Since his return as the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes has been on an upward trajectory. For years, Marvel's conventional wisdom was that Bucky and Uncle Ben stayed dead, but writer Ed Brubaker proved otherwise. Bringing Bucky back as Winter Soldier led to a Captain America renaissance that would eventually see the former sidekick take up the mantle of his mentor.
Bucky's accomplished some great things over the years. While not all of them were the most savory, as he spent decades as the Soviet Union's premier assassin, Bucky has proven to be one of the toughest people in the Marvel Universe.
10 He Was Captain America's Sidekick During World War II
Sidekicks are a venerable tradition in comics. Bucky was one of the first and is still one of the best. Chosen to work with Captain America during WWII, Bucky made a name for himself on the battlefields of Europe, battling the Nazi threat alongside the Invaders. He was integral to Cap's success, and he used his black ops skills to soften up targets for Cap before the hero attacked them.
Bucky made himself into a legend during the war. While it helped that he was Cap's partner, he was just a young man with no superpowers alongside the biggest target of the war. He excelled when many others would have cracked.
9 He Survived Some Of The Most Pitched Battles Of The War
While most people remember how World War II ended for Bucky, it's key to remember just how much he survived during the conflict. Captain America was in every major battle in the European theater, and at his side was Bucky. Bucky survived every struggle, and he didn't have an indestructible shield or super-soldier serum.
Even Bucky's last act of the war was heroic, saving many from Zemo's drone bomb. Bucky fought his way through some of the greatest battles of the war, with just his fists and wits.
8 He Ruined Wolverine's Life
As the Winter Soldier, Bucky did a lot of very bad things, but one of those had grave consequences for Wolverine. Bucky was sent to kill Wolverine and his family in Japan, but only his pregnant wife, Itsu, was home at the time. Bucky killed Itsu, and after he left, Romulus cut their unborn son out of her corpse.
This led to Akihiro becoming Daken, one of Wolverine's greatest foes, in the long term. In the short term, it broke Wolverine's heart, driving him further into despair and making his life much worse for a long time.
7 He Became The Man On The Wall
Original Sin, by writer Jason Aaron and artist Mike Deodato Jr., introduced the concept of the Man On The Wall. The Man On The Wall's job was to do whatever it took to stop threats to the Earth before they got to the planet. For years Nick Fury held this role, but when the Infinity Formula wore off, he needed someone to take his place. Bucky decided to take the job, as it fit his skills perfectly.
For a time, the Winter Soldier protected the Earth from all alien and extra-dimensional threats. It wasn't something that would last, but he did a great job, as the Earth is obviously still there.
6 He Became The Soviet Union's Top Assassin
While one could debate whether becoming a top assassin for a despotic regime is a good thing in a moral sense, there's no doubt that Bucky's time as the Winter Soldier for the USSR was a difficult accomplishment. Bucky became a legend in the black ops world, taking down targets that many deemed impossible.
Not all great accomplishments are moral. Bucky was able to excel in a world that chewed up and spit out so many others. The Cold War of the Marvel Universe was filled with skilled soldiers, and Bucky was among the best. It was a huge change from who was in WWII and a big accomplishment.
5 He Mastered Captain America's Shield
Captain America's shield is one of Marvel's greatest weapons. It's also an extremely difficult weapon to use. Its unique blend of adamantium and vibranium makes it perfect for defense, and over the years, many have tried to use it as well as Cap does. Just about all of them have failed, as using it offensively and defensively takes a lot of practice that is basically instinctive to Cap.
When Bucky took over as Captain America, he had to learn how to use the shield, which wasn't easy for him. It wasn't a weapon he had any training with, yet he was a natural. It was a difficult thing to do, but he proved more than able.
4 He Defeated Baron Zemo
Bucky and the Zemos have a terrible history. He helped Cap battle against Baron Heinrich Zemo during WWII. It was Heinrich's drone bomb that almost cost Bucky his life and sealed his fate as the Winter Soldier. When he took over as Captain America, his greatest enemy was Heinrich's son Helmut, who had taken over as Baron Zemo in his father's place.
Helmut Zemo took his father's villainous legacy and expanded upon it. He and Bucky clashed many times. While Bucky was never able to get his revenge against Heinrich, he did make life more difficult for Helmut.
3 He Joined The Avengers
The Avengers are Marvel's greatest team, an assemblage of the mightiest heroes on the planet. Bucky joined the team after Secret Invasion when they were forced underground by Norman Osborn's takeover of the superhero national security apparatus. He excelled in this environment and when the team defeated Osborn, he was acted as their Captain America until faking death in Fear Itself.
Bucky didn't ride his mantle of Captain America to a leadership position. He wanted to earn his way to the top and did a great job with the team during a trying time.
2 He Broke Through His Winter Soldier Programming
The Winter Soldier saga is one of the best Captain America stories of the modern age. Bringing Bucky back was a huge risk, but writer Ed Brubaker and artists Steve Epting and Mike Perkins made the whole thing work. Pitting Cap against his one-time partner was some great drama, made all the better by Bucky's eventual triumph over his programming.
While he had help, Bucky still was the one who made all the difference. He fought hard to regain the man he once was and became the hero he always should have been. It was one of the most challenging things a person could do, but he succeeded.
1 He Became Captain America
The assassination of Steve Rogers as he was being brought to trial for the events of Civil War was a massive shock to everyone. Black Widow, Falcon, Sharon Carter, and Bucky sprang into action, hunting for clues to what happened and trying to salvage his legacy. Eventually, Bucky was given the shield and took over the mantle of Captain America. He had some big boots to fill, and he did a fantastic job.
On the surface, especially after his Winter Soldier years, Bucky seems like the last person who should be Captain America. However, he was able to take the skills he gained over the years and add to them, becoming a greater hero than anyone imagined.