Winter Soldier is a recurring character who was originally a brainwashed boss character in two Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games (the latter being n-space exclusive), prior to becoming an ally in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3.
Character History[]
James Barnes was born in Shelbyville, Indiana on March 19th, 1925. Barnes grew up as an Army brat. He was orphaned when his father was killed in training at U.S. Army Camp Lehigh in Virginia just before the United States' entry into World War II. As a result, he is unofficially adopted by the camp as a mascot. Nicknamed "Bucky", he takes to wearing a uniform and becoming savvy with the ins and outs of military life, even though he is a teenager. It was at Lehigh that he meets and befriends Private Steven Rogers, who by all appearances is the clumsiest soldier in the camp. This was at the same time that reports of the then-mysterious Captain America begin to appear in news magazines, and Barnes eagerly devours the accounts of this new hero.
Together, Captain America and Bucky fight Nazis both at home and abroad, as a duo and as part of The Howling CommandosIn the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Red Skull from destroying an experimental drone plane. He launches the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reach the plane just before it takes off. Bucky unsuccessfully tries to defuse the bomb, and it explodes in mid-air before reaching its intended target. He will be believed to have been killed in action, as Rogers is hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic
After the plane explodes, General Vasily Karpov and the crew of a Russian patrol submarine find Bucky's cold-preserved body missing one arm. Bucky is revived in Moscow but suffers brain damage with amnesia as a result of the explosion. Scientists attach a bionic arm, upgrading it as technology improves. Programmed to be a Soviet assassin for Department X – under the code name the Winter Soldier (Russian: Зимний Солдат, translation Zimnij Soldát) – he is sent on covert wetwork missions and becomes increasingly ruthless and efficient as he kills in the name of the state.
While a Soviet agent, he also has a brief relationship with the Black Widow. The Winter Soldier is kept in a cryogenic stasis when not on missions, and as a result has aged only a few years to a young adult since the closing days of World War II. In 1968, the Winter Soldier was sent to kill Professor Zhang Chin, whom he had met over 20 years earlier. He was thwarted by an intangible being called the Man with No Face, though he was able to escape. On assignment in the United States in the 1970s, he suffers a breakdown and goes missing for days after assassinating his target.
The Winter Soldier also aided in Wolverine's escape from the Weapon X laboratory and later murdered Itsu, Wolverine's wife, seemingly killing their unborn son Daken, who survived the attack after being cut from his mother's womb. In the present day, the Winter Soldier seemingly kills the Red Skull and Jack Monroe (Nomad) under orders from former Soviet general Aleksander Lukin (Karpov's former protégé).
The Winter Soldier launches a terrorist attack on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, killing hundreds, and charges the Cosmic Cube which Lukin sent him to retrieve. He kidnaps Sharon Carter, an agent of the international espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and a former lover of Steve Rogers (Captain America). Upon her rescue, Carter tells Captain America that Winter Soldier looked like Bucky. S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury confirms the Winter Soldier's existence, but cannot ascertain his identity. Captain America tracks down and confronts the Winter Soldier. Regaining his memories, Bucky becomes overwhelmed by guilt over his past actions, crushing the Cosmic Cube and teleporting away.
He reappears shortly afterward in London, England, where he helps Captain America fend off a terrorist attack. He asks Nick Fury for employment and new equipment following the loss of his bionic arm. Following the events of the superhuman Civil War, Winter Soldier helps Fury plan the escape of an arrested Steve Rogers. Considering registration architect Tony Stark (Iron Man) as ultimately responsible, Winter Soldier plans to kill Stark. Ultimately, he heads to Kronas's headquarters, where Lukin reveals he is the Red Skull and has the evil psychiatrist Dr. Faustus attempt unsuccessfully to brainwash the Winter Soldier.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance: Story[]
For some reason, Doctor Doom somehow manage to brainwash Winter Soldier again, having a twisted personality of his World War 2 self instead as a cold assassin. He team-up with Radioactive Man, during their voluntary assault with Scorpion, Bullseye and Fin Fang Foom on S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, but was defeated by the heroes, yet manage to give Doom a time to look into one of the S.H.I.E.L.D.’s files for his evil plan.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2: Story[]
Winter Soldier only appears in an n-space version of the game, where he is one of the victimized heroes controlled by nanites.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: Story[]
Winter Soldier appears in a reboot game as an ally.
After the heroes save Attilan from Black Bolt’s brother Maximus, Winter Soldier alerts them he is at Wakanda to send a reinforcement from there when A.I.M. attempt to steal back the Soul Stone he briefly secured. Due to MODOK’s power may cause Winter Soldier betrays the heroes by HYDRA’s secret brainwashing programming word at Russia, Winter Soldier must avoid him. Although he lost the stone, he manage to escape from MODOK when his presence is nearby. However, he was briefly caught by A.I.M.'s hired mercenary and Black Panther's archenemy, Klaw, until the alliance rescued him. Because of MODOK have already look into the brainwashing's passcode on Winter Soldier's head and will use the advantage to kill the heroes on sight, Winter Soldier remains aiding the deployed Dora Milaje on fighting A.I.M Troppers' ambush, allowing the heroes to proceed to defeat MODOK and secure Soul Stone safely.
Gallery[]
