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Captain America's closest friend has become his greatest foe in the Ultimate Universe due to the Ultimate Red Skull plot twist. The latest installment of The Ultimates (#10) reveals an Ultimate Red Skull twist that upends the decades-old friendship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.
With Tony Stark still sidelined, Captain America is forced to lead the team against a neo-N*zi militia known as the Red Skulls, only to uncover a betrayal that cuts deep: his trusted ally, Bucky Barnes, has donned the mantle of the Grand Skull, emerging as Captain America's worst enemy.
This shocking twist is not just a reimagining but a complete reboot of the character interactions within the Ultimate Universe, that of Earth-6160. In this new continuity, once-heroic Bucky Barnes has adopted a worldview diametrically opposite to what Captain America believes in, thus paving the way for a heart-wrenching battle between what were once friends.
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Exploring in detail who is Captain America's new enemy due to the Ultimate Red Skull plot twist
Captain America's new villain in this twisted tale is none other than Bucky Barnes, who now assumes the mantle of the Ultimate Red Skull. Famous for his close friendship with Steve Rogers and his heroic history as the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes' evolution into a neo-N*zi leader is a stunning departure from his established character.
In this Ultimate Universe, Bucky is the evil figurehead of a militia that worships the hateful legacy of the original Red Skull, Johann Schmidt. This version of Bucky Barnes is a long way from the tortured but ultimately heroic character known to Marvel readers; instead, he is a dark and fanatical ideology that is the antithesis of Captain America's values of justice and freedom.
Using Bucky as the Ultimate Red Skull is a dramatic story shift that reshapes his place in the Marvel Comics universe. This new incarnation of Bucky not only takes on the notorious mantle of the Red Skull but seeks to utilize it to lead a brutal, neo-N*zi uprising.
His turn is particularly tragic, considering his long-standing status as a respected friend of Captain America. His new status as an emblem of hatred makes it all the more crushing for characters and readers alike.
How did Bucky Barnes get into the Ultimate Red Skull?
Bucky Barnes' evolution into the Ultimate Red Skull is based on a string of story decisions that recontextualize his character from Marvel Comics proper and earlier adaptations. Conventionally, Bucky Barnes was recognized for his devotion to Captain America, even beyond his checkered past as the Winter Soldier.
In this Ultimate Universe, however, the passage of time and a series of events have seen him evolve down the darker road.
Following the death of the first Red Skull in World War II, the ideology he preached did not just disappear. In Earth-6160, this vile movement transitioned and continued, later becoming adopted by a group of neo-N*zi terrorists by the name of Red Skulls.
Bucky Barnes, once the epitome of heroism, slowly becomes disillusioned with the ideals he had previously been willing to fight and die for. His transformation is characterized by a series of betrayals and personal sacrifices that strip away his moral core. Eventually, he is tempted by the promise of power and domination represented by the neo-N*zi movement and opts to take on the title of Grand Skull.
This twist in the story is representative of a larger trend in the Ultimate Universe, in which established characters are reinterpreted in ways that undermine their traditional personas. Bucky's fall to evil is not painted as a sharp turning point but a product of evolving circumstances and life decisions that speak to the depths of his personality.
His reestablished partnership with the Red Skulls marks a complete change of heart and puts him in opposition for a second showdown against Captain America.
Interested viewers who are keen to read and learn more about the Ultimate Red Skull can do so by reading the new comics from Marvel.
