cathschaffstump | Aug. 5th, 2011

To put this post in context, I probably have to explain Bucky Barnes.

Back in the 40s, comic book creators were sure that every super-hero needed a sidekick. With the exception of Superman (although there have been arguments that Jimmy Olsen and Supergirl meet the criteria), almost all of the major DC heroes had one. The sidekicks were trained or powered teens who would fight crime, just like their adult counterparts, often getting captured in the bargain so their heroes would have someone to rescue. Heck, many of them had their own books, and there have been famous sidekick teams (Young Justice, anyone? Teen Titans in all of their incarnations?)

Before Captain America was involved with Marvel, there was Bucky Barnes. In his original conceptualization, Bucky was the mascot for a fighting squadron in World War II (in a universe where Steve Rogers can't get into the army because he's a 98-pound weakling, that same army lets a teen boy go to the combat front as a mascot for a squadron. Yeah. We won't think about that too hard.) Anyway, one night Bucky catches Cap sneaking back into camp after a covert mission and discovers Cap's secret ID of Steve Rogers. "You will let me fight Nazis with you, as your sidekick," Bucky says, "or I will reveal your secret identity." Steve crumbles immediately, and Bucky gets his own uniform.

Real world implications aside, the logic at the time was that sidekicks gave the kids who read the books a chance to insert themselves into the world of the superhero. Indeed, the sidekick tradition became an indelible one in comics. It's a repository for children, women, and minorities, and while it doesn't intentionally mean to demean, when adults are placed in that role, they can be considered infantilized. However, not being a sociologist, I won't get into turf that I'm not really knowledgeable about.

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In the current Captain America movie, Bucky becomes Steve's same age stronger friend. This interpretation of Bucky as an adult is a good alternative for a modern time. While the Captain America movie does have anachronisms, getting rid of the kid mascot on the front is best for modern sensibilities.

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As you look at the link provided to Wikipedia above, you will see that the Bucky costume has been worn by many. Scroll on down the page for a brief note on Lemar Hoskins.