He's a ghost

SO! Since Bucky is a pretty new muse, I would love to know what you do and don't like with him. I'm always open to improving his character! So please, lemme know if you have a problem :>

ANON IS ON AND IP LOGGING IS OFF

PLAYER
Name: Queenie
Age: 21
Personal Journal: queensbeforekings
E-mail: imaginingautumn@yahoo.com
AIM/MSN/etc: autumnimagining (AIM), aqueenamongstkings (skype), queensbeforekings (plurk)

CHARACTER
Name: James Buchanan Barnes, “Bucky Barnes”
Canon: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Age: Real: 94 / Apparent: 26-28, due to the fact that he was not in a consistent freeze like Steve and briefly came out for short lengths of time.
Timeline: Directly after the fight following Steve, Natasha, and Sam’s questioning of Sitwell.
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: N/A

Personality:

As a character, Bucky has changed drastically over his lifetime, mostly against his will. At his beginning (and ultimately his core), he’s Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ best friend and protector. But now, 70 years in the future, he’s become a ruthless, emotionless assassin who always finishes the job. There’s fragments of Bucky in there, flashes and quick moments where the HYDRA brain washing didn’t do the job, but they’re few and far between.

He befriended the young Steve Rogers in their childhood and they instantly took a shine to each other. Bucky was always there to pull Steve out of bad situations and dust him off and take care of him when things went bad. Even in times of emotional trouble, Bucky is there for Steve, trying to help him through it. Til the end of line, he says. Even when he’s been brain washed multiple times, he can’t help himself from doing what’s best for Steve. It was his mission to kill Steve Rogers and he failed; instead, he saved him. He may not understand why right now, but he did.

Due to the brain washing that HYDRA put him through (multiple times; it’s unknown how many), Bucky is a ghost of his former self. He’s not completely empty, though; they let him keep the things that made him hard to beat—like his anger. Bucky has a few spurts of very notable anger, mostly fueled by frustration, either at himself, others, or his situation. And though he’s strong on the battle field, the abusive care by his handlers has made Bucky’s psyche fragile. Though he can’t pinpoint how he knows him, he does recognize Steve to the point that he can’t attack him and is summarily wiped.

At this point, he no longer identifies as Bucky Barnes. He is simply called The Asset by his handlers and he does not have a name for himself. It is implied that he can remember things, but it causes him heavy stress. Potentially, he could return to being Bucky Barnes, like he does in the comics.

As time goes on, Bucky will probably gain back bits and pieces of himself that HYRDA took from him. He'll become more like his former self; a flirt, a punk, and someone who looks out for the little guy. Bucky can't really help himself sometimes, he's just gotta give it his best shot. Even when Peggy and Steve are obviously into each other, he's throwing quips out there. He knows he'll fail, but gosh. Pretty women? Who could say no?

But with these pieces comes a new sense of guilt as he remembers all the things he's done. Bucky has killed a lot of people, including people that he knew personally from when he was just Bucky Barnes from Brooklyn. He's not going to be the same man, there's just no way. He almost killed the man he would have died for, 70 years previous.

In some ways, it's going to be awkward for Bucky to get used to a new, taller Steve. Even before he went through the whole Winter Soldier thing, it was weird for him that Steve was the new version of him, basically. Getting ladies and being the center of attention. He won't mind it as much now since he largely doesn't want attention anymore (it's weird for him to be seen, given he's an assassin who mostly works in the shadows). (Which actually makes his latest assignment very sketchy.) His memories won't return all at once, so he might just get memories of Steve before the serum. Which, given that Steve is literally twice that size right now, it's going to be strange.


Background: This article gives a very thorough recollection of Bucky’s history.

Abilities: Bucky’s everything has been enhanced beyond the limits of a normal human being; he’s essentially a super soldier like Steve. On top of that, he is an expert marksman (a natural part of him, simply enhanced by HYDRA; he was a sniper in WWII) and is particularly good at covert operations. He has to be durable given the fall he somehow lived through and the procedures he endures. In addition, he also has a metallic arm that is incredibly strong.

(However, his metal arm will not be fully functioning when he comes into the city. It’s been damaged and requires repair.)

First Person:

[ Who the hell is Bucky?

One moment he’s retreating, mechanical arm functioning but ultimately broken, the mysterious name running through his ears and the face of that man stuck inside his brain, and the next he’s on some ancient form of transportation, an old train that creaks and moans as it plows along. Brow furrowed, he gazes out the window into a foggy landscape. Something was wrong here. This was not DC.

He hasn’t completed his mission yet. So why was he here?

With a lurch, the train pulled into the station. Eyes wide in confusion, he slides out of the vehicle, good hand immediately going for a knife—and finding a watch in the process. Holding it in his hand, he’s—what is happening here. He throws it off to the side. If it’s a tracking device, he wants no part of it.

(Little does he know, the man who used to be Bucky Barnes triggers the video function.) ]

Third Person:

On mornings like this, the park was a chilly place to be. Pre-dawn light peeked rosily over the tree line as a sign of what was to come. Swathed in the shadows that still lingered sat a man. Though cold and damp from dew, he showed no sign of being cold. Not a single shiver ran down his frame. Back straight against the trunk of a tree, hair tangled and plastered to his face, the man who used to be Bucky Barnes sleeps in the hardy branches of some ancient oak.

With his eyes closed, he almost seems peaceful. If not for the constant twitching of his fingers—almost as if he was pulling the trigger even in his sleep—one could almost think he was having good dreams. His face contorted slightly, teeth bearing themselves and eyebrows knitting. No. No. Steve. Steve--

“--!” No sound escaped him. Fingers extended toward a figure who wasn’t there, the man who used to be Bucky Barnes is awake. The only sound is the in and out of his breath as his body yearns for someone who is not there.

He didn't know what was going on. But he had resolved to find out.

Below him, something growled ominously. He looked down with a blank expression. He would find out.

…after he took care of this.