#steven epting

The Death of Captain America Vol. 2: The Burden of Dreams

Issues: Captain America (2004) #31-36

Summary: Previously, supervillain Doctor Faustus had assumed the identity of a SHIELD psychiatrist, brainwashed Sharon Carter, and caused her to shoot Captain America at close range, killing him.

Bucky’s been captured by Faustus and by Kronas CEO Aleksander Lukin (with the Red Skull’s consciousness in his body). Black Widow and Falcon break in to their base, looking for Sharon, but the bad guys escape with her. As she struggles to throw off her brainwashing, Sharon ensures that Bucky gets left behind in the villains’ escape. Falcon and Widow bring him back to SHIELD, where Tony manages to convince Bucky to put aside their differences so that they can take down the Red Skull. Tony talks Bucky into becoming the new Captain America, something he believes Steve would have wanted. However, for political reasons, Tony won’t be able to publicly acknowledge this new Captain America, so Bucky will be partnering with Black Widow.

Lukin and the Red Skull manipulate events to cause economic turmoil, and people take to the streets in protest. Black Widow and Bucky (as Captain America) go out and try to figure out what the Skull’s end game is. They stop one of his schemes, but Lukin and the Red Skull continue working behind the scenes to discredit SHIELD and to rile up the crowds. While this is happening, Sin (the Red Skull’s daughter) and Crossbones attack the Senate offices. Bucky and Natasha stop the attack, but Sin escapes. Afterwards, BuckyCap tries to speak to the crowd outside, but they shout him down.

Later, Natasha tells Bucky that SHIELD is under scrutiny, which means she won’t be able to help him out as much for the time being. She asks him if he remembers their history together, and he says that it was the one good thing in all his time as the Winter Soldier. She kisses him before leaving, “until we fight together again.”