Superheroes don’t get to have all the fun! Sometimes, the sidekicks are just as—if not more—entertaining than their mentors. Look no further than Winter Soldier (formerly Bucky), Captain America’s former sidekick, and Red Hood (the Jason Todd version), Batman’s former sidekick turned solo act. Both famous sidekicks not only hold their own alongside their more famous mentors, but they also both returned from the dead to claim revenge against the heroes that once left them for dead.
Given the similarities between the Red Hood and Winter Soldier, who better to engage in a sidekick showdown than these two former sidekicks? In my estimation, this is how the Winter Soldier and the former Robin stack up against each other; if they ever met on a hypothetical battlefield. Let the crazy commence!
Life After Death
After meeting an untimely death by the vicious hand of The Joker—who just so happened to be the very first Red Hood, Jason Todd was resurrected through a metaphysical event initiated by Superboy and taken into custody by Talia al Ghul and The League of Assassins. Ironically, this was the very same terrorist organization that not only trained Todd’s mentor, Batman, but are also one of his most notable rivals. However, it wasn’t until Todd’s return to Gotham City that the new Red Hood began instituting a meticulous plan to draw out his former mentor, now nemesis because Batman didn’t avenge his death. Ergo, drama ensued.
Captain America vs. Winter Soldier
Winter Soldier’s story is kind of similar in that he was also resurrected from the dead. The biggest difference, however, is that instead of being brought back via a metaphysical event; he was brought back to life by Soviet scientists during WWII. These same mad scientists upgraded him to a superhuman cyborg with a bionic arm and they would preserve him in a cryogenic stasis when he wasn’t in use. Unlike the Red Hood, Winter Soldier has no memory of his past life, which aids in his relentless pursuit of targets. He has no emotions; a known weakness in battle.
Abilities
Although the Red Hood was raised from the dead, he doesn’t have any superhuman abilities as a result. Aside from training with Batman, Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins, his notable skills sets include his acrobatics and marksmanship. Not bad for a former Batman sidekick, but would those skills give him a victory over the killing machine that is Winter Soldier?
The Winter Soldier, on the other hand, is basically a KGB trained assassin/cyborg. His abilities include superhuman strength, EMP discharger, energy projection and enhanced reaction time. Unlike his adversary, Red Hood, the Winter Soldier doesn’t need any weapons, he is the weapon.
Ultimately, a sidekick showdown between Red Hood and Winter Soldier comes down to superhuman abilities versus master weaponry. Although prior to becoming Winter Soldier, Bucky was a master of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, after becoming Winter Soldier, he no longer remembered those skills, which gives Red Hood the advantage in that area. However, we must not forget that Winter Soldier is essentially a cyborg with superhuman abilities and as a result would probably annihilate Red Hood in a battle, despite Red Hood putting up a good fight.
Who do you think would be victorious in a sidekick showdown between Winter Soldier and Red Hood?