What If? Vol 1 5

What If Captain America Hadn't Vanished During World War Two! What If? Vol 1 #5 Published October, 1977 Editor-in-Chief Archie Goodwin Cover Artist Rick Hoberg Joe Sinnott "What If... Captain America and Bucky Had Both Survived World War II?" Writer Don Glut Roy Thomas Penciler George Tuska Inker Russ Jones Colourist George Roussos Letterer Carol Lay Warren Greenwood Editor Roy Thomas Previous Issue Next Issue What If? #4 What If? #6

Appearing in "What If... Captain America and Bucky Had Both Survived World War II?"

Featured Characters:

• Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Only appearance)^[1] (Joins S.H.I.E.L.D.)
• Bucky / Buck / Captain America (James Barnes) (Only appearance; dies)^[1] (Joins S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Supporting Characters:

• Howling Commandos (Only appearance)^[1] (Disbands)
  • Nick Fury (Only appearance; dies)^[1]
  • Rebel Ralston (Only appearance)^[1] (Leaves team)
• President Johnson (Only appearance)^[1]
• S.H.I.E.L.D. (Only appearance)^[1]
  • Dum-Dum Dugan (Only appearance)^[1] (Leaves Howling Commandos and joins S.H.I.E.L.D.)
  • Agent 13 (Sharon Carter) (Only appearance)^[1]
• Bucky (Rick Jones) (Only appearance)^[1]

Antagonists:

• Nazi Germany (Only appearance)^[1]
  • Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) (Only appearance)^[1]
• Hydra (Only appearance)^[1]
  • Baron Zemo / Supreme Hydra (Heinrich Zemo) (Only appearance; dies)^[1] (Leaves Nazi Germany and joins Hydra)
• Hulk (Bruce Banner) (Only appearance)^[1]

Other Characters:

•  Uatu the Watcher 
• Bucky (James Barnes) (Recap) (Apparent death)
• Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Recap) (Joins Avengers)
• Nazi Germany (Only in flashback)
  •  Baron Zemo (Heinrich Zemo)  (Only in flashback)
  • Adolf Hitler (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
  • Red Skull (Johann Schmidt) (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
• Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie) (Recap)
• Avengers (Recap)
  • Giant-Man (Hank Pym) (Recap)
  • Thor Odinson (Recap)
  • Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Recap)
  • Wasp (Janet van Dyne) (Recap)
• Baron Zemo's Androids (Mentioned)
• Adolf Hitler (Mentioned)
• French Resistance (Mentioned)
• Junior Juniper (Referenced)
• 1950s Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Mentioned)
• Bucky (Jack Monroe) (Mentioned)
• President Roosevelt (Mentioned)
• President Truman (Mentioned)
• President Eisenhower (Mentioned)
• President Kennedy (Mentioned)
• Ku Klux Klan (Mentioned)
• Avengers (Mentioned)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mentioned)
  • Nick Fury (Mentioned)
• Rick Jones (Mentioned)
• Hulk (Bruce Banner) (Mentioned)
• Agent 13 (Sharon Carter) (Mentioned)
• Tony Stark (Mentioned)
• God (Yahweh) (Invoked)

Races and Species:

• Watchers
• Humans (Main story and flashback)
• Asgardians (Recap)
• Atlantean-Human Hybrids (Recap)

Locations:

• Earth-616 (Main story and flashback)
  • Moon
    • Blue Area of the Moon
  • Earth (Only in flashback)
    • Europe (Only in flashback)
      • United Kingdom (Only in flashback)
        • England (Only in flashback)
          • English Channel (Only in flashback)
    • Antarctica (Recap)
    • United States of America (Recap)
      • New York (Recap)
        • New York City (Recap)
          • Manhattan (Recap)
            • Midtown (Recap)
              • Fifth Avenue (Recap)
                • Avengers Mansion (Recap)
• Earth-77105 (Only appearance)^[1]
  • Earth (Only appearance)^[1]
    • Europe (Only appearance)^[1]
      • United Kingdom (Only appearance)^[1]
        • England (Only appearance)^[1]
          • English Channel (Only appearance)^[1]
      • Germany (Mentioned)
      • France (Only appearance)^[1]
    • Atlantic Ocean (Only appearance)^[1]
    • Korea (Mentioned)
    • United States of America (Only appearance)^[1]
      • Washington, D.C. (Only appearance)^[1]
        • White House (Only appearance)^[1]
    • Pacific Ocean (Only appearance)^[1]
      • Hydra Island (Only appearance)^[1]

Items:

• Captain Americas' Shields
  • Captain America (Earth-616)'s Shield (Recap)
  • Captain America (Earth-77105)'s Shield (Only appearance)^[1]
• Captain Americas' Uniforms
  • Captain America (Earth-616)'s Uniform (Recap)
  • Captain America (Earth-77105)'s Uniform (Only appearance)^[1]
• Giant-Man's Suit (Recap)
• Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Recap)
• Mjolnir (Recap)
• Wasp's Suit and Bio-Synthetic Wings (Recap)
• Super-Soldier Serum (Mentioned)
• Hydra Uniforms (Only appearance)^[1]
• Hydra Pistols (Only appearance)^[1]

Vehicles:

• Allied Drone Plane (Only appearance)^[1]
• Zemo's V2 craft (Only appearance)^[1]

Events:

• World War II (Main story and flashback)
• Cold War
  
  

Synopsis for "What If... Captain America and Bucky Had Both Survived World War II?"

Captain America and Bucky succeed in disarming the drone plane that would have otherwise ended their careers in the 40s. The Red Skull has Baron Zemo put into a twenty-year deep sleep for his failure. Cap and Bucky continue to fight crime and Communism into the 60s, with Barnes switching to calling himself "Buck" as he gets older. When SHIELD is formed, President Johnson offers the job of Director to Steve Rogers in lieu of Nick Fury, who was killed in the Korean War. Steve initially recommends Buck instead, but after a while Buck insists on trading places. Barnes becomes the new Captain America with Rick Jones as his sidekick and Sharon Carter as his lover, while the aging Rogers accepts his new role as head of SHIELD.

SHIELD along with Cap and Rick launch a decicive strike against their nemesis Hydra, which Zemo organized in revenge after waking up from his long sleep. In the final confrontation, both Zemo and Captain America are killed. Sharon blames Steve for putting Buck on the path that led to his premature demise, but Steve insists he understands Buck's sacrifice more than she believes. The costume of Captain America is retired to a museum, but Rick Jones already has aims to be the next to take up the legacy.

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss What If? Vol 1 5 on the forums
• 15 Images from What If? Vol 1 5

Footnotes