WINTER SOLDIER

 

WINTER SOLDIER

Real Name: James Buchanan Barnes

First Appearance: Captain America (Vol. 1) #1, March 1941 (As Bucky); Captain America (Vol. 5) #1, January 2005 (As the Winter Soldier); Captain America (Vol. 5) #34, March 2008 (As Captain America IV)

Powers: James Buchanan Barnes was a camp mascot who discovered Captain America's civilian identity in WWII and was subsequently sworn to secrecy while being heavily trained as his partner. As Bucky, Barnes acted as a spy and assassin, often outfitted with sub-machine guns, knives, grenades, and other weapons necessary for combat, but not befitting the image of Captain America.

After he and Captain America were separated in 1945 via an explosion above the North Atlantic Ocean, Barnes lost his left arm and was cast into the waters below, where he was found, tended to, and brainwashed by Soviet agents to become the Winter Soldier. He was given a bionic arm that was upgraded several times over the following decades (as he was placed in and out of suspended animation between missions), and again by Nick Fury after he regained his full memories.

The arm gives Barnes a vice-like grip and the ability to throw superhumanly strong punches. Internal generators allow the arm to produce a high-voltage electrical charge on contact, or emit a short-range electromagnetic pulse to forcibly shut down any electronic systems in the vicinity. A similar system produces jamming frequencies which enables Barnes to defeat metal detectors and security systems, moving in and out of secure locations without his arm setting off any detectors. Finally, Barnes' ability to mentally control and operate the arm extends to even after it has been detached.

In his role as Captain America, Barnes used the original Cap's steel/vibranium alloy shield, a small dagger and a pistol.

James Buchanan Barnes is an Olympic-class athlete and an exceptional acrobat highly skilled in both armed and unarmed combat. He is fluent in four languages, including German and Russian, and is a proficient marksman.