Bucky Barnes Captain America: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: James “Bucky” Buchannan Barnes

First Appearance (As Bucky): Captain America #1 (March, 1941)

First Appearance (As Captain America): Captain America Vol. 5 January, 2008)

Powers: Acrobat, Highly skilled in Armed and Unarmed Combat, Accurate Marksman, Fluent in Four Languages. Left Arm is a Cybernetic Prosthetic with Superhuman Strength and Enhanced Reaction. Can Mentally Control Arm. Discharges Electricity and an AMP to Make Electronics Useless.

Affiliation: Avengers

Enemies: Hydra, Red Skull, A.I.M.

Love Interests: Black Widow

Did You Know: It was Tony Stark who gave Bucky the news that Steve Rogers wanted him to become Captain America

A Little History

At the conclusion the critically acclaimed Winter Soldier story the world knew that Bucky Barnes was alive and back at the side of Steve Rogers. The man who spent the better part of a decade carrying out assassinations was now spending his time seeking answers, vindication, and ways to clear his name.

His turnaround started with a gunshot.

The Civil War event that shook the Marvel World to its core ended with Captain America being shot on the footsteps of a courthouse. While the world mourned his loss, Tony Stark was instructed to tell Bucky that, if in the event he was unable to continue his run as Captain America, Steve wished for Bucky to take over. Initially not wanting to take the role, Bucky eventually relinquished and became the new Captain America. 

The Bucky Barnes Captain America, unlike the Steve Rogers version, was a little more ruthless, unafraid to carry a gun and bent the rules a little. Just as the demeanor of the character changed, so too did his costume. Rather than maintaining the perfect combination of red, white, and blue, Bucky’s costume introduced a little bit of black and a sleek new look. 

Liked this article? Follow us on Bluesky for the latest Marvel & DC news!