A tough kid who spent his whole life on Army bases, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes proved himself strong enough to take on the role of Captain America's sidekick during World War II. The pair fought the Axis powers throughout the Big One until Bucky perished in a scheme orchestrated by the original Baron Zemo.
For years, Captain America believed his partner dead, but the Russians came upon Barnes' body in the ocean and turned the amnesiac into the perfect killing machine. Upon proving difficult to control, the Russians decided to put him in cryo-freeze between missions, giving birth to the legendary Winter Soldier. Eventually Captain America came into contact with this Winter Soldier, recognized his partner, and used a cracked Cosmic Cube to return his friend's memories.
Since then, Bucky has dedicated himself to making up for the atrocities he committed as the Winter Soldier. He even took up the mantle of Captain America for a time and also stepped in for Nick Fury as "the man on the wall," keeping an eye out for threats to Earth's existence.
Born in the Barracks
Bucky's mother died early in his life, but he grew up on Army bases with his dad and sister Rebecca, learning the ins and outs of this lifestyle at an early age. After his father died in a training accident, Bucky spent his days at Camp Lehigh in Virginia getting into trouble but also proving himself as a young man with great potential.
A fan of Captain America's exploits, Bucky jumped at the chance to train overseas with an S.A.S. unit before the U.S. officially entered the war and also took fighting lessons from the people who trained the Sentinel of Liberty. He was considered to be a perfect partner for Captain America, not only to get America's youth invested in the fight, but also to take care of dirty dealings that might not make the newsreel footage.
Apparently blown up by Baron Zemo, Bucky became a brainwashed weapon of the Russians until Captain America restored his memories with a Cosmic Cube. Since then, he has focused on making up for all the pain he caused as the Winter Soldier.