10 Facts About The Falcon

The Falcon, aka Sam Wilson, is a Marvel Comics Superhero that debuted in 1969 in Captain America #117. He was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. Like most comic book origins, Sam's has been through some changes throughout the years but, he's always stayed true to his character even if it is a little different from the films. In the comics, Sam is born and raised in Harlem. After the death of both of his parents, Sam turns to a life of crime and vigilante work to get by, at one point he even joins the mob. To better understand who Sam Wilson really is, here are 10 fun facts about The Falcon!

1. The Black Panther originally gave Sam his harness that allows him to fly.

Sam Wilson started out as a non-flying superhero in Marvel comics. Instead he had his pal falcon Redwing.

2. Sam has a falcon companion named Redwing.

In the MCU, Redwing is a weaponized drone that Sam can control via his suit and voice command.

3. When Sam worked for the mob, we went by the name "Snap" Wilson

During the events of Avenger Disassembled, Scarlet Witch used her powers to manipulate Sam and his abilities by reactivating his "Snap" Wilson persona.

4. After years of being Captain America's partner, Sam was named the leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D Super Agents.

5. The Falcon fought alongside his pal Captain America during the events of Civil War, being the very first to join him in his battle against the Superhuman Registration Act.

After Captain America's assassination, Sam was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D to assist in the investigation alongside side Sharon Carter.

6. When Steve Rodgers suffers the loss of his Super Soldier Serum he begins to age. It's only then when he passes the mantle of Captain America off to Sam Wilson.

7. In the Comics, Sam originally had the power to control birds.

This is what gave him the courage to become The Falcon.

8. Sam's abilities include peak human condition.

After years of extensive training, Sam has peak human strength and endurance. He's also a master acrobat and martial artist.

9. Falcon's wings can reach up to 250 mph.

His wings can also expand up to 50ft. They've had many design changes throughout the years, once even being altered by Tony Stark himself. They often are full-Vibranium.

10. Sam Wilson is the only black comic book hero to dawn the Captain America title.

Although some may argue that Isaiah Bradley can be called Captain America, he was never officially recognized as such in the comics.

If you're already a fan of the MCU, you can see how much of Sam Wilson's original origins has been altered for the films. Sam is played by Anthony Mackie, an American actor who I think embodies The Falcon perfectly. Mackie puts a lot of his own personality into his character and I think that is what makes him so relatable. In the first episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Disney+, we finally get Sam's backstory. In the MCU we were first introduced to Sam in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At that time, we was already a skilled military veteran with The Falcon's wings. What this new series is doing is allowing fans of the character to get to know Sam for who he really is. Before he was just a friend of Cap's with the desire to always do the right thing. Now we are going to learn why.

If you are interested in learning more about Sam Wilson in both the comics and film, I suggest reading The 5 Greatest Falcon Stories and watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series streaming now on Disney+.