the return of Bucky, however, finally makes sense…

Bucky represents the one character who should have remained dead, and after Tony Stark, the US Government and the Skrulls (secretly) sold everybody out the death of Bucky turned out to be just another lie.

since Bucky is a spy, less a patriot, he also represents an establishment that lies much of the time and can’t be trusted.

even Nick Fury, whom Bucky secretly works under and can’t be completely trusted, doesn’t trust the current administration.

i think this was Brubaker’s sly way of turning the long “Winter Soldier” storyline into an outrageous indictment against the lying politicians and the greedy sell-outs…

and leaving all the lost souls in the cold.