Winter Soldier and a SHIELD team rush to the site where Black Widow was captured by rogue Zephyr agent Leo Novokov. Elsewhere, Novokov forces Soviet brainwashing expert Professor Rodchenko to aid him in his scheme of revenge by threatening the man’s family. His subject? The captured Black Widow.
Bucky spends a full day questioning underworld thugs and informers, looking for a lead on the villain’s whereabouts but it is Jasper Sitwell who comes through. After the wreckage of Novokov’s copter is found, Jasper identifies it as one stolen in Germany a year ago—and Bucky picks two of Novokov’s henchmen out of the suspects’ photos. Bad news: signs are pointing to an incursion into Russia for Bucky. Later, Jasper meets Bucky at a bar to which the remaining gang members have been lured. Bucky explodes into action, overpowers the men and demands they tell him Novokov’s plans.
Meanwhile, a sniper has shot out a tire, causing a taxi to hit a young ballerina just outside the Lincoln Center and the troupe auditions an outstanding replacement: a red-haired Russian named Natalia….