Falcon Reading Guide: Where to Start

Falcon, whose real name is Sam Wilson, occupies a unique place in the Marvel universe. Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, it appears for the first time in the pages of Captain America in 1969, and quickly became the publisher's first recurring African-American superhero (Black Panther being African). This historical dimension permeates his entire journey: where many secondary characters remain stooges, Sam Wilson was constructed, from the beginning, as a full partner, with his convictions, his neighborhood of Harlem and his own tensions.

The reader who discovers Falcon encounters a difficulty: the character has long only existed within the series.Captain America, and his rare solo series are scattered over time. The good news is that this journey traces a very readable, almost romantic trajectory: from Steve Rogers' wingman in the seventies, he becomes a full-fledged Captain America in the 2010s, before resuming his identity as Falcon and then lastingly wearing the shield. Following Falcon is therefore following a rare editorial rise.

This guide offers a reasoned reading order, based only on runs, creators and sagas that actually exist. When a precise number is not essential, I designate the arc or run by its name and its creative team, to avoid any confusion in bookstores or collections.

Best entry point: “Captain America and the Falcon” duo

If you only had to read one thing to understand Falcon, it would be the period when Steve Rogers' flagship series literally changed its title to “Captain America and the Falcon”. This change of headband is not a marketing detail: it acknowledges that Sam Wilson is co-starring, and not a guest. The heart of this period is the screenwriter's run Steve Englehart(often associated with the designer Sal Buscema), which gives the character a political and intimate depth unprecedented for the time.

Why start there rather than with the very first appearance? Because the first pages of 1969 establish the character, but it is Englehart who transforms him into a complete hero, capable of carrying intrigues, of contradicting Captain America and of embodying a point of view on the America of his time. For a new reader, this is the best balance of accessibility and historical significance. There you will find the classic Falcon: recognizable, committed, and already much more than a side-kick.

The origins and the founding run: from Stan Lee to Steve Englehart

The first essential chapter is the first appearance by Stan Lee and Gene Colan at the end of the 1960s. Sam Wilson arrives there as a social worker from Harlem who becomes Captain America's ally against the Red Skull. From the start, his relationship with his trained falcon,Redwing, and his winged costume establish a strong visual identity.

The founding run in the literal sense, however, remains that of Englehart in the 1970s. Two elements are essential for any reader:

• The “Secret Empire” saga: a political conspiracy arc very marked by the post-Watergate climate, in which Steve Rogers, disillusioned, temporarily abandons the identity of Captain America to become Nomad. Falcon plays a central role as moral compass and partner in action.
• The controversial revelation of Sam Wilson's past: a reversal mixing the Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube, which retroactively rewrites part of the character's origins under the name "Snap" Wilson. This is a major point of discussion among readers, often revisited and nuanced subsequently; it's better to find out in context rather than in summary.

This seventies foundation gives you the keys to everything that will follow: the loyalty and friction between Sam and Steve, the social dimension of the character, and the idea that Falcon can carry the drama as much as the combat.

The essential runs, in order

Here is a chronological journey which favors the readability of the character's evolution:

1. The beginnings (late 1960s)— Stan Lee and Gene Colan: the appearance and installation of Sam Wilson as Captain America's ally.
2. The Steve Englehart run (1970s)— the “Captain America and the Falcon” era, “Secret Empire,” Nomad, and the construction of the character as a co-hero.
3. The solo miniseries “Falcon” (1983) — written by Jim Owsley (the future Christopher Priest ) and drawn by Paul Smith. This is one of the first times where Sam Wilson carries a story alone, in an urban setting close to his origins. An important milestone for anyone who wants to see Falcon out of the shadow of the shield.
4. The Ed Brubaker run on “Captain America” (from 2005)— even if this run is famous for the return of Bucky as Winter Soldier, Falcon is a recurring and modernized partner, presented seriously and effectively. It’s an excellent “modern” gateway to the duo.
5. The Rick Remender run (2010s)— which prepares the big shift: Sam Wilson will cease to be the winger to become the bearer of the shield.

Read in this order, the character unfolds logically: teammate, co-star, occasional solo hero, then leading figure in the Marvel universe.

The big sagas and crossovers to know

Falcon takes on another dimension as soon as it is included in major events. Several sagas are particularly enlightening:

• “Secret Empire” (1970s, by Englehart)— the political conspiracy already mentioned, the matrix of the Sam/Steve relationship.
• “All-New Captain America” (2014) — written by Rick Remender and drawn by Stuart Immonen: Steve Rogers, weakened, passes the shield to Sam Wilson. This is one of the major turning points in the character's entire career, and a great tipping point for a modern reader.
• “Captain America: Sam Wilson” (2015-2017) - by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna: a daring and directly political series, which makes Sam a challenged Captain America, confronted with contemporary America. Divisive but essential to understanding the character's adult identity.
• “Secret Empire” (2017) — the event of Nick Spencer(not to be confused with the seventies arc) where a manipulated Steve Rogers switches to the side of Hydra. Sam Wilson embodies, with others, the resistance, which reinforces his status as a moral figure in the Marvel universe.

These sagas show the specificity of Falcon: he is often the hero who asks the question “what does it mean to be Captain America, and for which America?” » is asked most directly.

The modern era: Falcon, then Captain America lastingly

The recent era is particularly rich for those who want to follow Sam Wilson. After the period where he wears the shield, he returns for a time to his original identity with the series “Falcon” (2017) , written by Rodney Barnes and designed in particular by Joshua Cassara. This series refocuses him on his own myth, his responsibilities and his relationship with youth and the community.

Then the loop closes in a striking way with “Captain America: Symbol of Truth” (2022) , written by Tochi Onyebuchi, where Sam Wilson fully and lastingly assumes the role of Captain America, with an assumed geopolitical and historical tone. For a reader who wants contemporary Falcon/Sam Wilson, this is an excellent starting point: it synthesizes everything the character has accumulated since the 1970s.

Things to remember to find your way in the modern era:

• Sam Wilson as Captain America: Start with “All-New Captain America” (Remender/Immonen), then “Captain America: Sam Wilson” (Spencer/Acuña).
• Sam Wilson as Falcon: the series “Falcon” (2017) by Rodney Barnes.
• The consecration: “Symbol of Truth” (2022) by Tochi Onyebuchi.

Nuggets to save for later

Once the major runs have been digested, several readings enrich the portrait without being starting points:

• The 1983 solo miniseries(Owsley/Priest and Paul Smith): to reread after seeing Falcon as Captain America, to measure the progress made.
• The long post-Englehart “Captain America and the Falcon” periods: the series has kept this double banner over many episodes, offering a number of adventures of the duo for those who loved the seventies and want to extend it.
• The Ed Brubaker run reviewed from the angle of Falcon: beyond the Winter Soldier plot, it shows a modern Sam Wilson, competent and integrated into espionage operations.
• Tie-ins related to “Secret Empire” (2017): to explore once the main event has been read, to deepen Sam's role in the resistance.

These nuggets are not a priority, but they reward the reader who wants to understand Falcon in all its nuances, including its gray areas and its successive rereadings by the authors.

Where and how to read: editions, collections and career advice

Falcon being a character “hosted” by the series for a long time Captain America, the best reading strategy is to go through the collections. Several formats exist, without it being necessary to name a specific publisher:

• The collections bringing together the Englehart run from the 1970s: they bring together the “Captain America and the Falcon” period and the “Secret Empire” saga, ideal for starting.
• The complete or omnibuses devoted to Captain America: they allow you to follow the duo over long periods of time, with Falcon as a constant co-star.
• Collections of modern series: “All-New Captain America,” “Captain America: Sam Wilson,” the 2017 “Falcon” series, and “Symbol of Truth” are available in easy-to-play collected volumes.

For an effective discovery tour, I recommend the following order:

1. The Englehart run (seventies) for the base and “Secret Empire”.
2. The 1983 solo miniseries to see Falcon carry a narrative.
3. The Brubaker run for a modern version of the duo.
4. “All-New Captain America” then “Captain America: Sam Wilson” for the switch to the shield.
5. The “Secret Empire” event (2017), then the “Falcon” series (2017) and finally “Symbol of Truth” (2022).

Collector's Tip: favor thematic collections by run rather than purchasing isolated episodes, except for historical milestones (first appearance, switch to Captain America) that many readers like to own as singles. Always check the contents of a collection: as Falcon shares the poster with Captain America, the same volume can be classified under one or the other name. By thinking by run and by creator - Englehart, Owsley/Priest, Brubaker, Remender, Spencer, Barnes, Onyebuchi - you will not take the wrong entry point, and you will follow a coherent trajectory: that of a partner who has become, through writing, one of the major symbols of the Marvel universe.

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