Warning: contains spoilers for Devil's Reign: Winter Soldier #1!

Marvel is teasing new mysteries for the Winter Soldier that stretch all the way back to his days as Captain America’s sidekick Bucky. In Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier #1, the titular hero steals a file from Wilson Fisk that contains information that could compromise all the Winter Soldier has worked to achieve—and learns of a much deeper, darker mystery in the process. The special one-shot, on sale now in print and digital, ties into the current Devil’s Reign event and sets the stage for the upcoming Captain America #0.

The Winter Soldier is James “Bucky” Barnes, Captain America’s teenage sidekick during World War II. During a top-secret mission, Bucky was seemingly killed, but in reality, was found by the Soviets. The Russians brainwashed Barnes, turning him into a lethal assassin named the Winter Soldier. Captain America would later encounter the Soldier in the present day, and eventually helped his friend shake the Winter Soldier programming. He would temporarily assume the role of Captain America while Steve Rogers was seemingly dead; after Rogers’ resurrection, he returned to the role of the Winter Soldier, often coming to Captain America’s aid. Now, Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin has begun a one-man war against New York’s superheroes, and the Winter Soldier finds himself drawn into the conflict. Devil's Reign: The Winter Soldier is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, illustrated by Nico Leon, colored by Felipe Sobreiro and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

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The Kingpin has amassed large amounts of data on the Earth’s heroes, information he intends to weaponize as New York’s mayor. Learning Kingpin has a file on him as well, the Winter Soldier breaks into the Kingpin’s mansion to steal it. After successfully retrieving the file, he reads it—and learns it is extensively detailed, beginning with his birth onwards. The file contains information on his parents as well as performance in school—even noting he failed chemistry. It covers his time as Bucky during World War II and his time as the Winter Soldier as well, detailing all of his kills. The Winter Soldier takes the file to find closure, but instead finds mysteries on top of mysteries. The issue ends with him vowing that whoever “wrote this file won’t survive the year,” as he walks away into the distance. A note promises that this story is far from finished and will continue in Captain America #0.

Winter Soldier reads the contents of the file Kingpin had on him

The Winter Soldier fails to find the closure he so desperately seeks, and instead finds himself thrust into even deeper mysteries. The file he steals is comprehensive, containing information that on the surface would seem trivial, such as his grades in school. It is now clear that the Winter Soldier was on someone’s radar even before he became Bucky more than 80 years ago—but who is it? What agency, or persons, would care about his childhood, his parents and academic performance? The implications of the file are far-reaching, teasing that the Winter Soldier was being groomed for something, even as a child. Furthermore, the file implies that whoever was doing this to the Winter Soldier is not finished, that there is more work to be done.

However, the parties behind this may have underestimated the Winter Soldier; he is desperate for closure and may try to achieve it any cost—maybe even if it means running afoul of Captain America. The stunning revelation that the Winter Soldier has been manipulated from day one, even back to his time as Bucky, adds new layers to the character, and gives him a new mission, one that will continue in the months to come.

Next: Captain America Relaunches As Two Series with Return of Sam Wilson