RJ Boyle was a child soldier under Hydra who had been given up to them by one of his foster families while he was being bounced around the system. He was under the training of Mr. Colt and would have food or other necessities withheld from him until he completed his tasks. RJ came across the Winter Soldier, who he was supposed to kill at some point. Bucky helped RJ get away from Mr. Colt and leave Hydra. However, after Bucky was framed for the death RJ's father, RJ left Barnes, killing Mr. Colt and disappearing.
History
RJ Boyle was born to Richie Boyle and Annie O'Brien. When RJ was a year old, his father was sent to prison and the boy lived with his mother alone until she died when he was 5 years old.[1] He was bounced between foster homes until he was turned over to Hydra. They put him under the tutelage of Mr. Colt, who taught RJ everything he knew. Colt would refuse the boy basic necessities until a mission was complete.[2]
Two years later, RJ met Bucky Barnes on his way to kill a man who defected from Hydra, whom Bucky was attempting to help. He killed the former Hydra agent[3] and attempted to take Barnes down but failed. After, this Barnes took RJ under his wing to help the boy become a new person, expressing his familiarity with the situation.[2] RJ stayed with Barnes and he got set up with Doc Samson as his therapist to help him sort out the issues he had been going through.[4]
During a mission, RJ helped Barnes take down the Spot. The Spot was dispatched on a mission to eliminate Seth, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. operative who betrayed an Eastern European syndicate. Despite Seth's attempts to disappear in the US, his pursuers tracked him down. The task fell upon the Winter Soldier and RJ, a former Hydra member turned ally. Upon locating Seth's hideout, the Spot launched a brutal assault, utilizing his otherworldly portals ripping Bucky's arm off. The confrontation escalated as they were drawn into the unpredictable realm of the Spot's dimensions. With portals opening from all angles, the battle became chaotic and relentless. In a daring move, RJ leaped into action, showering the Spot with a barrage of gunfire, providing the opening for the Winter Soldier to reclaim his lost arm. With his strength restored, the Winter Soldier seized the opportunity and punched the Spot. Bound and silenced, the defeated Spot was delivered into the hands of the authorities, bringing an end to his reign of terror.[4]
After this confrontation, Bucky tried to talk to RJ and encourage him to help others to help himself feel redeemed, RJ called Bucky a liar and told him off for trying to be a savior. RJ admits that he didn't want to be a killer and he didn't know what to do or say. After this mission, Richard Boyle waited at the house for them both. Richard tried to reconnect with his son, but there were several setbacks that RJ convinced Bucky to help with. Richard failed to show up to one of their meetings, leading RJ to break into this home and come face-to-face with Colt again, Colt showed the pictures of Barnes over the top of his father's dead body and turned RJ against Bucky again.[1] RJ prepared his things to leave, and attacked Bucky’s attempts to explain the situation. RJ left the house, his first stop was to Colt's car where he attempted to kill the man before running away.[5]Attributes
Abilities
- Expert Covert Ops Training: RJ Boyle has been trained by Mr. Colt, a dangerous assassin, who taught him everything he knew. He was apparently skilled enough to track a HYDRA defector and kill him. However, as Bucky Barnes said, his skills with a rifle was "too wide".