Captain America was the biggest coup of Brubaker's career and he managed to take a character that had been through a bunch of poorly-received adventures and make him one of Marvel's hottest characters. He did it by breaking some of the most important rules: bringing back characters and killing some sacred ones. First and foremost, the return of Bucky Barnes, the teenage sidekick killed in front of Cap's eyes in World War II returned as the Winter Soldier; the brainwashed Bucky made a fearsome opponent. Second, the death of Cap during Civil War and his replacement by Bucky injected a much-needed shot of adrenaline into the series. Mixing spy intrigue and superhero action makes for a damn good comic.