Assassination of the Winter Soldiers

Assassination of the Winter Soldiers
Previous	Battle at Leipzig-Halle Airport
Next	Battle at the HYDRA Siberian Facility
War	Avengers Civil War
Date	June 24, 2016
Location	HYDRA Siberian Facility, Siberia, Russia
Result	Helmut Zemo kills all five Winter Soldiers.
Planned by	Helmut Zemo
Executed by	Helmut Zemo
Target	Winter Soldiers
Casualties	Josef All Winter Soldiers

"If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep. Did you really think I wanted more of you?"

―Helmut Zemo to Captain America, Iron Man and Winter Soldier^[src]

The Assassination of the Winter Soldiers was the murder of the Winter Soldiers perpetrated by Helmut Zemo.

Background

"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where."
"Why would he need to know that?"
"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

―Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers^[src]

After having Howard and Maria Stark assassinated by Bucky Barnes, he returned to the HYDRA Siberian Facility and the stolen Super Soldier Serum was used to enhance the abilities of five HYDRA assassins. However, all five individuals lost control except for Barnes during a training session, leaving HYDRA with no other option but to put them in stasis.

Years later, Colonel Helmut Zemo, who lost his family to the Ultron Offensive, located Vasily Karpov, the former leader of the Winter Soldier Program, and proceeded to torture him for information about Barnes' mission and the location of the HYDRA compound. Karpov, whose loyalties remained with HYDRA, refused to talk, prompting Zemo to murder him.

Assassination

Helmut Zemo discovers the remaining Winter Soldiers

Using the Winter Soldier Book and knowledge he obtained from the Winter Soldier, Helmut Zemo reached the HYDRA Siberian Facility. As he explored the abandoned place, he obtained surveillance footage of Bucky Barnes executing Howard and Maria Stark. Reaching the main chamber, he found the five candidates from the Winter Soldier in Cryostasis Chambers, including Josef. Knowing that the Avengers were aware of his identity and were also heading to the facility in an effort to stop him, Zemo realized that using the Winter Soldiers would force the Avengers to join forces, instead of them destroying each other, which was Zemo's ultimate plan. He followed through with his plan by executing each soldier with a bullet to the head.

Aftermath

"I ended the Winter Soldier Program once before. I have no intention to leave my work unfinished."

―Helmut Zemo^[src]

Hours later, Captain America, Iron Man, and Winter Soldier arrived at the HYDRA Siberian Facility with the belief that the Winter Soldiers were activated. Helmut Zemo then greeted the three as they entered the colossal chamber, and further explained that he never intended to use the Winter Soldiers, but wanted to destroy the Avengers from the inside.

Captain America discerned that Zemo was in fact a native Sokovian, which Zemo confirmed and revealed that he lost everyone he loved during the Battle of Sokovia and confessed that he orchestrated behind the bombing attack in Vienna as well as the Avengers Civil War. He then used surveillance footage to reveal to Iron Man that the Winter Soldier was in fact behind his parent's assassination in 1991, leading to a brutal fight between the three heroes.

Zemo attempted to kill himself, but was stopped by T'Challa and arrested, getting sent to the Berlin Correctional Facility. Zemo was later broken out of prison by Bucky Barnes, and helped them find the Flag Smashers in Latvia before being sent to the Raft by Ayo and the Dora Milaje.