MCU Theory: Ayo Weakened Bucky’s Arm When She Removed It

Ayo detached the arm of Bucky Barnes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and there’s a chance she may have weakened it for reasons beyond his betrayal. Bucky has been busy in the six months since his return following Avengers: Endgame. He’s back in the saddle after spending some time recuperating and living in Wakanda, with the former Winter Soldier joining up with Sam Wilson in a bid to find out what the Flag-Smashers were planning. However, he got into some hot water with Wakanda when he helped Baron Helmut Zemo escape from prison.  

After Ayo unfastened his Vibranium arm, which was bequeathed to Bucky after Iron Man destroyed his titanium arm in Captain America: Civil War, he was able to reattach it in time for a three-way brawl between him, Sam, and John Walker, the new Captain America, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s episode five, called “Truth.” However, the prosthetic arm wasn’t functioning as efficiently as before. Now a super-soldier, John ripped off Sam’s Falcon wings with ease and sent Bucky flying into a bunch of power cables that short-circuited his Vibranium arm and caused him to spasm. 

Of course, the reason behind Bucky’s arm suddenly malfunctioning could be because it’s not impervious to a jolt of electricity. It’s hard to say for sure and, considering Ayo was able to remove it with ease, it’s possible she changed a setting on the arm to weaken it following Bucky’s betrayal.  

Bucky Didn’t Know His Arm Could Be Removed

The fact his prosthetic limb could be detached at all was a major surprise to Bucky. He stood in stunned silence, staring down at where his arm was before it hit the ground. Bucky had no idea Ayo could deactivate his arm; he probably figured that when the Wakandans gifted him the arm, nothing notable would happen and he’d be able to use it to its full capacity any chance he got. 

Such was the case for a long time and, while Bucky is now free of his programming (thanks to Ayo), he still spent decades of his life taking orders from HYDRA under their brainwashing. Considering his history and how lethal he could be as the Winter Soldier, it’s not surprising the Wakandans put a failsafe in Bucky’s arm as a precaution. They likely never planned to use it had Bucky not broken Zemo out of prison. 

Ayo And Wakanda Were Unhappy With Bucky’s Zemo Breakout

Ayo made it clear that she, the rest of the Dora Milaje, and the Wakandans were not pleased with Bucky breaking Zemo out of prison and subsequently allying with him to glean information about the Flag-Smashers. But because Ayo knew Bucky personally, helping to free him from his HYDRA programming, she gave him a few hours to hand over Zemo. It was a courteous gesture, but her tone didn’t hide her disappointment over Bucky’s actions. Ayo and the Dora Milaje saw Bucky working alongside Zemo as a betrayal of their trust and friendship.

So, when the former Winter Soldier got in the way of their attempts to take the criminal into custody, Ayo used the failsafe on Bucky’s Vibranium arm to stop him. Bucky was well aware of Wakanda’s unhappiness and Ayo, in fact, didn’t activate the failsafe until Bucky turned on her and the Dora Milaje in battle. In that moment, Bucky chose Zemo over his alliance with the Wakandans. It’s easy to understand their anger — Zemo is the man who orchestrated the explosion that killed King T’Chaka, and they weren’t about to forget it. While Bucky eventually leads the Dora Milaje to Zemo for capture, Ayo is still salty and tells the White Wolf not to return to Wakanda, severing ties with him for the time being.

Ayo Knows Bucky Needs To Process His PTSD

Ayo played a crucial role in Bucky’s rehabilitation and as of the beginning of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it’s made abundantly clear that he’s still processing his past, the harm he caused others, and his guilt for his actions. Bucky was hesitant to go to therapy and struggled with opening up about his feelings early on. Ayo likely knows that he has yet to fully process his PTSD and it’s possible she’s doing him a favor by cutting him off from Wakanda. 

After all, there’s still a lot of trauma and choices Bucky needs to work through on his own. Ayo helped him on one leg of his journey and he needs to go walk the remaining path on his own, which is why it’s possible she changed the settings on his arm when she removed it. Bucky not knowing his arm’s own limitations is a problem and going on that journey is the only way he can fully develop into the man he wants to be now. His Vibranium arm is merely an extension of that. His limb may have been reattached, but the White Wolf must learn about all of its strengths and weaknesses as an active part of his growth. Shedding the name of the Winter Soldier and his programming isn’t enough and Ayo probably knows this as well. 

Bucky Needs To Earn A Bigger Future With Wakanda 

Bucky ultimately needs to reclaim his sense of self and worth if he’s to truly atone and earn back the trust that was lost before stepping foot in Wakanda — that could mean he needs to focus on his PTSD and therapy while thinking about his actions in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before reaching back out to Ayo. The Wakandans’ trust was broken by Bucky working with Zemo, even if their alliance was brief and a means to an end. His betrayal won’t easily be forgotten and his actions in the Disney+ show make it so that he’ll have to work twice as hard if he wants to get back into the good graces of Ayo and Wakanda. 

Bucky being cut off from Wakanda could be a good thing; it also means he’ll need to reclaim the full functionality of his Vibranium arm on his own. Deactivating his HYDRA conditioning was only the first step towards rehabilitation. Like Sam said in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode five, Bucky’s been going about making amends all wrong; he made the list of names not to bring the people on it comfort, but to alleviate his own guilt for his past crimes. Bucky has to look inward if he wants to make any outward changes. Perhaps by finally putting in the work he needs to do for himself, Bucky will forge a path back to Wakanda in a more meaningful and crucial way than before.

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
(1094 Articles Published)

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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