Meet Falcon, Captain America's High-Flying Partner

As Captain America and Falcon, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson became one of the Marvel Universe’s most iconic crime-fighting duos with a partnership built on trust and mutual respect. When the World War II hero no longer wielded his iconic shield, Sam carried on the legacy of Captain America. The rise of a new Captain America became an opportunity for a new Falcon to take flight.

Shortly after Sam became Captain America, the teenage Joaquin Torres gained bird-like abilities and used his newfound powers to take on the mantle of Falcon. Eager to make a name for himself as a high-flying hero, Falcon found a mentor and a partner in Sam. Joaquin established himself as one of the leading young heroes of his generation.

Let's take a closer look at Joaquin Torres and how he helped Captain America face a brave new world as Falcon. From surviving the SECRET EMPIRE to the dramatic transformations he endured, Joaquin has taken Falcon’s heroic legacy to new heights.  

HOW JOAQUIN TORRES GOT HIS POWERS

Sam Wilson learned about Joaquin Torres for the first time on one of his early missions as Captain America. After immigrating from Mexico to the United States as a child, the 17-year-old Joaquin joined the Samaritans, a group that helped new immigrants get the food, water, and medicine they need near the southern U.S. border.

When Joaquin went missing, his grandmother, Mariana, asked Captain America to find him. Sam rescued Joaquin from a xenophobic paramilitary force called the Sons of the Serpent in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON (2015) #3 by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna.
 
The twisted scientist Karl Malus gave an unwilling Joaquin superhuman abilities by splicing his genes with animal DNA. When Doctor Malus turned Captain America into a werewolf, he subsequently fused Joaquin with DNA samples from Redwing, Sam’s longtime avian companion. After becoming a human/falcon hybrid, Joaquin developed wings with feathers on his arms, large bird-like eyes, and claw-like talons on his hands and feet.

However, Redwing was no ordinary falcon. From his psychic link with Sam and Blood Baron turning him into a vampiric bird, Redwing's abilities seeped into Joaquin's transformation. Due to Redwing’s vampirism, Joaquin developed a comprehensive healing factor that allows him to recover quickly from deadly injuries. Joaquin now also shares a psychic link with Redwing, allowing him to communicate with Sam through the bird.

HOW JOAQUIN TORRES BECAME THE FALCON

Despite the physical changes to his appearance, Joaquin found immense joy in his newfound ability to fly and was eager to prove himself as Falcon. After Captain America rescued him from Doctor Malus, Joaquin stayed in the care of nurse Claire Temple, Misty Knight, and D-Man.

Joaquin broke out of his hospital room when his telepathic connection to Redwing alerted him that Serpent Solutions, the latest incarnation of the Serpent Society, attacked Sam in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON (2015) #5 by Nick Spencer and Paul Renaud. Joaquin's interference helped save Sam's life.

Sam sent Joaquin some fighting instructions through their mutual bond with Redwing, allowing the new Falcon to battle the serpentine villains alongside Sam’s old ally, Diamondback. Joaquin officially suited up as Falcon for the first time in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON (2015) #6.

When a seemingly rejuvenated Steve Rogers returned as Captain America, Sam continued to operate as Captain America and embraced Falcon as his new partner. Although his inexperience and aggressive tendencies led him to make a few rash and potentially deadly decisions, Falcon’s healing factor protected him in battle.

FALCON MEETS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE

As he trained with Captain America, Falcon continued to fight injustice and interacted more with the other young heroes of the Marvel Universe. Falcon found a potential kindred spirit in Rage, a super-strong young hero he met while fighting a violent paramilitary police force called the Americops.

When questions about his citizenship status became national news, Falcon sought Rage's assistance to confront the anti-immigration writer in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON (2015) #16. The pair attended a speech by Ariella Conner, the primary media personality attacking Falcon, but ultimately wound up saving her from a group of extremists called the Bombshells.

During SECRET EMPIRE, the seemingly rejuvenated Steve Rogers revealed himself to be an evil doppelganger of Captain America who pledged loyalty to Hydra. When this evil Captain America and Hydra took over the United States, Falcon joined several other young heroes in the Red Room, where they trained under the tutelage of Natasha Romanov. After Black Widow’s failed attempt to take down the evil Captain America, Hydra captured Joaquin and his friends.

The original Steve Rogers eventually returned and defeated his Hydra doppelganger, prompting Sam to briefly return to operating as Falcon, a mantle that Joaquin happily shared with his mentor. Joaquin also befriended Sam’s other protégé, Patriot (Shaun Lucas), and the heroes teamed up to fight Blackheart and his demonic forces in FALCON (2017) #4 by Rodney Barnes and Joshua Cassara.

FALCON AND THE CHAMPIONS

As Joaquin trained with Captain America, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Spider-Man (Miles Morales), and the other young heroes of the Marvel Universe came together to form the Champions. Ms. Marvel introduced the group to the world by announcing their mission statement of fighting injustice and restoring the public’s trust in heroes, a message that resonated with Joaquin and several teen heroes.

After working with the team during SECRET EMPIRE, Falcon crossed paths with the Champions once more while on a mission with Patriot near the southern U.S. border. The Champions invited both heroes to officially join their ranks in CHAMPIONS (2016) #16 by Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos.

Falcon joined the Champions full-time when Ms. Marvel reorganized the team to give it a more international focus in CHAMPIONS (2019) #1 by Jim Zub and Steven Cummings. While on the Champions, Joaquin faced Kaldera, an enemy of Nova (Sam Alexander), and joined the team in Brazil as they battled an army of Disir during WAR OF THE REALMS.

Falcon was one of several young heroes possessed by Blackheart when he tried to tear the team apart from within. Once he and his friends were freed, Falcon drifted away from the core Champions team but remained a close friend and ally to the group. 

FALCON’S SECOND TRANSFORMATION

Following his time with the Champions, Falcon rejoined his mentor, Captain America, in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH (2022) #1 by Tochi Onyebuchi and R.B. Silva. On a rescue mission to save Louisa, Joaquin’s cousin, the pair uncovered a plot by the White Wolf, the power-hungry adoptive brother of Black Panther (T’Challa). The White Wolf trafficked migrants such as Louisa to smuggle Vibranium across borders.

After the White Wolf’s forces briefly captured Falcon, he and Captain America stopped the villain’s attack on Wakanda. Still, they caused a diplomatic incident between Wakanda and the United States that resulted in a feud between Sam and T’Challa.

In the next phase of his attack, the White Wolf knocked out Falcon with a chemical injection and assassinated the Prime Minister of Mohannda, his homeland, in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH (2022) #6. The hospitalized Joaquin transformed into a bloodthirsty vampire-like creature with enlarged fangs, gray skin, and red eyes.

After attacking the medical staff, Joaquin flew back to his family’s rural home, where he satisfied his bloodthirst with their farm’s animals. Alongside Redwing, Falcon flew to Captain America and threatened to drink his blood for abandoning him while he continued the fight against White Wolf. As Joaquin switched between human and vampire forms, Captain America defeated him and nearly killed the White Wolf for hurting his partner.

As Falcon recovered with his family, several Mohandan scientists developed a cure for his condition. Despite some hesitation over the possibility that he could lose his ability to fly, Joaquin took the cure and seemingly returned to normal. He also reunited with his Champion friends during Ms. Marvel’s funeral.

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