Shanghai, China, 1942: Captain America, Bucky, and the Human Torch are on an undercover mission. Their contact shows them to a factory; quickly changing into costume, they burst in and do battle with the soldiers standing guard….
In modern New York, Bucky Barnes is too agitated to sleep, his tells his lover Natasha Romanova, the Black Widow. Though settling into his role as the new Captain America, he is still tormented by the memories of the evil he did as the Soviet Union’s deadly agent, the Winter Soldier. Natasha tries to convince him he is no more responsible for what he did under brainwashing than Sharon Carter for shooting Steve Rogers. He dresses and goes out on his motorcycle. Meanwhile, Batroc the Leaper and his minions break into a UN research facility. Riding nearby, Bucky picks up the police call on his scanner and heads over. Batroc and his gang, having downloaded the information they were after, plan their escape—when Bucky arrives and throws himself into the thugs, fists flying. He and Batroc engage in a martial arts duel, which ends when Bucky is shot by a henchman firing an electrical weapon. The shock burns Bucky’s jacket and the French villain spies Cap’s shield strapped to his back as he and his men make their getaway in an armored van. Switching to his Cap outfit, he and the Black Widow call on one of her UN contacts to find out what Batroc could have stolen. It is a secret and sensitive archive….
In Shanghai, Cap and the Human Torch hold off the soldiers while Bucky rescues their target—Chinese boy scientist Zhang Chin, forced to work for the Japanese invaders….
In New York, Batroc passes the file to his shadowy employer, who is not impressed that Batroc encountered the new Captain America—until he sees the pictures from the security cameras. He recognizes the Winter Soldier and is now very interested indeed.