Two Girls, One Winter Soldier
Barnes is in custody in a secure facility and the Avengers are gathered upstairs, engrossed in discussion about the Sokovia Accords, their history together, and the implications of The Winter Soldier situation. Downstairs, Helmut Zemo is posing as a doctor in order to gain access to Bucky Barnes, to try and reactivate the psychological conditioning of HYDRA in him and get him to break himself out of the building and escape.
Zemo’s plan works, and another chase ensues – this time through a building filled with people. Barnes – back in full Winter Soldier mode – knocks people flying, left and right, as each Avengers team member present tries to take him down. Tony Stark, with only a hand blaster, as opposed to a full Iron Man suit, steps in and is overpowered. Captain America and Falcon both see their attempts to subdue him spectacularly fail as well.
As Barnes enters a communal area of the building, Sharon Carter and Black Widow begin to tag-team him in a fight, leading to a brilliant moment in which the two women are taking it in turns to attack him. Sharon Carter is the first to fall, and Black Panther ultimately intervenes when Barnes has Black Widow pinned to a table by the throat.
What makes the moment great – brief though it is – is that it reminds us that, of all the people involved with the Avengers initiative that are present at that time, Sharon Carter and Black Widow are actually the least equipped. Neither has super powers and neither has gadgets or robotic suits. They are just women who are highly trained and highly motivated. Bucky Barnes is a super soldier, and yet these women repeatedly barrel into him and work together, regardless. That’s what makes them heroes.