Winter Soldier (2012 series) #12

On a dark rainy night in New York, Wolverine is stalking a target—but the quarry is instead stalking him. Sudden gunfire knocks Logan to the rooftop and the Winter Soldier dashes from hiding, armed with a pair of knives and prepared to see how long it takes to kill the X-Man in spite of his healing factor….

Eighteen hours earlier, Bucky Barnes was debating with Hawkeye and SHIELD leader Maria Hill what to do about the ultimatum posed by Leo Novokov at the end of the last issue. Novokov left a hard drive to be implanted in Bucky’s head, restoring his programming as the Winter Soldier and containing a mission he must undertake—or the Black Widow dies. Hill and Clint insisted Novokov can not be trusted, but Bucky didn’t see a choice. So, trusting in his comrades to stop him if he goes too far, he crashed out of the window with the drive and disappeared into the night. Bucky forced Soviet mind control expert Professor Rodchenko to implant the info in his brain, then wiped the Professor’s mind to stop the heroes from following. Captain America was called in and contacted Wolverine to hunt down the Winter Soldier…

…which is where we came in. As the assassin prepares to slay Logan, Hawkeye arrives and fires an arrow—which Winter Soldier parries, then fades away….

Black Widow and Leo Novokov kill the guards at a hazardous waste facility in New Jersey; something in her head does not feel right, however, and she rebuffs Novokov’s romantic overtures….

The Winter Soldier, with Bucky still partly conscious within his mind, runs across the rain-swept rooftops on his mission, pursued by Wolverine and Hawkeye. The two Avengers receive a message from Captain America. Cap tells them that SHIELD was able to recover data from the drive containing Bucky’s implanted mission and they are being sent to warn the target….

Matt Murdock is training within his secret gym when the brainwashed Bucky opens fire on him; donning his Daredevil gear, the blind hero fights back but is startled to see that his enemy is the supposedly dead Bucky Barnes—and the pause gives the Winter Soldier the opportunity to shoot….