10 Things We Promise You Didn’t Know About Bucky Barnes

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Bucky Barnes has been a part of Marvel Comics since the 1940s when he fought alongside Captain America in World War II. After a long absence from comics, he was brought back as the Winter Soldier. Over the years, Bucky has played a major role in saving the world from disastrous events, super-villains, and subterfuge.

With decades of rich history, there is a lot to learn about Bucky Barnes, from his weaknesses to his various teammates. Outside the comics, Bucky, as played by Sebastian Stan, has become a staple of the MCU. Stan is set to lead the upcoming movie, Thunderbolts*, wherein Bucky Barnes will act as the leader of a rag-tag group of morally gray characters. Before Thunderbolts* premieres on May 2nd, 2025, fans still have plenty of time to learn some little-known facts about Bucky Barnes, Marvel’s resident Winter Soldier.

Winter Solider #1 by Kyle Higgins, Rod Reis, and Clayton Cowles

The Winter Soldier, when first introduced, was anything but soft. Even after regaining his memories and becoming Bucky Barnes once again, Bucky operated in some less-than-savory circles.But within the past few years, Bucky has shown his soft side and vulnerability towards his beloved cat, Alpine. Alpine has appeared throughout both Bucky Barnes comics and in crossover comics since 2018.

Alpine was introduced in the 2018 comic series Winter Soldier by Kyle Higgins and Rod Reis. At that point, she was an unnamed cat that Bucky treated with care and affection. Her name wasn’t given until 2020 in Falcon & Winter Soldier #5 by Derek Landy, Federico Vincentini, and Matt Miller when Bucky takes her to his group therapy meeting and introduces her to the members.

Winter Solider #1 by Kyle Higgins, Rod Reis, and Clayton Cowles

In Winter Soldier by Higgins and Reis, readers are introduced to a young boy named R.J. who is sent by Hydra to assassinate Bucky. Dressed in a suit that looks exactly like Bucky’s from World War II, R.J. is dangerous but quickly defeated by Bucky in battle. But Bucky did not send R.J. back to where he came from. Once Bucky found out that R.J. was raised and molded by Hydra, he saw himself in the young boy and wanted to give R.J. the opportunity for a second chance that Bucky was never offered.

Bucky takes R.J. in and tries to help him navigate his trauma and learn who he is outside of Hydra. However, Hydra is difficult to escape, as Bucky knows all too well. R.J.’s handler returns in an attempt to bring the boy back into the fold. As Bucky tries to keep Hydra at bay, R.J.’s deadbeat ex-convict father also shows up in Shelbyville, Indiana. With multiple forces trying to use R.J. for their benefit, Bucky acts as a parental figure in the unfortunate boy’s life.

Bucky Barnes Was Resurrected in Marvel Lore After 40 Years

Captain America #1 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Frank D’Armata, and Randy Gentile

The comic book trope about death never being permanent was transformed into a common saying among fans and creators: no one stays dead except Bucky, Jason Todd, and Uncle Ben. Fortunately for Bucky (and Jason Todd), this belief was eventially proven to be wrong. After Bucky was written out of Marvel’s comics with his apparent death in 1964’s The Avengers #4 by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, George Roussos, and Artie Simek, Bucky was absent from the Marvel Universe for over four decades.

In Ed Brubaker and Steve Eptings’s 2004 Captain America series, Bucky was revived and revealed to be the Soviet assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Programmed to steal the cosmic cube, Bucky appeared and fought with his old partner, Steve Rogers, without any idea of his identity. Eventually, Steve used the cosmic cube to restore Bucky’s memories, giving him back his life and breaking him from Soviet control.

Bucky Barnes Fought a Bear in a Gulag

“Gulag, Part 1” by Ed Brubaker, Mike Deodato Jr., Rain Beredo, and Joe Caramagna from Captain America #616

After the events of Marvel’s Civil War event, Bucky took over Steve Rogers’ role as Captain America, unwilling to let anyone else wield his best friend’s shield after Steve’s apparent death. But when Steve was revealed to be alive and took back the shield, Bucky decided to atone for his sins as the Winter Soldier and turned himself over to the government.

After Bucky was pardoned by the U.S. government, the Russian government extradited him back to the motherland to answer for his crimes. Bucky was imprisoned in a gulag to serve out his sentence, where he was forced to fight a giant Russian bear known as Ursa Major. After a knock-down, drag-out fight, Bucky emerges victorious against Ursa Major, but still faces many foes in the terrible conditions of the gulag.

Bucky Barnes Teamed Up with Hawkeye to Avenge Black Widow

Tales of Suspense #100 by Matthew Rosenberg, Travel Foreman, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Clayton Cowles

Bucky Barnes and Clint Barton (Hawkeye) share a common ex-girlfriend: Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow. Of the two, Bucky still has an on-again, off-again relationship with Natasha in today’s comics. Specifically, the recently released Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tommaso Bianchi confirms that Bucky and Natasha are once again together.

However, there was a time when Natasha was presumed dead, and her ex-boyfriends stepped up to uncover the truth regarding a Black Widow copycat. In the 2018 revival of Tales of Suspense by Matthew Rosenberg and Travel Foreman, Bucky and Clint come together to find out who is using Natasha’s old tactics to commit crimes.

Bucky Barnes Was Captain America Way Before Sam Wilson

Captain America #30 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Frank D’Armata, and Joe Caramagna

At the conclusion of the epic Civil War miniseries, Steve Rogers is shot and killed by a brainwashed Sharon Carter. Upon Steve’s death, Bucky – with his memories fully restored – refuses to let any other hero take possession of the symbol of his best friend’s legacy. Bucky intercepts a truck transporting the shield to Tony Stark and ambushes it, taking the shield for himself.

During his tenure as Captain America – or as BuckyCap, as he’s fondly nicknamed among comic fans – Bucky struggles to make amends with his past as the Winter Soldier and with his role upholding Steve Rogers’ legacy. One significant and humorous way that Bucky’s Captain America differs from Steve’s is Bucky’s fondness for weapons. Most of Steve’s foes were familiar with his distaste for weapons, while Bucky takes them by surprise with knives.

Bucky Barnes Accidentally Led the Young Avengers

Winter Soldier: Winter Kills #1 by Ed Brubaker, Stefano Gaudiano, Lee Weeks, Rick Hoberg, Matt Milla, and Joe Caramagna

The Young Avengers have taken on many enemies, usually emerging victorious. But in the 2006 Winter Soldier: Winter Kills one-shot by Ed Brubaker, Lee Weeks, Stefano Gaudiano, and Rick Hoberg, the Young Avengers unknowingly stumble upon a Hydra base. Nick Fury contacts Bucky and asks him to take over the mission to prevent the young heroes from getting into a situation that’s beyond their abilities.The mission turns out to be more complex than expected, as the Hydra base is just one in a full cell.

As Bucky sets out to handle the Hydra cell on his own, the Young Avengers refuse to let him go alone, indirectly making him the leader of their group. The issue has humorous elements, with Bucky sometimes awkwardly interacting with Kate Bishop, Vision, and Isaiah Bradley.But it ends with a touching moment between the kids and their accidental leader.

Bucky Barnes Has Been a Member of Superhero Teams Since the 1940s

Young Allies Comics #1 by Stan Lee, Charles Wojtkoski, Jack Kirby, and Syd Shores

Bucky Barnes has a long and varied history of team affiliations. Starting with his early Golden Age history, he was a member of the Young Allies, a group of teenage heroes who took on the Axis powers.The Young Allies played a significant role in shaping Bucky’s character as a dedicated and fearless soldier. During the war, Bucky also fought alongside Captain America as his partner in the Army.

Later in his history, after his time as the Winter Soldier, Bucky became a member of the Avengers, alongside many of his friends and fellow heroes. More recently, Bucky has been not only a member of the Thunderbolts,but their leader. Bucky’s ability to continue working as a loyal member of a team after decades of being a solo operative as the Winter Soldier shows his resilience – and that Bucky always returns to his roots as a team player.

Bucky Barnes Trained Black Widow While He Was the Winter Soldier

Captain America #27 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Frank D’Armata, and Joe Caramagna

When Bucky was used as the brainwashed Winter Soldier by the Soviet Union, he was stationed in the infamous “Red Room” for a time. The Red Room is a highly secret and specialized training facility used to produce high-caliber spies and assassins, specifically Black Widows. Bucky was charged with training Black Widows to fight, and one of his protégés was Natasha Romanoff.

During the period when Bucky trained Natasha, the two began a secret love affair. Both knew that their handlers could never find out, or the repercussions would be dire. Their concerns were ultimately proven to be legitimate, as their overseers did eventually find out and immediately put Bucky back into cryostasis.After that point, Bucky was only taken off ice for important missions.

Bucky Barnes Killed Wolverine’s Wife While Brainwashed by the Soviet Union

Wolverine #40 by Daniel Way, Javier Saltares, Mark Texeira, Jonathan D. Smith, and Randy Gentile

During his time as the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes was no more than a brainwashed bullet for the Soviet Union. He was responsible for many deaths, but one in particular was extremely tragic. In Wolverine #40 by Daniel Way and Javier Saltares, Bucky faces Wolverine and admits that he was the assassin who killed Logan’s wife, Itsu. The murder was not random but instead a calculated move, orchestrated by others, to manipulate and draw out Wolverine.

Bucky’s assassination of Itsu had huge implications for Logan. The murder not only robbed Wolverine of his wife and unborn child, but it also set in motion events that led to the birth and manipulation of Daken, Wolverine’s son. The revelation of Bucky’s involvement added a profound sense of personal betrayal on Logan’s part.For Bucky, the memory of what he did showed that he was a tool of others during his time as the Winter Soldier and revealed the horrific acts he was forced to commit.The story is a very dark part of both Logan’s and Bucky Barnes’ histories.

“}]] Bucky has shown his soft side and vulnerability  Read More