Captain America (vol. 5) #44

Feb 9

Feb 9 Captain America (vol. 5) #44

Time’s Arrow Part 2 of 3

Beijin, China - 1968

The Winter Soldier has been sent on a secret mission into China. Given the two close relationships the two countries share, stealth is of the utmost importance because discovery will spark an international incident. Usually, the Winter Soldier would be used to bring the target back to Russia with him. However, there is no possibility for this, and so Winter Soldier is given the orders to kill Professor Zheng Chin.

New York - Now

Captain America (James “Bucky” Barnes) and the Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) meet with Ollie, Nat’s contact within the UN. He gave them access to a research facility that recently had data stolen from it by Batroc the Leaper.

His superiors were not happy and after interrogating him over how much Captain America knows about the data, they are now reassigning him to Madripoor as punishment. Whatever was on the data that was stolen, the UN doesn’t want Cap to know about it. It is because of this that Ollie has come to them with this information. This is because he feels that whatever is in that data should be found by Captain America before anyone else.

As Cap and the Widow ride back, he wonders if the United Nations knows who he really is. Natasha doesn’t think so, reminding him that Nick Fury erased all SHIELD’s data on the Winter Soldier before he went AWOL, and Tony Stark made sure all records of the new Captain America’s identity were scrubbed as well.[1] They then agree to split up, with Natasha digging into the intel while James picks up Batroc’s trail to figure out who he is working for.

Taking off his Captain America costume, James begins smashing up illegal arms dealers to find out where he can find Batroc. The owner of a gun shop tells him that Batroc has an ex-Forces guy named Griffin in to buy guns for his latest operation, but that’s all he knows.

Meanwhile, Batroc and his team have captured a scientist named Doctor Penfield. Batroc tells the man that he can live if he tells them what he knows about a United Nations facility where he worked. When he gets what he is looking for, Batroc calls his employer, the enigmatic Man With No Face, to tell him that what they seek is going to be relocated to a more secure location.[2] Batroc has planned an ambush to steal what they seek while it is in mid-transport.[3] He also, as instructed, left a trail that Captain America can follow. That evening, Bucky has tracked down the apartment rented by Griffin. The place is a filthy hovel but after some searching he located Batroc’s plans hidden in a vent behind the couch. He doesn’t suspect that he is walking into a trap.

That afternoon, when Batroc attacks the UN convoy, Captain America is there on the scene to stop him. Jumping his motorcycle off the traffic, Cap launches himself into the air and lands on top of the transport truck. There he fights Batroc and Cap soon realizes that he was lured here. As he is making that realization, the truck drives under an overpass. That’s when the Man With No Face literally emerges from the shadows and ambushes Captain America. He strikes James with a blow that sends him flying off the truck and onto the road. Moments later, the truck crashes into a support pillar for the overpass. Moments later, the Man is on top of Cap asking him if he remembers who he is. For a moment, James doesn’t know who he is facing, that’s when his memories kick in…

Beijing, China - 1968

It was when the Winter Soldier was sent on a mission to assassinate Professor Zheng Chin. He had sneaked into Chin’s private office while the scientist was ranting into his tape recorder. He was annoyed that the Chairman rejected his ideas, even though he had compelling proof that overpopulation will bleed the planet dry. Sensing someone in the room, Zheng turns around and when he gets a good look at the Winter Soldier he recognizes him as Bucky, the American hero who saved his life during World War II.[4]

This confuses the Winter Soldier enough to give him pause. This allowed the Man With No Face to appear. He tells Zheng Chin not to worry as nobody will be killing anybody while he is here.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Black Widow, Batroc, (in flashback) Winter Soldier, Zheng Chin

Continuity Notes

There is a lot of subterfuge mentioned here. The details:
- James Barnes was previously, Bucky, the original Captain America’s partner during World War II. He was presumed dead after getting caught in an explosion in 1945. In reality, he was recovered by the Russians and transformed into the Winter Soldier. He worked as their assassin, and later for Russian exile Aleksander Lukin until the brainwashing was undone recently. See Captain America (vol. 5) #8, 11, and 14.
- Nick Fury went underground following the events of Secret War #1-5 to prepare to repel a Skrull invasion of Earth, as seen in Mighty Avengers #12 and Secret Invasion #1-8. Prior to his departure he scrubbed all data on the Winter Soldier from SHIELD’s files.
- Tony Stark was briefly Fury’s successor following the events of Civil War #1-7. When James agreed to become the new Captain America in Captain America (vol. 5) #33, Stark erased all data on this so that James could operate independently.
The Man With No Face is not mentioned by name in this story. That was the moniker that was given to him when he first appeared in Captain America Comics #77. One could presume that the source of his powers has slowed or stopped his aging process.
The contents aboard this truck are unspecified. We’ll learn next issue that it contains the remains of the original Human Torch, who has been dead since New Invaders #9.
Bucky and the Invaders saved Zheng Chin from the Imperial Japanese army in 1942, as seen in a flashback last issue.