Winter Soldier

WWII

James "Bucky" Barnes was the sidekick of Captain America during WWII. He was first seen at the gate of the Hydra base and crushed a Hydra soldier when he opened it. Bucky and Cap cut through Arnim Zola's lab which Bucky said was freaking him out. The two were promptly captured by Red Skull and his Hydra minions. Skull demonstrated his machine that could open portals to realms from Norse Mythology. While Bucky distracted Lieutenant Strucker, Cap destroyed the machine. Skull escaped in his rocket. Cap (and Bucky against Cap's wishes) pursued him. Red Skull noticed his enemies following him, set the ship to blow, and got away. Meanwhile, Bucky had his leg stuck in the Rocket. Cap attempted to save his friend, but Bucky decided "the world need[ed] Captain America more than it nee

ded [him]". He saved Cap from being killed in the explosion of Red Skull's rocket, but died.

After the War

Bucky was brought back to life when Captain America touched the Cosmic Cube in "Hail Hydra". His history was altered and instead of being incinerated by the explosion of the rocket, Bucky survived and was knocked into the ocean. Following the explosion, he was found by Red Skull with his left arm missing. He was fitted with a cybernetic arm by Red Skull. Red Skull brainwashed Bucky and gave him the codename Winter Soldier.

Missions as Winter Soldier 

Not only was Winter Soldier tricked into thinking that Cap abandoned him, but was also tricked into thinking that Red Skull was Senator Dell Rusk and thus thought he was serving his country. Winter Soldier was awakened every ten years and sent on a secret mission. On an early mission of S.H.I.E.L.D., they were destroying an old Hydra base. Winter Soldier followed them. He knocked out S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (including Valentia de Fontaine) as they were planting bombs. Nick Fury called for his team to leave as he planted the last bomb, only to find out that they were inside the base. Before he could go after them, the base exploded and killed everyone inside. Fury saw the Winter Soldier as the last bomb blew up in (Fury's) face (literally).

Code Red

Red Skull soon assembled his own team called Code Red. Winter Soldier was sent by Red Skull to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. He used his robotic arm to gain access to the room where the Gamma Blood was stored. He stole the sample of Hulk's blood and mixed it with an unknown sample of blood and injected it into General Ross, turning him into Red Hulk. After Red Hulk went on a rampage that Hulk was arrested for, "Dell Rusk" congratulated his team.