Marvel Makes Major Change To Winter Soldier

Marvel Comics today released Thunderbolts #10 in comic book stores. The issue is a special 20th Anniversary celebration that ends on an unexpected note for the Winter Soldier.

SPOILERS For Thunderbolts #10 follow.

The current version of the Thunderbolts launched after the events of Avengers: Standoff, with the Winter Soldier leading Thunderbolts veterans the Fixer, Mach-X, Moonstone, and Atlas. The team has been embarking on missions related to Winter Soldier’s duties as the “man on the wall,” a position he inherited from Nick Fury Sr. after Fury’s apparent death. The team is also looking after Kobik, the cosmic cube in the form of a 4-year-old girl, and added another previous Thunderbolt, Songbird, to the team during the events of Civil War II.

Thunderbolts #10, written by Jim Zub with art by Jon Malin, kicks off the “Return of the Masters” storyline. The anniversary story celebrates the origin of the Thunderbolts as a ruse put on by the Master of Evil, and even features a prolog story by creators Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley. The issue sees Baron Zemo and his new Masters of Evil attacking the new Thunderbolts.

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The Masters of Evil are successful and Baron Zemo is about to finish off the Winter Soldier when Kobik intervenes. She and the Winter Soldier both disappear in a flash of light. When the Winter Soldier comes to, he isn’t the Winter Soldier any longer. He’s Bucky Barnes, Captain America’s kid sidekick.

A map of the European theater can be seen behind Bucky, suggesting that Kobik has somehow taken Bucky out of the present day and sent him back into his body from his World War II days. This may have major ramifications for the upcoming Secret Empire event. Kobik is the one who rewrote Captain America’s history so that he is and always has been an agent of Hydra. Perhaps she’s now done the same thing for Bucky. On the other hand, perhaps she wasn’t as thorough in her “fixing” of Winter Soldier and Bucky has the opportunity to discover Captain America’s secret.

Thunderbolts #10 is on sale now.

Thunderbolts #10
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(W) Jim Zub, Kurt Busiek (A) Mark Bagley (A/CA) Jon Malin

20TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!

• Once upon a time, the Thunderbolts were the Masters of Evil…and if Baron Zemo has his way, their legacy will be reclaimed…with the infinite power of a Cosmic Cube!

• Captain America’s sinister plan for Bucky and Kobik begins to unfold.

• “Return of the Masters,” the Thunderbolts 20th anniversary event, begins here! Along with our pulse-pounding lead story, this special oversized issue includes a brand-new Thunderbolts tale by series co-creators Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley!

Rated T+
In Shops: Feb 22, 2017
SRP: $4.99