- "You have a metal arm? That is awesome, dude!"
- âSpider-Man to Winter Soldier[src]
Winter Soldier's Prosthetic Arm is a cybernetic implant attached to Bucky Barnes' left shoulder to be used in place of his missing left arm. Following the loss of his arm in 1945, Barnes was given a titanium arm by HYDRA. When the titanium arm was destroyed by Iron Man in 2016, he was given a vibranium arm by T'Challa during the Infinity War of 2018. The vibranium arm was later taken from Barnes by Nebula, who gifted it to Rocket as a Christmas present.
History[]
Titanium Arm[]
Becoming Winter Soldier[]
- "Sergeant Barnes... the procedure has already started. You are to be the new fist of HYDRA!"
- âArnim Zola to Bucky Barnes[src]
HYDRA turns Bucky Barnes into Winter Soldier
Following Bucky Barnes' fall from Arnim Zola's speeding train, he suffered injuries that included the loss of his left arm. The prosthetic arm was only a portion of the reconstruction efforts HYDRA used in turning Barnes into their deadly assassin. The construction of the arm presumably took place in secret HYDRA facilities in the Soviet Union, following World War II. With the communist red star imprinted on the arm, the brainwashed Barnes eventually became known as the Winter Soldier.[1]
Encounter with Isaiah Bradley[]
- "I took half that metal arm in that fight in Goyang, but I see he's managed to grow it back."
- âIsaiah Bradley to Bucky Barnes[src]
Winter Soldier used his new metal arm on numerous assassination missions for HYDRA. In 1951, during the Korean War, a super-soldier named Isaiah Bradley ambushed the Winter Soldier in Goyang, resulting in a fight where Bradley destroyed half of his prosthetic arm. Later, HYDRA repaired it.[6]
Assassination of the Starks[]
Winter Soldier beating Howard Stark to death
On December 16, 1991, HYDRA ordered Winter Soldier to steal a case of the Super Soldier Serum and assassinate its owners, Howard and Maria Stark. During his mission, he used the strength of his bionic arm to punch Howard Stark to death, and then staged his body to look like he died from the force of a car crash.[1]
Training the Winter Soldiers[]
Winter Soldier gets overpowered by Josef
Following his assassination mission, he began sparring with the newly enhanced Winter Soldiers with the Super Soldier Serum obtained from his mission. Winter Soldier fought one of the Winter Soldiers, Josef, in a training exercise. However, despite his bionic arm, Josef managed to overpower and defeat Winter Soldier. Suddenly, the Winter Soldiers rebelled against their handlers, and he used his prosthetic arm to protect and escort Vasily Karpov to safety.[1]
Massacre at the Hotel Inessa[]
Winter Soldier strangling his target
During the 2000s, Winter Soldier was sent to Hotel Inessa, where he slaughtered his target's guards, before breaking his neck with his metal arm, before shooting and killing RJ Nakajima, who had inadvertently witnessed Winter Soldier's slaughter.[7]
HYDRA Uprising[]
Attack on Nick Fury[]
Winter Soldier fails to execute Nick Fury
In 2014, as Nick Fury had evaded his would-be HYDRA assassins in his SUV, Winter Soldier appeared on the road and used a Disc Grenade to crash his SUV. As Winter Soldier approached, he used his prosthetic arm to rip off the door of the armored S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV, but Fury had already escaped by digging into the ground and escaping.[1]
Winter Soldier catches Captain America's shield
Later that night, Winter Soldier tracked Fury down at Steve Rogers' apartment and shot him through the chest, leading Rogers to chase him across rooftops. Rogers caught up to him on a rooftop and threw his shield at him. However, Barnes caught his shield with his prosthetic arm and threw it back at Rogers, allowing Barnes to escape.[1]
Battle of Washington, D.C.[]
Winter Soldier lands on the road
- "He's fast. Strong. Had a metal arm."
- âSteve Rogers[src]
After catching up to Steve Rogers in Sam Wilson's car in Washington, D.C., the Winter Soldier used his prosthetic arm to grab Jasper Sitwell out of the car, killing him. The Winter Soldier then landed on the highway using his prosthetic arm. During his fight with Rogers, the Winter Soldier's prosthetic arm was damaged by Rogers' shield.
The arm is repaired by HYDRA doctors
The prosthetic arm, which was partially mechanical, was repaired later by HYDRA doctors in the Ideal Federal Savings Bank, a HYDRA facility run by Alexander Pierce.[1]
Battle at the Triskelion[]
Winter Soldier shooting down the Quinjets
During the Battle at the Triskelion, the Winter Soldier had killed several S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and used his prosthetic arm as a shield to block gunfire. He later used his arm to punch a hole through the window of a Quinjet and steal it to fly towards Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.
Winter Soldier rips the Falcon out of the air
On the third Insight Helicarrier, Winter Soldier ambushed Rogers and Wilson and used his prosthetic arm to throw Wilson into the air. Later, as Rogers and the Winter Soldier fought each other inside the Helicarrier, Winter Soldier used his arm to block his shield attacks and to punch Rogers. The strength of his arm, in combination with his naturally enhanced strength, was used to force a knife into Rogers' shoulder and to pin his arm.
Winter Soldier shooting at Captain America
As Rogers tried to climb up to install the last chip, Winter Soldier used his prosthetic arm to mortally shoot Rogers. As the Helicarriers collapsed at the Triskelion, Winter Soldier later used his prosthetic arm to rescue Rogers from drowning in the Potomac River.[1]
Avengers Civil War[]
Capture of Winter Soldier[]
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to block gun shots
In 2016, after the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre, Bucky Barnes was presumed to be the culprit and the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre prepared an operation to kill him in Bucharest. However, Steve Rogers found Barnes, who was in hiding, and fought alongside him to keep him alive. During the breach, Barnes shielded himself with his prosthetic arm to block gunfire and to throw Rogers against a Joint Counter Terrorist Centre combatant. Whilst trying to escape to the lower levels of the apartment, he leaped from the top floors and grabbed the metal railings with his prosthetic arm to break his fall. As the chase continued into the underground tunnels, Barnes used his prosthetic arm to grab a speeding motorcycle and ride it himself. However, he was eventually captured and imprisoned at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building in Berlin.
Winter Soldier Escapes[]
Winter Soldier attempts to shoot Tony Stark
After Helmut Zemo used HYDRA's command words to brainwash Barnes to be the Winter Soldier, Barnes incapacitated Sam Wilson and used the strength of his prosthetic arm to throw Rogers into an elevator shaft. As he made his way upstairs, he fought Natasha Romanoff, Sharon Carter, Tony Stark with his Iron Man Gauntlet, and T'Challa, but he successfully fled to the roof where he was about to escape with a helicopter. After Rogers helped disable the helicopter, Barnes tried to choke Rogers to death with his prosthetic arm, but he was knocked unconscious as they fell into the river.
Bucky Barnes' arm locked in a vice
Rogers and Wilson eventually took Barnes to an abandoned warehouse, locking his prosthetic arm in a large industrial vice to learn more about the HYDRA Siberian Facility and the Winter Soldiers.[2]
Battle at Leipzig-Halle Airport[]
Bucky Barnes' arm blocked by Spider-Man
At the Leipzig-Halle Airport, Barnes used his prosthetic arm to defend himself from Tony Stark's team. Intercepted by Spider-Man, Barnes found the strength of his arm matched when an attempt to land a strike was countered by Spider-Man, who casually voiced his awe that Barnes had a metal arm before they were separated by the arrival of Sam Wilson.
Bucky Barnes fights T'Challa
Later, when the two Avengers factions met in a skirmish, Barnes was engaged by T'Challa, who almost overpowered him due to his use of the vibranium suit, Panther Habit, but Barnes was assisted by Wanda Maximoff.[2]
Battle at the HYDRA Siberian Facility[]
Bucky Barnes' arm is destroyed by Iron Man
While at the HYDRA Siberian Facility, Barnes' prosthetic arm was destroyed by Tony Stark's unibeam, after Stark was manipulated by Helmut Zemo and attacked Barnes and Steve Rogers. The arm was not replaced even after the fight and the remaining shoulder of the arm was removed, before Barnes chose to be frozen in Wakanda until a cure for his brainwashing could be found.[2]
First Vibranium Arm[]
Infinity War[]
Bucky Barnes is given a vibranium arm
- "How much for the gun?"
"Not for sale."
"Okay, how much for the arm? Oh, I'll get that arm." - âRocket and Winter Soldier[src]
For two years, Barnes lived in Wakanda without a prosthetic arm. However, in 2018, after T'Challa was warned by the Avengers that Thanos' army was coming, he visited Barnes at his remote hut and gave him a new vibranium prosthetic arm that had been designed by Shuri.
Rocket interested in Barnes' arm
During the Battle of Wakanda, Barnes used the vibranium arm to wield his rifle with great efficiency, defeating many Outriders. When his rifle got knocked out of his arm, he tried to use his vibranium arm to pierce an Outrider with a knife but failed. He later lifted Rocket with his vibranium arm and they worked together to kill as many Outriders as possible. Afterwards, Rocket asked Barnes for his gun's price, but he replied it was not for sale. Rocket then asked for his vibranium arm's price, causing Barnes to leave without answering.
Bucky Barnes and the arm disintegrate
After the Outriders were defeated, Thanos arrived and effortlessly defeated Barnes, after Barnes attempted to shoot him with his rifle. After Thanos completed the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped his fingers, Barnes was the first of the victims of the Snap, disintegrating along with his vibranium arm.[8]
Bucky Barnes fights in the Battle of Earth
Five years later, both Barnes and his vibranium arm were restored by the Blip. Barnes then used his vibranium arm to help him wield his rifle during the Battle of Earth.[9]
Trying to Make Amends[]
Bucky Barnes' arm
For the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, while Barnes was living in New York City and trying to make amends for his past actions, he kept his vibranium arm hidden by wearing jackets, long-sleeves, and gloves when out in public. Barnes only exposed his vibranium arm when he was alone in his apartment.[7]
Flag Smashers' Political Ultimatum[]
Chase of the Flag Smashers[]
Bucky Barnes after his fall
After joining Sam Wilson on his mission to Munich, Germany to try and stop the Flag Smashers, Barnes tore his jacket sleeve off, revealing his vibranium arm to JoaquĂn Torres on the aircraft, before using that arm to help him as he jumped out without flight gear. His arm helped a little to catch onto tree branches, but Barnes still had a rough landing.
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to catch him
During the fight with the Flag Smashers on top of the trucks, Barnes slipped off the side and used his vibranium arm to hold onto the bottom of the truck. While doing this, Dovich tried to kick his vibranium arm off the truck, but to no avail.[6]
Clash in Brass Monkey Saloon[]
Bucky Barnes pretends to be Winter Soldier
In Madripoor, Helmut Zemo told Barnes that he had to pretend to be the Winter Soldier again, to Barnes' displeasure, as they had to all play different roles in order to be allowed inside where he needed to go. Barnes walked into the city with his vibranium arm exposed.
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to fight
Inside the Brass Monkey Saloon, Zemo told Barnes to be the Winter Soldier and fight to protect him against Selby's henchmen so that they would be allowed inside to see her. Barnes used his vibranium arm to defeat the henchmen and as he was choking the last henchmen, Sam Wilson put his hand on his vibranium arm, as a cue to stop.[10]
Skirmish with the Dora Milaje[]
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to stop Ayo
In Riga, Latvia, Barnes wore his jacket over his vibranium arm in public. At Helmut Zemo's Latvian Residence, he let his vibranium arm be exposed. After Ayo, Nomble and Yama arrived to arrest Zemo, John Walker got into a fight with them. In an attempt to stop Ayo from fighting, Barnes used his vibranium arm.
Bucky Barnes's arm is detached
However, Ayo detached Barnes' vibranium arm, exposing a locksafe in it put in by the Wakandans and then left with the others after seeing Zemo had escaped. Barnes, who was surprised about this, then reattached his arm after telling a concerned Sam Wilson that he didn't know that could happen.
Fighting the Flag Smashers[]
Bucky Barnes fighting the Flag Smashers
When Barnes was fighting the Flag Smashers, he used his vibranium arm with great skill.[11]
Battling for the Shield[]
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to fight John Walker
After John Walker had murdered a Flag Smasher, Barnes and Sam Wilson confronted Walker to take the shield from him. Barnes used his vibranium arm to the best of his ability against Walker, repeatedly pushing him into the defensive with the shield and engaging in a grapple for it. At one point, Barnes caught the shield after it was thrown at him, and fought back.
Bucky Barnes' arm gets electrified
Seconds later, he was thrown by Walker into an electrical outlet, which sent a blast of electricity into his vibranium arm. This caused Barnes to fall to the ground and briefly become unconscious.
Bucky Barnes returns to the fight
Barnes soon regained consciousness and saved Wilson from Walker, by tackling into him. Barnes used his vibranium arm to hold onto Walker, so Wilson could disarm him from the shield. Barnes finally used the vibranium arm to block and restrain Walker for him to deal a devastating punch to the face before finally lifting him for Wilson to hit with the shield. Barnes then used his vibranium arm to lift the shield before using his other hand to toss it to Wilson.
Fixing Wilson Family Boat[]
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to fix the boat
Barnes went to Delacroix, Louisiana and helped Sam Wilson fix Wilson's family boat. He used his vibranium arm very little to Wilson's surprise, but used it in a jokingly manner to help Wilson lift heavy objects.[12]
Final Fight Against Flag Smashers[]
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to talk on phone
Barnes returned to New York City and went to the GRC New York Headquarters, with his vibranium arm exposed to the public as he was suited up to fight. After he was handed a phone, he used his vibranium arm to hold it while he talked to Karli Morgenthau.
Bucky Barnes uses his arm to rescue GRC hostages
After confronting the Flag Smashers on the street, Barnes was forced to rescue GRC hostages in a trapped NYPD Humvee after a Flag Smasher lit it on fire. He used his arm to pry open a device that had been planted onto the trunk of the Humvee. After falling off the ledge of a construction site to a riverbank below, Barnes used his vibranium arm to stop a metal slab thrown by Dovich from falling on him.
Bucky Barnes pats the shield
After Sam Wilson's speech as the new Captain America, Barnes patted the shield with his vibranium arm.
Bucky Barnes shows off his arm
Back at Delacroix, Barnes felt comfortable enough to showcase his vibranium arm at a community cookout. He let AJ, Cass, and other children touch his arm, while Sarah Wilson laughed nearby.[13]
Owned by Rocket Raccoon[]
Christmas Gift from Nebula[]
Rocket is gifted the arm
In December 2025, Nebula went to Earth specifically to steal Bucky Barnes' vibranium arm from him. After defeating him, she succeeded in removing his arm and took it with her back to space,[14][15] intending to give it to Rocket as a Christmas present. Wrapping it in a box and dropping it at his feet, Rocket immediately recognized the arm as Barnes' and was overjoyed to receive it as Nebula wished him a merry Christmas.[16]
Alternate Universe Versions[]
Zombie Apocalypse[]
- "Your robot arm is waterproof. How handy! Pun intended."
"You know all I have to do is squeeze, right?" - âKurt Goreshter and Bucky Barnes[src]
| This section requires expansion |
To be added[3]
Capabilities[]
- "I got a vibranium arm. I can take them."
- âWinter Soldier to Falcon[src]
The bionic arm gives him strength superior to that of Captain America, and comparable to that of Iron Man. The Winter Soldier was able to rip open a S.H.I.E.L.D. armored SUV, rip apart Sam Wilson's EXO-7 Falcon, and smash concrete by punching it. With his bionic arm supporting his already-enhanced natural strength, the Winter Soldier was able to overpower Captain America in a fight.[1]
The limits of the bionic arm's strength were realized during the Avengers Civil War. While the arm was stronger than a natural one, it was not as flexible. This was seen when the Winter Soldier found himself matched by Spider-Man, an enhanced youth, who was able to counter his blow due to his superhuman strength and bend back the appendage with ease. The arm was later almost overpowered by the Black Panther whose own enhanced strength combined with his vibranium suit, the Panther Habit, allowed him to push back the force of the bionic arm while exploiting its limited mobility. The arm proved inferior to the gauntlets of the Mark XLVI as Stark was easily able to counter it before disintegrating the limb with his unibeam.[2]
Despite being equipped with a new vibranium arm, its capabilities were shown to be relatively similar to his original bionic arm with the added benefits of being vibration absorbent and nigh-indestructible. Despite all of these positives, It was detached by pressing a combination on the arm, as a contingency if Barnes ever reverted to his HYDRA Programming, which was later used by Ayo during her scuffle alongside Falcon, U.S. Agent, Battlestar and a few of her subordinates while debating what to do with Helmut Zemo.
Alternate Versions[]
| Origin | Status | Creators | Owners | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zombie Outbreak | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Celestial Invader Ego | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Forerunner Steve Rogers | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Disfigured Steve Rogers | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| What If...?: 3.01: What If... The Hulk Fought The Mech Avengers? | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| What If...?: 3.03: What If... The Red Guardian Stopped The Winter Soldier? | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Iso-8 Power Source | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Falcon Takes Flight | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Global Crossbones Attacks | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
| Captain America: Civil War: The Junior Novel | Active | - | Bucky Barnes | Bucky Barnes |
Appearances[]
References[]
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- â 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- â 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Captain America: Civil War
- â 3.0 3.1 3.2 What If...?: 1.05: What If... Zombies?!
- â 4.0 4.1 Marvel unveils the first Avengers: Doomsday cast members â including Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
- â 5.0 5.1 SDCC via Cosmic Circus on X - July 27, 2024
- â 6.0 6.1 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.02: The Star-Spangled Man
- â 7.0 7.1 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.01: New World Order
- â Avengers: Infinity War
- â Avengers: Endgame
- â The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.03: Power Broker
- â The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.04: The Whole World Is Watching
- â The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.05: Truth
- â The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.06: One World, One People
- â James Gunn on Twitter - November 26, 2022
- â James Gunn on Twitter - November 26, 2022
- â The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special