Eighty-five years after their debut, Captain America and Bucky Barnes’ origins undergo a major change as Marvel officially updates their birth. Captain America and Bucky are undeniably the most famous of Marvel’s pioneer heroes, even more popular now than they were over eight decades ago, during the real-world World War II.
The best decision Marvel could have made in order to keep Cap and Bucky relevant across decades was to freeze Steve Rogers in a block of ice and kill off Bucky before bringing him back as the villainous Winter Soldier. Cap and Bucky’s apparent death and eventual return is now an essential part of their story in countless Marvel universes, and it would be impossible to detach both characters from it.
Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are heading towards a full century of existence, so it’s only natural for Marvel to experiment with more significant changes to their comic book lore before deciding whether the changes will stick permanently across the multiverse.
Ultimate Captain America & Ultimate Bucky Barnes Were Born On The Same Day
The Ultimates #22; Written by Deniz Camp; Art by Juan Frigeri & Federico Blee
Following Captain America and the Avengers’ first run-in with the Grand Skull in The Ultimates #10, where Steve Rogers realizes that the man under the mask is Bucky Barnes, Cap leads an attack on the Skull’s base in The Ultimates #22. While Captain America and his squad have the upper hand, penetrating the base seems by no means an easy task. That is, until Cap is informed that the Skull himself is looking for him.
The Ultimates #22 opens with a flashback that reveals a key detail about Ultimate Captain America and Ultimate Bucky a.k.a. the Grand Skull. In Marvel Comics’ Earth-6160, both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were born the same day; July 4th, 1923. In official Marvel continuity, Steve is born on September 18 1922, and Bucky is born on March 20, 1925. Before that, in the Golden Age, Steve was originally much older than Bucky, who played the classic “kid sidekick” role before his death. In the MCU, Steve is born in 1918 and Bucky in 1917.
On Earth-1610, Steve and Bucky grow up like brothers, and Bucky grows up to be a direct follower of the Red Skull, two details that make Bucky’s downfall much more tragic to Steve than usual. While difficult, it’s possible to break the Winter Soldier’s programming and restore Bucky’s consciousness from Hydra’s manipulation in most timelines. Bringing Bucky to the light side when he’s an active Red Skull sympathizer is quite a different challenge.
Bucky Barnes & Red Skull Are Marvel Characters Who Deserve A Significant Change
Red Skull, Bucky Barnes, Captain America, and Magneto’s Stories Need Constant Updates
Ultimate Red Skull and Bucky Barnes are merged
Red Skull’s origin as a Nazi operative provides a clear source of evil for his perpetual fight against Captain America, but it also risks turning him into a historical relic in a world that has moved nearly a century past the 1940s. To remain a threat, the Red Skull requires periodic updates that translate his brand of fascism into contemporary terms. Without these new twists, Red Skull struggles to feel like a living, breathing threat in a modern world that has evolved beyond the trenches.
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This problem isn’t unique to Johann Shmidt. Magneto faces the most difficult sliding timeline challenge, as his identity is inextricably linked to the Holocaust, which makes his continued physical vitality a logistical hurdle for writers. Similarly, Iron Man and The Punisher have seen their origins fluidly jump from the Vietnam War to the Gulf War and eventually to the conflict in Afghanistan. Eventually, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes’ cryogenics and Super Soldier serum hand-waves won’t be enough, and they’ll need a new explanation for their extended lifetime.
Marvel often uses its multiverse as a laboratory to test these changes before they touch Earth-616 continuity. The clearest example is Earth-1610, the original Ultimate Universe, which introduced Miles Morales and the Maker, redesigned Nick Fury to make him resemble Samuel L. Jackson, and gave Hawkeye a more modern, tactical suit. While Earth-616 likely won’t merge Bucky Barnes and Red Skull anytime soon, a subtle change like making Cap and Bucky the exact same age could easily become common canon across the multiverse.
Who do you think should be older, Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes?
The Ultimates #22 is available from Marvel Comics on March 18, 2026.
First Appearance
Captain America Comics
Alias
Steve Rogers, John Walker, Sam Wilson
Alliance
Avengers, Invaders, S.H.I.E.L.D., U.S. Army
Race
Human
Franchise
Marvel