Winter Soldier

Sergeant James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, is a World War II veteran, a former officer of the 107th Infantry Regiment and the best friend of Steve Rogers since childhood. Barnes was conscripted and assigned to the 107th in 1943. His regiment was captured by HYDRA, where Barnes was experimented on by Arnim Zola. Barnes, along with whoever still remained from his regiment, were later rescued by Rogers, who had become Captain America during Barnes' absence. Upon joining forces in the continuing war, Barnes and Rogers formed the Howling Commandos to battle the Red Skull's forces. However, during an attempt to finally capture Zola in the Austrian Alps, Barnes was caught in their ambush and plummeted hundreds of feet from a train. As no body was ever recovered, Barnes was then presumed deceased, but officially listed as missing in action.
Unbeknownst to his team, Barnes' experimentations allowed him to survive the fall, albeit with the loss of his left arm. Once found by the Soviet Union, and HYDRA, Barnes was further experimented on, granting him superhuman abilities, and was subsequently brainwashed and armed with a new cybernetic limb in order to become their operative, known as the Winter Soldier. Over the next fifty years, he would eliminate anyone who posed any threat to HYDRA, including Howard Stark and his wife, Maria. Between all these assassination missions, the Winter Soldier would be put into a cryogenic stasis to ensure his longevity. In 2014, the Winter Soldier had been ordered by Alexander Pierce to assassinate Nick Fury, in order to ensure that all Pierce's schemes with Project Insight could go ahead. However, the Winter Soldier was challenged by Steve Rogers, which had triggered him to begin remembering his prior life.
In the wake of their Battle at the Triskelion, Barnes, free from his brainwashing, deserted HYDRA in order to remember his past and end his long, violent history. Two years later, Barnes was then framed for the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre, which claimed the life of T'Chaka, among many other innocent lives. While the Black Panther sought revenge for his father's death, Barnes had been repeatedly saved by Captain America, which sparked the Avengers Civil War as a team of Avengers, led by Iron Man was sent to capture him. However, they eventually learned that Helmut Zemo framed Barnes and reactivated his brainwashing, so that Zemo could reveal that Barnes had murdered Stark's parents years ago. Having just survived Stark's revenge attempt, Barnes was given amnesty in Wakanda by T'Challa and was placed in cryostasis, until all HYDRA's control triggers could be removed from his mind.
Barnes was eventually freed of his brainwashing by the efforts of Shuri. However, as Thanos had attempted to kill Vision for the Mind Stone, Barnes returned to combat to stop the Mad Titan's plans, receiving his new vibranium arm. Barnes joined T'Challa and the Avengers to help fight off the threat, only for Thanos to defeat them and assemble all of the Infinity Stones. Barnes was subsequently disintegrated as Thanos eliminated half of all life in the universe. In 2023, Barnes was resurrected by the Hulk as he then participated in their final battle against Thanos' forces. In the aftermath of the battle, Barnes had bid Rogers farewell, knowing of his true intention to travel back to the 1940s in order to live with Peggy Carter. Barnes was then present to witness Rogers, as a much older man, return home in order to then choose Sam Wilson to pass the shield onto.
== Powers and Abilities ==
=== Powers ===
After Bucky fell into a trench in an ice mountain, he was saved and given a metal arm, along with some other enhanced abilities from a serum that had a similar effect to the human body like the Super Soldier Serum given to Steve Rogers but not quite at the same level.
* Enhanced Strength: The Winter Soldier has strength that is equal to that of Captain America. Bucky's strength was greatly boosted by a serum given to him by HYDRA scientists. The Winter Soldier's physical strength is enhanced to superhuman levels. He has used his legs and flesh arm to kick and punch others with a display of strength that far surpasses normal humans and closely resembles Captain America's own abilities.
** Bionic Arm: HYDRA also removed the remnants of his severed left arm and replaced the missing limb with a cybernetic one. The bionic arm gives him enhanced strength superior to that of Captain America. The Winter Soldier was able to rip open a S.H.I.E.L.D. armor SUV, rip apart Falcon's EXO-7 suit, and smash concrete by punching it.
* Enhanced Speed: The Winter Soldier's speed is comparable to Captain America's. It should be noted that Captain America can run at 30 mph with relative ease, and still had trouble keeping up with the Winter Soldier in a chase sequence.
* Enhanced Durability: The Winter Soldier's bones and muscles are denser and harder than normal, to the highest human potential, which makes him very durable compared to a normal human. Zola's experiments fortified his form to the extent that he survived a high fall in the Eastern Alps that would have been fatal to an ordinary man. Also he was able to leap from the bridge to the top of a car and land without any apparent injury. The roof of the car was not as lucky, being cracked by his landing.
* Enhanced Stamina: The Winter Soldier's musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human.
* Enhanced Reflexes & Agility: The Winter Soldier's reflexes and agility is superior of a ordinary human. When Steve throws his shield at him while he was chasing after him, he easily catches it with his cybernetic arm and throws it back at him.
* Regenerative Healing Factor: The Winter Soldier's healing speed and efficiency is at the highest limits of human potential, which means he can heal faster than most humans.
== Equipment ==
* SIG-Sauer P220ST: The Winter Soldier's weapon of choice, a semi-automatic pistol heavily used by armed forces and police of many countries. He used it against Captain America while confronting him on the streets of Washington, D.C. and inside one of Project Insight Helicarriers.
Category:Heroes
Category:Avengers Members
Category:Vigilante
Category:Male
Category:Avengers