FALCON

 

FALCON

Real Name: Samuel Thomas Wilson

First Appearance: Captain America (Vol. 1) #117, September 1969 (As Falcon); Captain America (Vol. 7) #25, December 2014 (As Captain America V)

Powers: Sam Wilson was a baseline human who was given the power to mentally communicate with his falcon, Redwing, thanks to the Cosmic Cube. This empathic link allows the Falcon and Redwing to sense each other's moods and thoughts, and "speak" to each other over a distance. Over time, this power has developed into a full-fledged ability to communicate with all birds for Sam. The Falcon can now control the actions of all birds within roughly a city's limits, and he can adjust his senses so that he can see through the eyes of any bird in his range.

Originally, the Falcon was just a costumed athlete trained in combat by Captain America. Early on, he adopted a "Hawk Hook" built into his wrist band that fired a grappling wire for swinging through the city. Later, the Black Panther had his Wakanda Design Group create a set of jet-assisted glider wings for Sam, giving him the power to fly.

He later had the suit altered by Stane International, giving him new weapons and paraphernalia. His photo-sensitive lenses screen out sudden flashes or glare and protect his eyes from other harmful visual effects. They are also equipped with telescopic infrared sights, and a visual mapping system allowing him to see 360° degrees. His "talons" are projectile spikes which can be used as weapons or as a grappling line. The Falcon's wings are now detachable, and can be flown under direct or pre-programmed cybernetic commands. One surprise tactic he employed was to suddenly launch his wings at his opponent in midair flight, ramming the villain in the chest and then flying down to catch his body before he hits the ground below. He modified his costume twice since then, apparently discarding all the bells and whistles in the process.

After his mind was destabilized by the Scarlet Witch and his wings were shredded, Sam began carrying handguns in combat. He was given a new design of wings by the Panther, holo-wings generated out of solid light and propelled by the magnetic drive in his costume. He is capable of forming the wings into more than a dozen pre-programmed designs, modifying his speed and maneuverability depending on the design he uses. When he wishes, the Falcon can detach the wings from the emitter arrays on his back, letting them dematerialize into harmless light. For defensive purposes, his costume is made of a Vibranium micro-weave that absorbs impact and kinetic energy, and the holo-wings produce a distortion effect that prevents target-acquisition software from getting a lock on him.

Around the time of Civil War, the Falcon went back to using his more traditional wings instead of energy wings. As he became Captain America, Sam adapted protective lenses and a more armored suit, as well as the classic steel-Vibranium alloy shield. His wings were now fully retractable, enabling him to switch on the fly between ground-level athleticism and flight activity. He retains the retractable wings even after discarding the Captain America identity.