Fear Itself #3 — spoilers ahead
Marvel Comics’ “Fear Itself” #3, released today, is written by Matt Fraction with art by Stuart Immonen. As the Avengers battle Sin, the solicit reads: The tide of war runs blood red as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes learn the true price of the Serpent’s war this June, only in Fear Itself #3 (of 7)!
What happens to the Avengers in issue #3? SPOILERS AHEAD, after the cut.
In battle with Sin, James “Bucky” Barnes, the current Captain America, is killed in rather gruesome fashion. He dies warning the Avengers that the Serpent is coming.
This does clear the decks for Steve Rogers to return as Captain America in the upcoming “Captain America” 1 relaunch. The “Captain America and Bucky” title, that’s set to take over the numbering of the current “Cap” title, looks as if it’ll have to be a book set in the past if Bucky’s death remains.
Bucky, the former Winter Soldier, has been a fantastic character since taking the lead of Brubaker’s “Captain America,” and I’m sorry to see him go. While I was originally against bringing back Bucky, Brubaker’s writing warmed me to the character, and “Captain America” has been on a high point since that time.
With the movie coming out, it was obvious that Steve Rogers would be returning to the role for which he’s best-known. What to do with Bucky was an obvious question. Marvel has gone with the answer of having him meet his doom while fighting the daughter of the Red Skull, historically Captain America’s greatest enemy.
What will this mean for the future of “Captain America”? Well, there are plenty of antecedents for Captain America moping around about Bucky’s death, so, that’s one angle it could go in. It may open up some room in the supporting cast for the Falcon or Black Widow. Does the lack of Winter Soldier in the Marvel Universe mean there’s again room for Jack Monroe, the former Nomad? The characters were pretty similar, and that’s one reason that Brubaker may have been moved to have the Winter Soldier kill of Jack Monroe early in his run. But since death in comics is rarely permanent, could we see Jack again? Or is Bucky’s death as permanent as it appears? (Note: It looks pretty darn permanent.)
What are your thoughts on “Fear Itself” #3 and the death of Bucky? Was this a good way for the hero to go out? Are you sad to see the end of his run in “Captain America”?
- Matt Price
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Comments
I’m not too big of a fan of these Marvel events tossing away heroes so early on (ala Siege) just to get reader’s attention. I think it works better when the hero dies more toward the conflict’s resolution (like Final Crisis) but Bucky Cap popping up for the first time in this series only to get annihilated…not too classy if you ask me.
Bucky will just have to take a cue from Loki, Odin, Steve Rogers, etc.
Well, I think he’ll end up alive again by the end of the event, so no big deal, really.