The Winter Soldier: Part 1

April, 1945 - The English Channel near Dover

A covert Russian spy submarine is on its way to German waters when they pick up radio chatter. The Nazis are reporting that they just blew up Captain America over the Channel Islands. This is of great interest to Colonel Vasily Karpov, who asks how far they are away from that location.

The Present

Captain America has been brought aboard the SHIELD helicarrier after a terrorist bombing in Philadelphia. He rescued Sharon Carter at the time who claimed that he kidnapper was his old wartime partner, Bucky. Something that should be impossible since Bucky has been dead since 1945.[1]

Nick Fury wants to show him photos of the man whom Fury is convinced was responsible for setting the bombs, the recent murders of the Red Skull.[2] However, Steve can’t bring himself to believe that this man is also Bucky, because his friend wouldn’t have triggered a bomb in the middle of a major city.

Last Night

After the bombs went off, Captain America rushed into the thick of it to help those who were trapped or injured in the blast. After saving two children from a burning building, Sharon radios him to say she saw something he should check out. Heading to her location, Steve catches a team of Advanced Idea Mechanic grunts searching through the rubble to make sure none of their technology is left behind for SHIELD. Not wanting witnesses they were about to shoot a man trapped in rubble when Captain America arrives. Knocking them all out but one, Cap demands answers.

Instead, the lone operative calls for back-up from the MODOC Squad. Steve demands to know what those are and is told that it lasts for Military Operatives Designed Only For Comat. Suddenly the MODOC Squad is air dropped to this location. Eager for a fight, Captain America tells them to bring it on.

Now

Fury starts showing Captain America photos of their lead suspect. One was taken in West Berlin in 1955 before a high ranking general was assassinated. Another from London in 1960 on the day MI6’s top agent was drowned. The next, Switzerland in 1976, the same day a Wakandan vice-chancellor fell off a mountain. These are all pivotal moments during the Cold War and the same face turns up in all the surveillance photos, the man they believe is the Winter Soldier. Steve wonders how Nick’s predecessors in the intelligence community didn’t see this. Fury counters by reminding him that they only made this connection now thanks to the advantages of 21st century facial recognition software. There is one other thing the computers tell them: Of the photos taken between 1955 and 1975, the man in the photos had only aged about five years.

When Cap asks how that can be possible, Fury points out how they have both managed to stay young over the decades.[3] However, Nick believes that man in question is an almost mythic assassin only whispered about in the espionage business, someone they call the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier was allegedly a KGB trained assassin who was so successful because he could easily blend in as an ordinary American. He was well trained in the use of knives, guns, and hand-to-hand combat. He was so good at his job that sometimes it was hard to tell if someone was the victim of a hit, or if they got into an unfortunate accident. The stories also said that the Winter Soldier was kept young and vital by being placed in suspended animation for years at a time. He’d be thawed out and worked for six months before being put back in a deep freeze until he was needed again. Fury believed the Winter Soldier was a myth as well until they looked at the security photos at Dulles International Airport from the day they found the Red Skull’s murder weapon.[4] Sure enough, the same man as in the other photos, and he had barely three years older than his last known photo.

Cap asks Fury if he is seriously asking if Bucky is this Winter Soldier. Fury was actually hoping Steve could tell him since he encountered him the night before.

Last Night

As Captain America battled the MODOC Squad he quickly discovered that the commandos all operate on a hive mind to boost their battle proficiency. However, by breaking off their cybernetic head dress off each one, Cap severs the connection making them easier to take down.

When one of the MODOCs tried to get the drop on him, the Winter Soldier appeared and shot him from behind. Getting a good look at him, Cap called to him with Bucky’s name. The Winter Soldier responded by asking who the hell Bucky is. Then, a building collapses between them. Once the smoke from the debris cleared, the Winter Soldier was already long gone, much to Steve’s frustration.

Now

Steve tells Fury that he doesn’t know what he saw and, after a moment of reflection, punches out the monitor displaying photos of the Winter Soldier. Getting his temper in check, Steve asks what their next move is. Fury believes that their prime suspect in all of this is Aleksander Lukin. Since he is likely in the possession of a fully powered Cosmic Cube, Fury wants to form a small team to grab Lukin and bring him back in for questioning before anyone notices. Steve agrees that this is a good plan and that he’s in.

After Steve leaves, Sharon expresses her concern about Steve’s well being since the enemy is manipulating him right before their eyes. Fury has other concerns and asks Sharon to walk with him. As they pass through the halls he tells her that Agent Neil Tapper — her last boyfriend — was killed in the bomb blast that devastated Philadelphia.[5]

April, 1945

The Russian submarine soon arrived at the location where they said Captain America was blown up. There they discovered a body floating in the water, missing an arm. Bringing it on board, they quickly figure out that this is not Captain America. When the captain of the sub asks what this is all about, Colonel Karpov tells him that it is his hope for the future.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, SHIELD (Nick Fury, Sharon Carter), Winter Soldier, AIM (MODOC Squad), (in flashback) Bucky, Vasily Karpov

Continuity Notes

1. Since Avengers #4 it has been believed that Bucky died back in 1945 in the same explosion that put Cap in suspended animation. He survived however, the details of which will be explained Captain America (vol. 5) #11.

2. The Red Skull was seemingly eliminated by the Winter Soldier in Captain America (vol. 5) #1. However, he had cheated death by using the Cosmic Cube to bounce his consciousness into Aleksander Lukin’s body, as we’ll learn in issue #14.

3. Captain America has maintained his relative youth after being frozen in suspended animation for decades, as per Avengers #4. Nick Fury, on the other hand, has had his aging process greatly slowed thanks to the Infinity Formula, as explained in Marvel Spotlight #31.

4. After killing the Red Skull, the Winter Soldier attempted to set up Jack Monroe to take the fall for his killings. See Captain America (vol. 5) #3, 4, and 7.

5. We met Neil and his failed romance with Sharon before seeing him bite it in Captain America (vol. 5) #6.