Topic: Falcon & The Winter Soldier Tutorial
We begin our Discussion on the Newest Marvel Show, Falcon
& The Winter Soldier, which is our newest Marvel series. Does it live up to Wanda Vision, check out
next episode to find out.
Who is The Falcon?
Comic History
First introduced in 1969, Samuel Wilson was rescued by Steve
Rogers, Captain America, from a Caribbean island where the Red Skull had
planned on experimenting on Sam. After
fighting the Red Skull, Sam would go on to continue working with Captain
America. It was during this first outing
that he was given the power to telepathically communicate with Birds,
especially a falcon her name Redwing, but the Red Skull and a Cosmic Cube. It wasn’t until 5 years later that he was
given a pair of wings by Black Panther that allowed him to fly.
Falcon remained a loyal partner to Steve Roger, even helping
train his replacements during time in which Steve stepped down as Captain
America. During this time, Falcon
learned to command other birds beyond Redwing, and became capable of command
multiple types of birds. Falcon was also
of the people to Steve Roger’s Secret Avengers, opposing the Super-Human
Registration Act, the main catalyst of the Civil War in the comics.
A major turning point in the character came in 2014, when
Steve Roger has his Super Soldier serum neutralized, causing him to rapidly age
to the age of 90. Without the power of
the serum, same passed on the shield and mantle of Captain America to the
Falcon. Falcon would go on to act as
Captain America, utilizing the wings of Falcon and the Shield of Captain
America. His numerous adventures led to
a new Avengers team, along with for a time, leaving SHIELD due to their work on
a New Cosmic Cube.
SHIELD would eventually make their new Comic Cube, which
took on the vestige of a young girl named Kobik. During these eventually the original Captain
America was dying, but Kobik revitalized Steve Rogers, allowing him to retake
the title of Captain America. This
version of Steve Rogers however was a fascist version that was actually a
sleeper agent for Hydra. While Falcon’s
faith in American Government had wavered, he return the title of Captain
America to Steve Rogers(Fascist), and departed the country to help
elsewhere.
Upon Falcon’s return, he learned that Steve Rogers(F) had
taken up the mantle as the leader of Hydra.
Falcon returned to being Captain America once again, and assisted the
Avengers in rebuilding the Cosmic Cube to help Kobik, who actually had the real
Steve Rogers inside her. Completing the
Cube, freed Steve Rogers, and allowed him to beat the Steve Rogers(F). Understanding that Steve Rogers could do more
benefit as Captain American than he could, he returned the Mantle of Steve
Roger, and returned to being just the Falcon.
Falcon, then working for a Veteran’s Assistance group came across Bucky
Barnes, and aided him in helping find soldiers that had gone missing.
Powers
Avian Telepathy – Ability to communicate and commands birds.
Master Martial Artist – After having trained with Steve
Rogers, Falcon became a proficient fighter in various fighting styles and
forms.
Peak Human Condition – Including peak strength and
endurance.
Master Aerialist – As a flying hero, he is an amazing
fighter in the air, some would say better than Ironman or Captain Marvel.
Falcon Wings – A Set of Wakandan created Wings that give
Falcon the power of flight.
Captain America Shield + Uniform – Former
MCU Version
The MCU version of Falcon Finds him as a former Rescue
Paratrooper, who upon returning home find himself working the VA until he
volunteers to help Steve Rogers during the events of Winter Soldier Movie. He continues as an Avenger post Age of Ultron,
and is the first to be on Steve Rogers side during the events of Civil
War. He is snapped out of existence at
the end of Infinity War, only to return at end of Endgame.
Who is The Winter Soldier?
Comic History
First introduced in 1940 as the young sidekick of Steve
Rogers as Captain America, the James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes was the Teenage
hero working alongside Steve Rogers during World War II. Toward the end of the war in 1945, Captain
America and Bucky were on the hunt for a bad guy, then the plane they were on
was plummeting in to the Atlantic Ocean.
Both men attempted to escape, but Bucky’s costume was snagged on the
plan upon exiting, causing the plan to crash in to the ocean and for him to be
presumed dead. Captain America attempted
to save his companion, but was sent into suspended animation, being frozen in
the waters of the Atlantic.
In 1946, the Soviets were attempting to find Captain
America, instead found Bucky, who had survived the crash, but who had lost his
left arm and put in to a similar suspended animation like this mentor. Though at the peak of human conditioning due
to working and training alongside Captain America, Bucky survived and was
reprogrammed by the Soviets to become their personal Assassin, the Winter
Soldier.
As the Winter Soldier, he carried out the bulk of secret,
and famous, Assassinations across the world for many years. His left arm replaced with a new cybernetic
arm when ever advancements in technology would allow. He would at one point become the teacher and
trainer for a young Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, while she training. They two developed a romantic relationship,
but after a failed assassination mission, Bucky was deemed too unstable, and
his mind was wiped after each mission, and placed in Suspended Animation until
a mission was needed.
During an event in 2004, where the Winter Soldier was
activated to steal the Red Skull’s new Cosmic Cube, he met and fought with
Captain America, who later learned that the Winter Soldier had been his best
friend this entire time. Using the power
of the newly created Cosmic Cube, Captain America restored Bucky’s memories,
but the sudden rush of emotions and remorse over the life he had led caused
Bucky to destroy the newly created Cosmic Cube, transporting him elsewhere in
the process.
For the next few years, Bucky began hunting his captors,
eliminating them and becoming a SHIELD secret agent for Nick Fury. Following the Events of Civil War, Bucky
blamed Tony Stark and Red Skull for killing Steve Rogers. Bucky would eventually confront both men, but
lost to the Red Skull. And when
confronting Tony Stark, Stark passed along Steve Roger’s final wish for Bucky,
that he save Bucky from his decent to violence and madness. Tony Stark believing the best way to do this,
was for Bucky to become the New Captain America. Bucky accepted, but wanted the
mental implants removed, and that he answered to no one, not SHIELD or Tony
Stark.
For the next few years, Bucky acted as Captain America,
eventually winning over the Avengers and the US Government, on his way to
reforming his life; he even rekindled his romance with Black Widow.
Even when Steve Rogers was revived and was
capable of taking back the mantle of Captain America, he continued to let Bucky
carry on the title, believing that he was the better individual to carry on
that legacy, and that the world didn’t need Two Captain Americas.
During the Fear Itself event, a villain powered by a similar
Hammer to Thor’s beat Bucky to within an inch of his life during an attack on
Washington DC, saved by a Nick Fury and his ‘Infinity Formula’. Steve Rogers took back up the mantle of
Captain America after his friend seemingly thought dead, with Bucky believing
it was better that he return to his Winter Soldier title instead. Winter Soldier would continue to work behind
the scene of super heroics, though seemingly out of the picture for a majority
of the major events.
Bucky was a part of the team that went in to a Villains
prison, in order to rescue the newly created Cosmic Cube, Kobik, and was
seemingly there when Steve Rogers (F), was revived. Years later, upon learning that the revived
Steve Rogers was actually a Fascist version, he worked along side the Avengers
to find the real Steve Rogers. After
helping complete the cube, he shrunk down in size with Ant Man and rescued the
real Steve Rogers from the cube.
Powers
Master Martial Artist – After having trained with Steve
Rogers, Falcon became a proficient fighter in various fighting styles and
forms.
Peak Human Condition – Including peak strength and
endurance.
Infinity Formula – a diluted version of the Elixir of Life,
it slows down the aging process and seemingly give the user peak physical
conditions. However, unlike Steve Roger’s
Super Soldier Serum, this Formula must be taken regularly once a year in order
to stay in peak condition. Prior to
receiving it, Bucky had already been at Peak Human Condition, which only added
to his skills.
Cybernetic Arm – Replacing his missing left arm that was
lost during World War II, his arm is improved with new technology over the
years.
MCU Version
The MCU Version follows very similar to Comics, aging up
Bucky to be a similar age to Steve Rogers during World War II. Bucky, unlike his Comics version, did receive
an experimental version of the Super Soldier Serum, turning him into a Super
Soldier in the process, though seemingly not to the point that it was
noticeable by others. Rather than being
lost in the Ocean similar to Steve Rogers, he was instead lost over a ravine,
only to be rescued by Hydra and turned in to the Winter Soldier. Following the event of the Winter Soldier,
Bucky left Hydra and began seeking out who he was, only to be blamed for an
attack on Wakanda leader, King T'Chaka.
During the events of Civil War, Steve Roger protected Bucky, as he realized
Bucky wasn’t the enemy, only doing the bidding of programming by Hydra
agents. Bucky lost his initial
cybernetic arm, but was rescued by Steve Rogers, who escaped to Wakanda with
the help of the Black Panther. While in
Wakanda, he was deprogrammed and the mental implants were removed. During the events of Infinity War, he aided
Steve Rogers and other heroes in protecting Vision while the Mind Stone was
being removed, receiving a new Vibranium Arm to replace his lost cybernetic
arm. He was snapped Away by Thanos, just
like the Falcon, but returned during the Events of Endgame.
Cosmic Cube
Cosmic Cubes are cube objects that allow for reality
manipulation, control over matter and energy, and basically answers to the
sentient being owning them, often being considered omni-wish granting devices. Their creation is generally a well guarded
secret and very difficult, but by opening up a portal to a universe inhabited
by ‘Beyonders’, you can suck out some of the energy in that universe and
contain it in a cube.
The Cosmic Cube typically get created and wielded by
individuals without any spectacular super powers, like the Red Skull. They’re a common source of conflict within
Captain America stories, as they’re the common focus and creation by those seeking
more power. While on a similar level to
Infinity Stones, they’re not nearly as powerful and omnipotent, as they can’t
effect time or the soul.
In the MCU, the Tesseract was considered a Cosmic Cube,
before it was determined that it was the Space Stone in hiding.
Where are we at in the Marvel Timeline?
Prior to the Events of Endgame, half of all life in the
universe was snapped away, both Sam and Bucky included. While Endgame only shows a tiny bit of the
life returning to normal, Bucky went on to work with the US Government as a
deep cover agent, working to root out Hydra agents, and trying to make amends
for the damage he did. Falcon continued
working alongside the Military, continuing his work as an Avenger.
As a part of re-intergrating those lost by the Snap, and
returned during the Blip, the Global Repatriation Council was created to aid
those returning from the Blip. As a part
of their work, they reinstated country boundaries and aimed to return those
snapped away back to their old lives. However,
any refugees from other countries ended up buying or moving in to new homes and
places left behind by those who were Snapped away, and upon the return of
original owners, many of those refugees were forcibly removed by the owner or
local governments from their new homes, and placed into resettlement
camps. Many in these camps resent the
GRC, as they are poor infrastructure and lack of supplies necessary for those
that were displaced. As of recent the
GRC, in an effort to return to the world of 5 years prior to the snap, has
begun implementing deportation for refugees to their original countries of
origin, which has only increased anger and tensions of the Refugees.
Homework
Falcon & The Winter Soldier - Available on Disney+
