Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier Journey, Explained

James Buchanon Barnes, better known as “Bucky” or “The Winter Soldier,” has had a fascinating, generation-spanning presence in Marvel Comics. The plucky do-gooder sidekick to Captain America during his World War II days, Bucky’s legacy in Marvel’s mythos spans a similar amount of time as his longtime friend. Still, his eventual track record is far more checkered than that of Steve Rogers.

Resurrected creative genius Ed Brubaker after years spent on ice, Bucky’s second life as The Winter Soldier upended the audience’s understanding of the character and informed his future depictions on screen and in print. Though Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of the character may be the most well-known iteration of the character nowadays—a beloved Infinity Saga mainstay, Stan next leads the MCU’s new Thunderbolts* team— Bucky’s eclectic history in comics is worth taking a deep dive into for fans of Marvel content.

Bucky Barnes’ Not-So-Simple Side-Kick Life

Bucky’s Pre-Winter Soldier Days Weren’t Devoid of Drama

Created in 1941 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Bucky was, at a glance, a classic teenage sidekick stock character. Bright-eyed and full of gumption, Bucky maintained morale during battles alongside Captain America. Though depicted as the archetypal youthful hero, the groundwork was laid for his darker side even then—whether Kirby and Simon realized it or not

Bucky’s upbringing in a motherless home (she died in James’ early childhood), nomadic lifestyle spent hopping from military base to military base, and overall vigilance would later be exploited by Ed Brubaker and other future authors. Even his original encounters with Captain America, which saw the youngster sleuth out Rogers’ then secret identity and earn sidekick status, lend to the aptitude audiences would see in future, more nuanced Bucky depictions.

Bucky’s Death Didn’t Stop His Story

Retroactive Continuity, Different Characters Taking On Bucky Name Kept Character “Alive”

After fighting alongside a who’s who of early Marvel superstars—Nick Fury, The Howling Commandos, and The Human Torch, to name a few—the future Winter Soldier met his presumed untimely demise after getting caught in an explosion triggered by Baron Zemo. Indeath, Bucky’s initial legacy in Marvel canon was that of a truly fallen hero— one of few untouchable, un-resurrectable characters in comics. Bucky Barnes mostly slipped into obscurity for years after WWII took his life.

In the mid-1960s, Tales of Suspense revisited Bucky’s WWII-era adventures alongside Captain America, refreshing Timely Comics’ original 1940s stories following the characters. Fred Davis, a teen sidekick to the All-Winners Squad, and later Jack Monroe and Rick Jones would all briefly take on the name Bucky as a mantle in and of itself. Controversially, Lamar Hoskins adopted the moniker in the ’80s only to change his name to Battlestar when “buck” and its racial implications earned justified outrage.

Bucky’s Comic Book Transformation Into The Winter Soldier

The Boy Who Lived, But At What Cost?

For better or worse, Bucky Barnes didn’t actually die. Instead, as Ed Brubaker would have it, Bucky’s comatose body would be found by a Russian submarine. The Kremlin would then re-engineer him into a weapon for their nefarious deeds.

Subjected to Soviet experimentation, Bucky became the brainwashed assassin known as the mysterious Winter Soldier. Boasting a bionic arm and zero memories, The Winter Soldier’s role was simple: kill on command. And that he did, periodically, between stints of cryogenic stasis.

From 1954 onward, Bucky completed covert assassinations with chilling efficiency. His high-profile assassinations had him cross paths with no shortage of familiar faces, including the 1946 killing of Itsu, the pregnant wife of Wolverine (as shown in Winter Soldier #1, 2005). The former Bucky would also cross paths with Natasha Romanoff, who he helped train as part of the infamous Red Room program.

How The Winter Soldier Inherited The First Avenger Mantle

Bucky Barnes as Captain America, Explained

When Civil War fallout took Captain America’s life, the character’s status quo shifted. The bold decision wrote off the company’s most enduring character, leaving his mantle up for grabs—and redefinition. Ed Brubaker resurrected Bucky only to put him through hell as The Winter Soldier. Still, he’d offer him a victory lap by having the former sidekick inherit the Captain America role. The opportunity provided fertile new storytelling ground for the redemption-hungry antihero.

Bucky was initially disinterested in taking on the mantle of Captain America—but distrust of SHIELD outweighed apathy. Marvel’s military apparatus hoarded Cap’s shield, but worse, Tony Stark, Rogers and Bucky’s Civil War rival, was at its helm. Even after breaking into its headquarters and regaining the shield, Barnes was reticent. It took a letter from Captain America himself explicitly stating he wanted Bucky to inherit his Sentinel of Liberty designation to finally convince Bucky to step into the star-spangled spandex.

Bucky wasn’t Steve Rogers, but he didn’t need to be. His Captain America was a befittingly darker and contemplative iteration, led by a sense of absolution—a stark contrast to Rogers’ more glossy idealism. When Steve returned in Captain America #600 (2009), Bucky stepped aside. For the most part, he had achieved the mea culpa he was after—especially considering he was the one responsible for un-sticking Cap from out of time— in turn, resurrecting Rogers.

Bucky’s Powers and Abilities Got a Major Glow-Up

The Simple Soldier Got A Super-Soldier-Style Boost

The Infinity Formula storyline, introduced shortly after Captain America’s comeback during Fear Itself (2010), enhanced Bucky Barnes’ already formidable abilities. Just when Bucky had settled into a regular role in the Marvel landscape, he found himself mortally wounded.

Nick Fury, left with no other choice, intervened with an injection of the Infinity Formula to save his life. The same formula that kept Fury, a fellow WWII vet, spa, elevated Bucky’s endurance, strength, and agility to peak levels in one transformative swoop.

The boost wasn’t just about practical strength for Bucky; narratively, it helped thrust the character into its next phase of stories. Bucky’s new powers addressed the character’s need to evolve and kept the echoes between him and Steve Rogers ongoing. Both served as Captain America and were resurrected; now they were Super Soldiers.

Bucky Is A Marvel Comics Utility Player

The Character Blends Into Events and Teams With Ease

Following his high-stakes run as Captain America and his Fear Itself glow-up, Bucky Barnes continues carving out a distinct corner in Marvel’s comic book canon. Most notably, Bucky has found himself at the helm of the Thunderbolts, post-wielding Steve Rogers’ shield. The role speaks perfectly to his morally ambiguous track record, which should be entertainingly adapted for the screen in the MCU Thunderbolts* film.

Beyond Thunderbolts, Bucky flexibly confronts earthly and cosmic threats with the experience only a nearly 100-year-old can bring. Though he’ll always struggle with the red on his ledger, he has, with a few exceptions, stayed a force for good. In any case, his impact both as a foundational sidekick and a game-changing subversion of expectations years later, Bucky helped redefine comic book superhero stories for the 21st century.