History Comicbook / TheFalcon

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Freshly gene-spliced, Joaquin Torres expectedly looks forward to being cured so that he can go home to his mom. He brightens up considerably upon the realization that he can fly, which is probably a good thing, since his condition has currently been diagnosed as incurable due the potent vampirism-related HealingFactor he's also acquired (what side-effects, if any, are still being explored).

** "''Sam Wilson, Captain America''" sees the gradual introduction of Joaquin Torres, a young Mexican American man who unwittingly fell victim to a DNA splicing with Redwing courtesy of a MadScientist, a process that soon turns out to be irreversible due to Redwing's rather [[OurVampiresAreDifferent unique physiology]], but that grants him a host of abilities, including the power of flight. Said gradual introduction culminates into Joaquin becoming the new Falcon and Sam's sidekick in issue 5.

* NonHumanSidekick: Redwing.

* RazorWings

* PettingZooPeople: In "''Sam Wilson, Captain America''", while investigating the whereabouts of kidnapped illegal immigrants that have been happening at the US/Mexican border, Sam ends up captured, too, and spliced with Wolf genes. And thus marks the return of Wolf-Cap, something Misty Knight doesn't allow Sam to forget for a single moment. Despite all of the hilarious inconvenience that ensues because of it, the effects are projected to wear off soon enough, though not outside the span of at least 3 issues.
** MadScientist Karl Mallus's other victims aren't always so lucky in the Petting Zoo department. Joaquin Torres, the soon to be new Falcon, actually seems to come out the better for than most, as far as can be told, and despite the bigger eyes, slightly taloned hands and feet, and flight-capable wings on his arms, he looks more human than even Wolf-Cap does. However, because he was spliced with genes from Sam's pet, Redwing, and because of Redwing's unique physiology as an avian vampirism carrier (i.e., many of the perks without most of the side-effects), unlike Sam and other potential splice victims, Joaquin's newly granted HealingFactor actually renders him unable to be cured of his "Falcon" state.

Also in 2014, a new version of the character entered the MarvelCinematicUniverse in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', portrayed by Creator/AnthonyMackie. The Cinematic Universe Falcon has yet another completely different origin: as an Afghanistan War veteran turned PTSD counsellor, who flies using a one-man powered wingsuit that he used during his military service and subsequently "liberated".

* SuperheroPackingHeat: The [[UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] and [[MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] versions of Falcon use guns.

* HyperCompetentSidekick: In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', The Falcon manages to hold his own very competently in many situations that gave ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and ComicBook/BlackWidow trouble and is never once a burden to the situation, many of which he wasn't trained for, although it can go almost unnoticed because he's OverShadowedByAwesome.

* PettingZooPeople: In "''Sam Wilson, Captain America''", while investigating the whereabouts of kidnapped illegal immigrants that have been happening at the US/Mexican border, Sam ends up captured, too, and spliced with Wolf genes. And thus marks the return of Wolf-Cap, something Misty Knight doesn't allow Sam to forget for a single moment. Despite all of the hilarious inconvenience that ensues because of it, the effects are projected to where off soon enough, though not outside the span of at least 3 issues.

* ''Sam Wilson, Captain America'' (2015)

* HyperCompetentSidekick: In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', The Falcon manages to hold his own very competently in many situations that gave CaptainAmerica and BlackWidow trouble and is never once a burden to the situation, many of which he wasn't trained for, although it can go almost unnoticed because he's OverShadowedByAwesome.

Falcon and Redwing would go to become members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Super Agents, [[Comicbook/TheAvengers the Avengers]], [[Comicbook/TheDefenders the Defenders]], and the Heroes for Hire. Initially appearing alongside Captain America in ''Captain America and The Falcon'', Sam would star in his own limited series, ''The Falcon'', in 1983. He was invited to rejoin the Avengers during Comicbook/MarvelNOW.

* ''TheAvengersUnitedTheyStand''

* ''WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''

* FeatherFlechettes: Has this ability in ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperheroSquadShow'', ''WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' and ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' but hasn't as of yet been able to do this in the comics.

* TokenBlack: In-universe, he was added to the team because [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Gyrich]] insisted that the team should have more black members; he didn't actually want to join.
** He was the sole black member of the team in ''TheAvengersUnitedTheyStand''. He's also the sole non-white Avenger (as well as the only one not present in the [[Film/TheAvengers live-action movie]]) in ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble''.

* IBelieveICanFly

** After becoming Cap, he takes on a young man named Joaquin Torres as the new Falcon.

Samuel Thomas "Sam" Wilson also known as The Falcon is a Creator/MarvelComics superhero introduced in ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' #117 (September 1969). Born and raised in Harlem, UsefulNotes/{{New York|City}}, Sam was originally written as a social worker who joined up with Captain America. Later, the story was that while he was initially a happy child and quite fond of birds, as a teen, his experiences with racism and [[ParentalAbandonment his parents' deaths]] made him bitter, jaded and angry. Leaving his past behind him, he becomes [[{{Retcon}} "Snap" Wilson, a professional criminal, gang member, and pimp]]. However, Sam himself doubted that story, and was eventually able to tell the Red Skull's daughter, Sin, the truth: he was a social worker who'd been stranded on the Isle of Exiles, who'd saved Steve's life and helped him escape. The ''true'' fake memories implanted by the Red Skull were those of him being a criminal, a plot he concocted to discredit Sam, counting on the fact that no one would question a black man from Harlem having a shady past. This was done by the Cosmic Cube, which the Red Skull had possession of.

* AffirmativeActionLegacy: [[https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/marvel-comes-to--the-colbert-report--to-announce-a-new-captain-america-sam-wilson-071950016.html Sam will be]] [[StatusQuoIsGod temporarily]] replacing Steve Rogers as ComicBook/CaptainAmerica.

* LegacyCharacter: Falcon briefly became Captain America when he thought Cap was dead. He'll be [[AffirmativeActionLegacy doing it again]] courtesy of Comicbook/MarvelNOW.

** He was the sole black member of the team in ''TheAvengersUnitedTheyStand''. He's also the sole non-white Avenger (as well as the only one not present in the [[Film/TheAvengers live-action movie]]) in ''Avengers Assemble''.

* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: One would think being able to talk to birds would be a useless power, until you remember that basically means he has a massive spy network ''everywhere''. It's been said that his birds make for a better information source than NickFury's spies. After all, who pays attention to whether there's a ''bird'' nearby?

Samuel Thomas "Sam" Wilson also known as The Falcon is a Creator/MarvelComics superhero introduced in ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' #117 (September 1969). Born and raised in Harlem, UsefulNotes/{{New York|City}}, Sam was originally written as a social worker who joined up with Captain America. Later, the story was that while he was initially a happy child and quite fond of birds, as a teen, his experiences with racism and [[ParentalAbandonment his parents' deaths]] made him bitter, jaded and angry. Leaving his past behind him, he becomes [[{{Retcon}} "Snap" Wilson, a professional criminal, gang member, and pimp]]. However, Sam himself doubted that story, and was eventually able to tell the Red Skull's daughter, Sin, the truth: he was a social worker who'd been stranded on the Isle of Exiles, who'd saved Steve's life and helped him escape. The ''true'' fake memories implanted by the Red Skull were those of him being a criminal, a plot he concocted to discredit Sam, counting on the fact that no one would question a black man from Harlem having a shady past.

The cube also gives him an empathic link with Redwing, his pet falcon and crimefighting partner, giving him an ability to communicate with him telepathically and see though his pet's eyes. This ability will eventually be trained to work with any bird that is near him.

* BuildingSwing: This was originally how The Falcon got around with a glove with a built in grappling hook launcher. This was discontinued when he got his flying wing harness.

* ''Film/AntMan

Falcon and Redwing would go to become members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Super Agents, [[Comicbook/TheAvengers the Avengers]], [[Comicbook/TheDefenders the Defenders]], and the Heroes for Hire. Initially appearing alongside Captain America in ''Captain America and The Falcon'', Sam would star in his own limited series, ''The Falcon'', in 1983. He was invited to rejoin the Avengers during MarvelNOW.

* LegacyCharacter: Falcon briefly became Captain America when he thought Cap was dead. He'll be [[AffirmativeActionLegacy doing it again]] courteousy of MarvelNOW.

Samuel Thomas "Sam" Wilson also known as The Falcon is a Creator/MarvelComics superhero introduced in ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' #117 (September 1969). Born and raised in Harlem, UsefulNotes/{{New York|City}}, Sam was originally written as a social worker who joined up with Captain America. Later, the story was that while he was initially a happy child and quite fond of birds, as a teen, his experiences with racism and [[ParentalAbandonment his parents' deaths]] made him bitter, jaded and angry. Leaving his past behind him, he becomes [[{{Retcon}} "Snap" Wilson, a professional criminal, gang member, and pimp]].

While traveling to [[{{UsefulNotes/Brazil}} Rio de Janeiro]], he purchases a pet falcon and names it Redwing. Attempting to hijack a plane filled with laundered money, Snap crashed it into the Isle of Exiles. Snap and Redwing are found by the RedSkull. Red Skull uses the Cosmic Cube [[{{Retcon}} to alter Snap's memory, from being a criminal and pimp to social worker]]. The cube also gives him an empathic link with Redwing, giving him an ability to communicate with him telepathically and see though his pet's eyes. This ability will eventually be trained to work with any bird that is near him.

After these events, Sam meets [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]] who encourages to stand against the Red Skull's evil. After extensive gymnastics and hand-to-hand combat training by Captain America, Sam Wilson dubbed himself the Falcon. With Cap and Redwing, Falcon defeated the Red Skull and would return with them to Harlem. While working as a social worker, Falcon continued being a hero, protecting his neighborhood from crime. Eventually, he formed a long time partnership with Captain America and received a specialized winged-harness that allows him to fly from the ComicBook/BlackPanther.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The "Snap" Wilson re-retcon. Falcon's social worker background was retconned into being FakeMemories implanted by the Red Skull, and his true identity was a pimp and a criminal. Rick Remender, whatever else he may have done, wrote it into canon that the ''truly'' FakeMemories were that of being a pimp, Sam had always been a good, heroic man, and the Red Skull was not only trying to discredit him, he was counting on ''everyone else'' being racist enough to ''believe'' that Sam ''must have'' been a horrible criminal before meeting Cap.

* FakeMemories: Due to the effects of the Cosmic Cube.

* {{Fanboy}}: To Isaiah Bradley, the very first (in-universe chronologically) African-American superhero who becomes Captain America. Sam is among several African-American heroes, along with [[ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire Luke Cage]], Goliath (Bill Foster), [[ComicBook/CaptainMarVell Monica Rambeau]], and Triathlon; who are gleefully surprised when Isaiah arrives as a special guest at the wedding of ComicBook/{{Storm}} and ComicBook/BlackPanther,

* {{Fanboy}}: To Isaiah Bradley, the very first (in-universe chronologically) African-American superhero who becomes Captain America. Sam is among several African-American heroes, along with [[ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire Luke Cage]], Goliath (Bill Foster), Monica Rambeau, and Triathlon; who are gleefully surprised when Isaiah arrives as a special guest at the wedding of ComicBook/{{Storm}} and ComicBook/BlackPanther,
* FeatherFlechettes: Has this ability in ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperheroSquadShow'', ''[[{{WesternAnimation/AvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes}} The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' but hasn't as of yet been able to do this in the comics.

* HyperCompetentSidekick: In CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier The Falcon manages to hold his own very competently in many situations that gave CaptainAmerica and BlackWidow trouble and is never once a burden to the situation, many of which he wasn't trained for, although it can go almost unnoticed because he's OverShadowedByAwesome.

* AngryBlackMan: Mainly before he became a hero. He can occasionally channel this vibe nowadays, but it's not really anger so much as it's exasperation with Steve's or Bucky's antics, or having to educate someone about African-American history.