his training from both the United States Armed Forces and HYDRA, Bucky is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist. He could rival Steve Rogers, now having been extensively trained by S.H.I.E.L.D, twice, matching his every move for an extended period of time before ultimately getting overpowered and even beat him when Steve was surprised, go head-to-head against T'Challa when he was not wearing his habit and even held his own when he was despite not fighting to kill, managing to briefly gain the upper hand in their second fight, easily best Sam Wilson, Tony Stark, Sharon Carter and Natasha Romanoff, despite all of them being highly accomplished hand-to-hand combatants/martial artists in their own rights. Bucky also single-handedly killed up to a dozen well-armed Quinjet pilots in a single encounter and escaped uninjured. During both fights with Steve, Bucky displayed an extremely precise, brutal and murderous style of combat and combined the use of firearms and knives with close-range physical attacks. Bucky and Steve together could easily nearly take down Tony in the Mark XLVI armor in a brutal fight and even on his own, he proved able to subdue Iron Man.
• Master Assassin: Through his training from HYDRA, Bucky is highly skilled in the art of assassination. Ever since he had been brainwashed, Bucky lived in anonymity with most of the intelligence community not even believing he existed. He was credited with over two dozen of HYDRA's most crucial assassinations in the past 50 years. He was even able to shoot Nick Fury while outside of Steve's apartment and shoot through Natasha Romanoff to take out his target.
• Master Marksman: Through his training from both the United States Armed Forces and HYDRA, Bucky is a highly skilled marksman. He fired a single round through Natasha Romanoff's stomach and into a nuclear scientist, that she was protecting, effectively killing him. Bucky is also capable of making long range shots straight through building walls using only reflections to obtain his target's whereabouts, for example shooting Nick Fury multiple times through the wall of Steve's apartment from the top of another building. He is also well skilled in the use of modern firearms, being able to use the latest models of assault rifle and grenade launcher with excellent accuracy.
• Master Knife-Fighter: Through his training from HYDRA, Bucky is a highly skilled knife-fighter. He usually resorts to his combat knife in close quarters combat. He usually holds the knife in his natural hand and uses his bionic arm for support should he need more force to overpower a downward stab or toss it between hands to advance his assault.
• Expert Pilot: Through his training from both the United States Armed Forces and HYDRA, Bucky is a highly skilled pilot. Bucky was able to "hijack" a Quinjet after killing the pilot.
• Multilingualism: Bucky's native tongue is English and he can fluently speak Romanian, Russian, German, Japanese and Xhosa.

Weaknesses

• Mortality: Despite Winter Soldier's superhuman levels of durability and healing, he is not immortal and can be killed.
• Limited Healing Factor: Although Winter Soldier can heal incredibly fast, he does have his limits and is unable to regenerate missing or severed limbs.

Former Weaknesses

• Brainwashing: Over seven decades of constant mind control and manipulation from HYDRA, there is no way to tell how much damage has been done to Bucky's mind. During Captain America: The Winter Soldier, when Pierce demands that the Winter Soldier's mind is to be completely wiped clean again after he started to remember Steve slightly, we are shown just how painful the procedure is. He is strapped into a chair, and is given a mouth-guard before highly advanced electrical equipment is put on his head and electrocutes his brain, causing him unbearable pain. This procedure was probably inflicted upon Bucky anytime HYDRA believed he started to remember any trace of his former life. It is also possible that this could have damaged his brain due to his brief catatonic states, only reacting to violence and displaying little emotion when it comes to his missions. In Captain America: Civil War, it is shown that his mind is brainwashed and programmable if certain Russian words are read to him. Bucky was put in cryostasis, until his brainwashing could be completely removed. As of Black Panther, Bucky's brainwashing has been completely removed by the scientists of Wakanda led by Shuri.

Equipment

• Uniform: HYDRA designed a lightweight tactical suit for Bucky, complete with a half-face mask in an attempt to conceal his true identity from the world. The uniform is constructed from nomex thread and Kevlar fiber. The lightweight suit provides resistance to small arms fire and has advanced flexibility for close-quarters combat. In addition, he also sometimes wears bulletproof tinted goggles to further conceal his face and for eye protection. In Avengers: Infinity War, the Wakandan Design Group designed Bucky a new tactical suit, it based on the one that he wore during World War II. It presumably made out of a light vibranium-weave. The new suit protected Bucky when he was overwhelmed by the Outriders in the Battle of Wakanda and in the Avengers final battle against Thanos. When Bucky joined Sam Wilson in his fight to stop the Flag Smashers. The military provide him, tactical blue jacket and black pants made from military grade kevlar.
• Bionic Arm: HYDRA designed a special metallic titanium bionic arm to replace Bucky's lost arm, which he lost after falling from the train. During his transformation progress, he started to gain control over his new arm, strangling a HYDRA scientist. His new arm has also a red star on its shoulder, hinting that the Soviets who operated as HYDRA's allies had also participated in the process of Bucky's transformation into the Winter Soldier. Bucky continue to use his cybernetic arm, even after he was free of HYDRA's control. In Captain America: Civil War, Bucky's cybernetic arm was destroyed by Iron Man. In Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky has been given a new cybernetic arm by T'Challa, that is completely composed of Vibranium.
• Guns: Bucky has utilized several different types of firearms from during his time in World War II, all the way to his time as the Winter Soldier. This includes several different types of handguns, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers.
• Combat Knives: Bucky uses several different types of combat knives as the Winter Solider. He carried a Gerber Mark ll on his right thigh, two Gerber Yari ll Tanto knives on the back of his belt though just used one, and used a bayonet knife during two fights against the armies of Thanos.

Relationships

• Howling Commandos
  • Dum Dum Dugan - Ally and teammate.
  • Gabe Jones - Ally and teammate.
  • Jim Morita - Ally and teammate.
  • Jacques Dernier - Ally and teammate.
  • Montgomery Falsworth - Ally and teammate.
• Strategic Scientific Reserve
  • Peggy Carter - Ally; deceased.
  • Howard Stark - Ally and friend turned unwilling victim; deceased.
  • Maria Stark - Unwilling victim; deceased.
  • Chester Phillips - Ally, commander and possible victim; deceased.
• KGB
  • Vasily Karpov - Former handler and HYDRA mole; deceased.
• HYDRA
  • Johann Schmidt/Red Skull - Enemy.
  • Arnim Zola - Enemy, captor and torturer; deceased.
  • Alexander Pierce - Former unwilling superior; deceased.
  • Jasper Sitwell - Enemy and victim; deceased.
• Avengers
  • Steve Rogers/Captain America - Best friend, ally and team leader; brief enemy through HYDRA brainwashing.
  • Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow - Enemy turned ally and teammate; deceased.
  • Tony Stark/Iron Man - Enemy and attempted killer, turned ally and teammate; deceased.
  • Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Ally, teammate, and former enemy.
  • James Rhodes/War Machine - Enemy turned ally and teammate.
  • T'Challa/Black Panther - Enemy and attempted killer, turned ally and teammate.
  • Clint Barton/Hawkeye - Ally and teammate.
  • Scott Lang/Ant-Man - Ally and teammate.
  • Vision - Enemy turned ally and teammate; deceased.
  • Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch - Ally and teammate; deceased.
  • Sam Wilson/Falcon - Unwilling enemy turned best friend, ally and partner.
  • Bruce Banner/Hulk - Ally, teammate and resurrector.
  • Thor Odinson - Ally and teammate.
• CIA
  • Sharon Carter - Unwilling enemy turned ally.
  • Everett Ross - Enemy.
• Helmut Zemo - Enemy.
• Golden Tribe
  • Shuri - Ally and friend.
• Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Rocket - Ally.
  • Groot - Ally.
  • Peter Quill/Star Lord - Ally.
  • Drax - Ally.
  • Nebula - Ally.
  • Mantis - Ally.
• Christina Raynor - Therapist.
• Thanos - Enemy and killer; deceased.
  • Black Order
• Cull Obsidian - Enemy; deceased.
• Proxima Midnight - Enemy; deceased.
• Corvus Glaive - Enemy; deceased.
• Outriders - Enemies; deceased.
• Thanos (Time Heist 2014) - Enemy; deceased.
• Ebony Maw (Time Heist 2014) - Enemy; deceased
• Proxima Midnight (Time Heist 2014) - Enemy; deceased.
• Corvus Glaive (Time Heist 2014) - Enemy; deceased.
• Cull Obsidian (Time Heist 2014) - Enemy; deceased.
• Outriders (2014 version) - Enemies; deceased.
• Senator Atwood - Enemy.
• Flag Smashers
  • Karli Morgenthau - Enemy; deceased.
  • Dovich - Enemy; deceased.
  • Gigi - Enemy; deceased.
  • DeeDee - Enemy; deceased.
  • Matias - Enemy; deceased.
  • Lennox - Enemy; deceased.
  • Nico - Enemy; deceased.
  • Diego - Enemy; deceased.

Appearances/Actors

• Marvel Cinematic Universe (10 films)
  • Captain America: The First Avenger - Sebastian Stan
  • The Avengers (Photograph only)
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Sebastian Stan
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron - (Indirectly mentioned only)
  • Ant-Man - Sebastian Stan
  • Captain America: Civil War - Sebastian Stan
  • Black Panther - Sebastian Stan
  • Avengers: Infinity War - Sebastian Stan
  • Avengers: Endgame - Sebastian Stan
  • Black Widow - (Mentioned only)
  • Thunderbolts - Sebastian Stan
• Marvel Cinematic Universe (2 TV series)
  • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
    • Season 1
      • "Seeds" (Mentioned only)
      • "End of the Beginning" (Archive footage)
      • "Aftershocks" (photograph only)
  • The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Sebastian Stan
    • "New World Order"
    • "The Star-Spangled Man"
    • "Power Broker"
    • "The Whole World Is Watching"
    • "Truth"
    • "One World, One People"
• Marvel Cinematic Universe (4 comics)
  • Captain America: First Vengeance (First appearance)
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude - This Scepter'd Isle
  • Avengers: Operation HYDRA (Photograph only)
  • Black Widow Prelude

Behind the scenes

• Sebastian Stan was considered for the role of Captain America, but was offered the role of Bucky instead without an audition.
• Bucky's uniform from Captain America: The First Avenger, is a hybrid of his original and his later Winter Soldier suit.
• About the role, Stan stated, "Steve Rogers and Bucky are both orphans and kind of like brothers. They kind of grow up together and look after each other. It's a very human, relatable thing. I also wanted to look out for how their relationship changes once Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. There's always a competition and they're always one-upping each other. I paid attention to how Bucky is affected by Steve's change and suddenly Steve is this leader".
• When Steve finds Bucky hooked up to machines in Arnim Zola's HYDRA Lab and Bucky is in a sort of trance. These experiments allowed him to survive his fall.
• Though Bucky was a HYDRA asset in the film, his body was recovered by Soviet officers. Given the fact he uses Russian weaponry and spoke Russian while pursuing Black Widow; it can be presumed at some point HYDRA infiltrated the KGB like they had done with SHIELD. This is supported by Arnim Zola's reveal that HYDRA had infiltrated many governments and manipulated world history. In the wake of WWII both the United States and the Soviet Union were the two greatest powers, making it logical that sleeper cells would lay within both.
• To prepare for the role of the Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan went through five months of physical training and historical research: "I dove into the whole Cold War history; I looked at the KGB. I looked at all kinds of spy movies, and all kinds of documentaries about that time, and what it was about. I grabbed anything from that time period and anything about brainwashing".
• Stan also went through rigorous fight and weapons training. He took a lot of good-natured ribbing from his friends because he would walk around all day practicing his moves with a plastic knife because he wanted his movements to feel natural.

Trivia

• In the comics, Bucky is younger than Steve Rogers. In the initial stories by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Bucky was a teenage mascot for Captain America's regiment. He was later adapted to having been older. In the Ultimate Universe, Bucky was a paratrooper/war photographer who was a childhood friend of Rogers, often having defended him from bullies. Fifty-seven years after Rogers fell into the ocean and shortly after Rogers was revived, Bucky had become an aging, cancer-ridden veteran and had married Rogers' wartime girlfriend.
• Bucky's codename is Winter Soldier, much like his older self in the comics.
• In the comics, Bucky wears a mask, and his identity is not initially public knowledge.
• Bucky used Captain America's Shield in Captain America: The First Avenger while on Zola's train. This is a reference to Bucky Barnes becoming the new Captain America in the comics when Steve was presumed dead.
• In the comics, Bucky was a trainer and lover of Black Widow, and the two later rekindled their relationship. According to Sebastian Stan, Natasha's line in Captain America: Civil War after falling from Zola's Train.
• In the comics, Bucky killed Wolverine's wife, Itsu. Her death what drew Wolverine out of hiding, allowing Weapon X to apprehend and experiment on him.
• Bucky is the only character from the first film besides Steve who is known to still be living in the present-day.
• Bucky's Winter Soldier look from the film was since been adapted on occasion the comics; specifically the Winter Soldier; Bitter March limited series and Thunderbolts.
• It is speculated that Bucky's cybernetic arm is made from or coated with Vibranium. However, this was proven to be false when it was destroyed by Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War. However, in Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky is gifted a new Vibranium arm in Wakanda from T'Challa.)
• Bucky's screen time in Captain America: Civil War is 21:00.

Gallery

See: James Barnes/Gallery

See Also

• Winter Soldier