Legal Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I am using concepts and characters from "Captain 
America", "The Avengers", and "What If..." without the knowledge or permission of "Marvel 
Comics Group". This story was written solely for entertainment value and may not be 
distributed for profit of any kind. When reproducing this document, all parts, including this 
disclaimer, must be kept together in their original, unaltered state. 

TITLE:
"What If...Captain America Had Died And Bucky Lived?" 
AUTHOR: 
Tom Farnell


Part 1: Bucky's Return 

Prologue: 
     Flashback, 1944, Cap is trying to reach the explosive-filled drone plane before it gets 
into the air... 
     "Steve, we're too late, we'll have to go after it in another plane!" says Bucky, Cap's 
teen sidekick, riding on a motorcycle after the drone. 
     "NO! Don't stop! I think I can reach it, Bucky!" Cap says, reaching for the plane. And, 
in the shadows, another voice speaks... 
     "Hah! Thus do I triumph over Captain America and Bucky! If they reach the plane, they 
die! And if they fail, America loses one of its newest weapons!" But, Cap reaches the plane, 
and... "Mein Gott! The Captain has reached the plane! No matter, his sidekick Bucky WILL 
NOT!" 
     "Cap, I can't make it! Drop into the water! It's our only chance!" yells Bucky, leaping 
from the 'cycle. 
     "I can't do that, Buck! I can bring the plane back...I KNOW I can!" 
     "Cap, look! A fuse!" says Bucky as he falls toward the water off the coast of 
Newfoundland. 
     "Bucky? BUCKY!!!!!! No, it's too late, I see a fuse! It's over for me!" and, a soon as 
that is said...BOOM! The plane explodes. 
     "Cap!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" the last words the brave, young Bucky Barnes 
uttered before hitting the water... 
     1963: The Sub-Mariner, after retreating from a battle with the Avengers, sees a group of 
Eskimos worshipping a figure in a block of ice... 
     "Oh, Mighty Lord of the Frozen Ice, hear our prayers..." says the Eskimos' leader. 
     *The FOOLS! They are bowing to a petrified figure frozen in a cake of ice!* Namor, the 
Sub-Mariner thinks to himself. "HEAR ME, humans! This is no helpless image you see before you! 
This is the SUB-MARINER, who has sworn vengeance on the entire human race!" said Namor, 
approaching the Eskimos. 
     "It is the dreaded Namor--the Legendary One!" cried the leader. They begin to run as 
Namor lifts the ice block and says: 
     "RUN, you weak, helpless mortals! Flee in terror before the rightful wrath of Namor! 
Thus shall ALL of mankind shriek in panic at the coming of the Sub-Mariner! And take your 
accursed idol WITH you! GO--spread the word--let the world know that Namor is STILL a force 
to be reckoned with!" said Namor as he threw the block of ice into the water. 


Part Two: Bucky Saves the Avengers 

     
     On board the Avengers' undersea craft...
     "Stop the engines, Iron Man! There is someone OUT there!" cries the 
mighty thunder god Thor, as the figure of a young boy floats past.
     "Looks like a HUMAN! How is that POSSIBLE??" questions Dr. Henry Pym, the
amazing Giant-Man. Iron Man stops the craft and Giant-Man cautiously opens the
hatch...*I,ve GOT him!* Pym thinks to himself. He pulls the boy in to the sub.
The Avengers gather around him..."Who can he BE? Why is he frozen solid?" queries
Giant-Man.
     "LOOK! Beneath his tattered clothes! Some sort of colorful COSTUME" cries Thor.
The Wasp whizzes by and says...
     "WAIT! Don't you RECOGNIZE it?? It's the red and blue garb of Captain America's
teen sidekick, Bucky!"
     "The Wasp is RIGHT!" yells Iron-Man, as he exchanges glances with Thor.
     "Can this really be the famous sidekick of the once-mighty crime fighter of Captain
America?" questions the thunder god.
     "And this face mask--the same as Bucky's! It MUST be him!" cries Iron Man.
     "ALL of you--LISTEN! He isn't dead! He's BREATHING! His eyes--they're flickering!"
cries the Wasp as she flies by Bucky's face. And, suddenly, with an earth-shattering cry,
the young figure springs forward, with shock in his eyes...
     "Cap--CAAAAAAAP!!!!!!!! LOOK OUT!!!!!!" screams Bucky as he leaps toward the Avengers. 
"You can't kill him! I won't LET you!!!! I'll KILL you, ZEMO!!!! I'll KILL YOU ALL!!!"
cries a frantic Bucky as he jumps on Giant-Man.
     "THOR! IRON MAN! Stop him! The boy's gone MAD!" cries Giant Man, shoving the boy
aside. Bucky drops to his knees, tears in his eyes.
     "WHY!!?? Why Cap?!? I couldn't warn him in time! It's all MY fault!" screams Bucky,
tears running down his face.  Iron Man approaches the young man and says...
     "It's all right, son.  It's not your fault.  Believe me...I know."
     "Y-you're r-r-right...h-he c-c-c-couldn't hear me...But why did he have to die?!  It 
wasn't his time!  Zemo WILL pay!!!!!" swears Bucky.
     "Lad, you can count on the Earth's mightiest heroes to help with this task!" promises
Thor.
     "Thor is right, Bucky.  The Avengers will help you.  Right Iron Man?  Wasp?" asks 
Giant-Man.
     "Right." Iron Man and the Wasp announce in unison.
     And, a few hours later, in New York Harbor, the Avengers climb out of the sub without
Bucky, who is below decks...
     "Wow, Henry!  Look at all the reporters!  They must've been expecting us!" cries the 
Wasp in astonishment.
     "Well, they know of our going after the Hulk, so they expect a big story!" says 
Giant-Man.  
     "Ahh, yes, Giant-Man, but wait till they learn who is below decks on our sub!" boasts
the thunder god.  And, suddenly, a bright flash takes place--and when the smoke clears...
     "Hey, Pete!  Lookit that, they've turned inta statues!" cries a reporter.
     "Naw, it's pobbably jus' a trick ta git outta da intaview!" responds Pete.
     "Yeah, I guess you're right." says the reporter.  Soon, all the reporters leave, and,
meanwhile, below decks on the Avengers's sub...
     *Ah!  Finally, it's finished!* thinks Bucky, lifting up a make-shift Captain America
costume.  Bucky puts it on and climbs up the ladder...
     *Where is everyone?  Gosh, I hope they didn't leave me here!  According to the Avengers,
I've been in suspended animation for about twenty years!* Bucky thinks to himself.  And then,
Bucky looks down and sees the Avengers, but not the Avengers, just stone replicas.
     "Wowie!  It's CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!!" cries a reporter who was investigating the statues. 
     "Huh?  Me?!?  OH!!  Uh, yeah, that's me alright..." says Bucky, trying to sound older.
     "Captain, do you know anything at all about these statues?" questions the reporter.
     "Actually", says Bucky, turning his head, "I think I DO!" says Bucky leaping at a man 
with some sort of gun.  "Hold it right THERE!" yells Bucky as he falls onto the man.  
Suddenly, a mask pops off, revealing... "You're some sorta alien!  I know you did that to the 
Avengers!  No one EVER had a camera like THAT in the '40's, and I doubt 20 years later, 
they'd look like yours!  Now reverse what you did!  NOW!!" yells Bucky.
     "Very well.  I had no choice, though!  The one called Zemo told me to!  Said he had been
monitoring you!" cries the alien.
     "Zemo?!?  NO!!!!  NOT HIM!  Where is he?!?!?!" yells an enraged Bucky.
     "I don't know!" says the alien, getting up.  He then reverses the process by which he 
froze the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.  The Avengers let him go, and return to Tony Stark's 
mansion.
     "Well, Bucky, I think it's time you took Cap's place.  You proved yourself by saving 
us." says Iron Man.
     "I agree, what about the rest of you?" everyone agrees, and they call President Kennedy
to make it official.
     "Well, "Captain", you have a public appearance to make tommorow in Washington D.C.  The
President himself will proclaim you the new Captain America, and there will be a funeral held 
for Cap!" Iron Man tells Bucky.
     "Really?  That's great!" says Bucky

Part 3: Death of a Hero

     "Ladies and gentlemen, you are here today to witness the rebirth of a hero, Captain 
America!  The original died in an explosion, but his sidekick, James Buchanan Barnes, lived.
James will live on as Captain America, to usher in a new era of heroism!  Mr. Barnes, Captain
America, please step forward." says President Kennedy.
     "Thank you, Mr. President.  First I would like to say..." starts Bucky, but his speech 
is halted by a cry--and a gunshot.  
     "Death to Democracy!  Nazism shall live on!  Even Captain America, in any form, will 
stop me!  Thus, I have triumphed TWICE against the Captain!  America will not win!  They 
never did!" cries Baron Heinrich Zemo from the shadows as Bucky falls off the podium and he 
fires another shot at Kennedy.  "The Third Reich shall rise ag--" cried Zemo, as the bullet
from the Secret Serviceman's gun hit him between the eyes...

Epilogue:

     "We gather here today to..." starts the priest.
     "Maybe...Zemo was right, Iron Man..." whispers a depressed Giant-Man.
     "No.  Not as long as those such as us carry Cap's legacy...the legacy of a hero." 
proclaims Iron Man.
     "Amen." finishes the priest.



END