Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12
Brothers in Arms
1945[4]
Captain America and Bucky have been assigned to defend a British airfield from Nazis sabotage. When the Germans show up, the pair go into action. Watching Bucky fight, Cap can’t help but think how much Bucky had become like the brother he never had. Having someone to watch his back has also been a great help but sometimes he was confident with holding back and just letting Bucky work. In this case, Bucky made a bet with Steve that he could take out all three Nazis in 30 seconds. This reminds him of how much of an operator Bucky always has been….
1941
Just after receiving the Super Soldier Serum, Steve Rogers was set up at Camp Lehigh as a private. The first day he met Bucky Barnes was when two of his fellow soldiers were caught sneaking off base. Thinking Rogers ratted them out, they tried to beat him up in the barracks. Bucky was the camp mascot, unofficially adopted by the unit after his father tragically died in a parachuting accident. Seeing Steve in trouble, Bucky came to his aid. Since the boy made a living selling supplies to the soldiers, he pretended the reason was because Rogers owned him money. Buck then told the other two soldiers that they were ratted out by another soldier. Barnes wasn’t sure if this was true or not, only that the other guy was the one who really owed him money. After saving Steve from a beating and seeing that he is an artist, Bucky then went into a full on sales pitch for his wares, offering to selling him various art supplies.
1945
After dealing with the Nazi riff-raff, Captain America and Bucky made their way to one of the hangers. Along the way, Bucky learns that the reason why they have been sent here is to prevent the Nazis from stealing a remote control bomber that could change the direction of the war. Climbing onto the roof, they look down into a skylight and discover that the drone is being commandeered by Baron Zemo. Not wanting to be interfered with, Zemo unleashes some specially prepared androids made for him by Arnim Zola. As the two crashed in through the skylight, Cap notes how Bucky always seemed to lead into battle with his face…
1941
In those early days, Steve Rogers always earned the ire of his superior office, Sargent Mike Duffy, who frequently berated Steve for being a lousy soldier. As much as Rogers would get KP duty, it seemed like Bucky was always getting away with this. He was always sneaking along on training drills and was always trying to grow up fast. Steve recalls one night when Bucky snuck into a bar and stared a full on brawl. When the military police came to break it up, Steve helped Barnes sneak out the back door so he would avoid getting in trouble. He remembers how Bucky insisted that he could have won the fight if he was able to stay.
It wasn’t long after that when Steve was returning from a secret mission as Captain America and Bucky caught him changing out of costume. Steve tried to get Bucky to swear to secrecy but the only way that Barnes would do that was if he was allowed to become Captain America’s sidekick.[2]
Steve recalls their first mission where they stopped a bunch of Nazis sabateurs sneaking into America via a U-Boat. After capturing the Nazi spies, Bucky loaded up their explosives onto a rubber raft and kicking it out to the U-Boat in order to sink the submarine. It was here that Bucky collected his first trophy, one of the German’s military medals. Over the next few years, Bucky had collected so many trophies that it filled an entire trunk.
1945
As the two fight Zemo’s androids, the Baron is rigging the drone plane to take off and bomb Britain. In the ensuing brawl, Bucky sprays the floor with a slick of oil and keeps one of the androids busy long enough for Cap to toss his shield and spark the fuel and light the monster on fire. Risking self-immolation, Bucky fearlessly breaks free from the android as it catches on fire. This reminds Steve of how fearless his partner has been over the years. In fact, he only ever showed fear once….
Earlier
Captain America and Bucky were being air dropped behind enemy lines. Before they are about to parachute out, Bucky admitted to Steve that he’s actually afraid of heights thanks to what happened to his father. Cap convinced Bucky to overcome his fears by reminding him that he’s jumping with his best friend. They managed to make it to the ground without incident. Stealing some Nazi uniforms, they were to infiltrate a German prison and liberate an atomic scientist named Gruhen who didn’t have the good sense to flee Germany when he had the chance.
Their cover story allows them to get into the castle where Gruhen was being held. However, the Nazis were only pretending to believe their cover in order to catch the two Americans off guard and take them prisoner as well. Captain America and Bucky there then locked in the cell with Gruhen. Moments later, Cap tricked the Nazis into thinking that Bucky and the scientist escaped through a tunnel that was dug out. In reality, Bucky and Gruhen had suspended themselves over the door and drop on their captors when they come in to check.
The trio then managed to get a fresh set of Nazi uniforms to cover their escape. They soon dropped the scientist off with the Howling Commandos at the rendezvous point. Almost forgetting to take a souvenir, Bucky rips a badge off of Gruhen’s uniform since it’s the only thing he could take.
1945
Although Bucky managed to pull free form the burning android, he ends up hitting his head against the wall knocking himself out. Captain America then raced to his partner’s side, only to be blasted with a stun ray from behind by Baron Zemo. As he blacks out, Cap’s mind drifts back to the past once more…
Earlier
This last memory was after Bucky was injured on a mission and needed time to recover in a veteran’s hospital. There, the young man was a huge hit with the female nurses. Steve had come to visit Bucky and bring him some comic books and chocolate to pass the time.[3]
It was a rare moment where they got to talk about what they planned on doing after the war is over. While Steve figures he’ll get married and settle down and start a family, Bucky has no intention of doing anything like that. He figures that once he leaves the service the whole world will be his oyster and he’ll be spending his time enjoying all the women, fast cars, and parties money can buy. The idea of settling down to a suburban life doesn’t interest him and he doesn’t think Steve will go that way either because even if the war is over, the pair will still be partners.
1945
Steve and Bucky wake up and discover that Zemo has changed them out of their costumes and in ordinary military garb and tied them to the drone plane that he intends on unleashing on London. As the plane is starting up, Steve manages to break the rope tying them down. They try to stop Zemo, but the plane starts taking off.
Stopping the plane quickly becomes the top priority and the two hop on a motorcycle to follow after it. Bucky manages to leap onto the plane in an effort to disarm the bombs on board. With time running out and the plane starting to take to the air, Steve leaps on as well. He tries to convince Bucky to stop and let go because there’s no time left. When Steve says that there are no medals to take as a trophy this time, Bucky gives him a grin and says it doesn’t matter it’s always been about loving his country….
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky, Baron Zemo, (in flashback) Mike Duffy, Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan
Continuity Notes
The 1945 portions of this issue are retelling the day that Captain America and Bucky tried to stop Baron Zemo’s drone plane. The resulting explosion would put Cap in suspended animation and Bucky in the hands of the Russians who would transform him into the Winter Soldier. This tale has been told and expanded upon countless times in Avengers #4, 56, Captain America (vol. 1) #155, 215, 220, (vol. 4) #24, (vol. 5) #4, 6, 8, 11, What If? #4, Captain America: Man Out of Time #1, and Captain America: Reborn #4.
While this story presents the idea that Bucky learning Cap’s secret identity and blackmailing his way into becoming a sidekick, this is alter revealed not to be the case. In Captain America #620-622 it was revealed that James was actually trained by the military to become Captain America’s sidekick. His purpose was to secretly carry out operations that Captain America — due to his high profile nature — could not. Things like assassinations and other covert operations. The whole “oh my god, you’re Captain America” thing that had been the staple origin back in Captain America Comics #1 was later explained as a propaganda film made to sell the American public on Captain America. One could assume that the reason why Cap is telling the cover story about Bucky’s origins is because he is telling it to someone who isn’t authorized to know the truth.
One of the comics that Steve brings to Bucky is Marvel Comics #1.
