After escaping from Faustus with the help of the Falcon and Sharon Carter, Bucky is captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. who take him to Stark's Helicarrier. Bucky promptly escapes and after a brief battle with Tony Stark, is given a letter from Steve Rogers asking Stark to watch over Bucky, and the mantle of Captain America should continue. Bucky agrees to relinquish his grudge against Stark and to become the new Captain America, but only if Stark uses S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology to guarantee that no one can ever control him again and also to conduct himself with complete autonomy. As this arrangement is illegal under the Superhuman Registration Act, Stark keeps his support of the new Captain America secret. As Captain America, Barnes wears a new costume and carries a pistol and a combat knife which he uses on his first mission to kneecap A.I.M. agents, and later against both Crossbones and Sin. He and his allies succeed in aborting the Skull's plans, and Bucky saves the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates from assassination, winning public applause. He also restarts his relationship with Black Widow.
