Winter Soldier (Earth-199999)
The Winter Soldier, born James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes,[1] is an American soldier, hero, and former Hydra assassin. He has been friends with Captain America since their childhoods in Brooklyn. When he fought among the Howling Commandos in World War II, he fell from a moving train into a deep, snowy ravine, apparently to his death. In truth, he had survived and been recovered by Hydra, who kept him in suspended animation, only taking him out to brainwash him and use him as their assassin. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Biography
World War II
As a boy in September 1930, James Barnes met the young Steve Rogers in an alley in Hell's Kitchen, saving him from a group of bullies; the two became fast friends.[1] Barnes was a YMCA boxing champ, while Rogers was small and sickly. In December 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, rocketing the United States into World War II. Both young men endeavored to enlist in the military, and Steve asked Bucky to train him to be more physically fit. After weeks of sparring matches and marathons, Rogers was in the peak physical condition that his body would allow, but was nonetheless rejected when he attempted to enlist. By June 1943, Barnes was to be shipped out for England as a sergeant in the Army.[2] Rogers was happy for Barnes, but jealous of his able-bodied nature and ease with which he joined the Army. Rogers continued attempting to enlist, despite the fact that it was illegal and against Barnes's insistences to the contrary. At an expo on the night before Bucky's deployment, the two said goodbye as Rogers remained adamant in his determination to fight.
In November, Barnes and the rest of the 107th infantry division were defeated by Hydra forces in Italy, and those that weren't killed or that managed to escape were taken to a Hydra weapons facility in Krausberg, Austria. While there, Barnes developed pneumonia. The cruel working conditions in the facility were sure to kill him if they continued, and so the other prisoners he was kept with conspired to kill their overseer and make it look like an accident owing to faulty machinery.[3] Later, Barnes was taken into isolation, where Hydra scientist Arnim Zola modified his body, strangely making him more powerful and resilient. Barnes was in a weakened state when Captain America—Steve Rogers after having been given the super-soldier serum—arrived at the facility and rescued him. The two escaped the facility, having a brief altercation with Hydra leader Red Skull. Barnes, Captain America, and many other soldiers from the 107th escaped the facility and returned to an allied base camp nearby. Cap formed a team with Bucky and the others who had helped Bucky in Krausberg to travel through Europe, taking down Hydra bases as they went: the team came to be known as the Howling Commandos. Bucky was slightly jealous of Steve's newfound strength and fame, having been accustomed to being the more popular one in their friendship. Nonetheless, they remained inseparably close allies. In one mission, the Commandos ambushed a train carrying Arnim Zola through the Austrian Alps. Barnes was knocked from the train by enemy forces, falling down the mountain to his apparent death, despite Cap's best efforts to save him.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Captain America: First Vengeance #1. (February 2011) Van Lente, Fred (w), Ross, Luke (art), Isanove, Richard (col).
- ↑ Captain America: First Vengeance #2. (May 2011) Van Lente, Fred (w), Edwards, Neil (p), Green, Dan (i), Sotocolor (col).
- ↑ Captain America: First Vengeance #7. Van Lente, Fred (w), Ross, Luke (art), Isanove, Richard (col), Cowles, Clayton (let).
- ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger. Dir. Johnston, Joe. Perf. Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Stanley Tucci. Paramount Pictures, 2011.