Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | James Buchanan Barnes 169 |
| Alias(es) | Bucky; Winter Soldier-0 169 175 |
| Gender | Male 169 |
| Affiliation | 107th Infantry; later Hydra 169 668 |
| Occupation/Role | Sergeant; chief instructor and commander of the Winter Soldier Legion 169 261 668 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 169 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Serum-enhanced | 174 | Russell's experimental serum and VITA radiation greatly increase Bucky's strength and resilience, but leave his injured left arm impaired. |
| Winter Soldier-0 | 175 | Russell fits a mechanical left arm. Tests find human-limit senses, endurance, agility, and strength, alongside rapid learning and exceptional memory. |
| Vibranium arm | 277 | Receives a replacement made from the same material as Steve Rogers' shield. |
| Further physical enhancement | 356 | Takes a strengthening preparation shared by Russell and feels his physique improve; the extent is not measured. |
Background and History
Bucky served as a sergeant in the 107th Infantry before Dr. Zola delivered him and other American prisoners to Russell's Hydra sub-base. He refused Russell's offer to join Hydra and resisted Jason's training, despite being overpowered. Learning that his childhood friend Steve Rogers had become Captain America left him proud of Steve but troubled that Steve no longer needed his protection 169.
Steve rescued Bucky from the sub-base, and the two fought Jason together. As they continued serving together, Bucky trained hard but could not keep pace with Steve's growing abilities. Hydra later separated them during a train mission; Steve found Bucky's gun near a cliff and believed he had fallen to his death. Russell had instead taken Bucky to a secret Siberian base 171 172 173 174.
Russell's serum experiment enhanced Bucky but damaged his left arm. A mechanical replacement completed his transformation into Winter Soldier-0. Bucky initially resisted Russell's attempts to enslave him, but Russell eventually gained control by exploiting his desire to see Steve again 174 175 179.
Bucky reached Steve during a battle against Schmidt, helped defeat him, and lost his mechanical arm while pushing Steve out of an energy-pistol shot. After the Tesseract caused Steve to disappear, Russell fitted Bucky with a new arm. Bucky remained with Russell in the hope that they could find Steve 181 182 183.
Appearance
Bucky initially has thick eyebrows, large eyes, sharp facial features, and a defiant gaze. His later mechanical left arm becomes his most recognizable feature 169 175.
- His hair grows long enough to cover part of his face 179 182.
- He wears a black combat suit and conceals his Vibranium arm beneath its sleeve and glove in battle 429.
Personality
Bucky is stubborn and fiercely protective of Steve. He refuses to surrender to Hydra as a prisoner, later risks his arm to save Steve, and spends years pursuing the possibility of finding him again 169 182 277.
In command, he is stoic and demanding, personally overseeing the Winter Soldiers' training. His service under Russell is more conflicted: he follows orders but resents being used for troublesome assignments and remains willing to plead for Steve when Steve acts against Hydra 261 668 803 968.
Abilities & Skills
Serum Enhancement
- Possesses human-limit strength, speed, agility, endurance, senses, and reaction time 175 261.
- Gains rapid learning and exceptional memory; his strong will helps him withstand the enhancement better than later Winter Soldiers 175 183.
Combat and Command
- Uses firearms, shields, close-quarters fighting, and his mechanical arm in combat 169 181 267 429.
- Defeats two newly created Winter Soldiers with ease and later directs the training of 20 recruits as chief instructor 183 261.
- Defeats a Dark Elf Curse Warrior by blocking its blows with a Vibranium shield and striking with his Vibranium arm 429.
Equipment / Weapons / Items
- Mechanical left arm — Russell's original replacement is marked with a 0, Bucky's Winter Soldier designation. It is later replaced; he subsequently receives a Vibranium arm with deployable wrist blades 175 182 183 277 429.
- Vibranium shield — forged at Hydra's Wakanda base and carried in his right hand 429.
- Steve Rogers' shield — Bucky carries it while searching for Steve 183 429.
- Universal Weapon — a Kree warhammer awarded by Russell; Bucky uses it to strike Tony Stark and teleport during their confrontation 677 968.
Relationships
- Steve Rogers — childhood friend whom Bucky once protected. Their bond drives Bucky's reunion with Steve and his later search across the universe 169 182 277 442.
- Russell — captor, creator of Bucky's enhancements, and later commander. Bucky serves him while frequently objecting to how Russell uses him 169 175 179 968.
- Natasha — fellow enhanced Hydra subordinate and occasional sparring partner; their interactions can be tense 178 182 261.
- Jason — Hydra enforcer who overpowers Bucky during his captivity; Bucky later fights him alongside Steve 169 171.
- Luke Cage — recruit Bucky targets for the Winter Soldier Legion, initially using repeated fights with Winter Soldiers to wear him down 803 804 805.
- Sharon Carter — grows closer to Bucky while following a mysterious person's advice 946.
Story Role / Major Arcs
- Winter Soldier Legion: After becoming Winter Soldier-0, Bucky rises to chief instructor and eventually commands one of Hydra's three major legions 175 261 668.
- Search for Steve: Bucky supports spaceship development to make the search possible. He eventually encounters Steve—then known as the amnesiac Captain Marvel Stegers—and is recognized only fleetingly 264 277 442.
- Mars base confrontation: Bucky fights Tony Stark with the Universal Weapon, then draws Stephen Strange into a pursuit through Hydra's base 968 969 979.