Everyone loves Cap, but people love Bucky Barnes so much more. Let’s face it, Bucky just has a better background story. He was just as good of a guy as Steve Rogers and was brainwashed into doing some of the worst crimes on the planet. Once HYDRA got their hands on him, it was game over! There was no saving him. The lost soldier grew in popularity after the release of the film, The Winter Soldier, but even before then he was beloved as a character in Steve’s cherished past.
Regardless of his incarnation, Barnes has always been important to Steve as a friend, playing pivotal roles in his friend’s life. From lost teenage sidekick to the Winter Soldier himself, Bucky has had some pretty interesting pasts that we as fans have had to dig through. Being the Winter Soldier is a curse no one really wants to take on, especially Bucky, but it does come with some very interesting facts. Because of the way Barnes has been modified and enhanced, there’s plenty of cool things going on in his strange body. From his iconic bionic arm to even his mindset, there’s a whole list of things we can talk about going on with him.
Speaking of lists, if you were wondering about some of the interesting facts revolving around the Winter Soldier’s body, we have one here for you! Here are 25 facts about the Winter Soldier’s body that only super fans would know. See how many you’ve already known about!
25 He Hasn’t Aged A Day
You wouldn’t age much if you were stuck under Cryogenic Statis; we saw how much Steve aged after being stuck in a glacier, so you can only imagine how much Bucky has aged being carefully monitored.
After every mission, Bucky is put back to sleep until he is needed for his next big mission; which isn’t as often as you’d think. Because of this, he’s relatively the same age he was when he was first put under and still very close in age to Cap.
24 People Used To Not Dig His Hair
Back when Bucky was first introduced in the 40s, a lot of people did not dig the medium/shoulder-length hair. At this point in time, it was considered too “feminine” for men, so no one was super happy about Bucky.
Honestly, though, his hair looks so much nicer long!
Interestingly enough, Thor was subject to the same kind of scrutiny for his long blonde hair despite being, you know, the God of Thunder and everything. We guess when it comes to hairstyles, some timelines didn’t care what kind of power you had unless you looked presentable.
23 He Can Speak Over Five Different Languages
Bucky isn’t just bilingual; he can actually speak over five different languages. He can speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Latin, and Japanese and he can speak them all fluently.
If you’ve ever thought you were lacking in learning different languages, you’ll really feel like a slacker next to the Winter Soldier himself. Of course, it would make sense that Bucky knows all of these different languages because of the nature the Winter Soldier endures; if you want to blend in as a spy, you should probably brush up on your languages.
22 He’s Actually 15 In The Comics
Bucky’s popularity certainly boomed after the movie Civil War. The iconic look actor Sebastian Stan has created a new, iconic look for Bucky Barnes, but the truth is that Bucky wasn’t always the rugged, fully grown man we saw in the films.
He’s a little too young to be committing war crimes…
In fact, in the original introduction of Bucky, he was actually fifteen. This was a huge reason why Stan Lee was not a fan of him; he disagreed with the morality of having teenage sidekicks being put in danger.
21 His Arm Is Titanium And Heavy
We know that Bucky’s arm is certainly powerful and heavy; this is why the Winter Soldier has a distinct limp in his walk. However, no one really knows what kind of material the original arm was made out of.
While the arm can certainly take on Steve’s shield, Tony was actually able to damage it; meaning it wasn’t nearly as strong as we were lead to think. In the most recent comics, however, we see that Bucky has gotten a new arm made out of vibranium.
20 It’s Also A Flame Thrower
We already know that Bucky’s arm is extremely powerful in strength alone, sure, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvements! In fact, Bucky does get an upgrade from Fixer that allows him to have a flamethrower arm.
If you didn’t think Bucky’s arm was tough before, this is over the top!
Yes, it does sound a little overpowered when we put it that way, but it really did happen in the comics! He’s even able the emit electric shocks through his palms. Just when you thought Bucky couldn’t get any cooler, he does!
19 There Are Palm Print Sensors
Bucky’s arm may be his trademark, but that doesn’t mean that he only relies on it during a fight. We’ve seen the Winter Soldier utilize a number of average weapons like knives or guns.
It might seem a little bit much when you have a huge hunk of metal with more than enough strength and utilities to take down an opponent, but his ordinary weapons are also useful! For example, only he can use his gun because it recognizes who’s holding it through fingerprints.
18 However, The Arm Is Not Entirely Nimble
We’ve talked a lot about how cool Bucky’s arm is, but it’s not always the best weapon. When you have a weapon that heavy literally attached to your body at all times, you tend to recognize the sheer weight of it.
It’s a little too heavy to be considered flexible.
Sure, Barnes is an excellent fighter with the arm, but it’s so heavy that it’s actually slowing down some of his movements and not making him flexible enough for certain opponents. Against lighter, faster, and more nimble opponents, Bucky isn’t the best fighter.
17 He’s Strong Enough To Crush The Cosmic Cube
We know Bucky’s arm is incredibly strong, but the fact is that it’s so strong that it can actually break the Cosmic Cube. This was during Cap issue #15 where Bucky’s backstory is revealed.
Once he remembers that he is in fact Bucky Barnes, he gets so angry about the things he did as the Winter Soldier that he smashes the cube. Just as a refresher, the Cosmic Cube can control matter and energy so to be able to smash it the way he did is very impressive.
16 Bucky Has Been A Zombie Before
Do you remember the spooky Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness series where several major Marvel characters were reanimated bodies? We certainly do, and so does Bucky because he was definitely one of them!
A zombie Bucky is even scarier than the original.
Unlike some of the other zombies you may be familiar with, Barnes could still talk and function normally (for the most part). Ash Williams was the one to take him out, which was pretty difficult considering he still had his bionic arm despite the bodily decay.
15 He Even Became The White Skull
If you don’t want us to ruin your bromance, you may want to skip this entry; in an alternate timeline, Steve and Bucky are far from friends. The What If series really flipped a lot of original stories on their head and, unfortunately, Cap was not spared from this.
In their reimagined storyline, Steve is now names Stephen and Bucky is his commander. Bucky was always pretty nice, but in this version he’s cruel and heartless. Later in the story, he would become the White Skull and form the matching organization.
14 He Perished For A Reason
We know that Bucky, especially in the movie, was claimed perished even though he was really being held hostage and brainwashed. In the comics, however, Bucky was actually gone for a number of years.
You have to admit, having teenage sidekicks isn’t really ethical.
In fact, he was one of the staple perished characters in the Marvel Universe such as Uncle Ben; mostly this as used to propel the backstory of other characters, Cap in particular. The other reason for Bucky’s passing was to prove a point about teenage sidekicks and the tough parts of the job.
13 He Has Massive Emotional Trauma
With all of the things Bucky Barnes has been through, you know there’s no way he’s okay. Surely, his original incarnation pegged him as a cheerful sidekick ready to do good, but the later versions of Bucky would prove to be much darker.
Co-creator Ed Brubaker brought up that the constant brainwashing and finding out what he’d done as the Winter Soldier left Bucky with a lot emotional trauma that he may never truly recover from. This was, however, a part of Bucky’s appeal as a tragic character.
12 “Sputnik” Was The Magic Word
In the movie, we saw that it took a bit of effort to get Bucky to move; the code word to wake up the Winter Soldier was a little more than just one word. However, the comics made activating Bucky a little easier to remember.
Poor Bucky didn’t stand a chance in the comics!
The original word was “Sputnik.” This is a lot shorter, so it only makes sense that the films would want to make the code longer for a more dramatic effect in certain scenes.
11 The Arm Doesn’t Need To Be Attached
If you were one of the people who thought the arm was a little off-putting for its numerous abilities and unimaginable weight, you’re missing the bigger point; this bad boy can be controlled without being attached to Bucky’s body.
That’s right, the arm doesn’t even need to be on the host for him to control, meaning he has a bit of a longer reach than most of us. To be honest, the thought of a detached arm moving is just a little unsettling, but we’re sure it’s useful for Bucky!
10 He Got His Name From A Friend
Bucky’s name in the Marvel Universe is a shortened version of “Buchanan,” his middle name. However, the creator’s reason for the name was certainly much sweeter than just a nickname.
The original reason for the name is so sweet!
In fact, it came from a high school friend named Bucky Pierson. Of course, creators always take inspiration from the real world when it comes to character design, so this isn’t too surprising to see the real reason why he’s named this, but it’s still a fun fact!
9 He’s Afraid Of Heights
Being the Winter Soldier seems like you would need to be a fearless person, right? Well, the truth is that a lot of that fearlessness comes from the brainwashing aspect; Bucky is still just a human under all of that.
In fact, Barnes is afraid of heights! The reason behind this isn’t even irrational; during a training where soldiers were being taught how to properly jump from a helicopter, Bucky’s father experienced a parachute accident that took his life. He’s been nervous of heights ever since.
8 He Did Have An Illness Once
Being in the middle of war is a stressful job; a lot of soldiers smoke to take the edge off. For Bucky, however, this wasn’t such a great idea. In the Ultimate comics, we would see that all those years of smoking during the war would cause lung cancer.
It was extremely sad to see Bucky like this…
Yes, even the Winter Soldier is not immune to that, even if he wasn’t exactly the Winter Soldier in this timeline. Even in alternative timelines, Bucky is still going through some seriously hard times.
7 He Also Was The Father To Steve’s Son
While Bucky was portrayed as a teenage for many of his comic incarnations, there is a series that shows him as Steve’s equally-mature, adult sidekick. In the Ultimate comics, Bucky actually lives through the war and continues his career as a photographer.
However, he also believes that Cap has perished. This leads him to marry Steve’s widow and be the stepfather to Steve’s son. His stepson would later turn out to be the Red Skull. Quite a family history, right?
6 Where Did The Name “Winter Soldier” Come From?
You might think that the name “Winter Soldier” is a really cool code name for the kind of human weapon Bucky is, but there’s actually a historical meaning to where that name came from. During the Vietnam War, there were Winter Soldier Hearings that gave veterans a platform to discuss war crimes.
Yes, there is actually a historical reason for his name!
Bucky’s name could be a reference to that, but some speculate that the name is a play on “summer soldier”; Thomas Paine’s wording to describe soldiers that desert their duties.
