Marvel Unveils Major Bucky Barnes Redesign For Captain America's New Appearance

Published Mar 18, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT

Sadly, some Marvel timelines are more tragic and less lucky than others, and the Ultimate Universe's Earth-1610 is a clear example.

Ultimate Bucky Barnes Is A Disillusioned, Aging Veteran In A Mech Suit

The Ultimates #22; Written by Deniz Camp; Art by Juan Frigeri & Federico Blee

Beyond his Earth's battle against the Maker's dark forces, Captain America's main personal conflict in Marvel Comics' second Ultimate Universe centers around James Buchanan Barnes. Instead of the Winter Soldier, Earth-6160's Bucky became the Grand Skull, direct follower of the Red Skull. However, that isn't the final reveal. In The Ultimates #22, Steve Rogers learns that Bucky Barnes has actually aged, his body aided by the Infinity Formula and a mech suit he wears for close-quarters combat.

The Infinity Formula doesn't have the same effects on Bucky Barnes' body as the Super Soldier Serum, and Ultimate Bucky is already in his eighties and sick with a terminal illness when he takes the first dose. This Bucky doesn't get brainwashed, but instead grows resentful over dying for nothing after the war. After he infiltrates the Skulls' regime, Bucky soon starts believing their doctrine, which is the only thing that gives him a reason to live.

The Ultimates #22 makes the Grand Skull's twist even more tragic than it already was with Bucky Barnes' unmasking. Captain America understands that there's no going back for his friend, both due to his downfall and due to his physical health. Hence, he makes a decision that most Steve Rogers variants don't have to: Captain America gives Bucky a final hug before breaking his neck. With the Grand Skull down and all collateral damage avoided, Cap's Ultimate Kooky Quartet declare a rare victory on Earth-6160.

Bucky Barnes' Story Is Inherently Tragic

Captain America's Brother Figure Is Defined By Tragedy And Sacrifice

Bucky Barnes is the eternal sacrificial lamb of the Captain America mythos. Like in most universes, Earth-6160's Bucky witnesses Steve Rogers grow from a sickly child to an ultra-powerful Super Soldier, and after Cap's disappearance, he suffers a gradual transformation into a villain across several decades. In almost every universe, for Captain America to be a symbol of incorruptible hope, Steve Rogers' closest companion must endure the absolute corruption of his mind and body, becoming the exact thing Captain America fights to carry the sins the Star-Spangled Avenger cannot.

Even in worlds where the details change, the misery remains a constant. Similarly to Marvel's second Ultimate Universe, the What If? universe of Earth-717 presents a role reversal with a Bucky who becomes the villainous White Skull. In the House of M reality, Bucky is a government assassin sent to Genosha to be unceremoniously crushed by Magneto. Across realities, Bucky is either the sidekick who dies to inspire a legend, the assassin who lives to regret his crimes, or the soldier whose duty eventually consumes his soul.

Bucky Barnes' cycle of suffering draws a parallel to Spider-Man's "Parker Luck", though Bucky's tragedy strikes later in life. Peter Parker’s Spider-Man origin story that happens before he even reaches adulthood, while Bucky is usually a man who has already established his identity, fought for his country, and built a life before it's violently stripped away. Bucky turns into a puppet for decades while the world he fought for moves on without him.

What do you think about the Ultimate Universe's changes to Bucky Barnes?

The Ultimates #22 is now available from Marvel Comics.