Sam Wilson grew up in a tough Harlem neighborhood. His father, a minister, had been killed trying to stop a fight. Sam did his best to try and do the right thing, but his grief and anger eventually led him down a criminal path. He took on the name of "Snap" Wilson while working for the mob.
After an assignment, on the way to Rio de Janeiro, Sam's plane crashed on a remote Caribbean island named Exile where the Red Skull and his henchmen were hiding out. The Red Skull sought to use Wilson as a pawn to attack Captain America (who was currently on the island) with. He used the Cosmic Cube to revert 'Snap' into Sam, and give him the ability to telepathically communicate with birds, especially a bird that Wilson had bought named Redwing. After their initial skirmish, Cap was able to shake Wilson of the Skull's programming. Together they defeated the Skull, and the Falcon became Cap's partner for a long time. The Falcon ultimately left as Cap's partner when he was named the leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Super-Agents.
Later, as one of the few black superheroes active, he was drafted to join the Avengers by Henry Peter Gyrich to fill a quota. Resenting being a "token," he quit at the first opportunity. Later, again as the Falcon, Wilson received help from the Black Panther, who created a harness for Wilson, allowing him to fly.
After the Super-Soldier Serum within Captain America's body was neutralized in battle against the Iron Nail, he aged rapidly into an old man. Following an attack on New York from Arnim Zola, Steve decided to appoint Sam Wilson as his successor.
In the wake of the Hydra Empire, Steve Rogers found himself in a place of turmoil. Having proven his worth as Captain America and knowing that his friend needed to win back the trust of an entire nation after the events enacted in his name, Sam returned the shield to Steve, relinquishing the mantle of Captain America in the process, and returning to his alias of Falcon. In an effort to re-connect to the country beyond the threats usually tackled by superheroes, Sam began to focus his efforts on de-escalating street-level issues, such as gang conflicts in Chicago. Despite the difficult times, he and Misty kept working together and even began dating. After a while, he decided to go by Captain America once again.
Current Version:
Captain America
Former Versions:
Falcon (First Appearance)
Falcon (First Harness)
Falcon (Hard Light Wings)
Captain America
Falcon (Post-Secret Empire)
