ing ▁plans ▁to ▁General ▁Joseph ▁Car r . ▁ ▁S omet ime ▁during ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁John ▁Ste ele ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁and ▁held ▁in ▁susp ended ▁animation ▁for ▁study . ▁Over ▁the ▁years ▁many ▁scient ists ▁tried ▁to ▁study ▁his ▁body ▁to ▁discover ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁his ▁ab ilities . ▁Among ▁the ▁many ▁scient ists ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁was ▁Abraham ▁Er sk ine , ▁cre ator ▁of ▁the ▁Super - S old ier ▁Formula . ▁Ste ele ▁was ▁fre ed ▁from ▁capt ivity ▁by ▁an ▁Al lied ▁bomb ing . ▁Despite ▁having ▁been ▁in ▁st asis ▁for ▁ 2 0 ▁years , ▁Ste ele ▁went ▁right ▁back ▁to ▁fighting ▁Germ ans , ▁this ▁time ▁in ▁secret ▁behind ▁enemy ▁lines . ▁He ▁eventually ▁ran ▁into ▁a ▁secret ▁Al lied ▁military ▁unit ▁composed ▁of ▁Nick ▁F ury , ▁Red ▁H arg ro ve , ▁and ▁the ▁Sky ▁Dev ils . ▁Ste ele ▁stayed ▁with ▁F ury ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁until ▁they ▁were ▁called ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁States . ▁Ste ele ▁decided ▁to ▁remain ▁behind ▁for ▁two ▁reasons ; ▁first ▁because ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁return ▁home ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁gu inea ▁p ig , ▁and ▁second ▁because ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁track ▁down ▁the ▁Red ▁Sk ull . ▁He ▁discovered ▁the ▁Red ▁Sk ull ' s ▁alleg iance ▁with ▁the ▁Japanese ▁and ▁the ▁ren eg ade ▁Atl ante an ▁U - Man ▁and ▁how ▁all ▁three ▁parties ▁were ▁planning ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor