How shallow to presume war exists only within the physical world. Battles are waged for mind and soul, where things far from comprehension are confronted.
- Christopher Hawke, Unnatural Truth.
We can be redeemed only to the extent to which we see ourselves.
- Martin Buber.
A (mis) interpretation:
Name: James Buchanan Barnes.
Alias: Bucky.
Age: 93 years old (as of 2010).
Codename: The Winter Soldier (Зимний Солдат / Zimnij Soldát).
Designation: Weapon II.
Affiliation: New York Army National Guard - 107th Infantry Regiment (former); US Army - The Howling Commandos (former); 1st Special Service Force "The Devil's Brigade" (former); NKVD (Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del) / KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti) - The Winter Guards (Zimnij Gvardiya) (former); HYDRA (former); S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) - The Avengers Initiative (current); S.T.R.I.K.E. (Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies) - Team Alpha (current).
Abilities: Artificially enhanced physiology; high intelligence; slowed aging; fast healing; master hand to hand combatant; weapons expert; master tactician and strategist; expert marksmanship.
Std. armaments: Type II vibranium reinforced cybernetic arm x 1; Auspex sensorium google and mask x 1; carbon nanotube reinforced Kevlar/Nomex combat suit; Colt M4A1 assault rifle x 1 w. RM Equipment M203PI grenade launcher x 1; modified Fn Mk 13 grenade launcher x 1; CZ Vz. 61 E Skorpion machine pistol x 1; SIG-Sauer P220ST semi-automatic pistol x 1; COP 357 Derringer pistol x 1; Intratec TEC 39 pistol x 1; tactical spike x 1; tactical daggers x 2; various weaponries.
The Winter Soldier is one of the most dangerous and deadly covert operatives in existence. Currently under the service of S.H.I.E.L.D., he has been officially credited with 90 assassinations with a 100% kill rate throughout his career. The most feared assassin since the Cold War Era, the Winter Soldier suffered from psychological trauma with borderline personality behaviour, merciless with almost zero empathy as a member and commander of Soviet Union's The Winter Guards clandestine elite paramilitary group. His existence was once disputed due to the clandestine subterfuge nature of his mission. Colonel Nicholas "Nick" Fury refers to him as "The Last Choice". Fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. meta-human covert operator Wade Wilson jokingly calls him "The Terminator". The Winter Soldier seems to harbour a death wish, carries out his duty with suicidal tendency, with utter disregard to his own safety. He would relentlessly tracks down his target or complete any mission objective with cold efficiency and effectiveness. The Winter Soldier's skills and abilities are widely acknowledged to be at least equal to Steve Rogers. Due to his mental condition, The Winter Soldier is kept under maximum security and surveillance at all times. Although officially a member of the Avengers Initiative and S.T.R.I.K.E.'s Team Alpha, he is hardly deployed unless there is a dire requirement to do so, often assigned mission as a "lone wolf" operative, involving jobs which mostly involve sanctioned assassinations and neutralisation of targets with extreme prejudice. Even when on assignment, he would be implanted with a neural tracking device by S.H.I.E.L.D., and a micro remote detonator which is removed upon protest by Steve Rogers. The Winter Soldier was not always an antagonistic persona. In fact the opposite is true. Circumstances could be cruel to a man's fate.
He is born James Buchanan Barnes in 1917, Brooklyn, New York. More popularly known as Bucky, he was an all-star athlete, above average student and popular amongst his peers and girls. Barnes came to know Steve Rogers, a scrawny, five foot four sickly fellow student when he intervened and stopped a bunch of boys bullying, and beating Rogers up at the school yard. They would became best of friends thereafter. In late 1929, the Great Depression struck American economy, causing unprecedented high unemployment and lost of wealth, which gradually spread globally. Barnes and Rogers underwent tremendous hardship during those times. After the death of Rogers' mother, Sarah from tuberculosis, it was Barnes whom was there to console him. They survived by a hand to mouth existence and struggled for any odd jobs that came along. Severe drought and failure to apply dryland farming methods to prevent wind erosion caused the Dust Bowl, massive dust storms which swept across the Great Plains, one of which severely hit New York in mid 1934. As the economy gradually recovered, Barnes joined the New York Army National Guard 107th Infantry Regiment where he received military training and practise. Rogers however was rejected on the grounds of his medical condition. As diplomatic relationship with Japan became increasingly hostile, followed by the military strike on US naval base at Pearl Harbour in 1941 by the Imperial Japanese Navy, America officially entered World War Two. In 1943, he informed Rogers that he had been reassigned to the 42nd Infantry Division and would depart for North Africa in two days time. Rogers told Barnes to survive and come back safely no matter what. The night before departure, Barnes arranged a double date with Rogers in an attempt to cheer his best pal up due to Rogers failure to get enlisted for the war for the fifth time. They went to the Stark Expo, an extravagant exhibition of future technologies, of which the organiser, Howard Stark, owner, founder of the Stark Industries and whose son, Tony Stark, would later become one of the core members of The Avengers Initiative, called it The World Exposition of Tomorrow. It was on that faithful night, whereby Rogers' date ditched him after he attempted to get enlisted once more, which would lead to his chance meeting with Dr. Abraham Erskine and became the first individual to be artificially enhanced genetically with the Super Soldier Serum under the Weapon Programme. Barnes tried to dissuade Rogers from enlisting but to no avail. After a heartfelt goodbye, Rogers told Barnes not to win the war until he gets there. The next morning, Barnes and several thousands of men departed to reinforce the Allied forces in the Battle of Tunisia during the North Africa Campaign.
In the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the relatively untested and poorly led American troops suffered heavy casualties against the Axis forces led by the Desert Fox, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Despite the early defeats and with reinforcement by British troops, the US corps rallied and held off the Axis offensive plans. Sweeping changes and reorganisation were made throughout the entire US corps. After the Axis forces surrender in North Africa, Barnes then participated in the Italian Campaign, beginning with the invasion of Sicily, followed by advancement across Italy which were met with fierce defensive German positions. Later Barnes and the battalion he was attached to were ambushed at Battle of Azzano, with intense bombardment from super heavy tanks, Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster's 800mm shells. The less than a hundred survivors, including Barnes, were captured by the Waffen-SS and HYDRA. After the assassination of Dr. Erskine, and with the Super Soldier Serum formula presumed lost, Rogers was made redundant but was given a new role under the USO by Senator Brandt to sell war bonds. As "Captain America", Rogers was positively received in US itself but when he travelled to Italy, the war-weary troops heckled and ridiculed him on stage. Demotivated, Rogers met British Agent Peggy Carter of SSR once more whom explained to him that his audience of about fifty were the only ones whom made it back from Azzano. Unperturbed by the risk of being court-martialled and warned by Col. Phillips not to interfere earlier, Rogers proceed to rescue Barnes and the POWs after learning he was alive from one of the soldiers. With Carter on board, Rogers flew to the prison camp behind enemy line near Austria with a prototype plane coated with stealth and anti-radar device innovated by Howard Stark whom piloted his creation. He succeed in rescuing not only all the POWs whom were about to be liquidated by HYDRA, but also managed to rally the troops to destroy the enemies and their base. Barnes couldn't believe himself when Rogers revealed his identity to him, amazed by his physical and mental transformation. Rogers, Barnes and the surviving POWs walked back to the base. Impressed by his feat, Col. Phillips was given the green light from Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to form a elite team known as The Howling Commandos. Rogers was formally assigned the rank of Captain with Barnes as second in command. Barnes was happy to see Rogers but was feeling conflicted because their friendship role had been perceived as reversed. It used to be Barnes whom always looked after Rogers. Though he harboured no ill-will towards Rogers, there was slight envy that the squad's leadership was assigned to Rogers, whom had almost zero combat experience. All these changes when The Howling Commandos, comprising twelve hand selected unique soldiers with their own speciality in total, achieved numerous successful operations against HYDRA bases across Europe. Barnes was noted as a skilled sniper, capable of killing a target at a recorded 2000 yards away. In 1944, the Alsos Mission team informed the OSS and SSR that Johann Schmidt aka The Red Skull, overall commander of HYDRA had succeed in the creation of several nuclear bombs intending to destroy both Allies and Axis cities. He intended to establish the Fourth Reich. After the capture of Drs Amelind Zola on board the prototype atomic powered armoured train, Schnellzug EB912, by The Howling Commandos, the OSS and SSR learnt through interrogation that the primary base of HYDRA was not in an underground bunker at the Alps but instead in Telemark, Norway at Vemork, Norsk Hydro plant. The Allied forces, including the 1st Special Service Force "The Devil's Brigade" and elements of Norwegian resistance force, Milorg, assaulted the HYDRA base but Rogers was presumed killed after battling the Red Skull personally on board the Horten H.XIX "Valkyrie" flying wing super bomber when the nuclear payload detonated over the Artic Circle.
Barnes replaced Rogers as leader of The Howling Commandos and participated in the European Theatre beginning with invasion of Normandy to Germany's surrender after Battle of Berlin in 1945. He witnessed the Nazi's The Final Solution personally during the liberation of 30,000 inmates at Dachau. The Howling Commandos was disbanded shortly after VE Day. In an effort to replicate the late Dr. Erskine's serum, the SSR used Rogers' blood samples in an effort to continue The Weapon Programme but to no avail. As part of OSS's Operation Paperclip, Drs Amelind Zola became a member of the SSR. She possessed sufficient knowledge of the Super Soldier Serum as she was part of the late Dr. Erskine research team during the transformation of Johann Schmidt into the Red Skull or Weapon 0. She succeed in reproducing the serum although she hid the information that the formula was incomplete. Barnes volunteered to become the test subject and the result was the second Super Soldier, designated Weapon II, taking up the same codename Captain America, stationed at the American Zone of Occupation in Germany. Drs Zola, whom was still fanatically devoted to the cause of HYDRA, had intentionally subjected Barnes to the test knowing that it would be at the cost of his psychological deterioration. Barnes began to suffer from mental and emotional breakdown. With the ascension of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker as the overall commander of the organisation, Barnes became a victim of HYDRA's plan during the Berlin Blockade crisis. Captured by the Soviet's NKVD, Barnes was further subjected to a series of psychological torture and brainwashed into a merciless killing machine. He was re-designated as The Winter Soldier. Barnes defection was covered up by the OSS and SSR, which was later absolved. As The Winter Soldier, Barnes succeed in bypassing maximum security, leaving numerous bodies in his wake, to retrieve Drs Zola for the NKVD, which later became the KGB, and through her expertise, the Soviet began their own super soldiers programme, beginning with Natalia Romanova, the Black Widow or Weapon III. Barnes was active throughout the entire Cold War period, spanning nearly four decades. His true allegiance during those period was however to HYDRA, which had secretly infiltrated the ranks of both the CIA, successor to the OSS and the KGB themselves, sowing various political uprisings and chaos. He became a Soviet assassin, deployed for missions in various proxy wars globally. Barnes gained the most infamy when he succeed in killing subsequent artificially enhanced super soldiers under S.H.I.E.L.D., the successor to the SSR, starting from Jeffrey Mace aka Captain Freedom (Weapon IV), Madeline Joyce aka The Liberty (Weapon V), Brian Braddock aka Captain Britain (Weapon VI) and Jack Monroe aka The Patriot (Weapon VII). The Winter Soldier was seemingly unstoppable until he met his match during the Vietnam War when the human mutant known as The Wolverine and Weapon VIII, Isaiah Bradley aka Nomad. Assigned to specifically take him out, they defeated him after a vicious, prolonged combat. Barnes lost his entire left arm after it was cut off by The Wolverine's claws. He succeed in escaping from capture. Back in the KGB's secret weapons development and research facility at the Urals Mountain, his arm was replaced by a cybernetic prosthetic arm created by Anton Vanko. Barnes continued to be an active member of the Soviet Union's clandestine force until the liberalizing reforms of perestroika and glasnost in the 80s eventually led to the formal dissolution of the USSR in 1991. During those tumultuous period, Barnes even turned against his own Winter Guards and Red Dawns comrades, including The Red Guardian and Ursa Major. The Winter Soldier continued to be an active clandestine member of the HYDRA, working as an independent for the emerging Russian mafia groups, oligarchs and national separatists of which HYDRA had infiltrated.
In 2005, HYDRA's commander Heinrich Zemo orchestrated a series of plans which resulted in a daring full scale attack upon S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarter, the Triskelion before the siege was repelled by The Avengers Initiative, including the rediscovered Steve Rogers whom was found still alive a year before at the Artic Circle in frozen state. It was this assault which Rogers and Barnes met each other once more, although by then, the once best friend of Rogers had completely turned into a sociopathic killing machine with a singular mission to take out Captain America. With Barnes' face hidden by The Auspex google and mask, The Winter Soldier brutally fought Rogers one on one on board a scuttled Helicarrier, each other not holding back, fighting to a standstill, unaware of each others identities. Rogers then tore off the mask, and was horrified to see it was Barnes whom hadn't aged from the time he last seen him. The Winter Soldier took the opportunity of distraction to deliver a chain of devastating attacks on Captain America, severely injuring Rogers, rupturing his internal organs and breaking his bones. Rogers attempted to reach out to his friend but Barnes stabbed him in several vital points. As the Helicarrier began to disintegrate, Rogers pushed Barnes from being crushed by the falling structures and was himself pinned down. As Rogers slipped into unconsciousness, he uttered, 'Bucky. Till the end of the line my brother.' It was there and then that Barnes regained partial memories of the past. It was a sentence Barnes once promised Rogers after his mother's funeral in order to console him when he had no one left. Rogers then fell into the Potomac with the Hellicarrier. Suffering from cognitive dissonance, Barnes nevertheless recovered an unconscious Rogers from the depth of the river before disappearing. Barnes left HYDRA and went off the grid. Later Rogers embarked on a personal mission to track him down despite Fury's order against it. HYDRA also ordered a manhunt for Barnes. The Winter Soldier embarked on a personal vendetta, seeking answers and revenge against individuals responsible for what he had become. These include by then an elderly Drs Zola whom was hiding for decades in Panama. During the confrontation, the un-repented scientist and eugenicist said that Barnes was her finest creation before The Winter Soldier double tapped her in the head with his gun. He rampaged across the globe, a step ahead of Rogers at all time, confronted and killed numerous HYDRA operatives, cultivating in the assassination of then HYDRA commander Heinrich Zemo after annihilating all the HYDRA guards at a base in the Alps. Rogers finally located Barnes in France after he killed Batroc the Leper. They fought once more but with Captain America holding back in the hand to hand combat, on defensive stance. 'Bucky! Enough of this madness!' said Rogers. 'Who is Bucky?' replied Barnes. 'James Buchanan Barnes! That's who you are!' said Rogers. The Winter Soldier seemed more hesitating in his attack but still relentless. 'You look familiar. But I never leave a mission..,unfinished!' said Barnes. 'You're my friend! I will not leave you like this! Not like this!' said Rogers. 'You strikes me as a sentimental man, Amerikansky. Compassion is nothing...BUT WEAKNESS!!' replied Barnes as he grabbed Rogers' neck with his cybernetic arm, lifting the six foot two meta-human up and began to apply intense pressure which could crush steel like an aluminium tin. Rogers countered and applied a chock hold. 'Don't make me do this Bucky! Please don't!' said Rogers. Barnes struggled to break free. Rogers exerted all his might and broke Barnes right arm. The Winter Soldier didn't scream. Rogers then disabled his cybernetic arm using a portable version of The Widow's Bite to short circuit it. Yet, The Winter Soldier possessed enough strength to lift Rogers up and slammed him onto the ground and walls several times. Leaving Rogers with no choice, he choked Barnes into unconsciousness. As the S.T.R.I.K.E. team moved in, Rogers said,' Do not touch him!' Barnes was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment at Muir Island. He was supposedly sentenced to death but Rogers intervened and pleaded for Barnes to be spared on his behalf. Under the recommendation of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director Fury, Barnes was subjected to mental and psychological rehabilitation there by Dr. Moira MacTaggert with the help of Elizabeth Braddock, a human mutant member of the X-Force known as Psylocke, the grand niece of the late Captain Britain. He slowly recovered his lost memories but still not 100%. Barnes also couldn't regain back his full behavioural personality. After the event of New York, which decimated nearly all the core members of The Avengers Initiative, Fury decided to recruit Barnes into the ranks of the elite response meta-humans and human mutants team, despite numerous protests. The World Security Council granted Fury's request with the exception that Barnes would be at full custody if not on active duty. Natalia Romanova aka The Black Widow, although once worked together during the Cold War Era under the Soviet Union, was particularly wary of Barnes. This is due to during a mission of which Romanova was helping Anton Vanko to defect from USSR. En route, she was confronted by The Winter Soldier. Shielding Vanko while shooting at Barnes, the latter shot dead Vanko through Romanova's stomach with a single shot, an incident long remembered by The Black Widow, which remained a scarred memory for her. As such Romanova's not quite comfortable with Barnes and is always very cautious against him.
In 2005, HYDRA's commander Heinrich Zemo orchestrated a series of plans which resulted in a daring full scale attack upon S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarter, the Triskelion before the siege was repelled by The Avengers Initiative, including the rediscovered Steve Rogers whom was found still alive a year before at the Artic Circle in frozen state. It was this assault which Rogers and Barnes met each other once more, although by then, the once best friend of Rogers had completely turned into a sociopathic killing machine with a singular mission to take out Captain America. With Barnes' face hidden by The Auspex google and mask, The Winter Soldier brutally fought Rogers one on one on board a scuttled Helicarrier, each other not holding back, fighting to a standstill, unaware of each others identities. Rogers then tore off the mask, and was horrified to see it was Barnes whom hadn't aged from the time he last seen him. The Winter Soldier took the opportunity of distraction to deliver a chain of devastating attacks on Captain America, severely injuring Rogers, rupturing his internal organs and breaking his bones. Rogers attempted to reach out to his friend but Barnes stabbed him in several vital points. As the Helicarrier began to disintegrate, Rogers pushed Barnes from being crushed by the falling structures and was himself pinned down. As Rogers slipped into unconsciousness, he uttered, 'Bucky. Till the end of the line my brother.' It was there and then that Barnes regained partial memories of the past. It was a sentence Barnes once promised Rogers after his mother's funeral in order to console him when he had no one left. Rogers then fell into the Potomac with the Hellicarrier. Suffering from cognitive dissonance, Barnes nevertheless recovered an unconscious Rogers from the depth of the river before disappearing. Barnes left HYDRA and went off the grid. Later Rogers embarked on a personal mission to track him down despite Fury's order against it. HYDRA also ordered a manhunt for Barnes. The Winter Soldier embarked on a personal vendetta, seeking answers and revenge against individuals responsible for what he had become. These include by then an elderly Drs Zola whom was hiding for decades in Panama. During the confrontation, the un-repented scientist and eugenicist said that Barnes was her finest creation before The Winter Soldier double tapped her in the head with his gun. He rampaged across the globe, a step ahead of Rogers at all time, confronted and killed numerous HYDRA operatives, cultivating in the assassination of then HYDRA commander Heinrich Zemo after annihilating all the HYDRA guards at a base in the Alps. Rogers finally located Barnes in France after he killed Batroc the Leper. They fought once more but with Captain America holding back in the hand to hand combat, on defensive stance. 'Bucky! Enough of this madness!' said Rogers. 'Who is Bucky?' replied Barnes. 'James Buchanan Barnes! That's who you are!' said Rogers. The Winter Soldier seemed more hesitating in his attack but still relentless. 'You look familiar. But I never leave a mission..,unfinished!' said Barnes. 'You're my friend! I will not leave you like this! Not like this!' said Rogers. 'You strikes me as a sentimental man, Amerikansky. Compassion is nothing...BUT WEAKNESS!!' replied Barnes as he grabbed Rogers' neck with his cybernetic arm, lifting the six foot two meta-human up and began to apply intense pressure which could crush steel like an aluminium tin. Rogers countered and applied a chock hold. 'Don't make me do this Bucky! Please don't!' said Rogers. Barnes struggled to break free. Rogers exerted all his might and broke Barnes right arm. The Winter Soldier didn't scream. Rogers then disabled his cybernetic arm using a portable version of The Widow's Bite to short circuit it. Yet, The Winter Soldier possessed enough strength to lift Rogers up and slammed him onto the ground and walls several times. Leaving Rogers with no choice, he choked Barnes into unconsciousness. As the S.T.R.I.K.E. team moved in, Rogers said,' Do not touch him!' Barnes was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment at Muir Island. He was supposedly sentenced to death but Rogers intervened and pleaded for Barnes to be spared on his behalf. Under the recommendation of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director Fury, Barnes was subjected to mental and psychological rehabilitation there by Dr. Moira MacTaggert with the help of Elizabeth Braddock, a human mutant member of the X-Force known as Psylocke, the grand niece of the late Captain Britain. He slowly recovered his lost memories but still not 100%. Barnes also couldn't regain back his full behavioural personality. After the event of New York, which decimated nearly all the core members of The Avengers Initiative, Fury decided to recruit Barnes into the ranks of the elite response meta-humans and human mutants team, despite numerous protests. The World Security Council granted Fury's request with the exception that Barnes would be at full custody if not on active duty. Natalia Romanova aka The Black Widow, although once worked together during the Cold War Era under the Soviet Union, was particularly wary of Barnes. This is due to during a mission of which Romanova was helping Anton Vanko to defect from USSR. En route, she was confronted by The Winter Soldier. Shielding Vanko while shooting at Barnes, the latter shot dead Vanko through Romanova's stomach with a single shot, an incident long remembered by The Black Widow, which remained a scarred memory for her. As such Romanova's not quite comfortable with Barnes and is always very cautious against him.
As The Winter Soldier and test subject of the Super Soldier Serum, Barnes possesses artificially enhanced superhuman level physiology. On comparative meta-human catalogue of abilities and skills scales and scores, he is at least equal to Rogers in terms of physical strength, endurance, dexterity and stamina. During the fight against Captain America, Barnes is the only individual strong enough to go one on one with Rogers at superhuman physiology level. He also managed to seriously wound Rogers, including using a tactical knife to stab through Rogers' reinforced combat suit, something which designer Tony Stark said was not possible. Barnes also possesses enhanced senses, and is a master tactician and strategist, capable of responding quickly and adaptive to ever changing situations. With his heightened intellectual capability, Barnes could out think his enemies and possesses deductive and analytical ability which he used to track down his target location. Before Barnes became a meta-human, he was already a master marksman. With his enhanced abilities, Barnes could sniped out a target at least three thousand yards away. He is also a weapons expert and could improvise simple household items into deadly weapons. Barnes has a preference to carry a number of weaponries with him during a mission, including various stabbing weapons. As an extremely skilful hand to hand combatant, he often eliminate his target or victim in the fastest and straightforward method possible, striking at the weakest and vital points on a human body. His vibranium reinforced cybernetic left arm is enhanced to a degree which is capable of exerting a punch capable of penetrating through any form of armour, with the exception of adamantium. He could destroy any armoured vehicle single-handedly, and once nearly tear the Iron Patriot armour to pieces during a confrontation. Anton Vanko has also incorporated an EMP device into the arm, allowing Barnes to disable any electronic devices, vehicles and weapons within two thousand yards. The tips of the cybernetic fingers are incorporated with scanners which enable Barnes to analyse the cellular makeup and molecular structure of objects both living and inanimate it is in contact with, such as DNA. However, any electronic disabling devices would render the cybernetic arm useless and may even permanently damage it. If in such cases, Barnes, through mere observation of Vanko's act of repairing and sustaining his arm, possesses enough knowledge to self-repair or even improvise on the mechanical arm. He often wear a goggle and mask known as The Auspex, of which is designed to further enhanced his sense of sight and sound, including seeing across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and capable of picking up broadcast across all frequencies. He ages slowly and is completely immune from any forms of diseases or poisons. Any injuries or wounds inflict upon him would be quickly healed. Barnes currently remain an active member of The Avengers Initiative but his psychological condition only allows S.H.I.E.L.D. from deploying him in direst situation and high intensity mission. The truth is, Barnes has already regained 90 percent of his former self, but suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and extreme guilt due to his actions in the past. Unknown to anyone, even Rogers, Barnes is determined to atone for his sins by committing to his fullest when carrying out a mission, on behalf of humanity, even at the expense of his own life.
...........................................................................
After getting Wolverine, I decided to have a go at The Winter Soldier as well. I don't know much about this character, let alone why I should depart my hard earned money on an increasingly expensive figures and depressing economic situation, both personal and business. What I know is about this fella is only from the Captain America movie sequel. And as I am saying, building an own personal who's who in an Avenger team is fun, and somehow, The Winter Soldier fits in. After having the Black Widow (CA:TWS version) and Captain America (Stealth version), I am thinking primarily of those figures whom are cladded in armour, pseudo-futuristic combat suits. Hhhmm, maybe I should get GI Joe Retaliation Roadblock after all and pretend it is Isaiah Bradley. Or Snake Eye as Deadpool. Maybe even Falcon? I think I'll wait for a while. Anyway, when it comes to this figure, one characteristic stands out from the rest - his headsculpt. That is one mean looking facial expression. It says,"I mean business, so stay out of my way". I don't know much about Captain America nor its lore or back story because I am not a fan but I do know this chap used to be Caps sidekick and that's about it (and that's thanks to artist Alex Ross and writer Kurt Busiek's Marvels mini series where I want to know who's who in the story). But the movie is good, with the action sequence well executed though in terms of figure representation, I have issue with the supa dupa tall Captain America figure and its almost non existing articulation. The same goes with this figure, not so much on the articulation but the quality. Hot Toys must have realised this. I refer to those tiny black buttons on the uniform which comes off so easily. Hot Toys must have realised this and the packing comes prepared with replacements, three I think, which I glued on. And then there's the lopsided arms holster which I leave alone least I break it. The leather like uniform, well, I am pretty cautious about peeling and deterioration issue, cue Takara's Kerberos, so I pretty much try not to man handle it as much as possible. Off topic, after these few years of collecting action figures, I realise, regardless of which manufacturers, my figures tend to get floppy and loose in the joints automatically over time. Newton's Law of Gravity I guess. Time to get those stands I reckon.
No comments:
Post a Comment