What do you think the dynamics are between Bucky and Alexander Pierce? Why does Bucky willingly listen to him and how did Pierce get it to be that way? How does Bucky remember him? You know just anything you think about the two (:
Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man. Thank you for asking this, I’ve been wondering how to approach this and you gave me the perfect opening!
WARNINGS: EXPLICIT DISCUSSION OF EMOTIONAL/PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION, LITERAL BRAINWASHING AND STOCKHOLM SYNDROME.
First of all, I don’t think Bucky and Pierce have any dynamic whatsoever; the Winter Soldier and Pierce, on the other hand, ho boy. We are in for a horror treat here.
I’ve talked about how I read the Winter Soldier as a child before, but what I didn’t really dare go deeper into, and instead skirted the lines of subtext with, is what that makes Pierce to him. Mostly because it’s difficult for me to even think of since it makes me feel sick. But.
I think the Winter Soldier is obedient to Pierce because that is what good little boys are to their fathers.
Excuse me, I need to go and throw up for a moment.
…
There, all better. But yes. The horror I couldn’t even make myself to write down the last time is that not only is the Winter Soldier a child, but a horribly abused one as well.
Look at the body language in this scene. It starts with the Winter Soldier sitting in the “chair”, having lashed out, and Pierce enters the room. The Winter Soldier is already in a submissive position, leaning forward and with his shoulders limp, and is in an almost catatonic state. His eyes are completely vacant and he’s trapped within himself. Pierce demands a mission report twice - which he doesn’t get, because the Winter Soldier isn’t even aware - before he crouches down a little, tries getting eye contact with the Winter Soldier, and then backhands him hard.
And the Winter Soldier goes with it.
Now, the really terrifying part for me is that instantly after having been slapped that hard, the Winter Soldier turns to Pierce and asks him about the man on the bridge. Remember, the man on the bridge, who the Winter Soldier just knows he knew, is probably the only private and personal thing he has. But he offers it to Pierce because he needs his guidance, he needs someone to make sense of the chaos inside him. Daddy, there is this boy I like… What should I do?
Of course, Pierce couldn’t care less. In fact, he probably sees it as a defect; something that’s making his perfect weapon jam. He keeps the crouched position (just like a parent would do) and tells the Winter Soldier that it’s nothing. The Winter Soldier visibly hesitates before quietly repeating I knew him.
Pierce sits down and deliver his creepy speech which is so much like a twisted pep-talk that it’s not even funny. And just watch the Winter Soldier’s reaction to this part:
Do you see the guilt? He doesn’t want to be a disappointment, and I don’t think it’s all because he fears the punishment. Since he takes the wipe-and-prep like a champ even when he’s clearly terrified.
Now I’ll start veering into headcanon, as we don’t get any concrete facts but I feel that logic can help us on the way. Obviously the Winter Soldier isn’t wiped of all memories, or else he’d be a drooling mess who couldn’t even communicate. I assume the machine - with the help of Marvel Science - can pinpoint the memories they want to erase, or at least the general area of it. Or maybe it only erases his short term memory. The procedure appears to be temporary, though, as they mention he’s been out of cryo for too long and the implied amount of previous wipes. I can only imagine that it’s something along these lines, as nothing else really would make sense.
And now have arrived to Headcanonville. If Pierce has two braincells to rub together, which I assume he does, he’d make sure that he was among the memories the Winter Soldier always keeps. That way, he’d be the only familiar face and even if he treated the Winter Soldier like dirt - oh wait, he does! - the situation is so extreme that Stockholm Syndrome would still kick in. Pierce is the only constant in the Winter Soldier’s life, and is also his authority figure. If he pushes Pierce away, whether through violence or disappointment, he would be left entirely alone.
This desperation to not fail his only pillar makes the Winter Soldier a perfect weapon since it renders him completely obedient. I’m not saying that he sees Pierce as a loving father; on the contrary, he is probably terrified of him, hence his docility. But there only seems to be two choices for the Winter Soldier: the dreaded cryo or being Pierce’s weapon. And if he doesn’t disappoint Pierce, it means he doesn’t have to get put back into cryo yet.
Just look at him. He knows he will get punished for saying it, but it’s too important for him to ignore. And naturally Pierce is Disappointed and orders a prep-and-wipe, just as the Winter Soldier knew he would.
But. But but but. To avoid ending this meta on a pitch black note, I’d like to point you in the direction of verysharpteeth’s meta and nod vigoriously in agreement.
The Winter Soldier may be a child, and Pierce may be his father from hell, but we all know children eventually rebel.
(gif sources: elenaamerican & cutequirk & kirknspock)
I wrote a part of a fanfic a few weeks ago where Natasha basically witnesses Bucky get “re-imprinted” on a new authority/father figure that definitely hints at Stockholm Syndrome. This analysis is a thing of terrible insight.
Oof. Reposting in honor of Robert Redford.
Damn this scene is brilliant. Sebastian Stan steals the scene from Robert MFing Redford with only 14 words. Amazing.
