James “Bucky” Barnes

James “Bucky” Barnes

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes is a World War II veteran, former sergeant of the 107th Infantry Regiment, childhood best friend of Steve Rogers, former Winter Soldier, and later a United States congressman and member of the New Avengers.

World War II

Bucky joined the United States Army following the attack on Pearl Harbor and was assigned to the 107th Infantry Regiment in 1943. During the war, his unit was captured by HYDRA, where Arnim Zola experimented on him and injected him with a version of the Super Soldier Serum.

Steve Rogers, now operating as Captain America, rescued Bucky and the other prisoners. Bucky later joined Steve and the Howling Commandos in their campaign against HYDRA and the Red Skull.

In 1945, while attempting to capture Arnim Zola in the Austrian Alps, Bucky fell hundreds of feet from a moving train. His body was never recovered, and he was presumed dead.

The Winter Soldier

Bucky survived the fall because of the experiments performed on him, although he lost his left arm. He was eventually recovered by Soviet forces and HYDRA.

HYDRA brainwashed him, erased and manipulated his memories, fitted him with a cybernetic arm, and transformed him into an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

For roughly seventy years, Bucky was repeatedly sent on assassination missions and then placed into cryogenic stasis between assignments. His victims included Howard and Maria Stark.

In 2014, Alexander Pierce ordered the Winter Soldier to eliminate Nick Fury as part of HYDRA’s Project Insight. During his confrontations with Captain America, however, Bucky began recognizing Steve and recovering fragments of his former identity.

Breaking Free

Following the Battle at the Triskelion, Bucky abandoned HYDRA and began trying to recover his memories and understand his past.

In 2016, Helmut Zemo framed him for the bombing of the Vienna International Centre, which killed King T’Chaka of Wakanda. T’Challa initially hunted Bucky for revenge while Steve repeatedly defended him, contributing to the conflict between the Avengers.

Zemo later revealed that the Winter Soldier had murdered Tony Stark’s parents in 1991. After surviving Tony’s furious retaliation, Bucky was granted sanctuary in Wakanda by T’Challa.

Bucky voluntarily returned to cryogenic stasis until the Winter Soldier programming could safely be removed from his mind.

Wakanda & the White Wolf

With Shuri’s help, Bucky was eventually freed from HYDRA’s brainwashing. While recovering in Wakanda, he became known as the White Wolf.

In 2018, he received a new vibranium arm and joined the battle against Thanos’ forces in Wakanda. Bucky was among those killed by Thanos’ Snap.

Five years later, he was restored by Bruce Banner and fought alongside the other heroes during the Battle of Earth. After Tony Stark’s death, Bucky attended his funeral and later watched an elderly Steve Rogers pass the Captain America shield to Sam Wilson.

Life After Steve

After receiving a pardon, Bucky struggled with guilt over the people he had harmed as the Winter Soldier and attempted to make amends.

He eventually joined Sam Wilson in stopping the Flag Smashers. Their mission brought them into conflict with the government-appointed Captain America, John Walker, while also forcing Bucky to work alongside Helmut Zemo and Sharon Carter.

Over time, Bucky began confronting his past directly rather than treating himself as responsible for actions HYDRA had forced him to commit.

Congressman Barnes

By 2027, Bucky entered politics and successfully became a member of the United States Congress.

During his congressional career, he began gathering evidence against Valentina Allegra de Fontaine ahead of an impeachment hearing. His investigation eventually brought him into contact with several of Valentina’s former operatives.

Although they initially found themselves on opposing sides, Bucky eventually joined forces with them against Valentina.

The New Avengers

Bucky and his new allies confronted Valentina at the Watchtower but were forced to retreat after encountering Sentry, an extraordinarily powerful genetically modified superhuman.

When the Void attacked New York, Bucky worked alongside the others to stop the threat. The group allowed themselves to enter the Void in an attempt to help Yelena Belova reach Bob Reynolds and convince him to regain control from his destructive alter ego.

After successfully stopping the Void, Bucky and the others emerged as a new team.

Valentina publicly introduced them as the New Avengers, making Bucky one of the founding members of the new incarnation of the team.

Key Bucky Details

• Full name: James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes
• Alias: Winter Soldier
• Wakandan nickname: White Wolf
• Military rank: Sergeant
• Former unit: 107th Infantry Regiment
• Best friend: Steve Rogers
• Enhanced by: Super Soldier Serum
• Left arm: Cybernetic, later replaced with a Wakandan vibranium arm
• Former affiliation: HYDRA
• Later career: United States congressman
• Team: New Avengers
• Major traits: Highly trained, reserved, dryly humorous, deeply loyal, protective, pragmatic, and burdened by his past
• Combat skills: Enhanced strength and durability, expert marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, tactical operations, infiltration, and assassination

Bucky Barnes has fair skin, blue eyes, and black or dark-brown hair. His appearance changes throughout different periods of his life.

World War II: Bucky begins as a clean-cut soldier with short, neatly styled hair. He wears the uniform of the 107th Infantry Regiment before adopting his blue-and-red commando outfit.

The Winter Soldier: As HYDRA’s brainwashed assassin, Bucky has long, shoulder-length dark hair and darkened eyes. He wears black tactical gear, often with a mask covering the lower half of his face. His most distinctive feature is his silver cybernetic left arm marked with a red star.

Wakanda and Later Years: After breaking free from HYDRA, Bucky gradually adopts a less intimidating appearance. He wears his hair shorter, grows a trimmed beard, and favors casual civilian clothing or practical tactical gear. His original metal arm is eventually replaced with a sleek vibranium prosthetic created in Wakanda.