Captain America (vol. 5) #43
Time’s Arrow Part 1 of 3
Shang-Hai, China - 1942
The Invaders — Captain America (Steve Rogers), Bucky (James Barnes), and the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) — are on a secret mission in the Japanese occupied territory. Posing as German tourists, they meet up with their contact who cleared a path for them. No longer having to travel incognito, they strip off their disguises, revealing their customs underneath.
Unfortunately, their contact didn’t do a very good job hiding the bodies of the soldiers he has killed, as they have just been discovered. The Invaders are then forced to ambush the newcomers. As Bucky lays down machine gun fire, the Torch flames on and takes to the air, using his flame powers to burn them.
New York, Now
A lot has changed since World War II, James Barnes is no longer Bucky, but the new Captain America.[1] He has been too antsy to sleep and his lover, the Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) knows exactly what it is. The reality of the situation has set in. He’s Captain America and the public has accepted him in that role now. She points to all the battles he has fought and won, particularly the recent Skrull invasion of Earth which he helped repel.[2] Even the world’s heroes — the unregistered ones at least — respect him.[3] James still can’t accept the praise he is getting because he remembers everything he did as the Winter Soldier. Natasha tries to convince him that he wasn’t really responsible for that period since he was brainwashed, but he doesn’t want to believe it.[4] Natasha likens his situation to that of Sharon Carter, who was recently brainwashed by the Red Skull to kill Steve Rogers, the original Captain America.[5] That reminds James to ask Natasha how Sharon is doing, and learns that the Falcon (Sam Wilson) is looking after her, but she is not returning to SHIELD. Sharon is a survivor though, just like they are. Still unable to sleep, James decides that he is going to go out and get some fresh air and changes into his street clothes.
Meanwhile, a United Nations Scientific Research Facility elsewhere in the city is attacked by Batroc the Leaper. He takes out the guard at the front gate and leads a team of mercenaries inside. He tells them that they have three minutes to complete their objective, and not a moment more.
At that moment, Bucky is riding his motorcycle across the city, wondering why he isn’t celebrating his recent victory over the Red Skull.[6] That’s when the radio built into his motorcycle picks up a police report of the incident down at the UN facility and heads off in that direction. He arrives just as Batroc and his men are trying to flee the scene. Even though he isn’t in costume, he barrels into them on his motorcycle. He then fights Batroc, and even has some moves to counter the merc’s mastery of the savat fighting style. Batroc is impressed with this stranger’s fighting ability but doesn’t have time to figure out who would win. He then has one of his men use a energy cannon to blast James into a nearby car.
Luckily, Bucky had Captain America’s shield under his jacket, so he wasn’t killed. When the trademark weapon of Batroc’s most frequent foe becomes visible, he is surprised and delighted, but departs hoping they will fight again.
Recovering from the blast, James strips off the remains of his street clothes, revealing his Captain America costume underneath. Putting his mask on he calls Natasha and asks her to get in touch with any connections she might have with the United Nations. Soon, Captain America and the Black Widow are meeting with Natasha’s connection, a man named Ollie. He has had a chance to assess the damage done by Batroc and his cohorts and has determined they came to make a copy of an old archive drives. When Nat asks what was one it, Ollie says it was the type of data you wished wasn’t on it.
Shang-Hai, 1942
While the other Invaders are busy with Japanese soldiers, Captain America sends Bucky into the facility to get what they came for. Their objective is to extract Zhang Chin, a boy prodigy that the Japanese have forced to work for them. Seeing the Human Torch in action catches the young genius’ attention. He is so enrapt by the Torch’s abilities that Bucky has to give him a good shake to snap out of it and have the boy follow him.
New York, Now
Batroc has fled to Chinatown where he meets with the enigmatic Man With No Face. He is telling his client about how they were interrupted by the new Captain America, but managed to get the data the Man was looking for, records of some kind of remains that have recently been examined at two facilities. When Batroc shows the Man a photo of the new Captain America with his mask off, he instantly recognizes him as the Winter Soldier. This is a very interesting development, something that his master will be pleased to know about.[7]
Recurring Characters
Captain America (Barnes), Black Widow, Batroc, (flashback) Invaders (Captain America (Rogers), Bucky, Human Torch), Zheng Chin
Continuity Notes
At the time of this story, the original Captain America (Steve Rogers) is believed to have died in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. In reality, he’s been time displaced in as part of a complex body theft plot in the works by the Red Skull, as we’ll see in Captain America: Reborn #1-5. In the meantime, Bucky was convinced to become the new Captain America in Captain America (vol. 5) #33. The public finally accepted him as Cap last issue.
This story takes place after the Secret Invasion event. James (as Captain America) was involved in fighting back the invasion from Secret Invasion #6 through 8.
“Unregistered heroes” is in reference to those crime fighters who refused to register themselves under the Super-Human Registration Act which came into force in Civil War #1. The SHRA will remain a law until a resurrected Steve Rogers convinces the President to repeal it following the events of Siege #1-4.
Believed to have died during World War II (per Avengers #4), Bucky was actually recovered by the Russians who transformed him into an assassin called the Winter Soldier as detailed in Captain America (vol. 5) #8 and 11. In modern times, the Winter Soldier fell into the possession of Aleksander Lukin who used Bucky as his personal assassin. Bucky eventually broke free of his brainwashing in Captain America (vol. 5) #14.
Sharon was brainwashed by Doctor Faustus on behalf of the Red Skull in Captain America (vol. 5) #22. She was the one who fired the “fatal” shots that “killed” Steve Rogers. She is important to their body snatching plot as she will be used as an anchor to pull Cap’s body back to the present, as we’ll see in Captain America: Reborn #1-5.
James recently foiled the Red Skull’s plot to help Senator Gordon Wright win the upcoming Presidential Election. See Captain America (vol. 5) #37-42.
The Man With No Face is working for Chin Zheng. As we’ll learn over the next two issues, the Winter Soldier was sent on a mission to eliminate him. The Man With No Face isn’t mentioned by name here, this was the moniker given to him in Captain America Comics #77, his only other appearance prior to this story arc. The remains they are talking about here are those of the Human Torch, who has been deceased since New Invaders #9. It is unexplained how the Man With No Name could still be alive in the Modern Age. One could presume that the source of his powers has slowed or stopped his aging process.
Translations
There are portions of the dialogue in this story that are in French and they are not translated. They are:
Excusez-moi monsieur = Excuse me sir.
Puis-je voir votre lesser-passer? = Can I see your pass?
Je voudrais que vous rendiez, sans faire d’histoires = I will give it back, no fuss
Oui = yes
Tu le regretteras chaque fois que tu te regardans dans le miroir — pour y voir l’emperinte de mes pompes sur ta guelule! = You'll regret this every time you look in the mirror - to see the imprint of my shoes on your face!
Quoi?! = What?!
Tu es bien entrainé, L’Américan… mais pas assez. = You are well trained, The American… but not well enough.
Impressionnant… Je serais effectivement curieux de voir ça mais — ça ne risque pas d’arriver de sitot! = Impressive… I would indeed be curious to see more but — it’s not likely to happen anytime soon!
Qu’est-ce que c’est? = What is this?
Oh… Excitement ce quil me fallait…= Oh… Excitingly what I needed…