Warning: Captain America: Cold War is a direct sequel to events in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty and Captain America: Symbol of Truth, so Late Arrival Spoilers for those comics may be unmarked on this page.
Captain America: Cold War is a 2023 comic book event from Marvel Comics, a Bat Family Crossover between Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing's Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty and Tochi Onyebuchi's Captain America: Symbol of Truth.
During the events of Devil's Reign, Bucky Barnes attempted to recover blackmail material that Mayor Wilson Fisk had assembled on various Marvel heroes — himself included. Instead, Bucky discovered Fisk's blackmail file on him actually contained evidence of a mysterious conspiracy called the Century Game — and with it, the revelation that they'd had a hitherto unknown and driving role in the development and operation of the Winter Soldier Program.
Understandably enraged that he'd been even more of an Unwitting Pawn than he'd previously believed, Bucky was determined to investigate the conspiracy on his own — and without bringing in Steve Rogers (at least initially). However, Steve ended up getting dragged into the investigation anyway after the Game's players launched an attempted terrorist attack on New York City during the Fourth of July.
Steve's own subsequent investigation has revealed the Century Game originated in the aftermath of the First World War and is overseen by a mysterious cabal calling itself the Outer Circle — and, just like the Winter Soldier Program, they also had their hooks in Operation Rebirth and the creation of Captain America. Steve would have become their unwitting pawn had he not ended up frozen in the ice (a role Bucky ironically and tragically then fulfilled in Steve's place as the Winter Soldier).
But Steve and Bucky are not the only members of the Captain America Family who've become unwilling players in the Century Game. Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres have also unwittingly gotten caught up in the repercussions of the conspiracy on their end. The Outer Circle's tendrils extend even into Wakanda and they have somehow recruited (or compromised) Wakanda's spymaster White Wolf AKA T'Challa's adopted brother Hunter. In collaboration with Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, Hunter has been setting global fires (vibranium smuggling, terrorist attacks, and a civil war in his own homeland) that the Symbol of Truth and the second Falcon have been trying to put out and investigate in recent months.
Now, the Long Game is approaching its climax. A betrayal from a former ally will force both Captains America to join forces to take on the Outer Circle and save the 21st Century from the Century Game.
- Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #11 (Prelude)
- Captain America: Cold War Alpha #1
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth #12-13
- Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12-13
- Captain America: Cold War Omega #1
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth #14 (Epilogue)
Captain America: Cold War contains examples of the following tropes:
- Animal Motif: Hunter's is a wolf, for his codename White Wolf, and his moniker Wolf King.
- Arc Welding: While tying together the narratives of Sentinel of Liberty and Symbol of Truth, Lanzing, Kelly, and Onyebuchi are also tying back in threads from the Rick Remender era — specifically Dimension Z, Zola's monsters, and Ian Rogers.
- Bat Family Crossover: Between the two current Captain America books. This will also be the first Captain America-centric event since 2017's Secret Empire.
- Bait-and-Switch: When White Wolf says he wants the throne, it is natural to assume he means the Wakandan throne, which he's been after before, even though it has since been reduced to a symbolic role. Turns out, he meant the throne from which Dimension Z is controlled.
- Beyond Redemption: Sam's opinion of Bucky (and in contrast to Steve's hopes Bucky can be redeemed and saved). Whatever noble goals the former Winter Soldier may have had in trying to bring down the Outer Circle from inside, freeing Hunter — especially after his war crimes during Symbol of Truth's first year — was the last straw. Sam is fully prepared to kill his brother-in-arms if that's what it takes to end this.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Cold War promotional artwork by Paco Medina
and Daniel Acuña showcases the Outer Circle and the White Wolf (the respective Big Bads of Sentinel of Liberty and Symbol of Truth). - The Bus Came Back:
- Paco Medina's promotional artwork reveals Nomad and Captain Zolandia will be appearing for the first time since the end of the Rick Remender era of Captain America back in 2015.
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth #7 has also subsequently confirmed Nomad is indeed a returning Ian Rogers, who was last seen during Secret Wars.
- Paco Medina's promotional artwork
- The Conspiracy: Played with by the Outer Circle. The are not ancient, but they have been going for a hundred years with the same five players; they are not necessarily evil, nor are they benevolent, as their goal is utopia at any cost; they are a group, but they all play against each other; they are not all that secret, even if the governments and organizations they use as chess pieces don't know the details of their game.
- Failed a Spot Check: Bucky didn't take notice of how despite being part of Steve's team, Black Widow wasn't part of the deployment to the Dimension Z incursion. He pays for this in Symbol of Truth #12 when Nat successfully sneaks behind enemy lines and puts a knife to his throat.
- Grand Finale: For Sentinel of Liberty and Symbol of Truth, as Onyebuchi, Lanzing, and Kelly will be ending their runs shortly after the crossover's conclusion.
- Internal Reveal: In the Alpha one-shot, Steve finally (and too late) learns what the readers have already known for most of Sentinel of Liberty — that Peggy Carter, like Bucky, is one of the Outer Circle's Starpoints.
- Mirror Character: White Wolf claims he and Bucky are this: both had their lives influenced by malfunctioning aircrafts, both were trained to replace their adopted brothers, both are spies and assassins — even their respective codenames mirror each other.
- "Not So Different" Remark: The Power accuses the Revolution of thinking he's very different from his predecessor, Gavrilo, when he isn't.
- Once More, with Clarity: Bucky recruiting White Wolf was previously briefly seen in Timeless (2022) #1. Here in the Alpha issue, we get to see the scene play out in full with context this time around.
- Staring Contest: SoL #13 features two:
- Natasha and Peggy resort to a staring contest instead of, as the Revolution puts it, trying to kill each other.
- When the Revolution turns down the Money's offer to buy his neganite supply, they have this.
- Villain Team-Up: Bucky and White Wolf join forces in the Alpha one-shot. In exchange for Hunter's access to Zola's dimensional technology, Bucky helps Hunter conquer Dimension Z.
