Spoilers ahead for The United States of Captain America #3!

Bucky Barnes was brainwashed and turned into the Winter Soldier, but now he is using that training to prevent assassinations rather than commit them. In The United States of Captain America #3, on sale now in print and digital, Captain America and his allies, including Sam Wilson, are on the trail of a Cap impostor who has stolen his shield. When the trail takes them to a political rally, it is Bucky who steps in and saves the day.

Bucky was originally Captain America’s sidekick during World War II. While fighting Nazis on a plane, it was destroyed. The explosion threw Captain America into the water, where he would be frozen until his discovery by the Avengers; Bucky was believed dead. However, he was found, battered and badly injured, by the Soviets, who brainwashed him and turned him into the ultimate killing machine: The Winter Soldier. Thanks to Captain America, Winter Soldier was able to overcome his programming and was even Captain America for a time. Bucky’s rebirth as the Winter Soldier proved popular with fans, and the story was adapted to film in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier; elements also appeared in 2016’ follow-up Captain America: Civil War.  Both of those films depicted Winter Soldier as a ruthless killer, but in The United States of Captain America, he uses his Winter Soldier conditioning to save the life of a politician.

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In the story, written by Christopher Cantwell, with art by Dale Eaglesham and colors by Matt Milla and letters by Joe Caramagna, Captain America and Sam Wilson have teamed up with Joe Gomez, the Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe, to stop the impostors, revealed to be Speed Demon and Sinthea, the Red Skull’s daughter. They plan to assassinate Prescott, a Cheyenne candidate for governor at a rally the next day. Once there, Speed Demon throws Cap’s shield at Prescott, intending to decapitate him. Instead, the Winter Soldier leaps into the fray, catching the shield and saving Prescott’s life.

Winter Soldier catching Captain America's shield

This is a far cry from the Winter Soldier’s old life. In both comics and the movies, the Winter Solider carried out many attempts on the lives of politicians, journalists, and activists, but here he is saving their lives. Captain America believed in Bucky’s ability to shake the Winter Soldier programming, and he has. Now, Bucky is able to take the conditioning and training and use it for good purposes, such as saving the lives of gubernatorial candidates.

Bucky Barnes’ return as the Winter Soldier last decade rocked Captain America to his core, but now his former ally is using his powers to prevent the kind of assassinations he was programmed to perform.

Next: Marvel's New Winter Soldier Has Just Been Born