Synopsis
The Red Skull berates Dr Faustus for his failure to retrieve the Winter Soldier and announces plans to move up the timeline for his scheme. Meanwhile Bucky is in custody aboard the SHIELD Helicarrier; Black Widow keeps watch over his cell. In the labs where scientist are studying Bucky’s detached mechanical arm, it suddenly comes alive, overpowers the scientists and escapes though a vent. Moments later the lights go out; Tony Stark suits up as Iron Man and he and the Widow discover Winter Soldier has escaped from his cell. As Iron Man searches the carrier, he is attacked by Bucky. An EMP fails to disrupt Shellhead’s armor and the two battle. Eventually Bucky pushes his foe into an electrical grid which distracts him long enough for Bucky to pry off his faceplate and threaten to shoot Tony in the face. Iron Man however has his repulsor rays in place to kill Bucky should he try to pull the trigger. In the standoff, Tony explains he had Bucky brought there to save him from himself, as requested by Steve Rogers. He shows Bucky the last letter from Steve and offers Bucky the chance to join him against the real killer of Captain America—the Red Skull. SHIELD has been compromised; Bucky reveals that Aleksander Lukin in some way is the Red Skull. Tony shows Bucky and Natalia the news that is filling the media: Aleksander Lukin has been killed in a plane crash, clearly part of the villains’ sinister scheme. Tony asks Bucky if he is willing to become the new Captain America; Bucky agrees on two conditions: one, that all of his Soviet conditioning be removed from his mind, and two, that he not have to answer to Tony or anyone else. After a moment, Tony agrees, and SHIELD scientists begin the delicate operation of removing the mind controls….