10 Times Captain America Outsmarted Everyone

A decision so smart, so emotional, and so perfect that it demanded a film adaptation, Cap's decision to trust Bucky Barnes not to kill him in The Winter Soldier storyline is actually one of his smartest moves the hero has made to date.

The idea of Bucky's conditioning and mind-control is a two-pronged beast - in that Cap's enemies win if the hero dies, but they also win if he decides to kill one of his oldest friends. Rogers, however, knows his long-time ally better than the people who kept him captive, and predicts that reminding him of his old life will distract Bucky for just long enough that Steve can cancel out his brainwashing with the Cosmic Cube - as it does.

Making plans that involve essentially just hoping not to be shot at doesn't sound all that smart, but Cap's plan manages to create a scenario that never could have been expected, with Barnes being freed from his mind-control after countless years.