Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…. Captain America! Welcome to the Sam Wilson comics reading guide!
Before we get into the full reading guide below, here are some quick recs for Sam Wilson’s time as both Falcon and Captain America in the comics:
Captain America Sam Wilson Comics Recommendations:
- Prologue
- Captain America (1968) #117-119, 133-134, 169-171
- Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (1998) #8-9
- Captain America (2013) #16-25
- All-New Captain America (2014) #1-6
- Captain America: Sam Wilson (2015) #1-25
- Secret Empire (2015) #0-10
- Falcon (2017) #1-8; Falcon & Winter Soldier (2020) #1-5
- The United States of Captain America (2021) #1-5
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022) #0-14, 750
- Captain America: Cold War (2023)
Sam’s time as Cap has actually been pretty brief in the comics, so it’ll be easy to catch up before Captain America: Brave New World hit theaters next year. Sam first took the mantle 25 years ago, just for one issue only. But the idea of Sam Wilson as Captain America had so much potential that Marvel made it a major status quo change in the 2010s.
While Anthony Mackie has popularized the MCU version of the character, comics Sam has a very different personality and relationship to the shield. In fact, Sam Wilson went through decades as Steve’s partner before earning the title of Captain America.
Sam and Steve share a much stronger bond in the comics than they do on screen. Their long-established brotherhood is part of the reason why it felt natural when Sam graduated into his own Captain America title in the comics. But don’t just take my word for it, check out the stories below for yourself!
“You gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are.”
Sam Wilson: Falcon Comics (1970s-1990s)
Sam Wilson was created in Captain America #117-119 by Stan Lee & Gene Colan. He quickly became a major character and played a recurring role in these classic Captain America comics. The writers also started fleshing out his universe, like with the introduction of Leila Taylor in Captain America #139.
- Captain America (1968) #117-120, 126, 132-220
- #139 Leila Taylor’s first appearance!
- Marvel Premiere (1972) #4
- Avengers (1963) #183-194
- Captain America (1968) #230-231, 237, 261, 272-278, 282-284, 290
- Falcon (1983) #1-4
- Captain America (1968) #296-301, 309, 317, 332, 336-345, 355, 383
- Avengers (1963) #329-333, 340-345, 387-388
- Captain America (1968) #400-401, 408-418, 426, 439-443; Annual #11
- Captain America (1996) #1-5, 10-11
Extra reading:
- Iron Man (1968) #39, 125
- Avengers (1963) #88, 146, 305, 312; Annual #17, 19
- Incredible Hulk (1962) #140, 232, 278-279, 388, 445
- Marvel Team-Up (1972) #30, 52, 71, 114
- Defenders (1972) #62-64
- Fantastic Four Annual (1963) #14
- Contest of Champions (1982) #1, 3
- Power Man and Iron Fist (1980) #112-113, 121-125
- West Coast Avengers (1985) #55, 81; Annual #1
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #287-288
- Solo Avengers (1987) #6 [B Story]
- Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #23, 147
- Marvel Graphic Novel (1981) #58
- Marvel Super-Heroes (1990) #2, 12
- Real Heroes (1994) #3
- Tales of the Marvels: Wonder Years (1995) #2
- Force Works (1994) #10 [B Story]
- Marvel Fanfare (1996) #1
- Onslaught: Marvel Universe (1996) #1
- Code of Honor (1997) #1, 3
- Heroes Reborn: The Return (1997) #3-4
Sam Wilson: Before Captain America (2000s-2010s)
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #8-9 by Mark Waid & Doug Braithwaite is the first time Sam took on the title “Captain America” in the comics. Although the new status quo was short-lived, the iconic story laid the groundwork for Sam to become Captain America in a more meaningful sense 15 years later.
The 2000s were a tumultuous time for Captain America comics thanks to Civil War. Bucky got a lot of the attention following the death of Steve Rogers, but Falcon was important too. And in 2013, Rick Remender started his Captain America run, which smoothly set up Sam’s first era as the Symbol of Truth.
- Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (1998) #8-9
- Avengers (1998) #1-4, 27, 57-64, 68-70, 76, 82-83
- Captain America (1998) #25-27, 33-34, 47-50
- Captain America and the Falcon (2004) #1-13
- Avengers (1998) #500-503; Finale #1
- Captain America (2005) #12-14, 26-42, 49, 600
- Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America (2007) #5
- Civil War (2006) #1-7; War Crimes #1; Front Line #8-9, 11
- Captain America Reborn (2009) #1-6
- Captain America (2005) #601-615
- Captain America (2011) #4-10, 15-18
- Avengers (2013) #1-10, 14, 17-19, 21-24
- Infinity (2013) #1-5
- Captain America (2013) #12-25
Extra reading:
- Wolverine (1988) #134; (2003) #23, 25
- Black Panther (1998) #16-17, 59
- JLA/Avengers (2003) #3-4
- Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Comics Magazine (2001) #4
- Marvel Universe: The End (2003) #1, 5-6
- Captain America: Red, White & Blue (2002) #1
- Marvel Double-Shot (2003) #2 [B Story]
- Alias (2001) #28
- Iron Man (1998) #79, 84-85
- Daredevil (1998) #61
- G.L.A. (2005) #2
- New X-Men (2004) #13
- House of M (2005) #1-2, 8
- Black Panther (2005) #11, 16-18, 24-25
- New Avengers (2005) #18, 21-23
- The Thing (2005) #8
- Wolverine (2003) #42
- Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #533-534, 537-538
- Thunderbolts (2006) #104-105, 108
- Cable and Deadpool (2004) #31
- Punisher War Journal (2006) #2-3
- Wonder Man (2007) #5
- Ms. Marvel (2006) #14
- Marvels: Eye of the Camera (2009) #2-3
- Nomad: Girl Without a World (2009) #2, 4
- Captain America: Forever Allies (2010) #4
- Captain America: Hail Hydra (2011) #3-5
- Captain America and the Falcon (2011) #1
- Heroes for Hire (2011) #1, 5, 9-10
- Fear Itself (2011) #3, 7.1; The Fearless #1
- Avengers Academy (2010) #17
- Spider-Island: Heroes for Hire (2011) #1
- Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive (2011) #526-529
- Avengers: X-Sanction (2012) #1-4
- X-Men: Legacy (2008) #266-267
- Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) #7-11
- Uncanny Avengers (2012) #2, 21-22
- Avengers Assemble (2012) #11, 16-18, 21
- Captain Marvel (2012) #14-15
- FF (2013) #14
- Avengers World (2014) #1, 3, 7, 10, 14
- Original Sin (2014) #2, 6-7
- Fantastic Four (2014) #6, 8
- Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #4
Sam Wilson: All-New Captain America (2014)
Rick Remender spearheaded the movement to formally graduate Sam Wilson into Captain America in Captain America (2013) #1-25. The series ended with Sam holding the shield, but the whole thing is worth reading for the exhilarating context that led to Sam earning that moment. If you’re not sure why Sam Wilson is the right successor to Steve Rogers, this is the book you need to read.
Remender continued with two All-New Captain America miniseries starring Sam. In particular, “HYDRA Ascendant” is one of our strongest recommendations on this page, and possibly the coolest Sam Wilson comics have ever been.
- All-New Captain America (2014) #1-6; Special #1 (“HYDRA Ascendant”)
- Prologue: Captain America (2013) #12-25
- Prologue: All-New Captain America: Fear Him Infinite Comic (2014) #1-6
- Captain America and the Mighty Avengers (2014) #1-9
- Prologue: Mighty Avengers (2013) #4-7, 10-14
- Uncanny Avengers (2015) #1-5
- Avengers (2013) #37-44
- New Avengers (2013) #28
- Secret Wars (2015)
Extra reading:
- New Warriors (2014) #12
- Avengers and X-Men: Axis (2014) #1-4
- Magneto (2014) #11
- Amazing X-Men (2014) #14
- Avengers and X-Men: Axis (2014) #5-9
- Nova (2013) #25
- Thor (2014) #2, 4
- Guardians Team-Up (2015) #1
- All-New Invaders (2014) #14-15
- Fantastic Four (2014) #14, 642-645
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (2015) #1, 6
- Hulk (2014) #15-16
- Spider-Man and the X-Men (2015) #2
- Inhuman Special (2015) #1
- Howard the Duck (2015) #5
- Black Widow (2014) #12, 18
- The Punisher (2014) #16-17
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #5, 7
- Wolverines (2015) #13
- Black Widow (2014) #19
Sam Wilson: Secret Empire (2017)
Nick Spencer picked up from Rick Remender’s work with two parallel Captain America series for Sam and Steve, respectively, which culminated in the blockbuster event Secret Empire. While this era might be controversial among Steve Rogers fans, Sam’s comics were better than ever. Plus, this run helped influence the Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier!
Sam also starred in Mark Waid’s All-New, All-Different Avengers, where he began a surprise romance with Jane Foster’s Thor! Continue reading with the Mighty Thor reading guide here.
- Captain America: Sam Wilson (2015) #1-25
- With #7-8: Avengers: Standoff! (2016)
- With #9-21: Captain America: Steve Rogers #1-16; FCBD 2016
- With #22-25: Secret Empire #0-10, Steve Rogers #17-19
- After #25: Generations: Captain America #1
- All-New, All-Different Avengers (2016) #1-12; FCBD 2015
- Avengers: Standoff! (2016)
- Civil War II (2016) #1-6
- Civil War II: Choosing Sides #1-2; Gods of War #1; The Oath #1
- Avengers (2017) #1-8, 11
- Secret Empire (2017) #1-7
- After #0: Free Comic Book Day: Secret Empire (2017) #1
- After #2: Steve Rogers #17
- After #3: Sam Wilson #22-23
- After #4: Steve Rogers #18
- After #5-7: Steve Rogers #19; Sam Wilson #24; Captain America #25
- After #10: Omega #1
- Secret Empire: Uprising #1; Underground #1; Brave New World #2, 4
- Generations: Captain America #1
Extra reading:
- Avengers: Rage of Ultron (2015) #1
- Spider-Man (2016) #1-2, 8
- Astonishing Ant-Man (2016) #2-3
- Ms. Marvel (2016) #1, 4
- Black Knight (2016) #2-3
- Howard the Duck (2016) #2 [B Story]
- Spider-Woman (2016) #1, 17
- Vision (2016) #1, 4, 6, 8-9, 11
- Gwenpool Special (2016) #1
- Silver Surfer (2016) #3-4
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2016) #6
- Thanos: The Infinity Finale (2016) #1
- The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe (2016) #1
- Rocket Raccoon and Groot (2016) #4
- Unbelievable Gwenpool (2016) #1, 18
- Marvel Tsum Tsum (2016) #4
- Marvel New Year’s Eve Special Infinite Comic (2017) #1
- Spider-Man/Deadpool (2016) #1.MU, 12
- Invincible Iron Man (2015) #10-11
- Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #14-15
- New Avengers (2015) #12
- Power Man and Iron Fist (2016) #6
- Uncanny Inhumans (2015) #11
- Invincible Iron Man (2015) #13
- Uncanny Avengers (2015) #13
- Civil War II: Kingpin (2016) #1
- Nova (2016) #8
- Power Man and Iron Fist (2016) #10
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) #12, 16
- Champions (2016) #1, 11
- Great Lakes Avengers (2016) #1
- Monsters Unleashed (2017) #1-5
- Doctor Strange (2015) #1.MU
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #15-16
- Daredevil (2016) #19
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Mother Entropy (2017) #5
- Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme (2016) #6-8
- Secret Warriors (2017) #5
- Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man (2017) #1, 299-300
- Marvel Legacy (2017) #1
Sam Wilson: Falcon & Winter Soldier (2020)
Rodney Barnes’ Falcon (2017) pushed Sam Wilson into the realm of the supernatural. The miniseries was an exciting left turn for the character, and it’s still worth checking out if you’re curious. Later, Derek Landy capitalized on the MCU hype with a 2020 Falcon & Winter Soldier mini. Fast and bombastic yet character-focused, Landy’s series saw the buddy cop duo investigate HYDRA with strong spy flair.
Although they’re inessential, both are fun reads for Sam’s further adventures between Captain America stints.
- Falcon (2017) #1-8
- Avengers (2017) #672-690
- Champions (2016) #13-15
- Captain America (2018) #19-26
- Falcon & Winter Soldier (2020) #1-5
Extra reading:
- Doctor Strange: Damnation (2018) #1-4
- Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider (2017) #15-17
- Doctor Strange (2015) #388-389
- Venomized (2018) #1-4
- Mighty Thor (2016) #703-704
- Despicable Deadpool (2017) #300
- Invincible Iron Man (2017) #593
- The Punisher (2016) #224-225
- Marvel Knights 20th (2018) #4
- Daughters of the Dragon (2018) #1-3 (Digital Original)
- Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #23
- Hawkeye: Freefall (2020) #1, 4
- Ruins Of Ravencroft: Dracula (2020) #1
- Black Panther (2018) #20, 23-25
- Outlawed (2020) #1
- Champions (2020) #1, 7, 9
- Captain America: Marvels Snapshot (2020) #1
- Empyre (2020) #4-5; Aftermath Avengers #1
- Spider-Man: Marvels Snapshot (2020) #1
- King In Black: Captain America (2021) #1
Sam Wilson: Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022)
And now in the 2020s, Sam is back as Captain America! While this decision was no doubt to synergize with the MCU, it’s led to an all-time great run in Captain America: Symbol of Truth by Tochi Onyebuchi. This series helped Sam step out of Steve’s shadow even more (e.g. Sam gets his own shield design), and features Joaquin Torres in a major role as well.
Meanwhile, Steve Rogers starred in a parallel series, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty. The two Captain America runs culminated in the major event Cold War, which was followed by Captain America #750 and Captain America: Finale #1.
- The United States of Captain America (2021) #1-5
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022) #0-14, 750
- Prologue: Captain America (2022) #0
- After #11: Cold War Alpha #1
- After #12-13: Sentinel of Liberty #12-13; Cold War Omega #1
- After #14: Captain America #750, Finale #1
- Avengers (2023) #1-12; Annual #1
Extra reading:
- Hulk (2021) #1
- Marvel’s Voices: Legacy (2022) #1 [B Story]
- Alligator Loki Infinity Comic (2022) #10, 12
- Thor (2020) #25
- She-Hulk (2022) #4
- X-Men: Hellfire Gala (2022) #1; Hellfire Gala (2023) #1
- X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic (2021) #52
- All-Out Avengers (2022) #3
- Love Unlimited Infinity Comic (2022) #49, 54
- Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain (2023) #4
- Fallen Friend (2023) #1
- X-Men Annual (2023) #1 [B Story]
- Fantastic Four (2023) #12-13
- Avengers United Infinity Comic (2023) #1-31
- Who Is…? Monica Rambeau Infinity Comic (2023) #1
- Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld (2023) #1-4
- Timeless (2023) #1
- Fall of the House of X (2024) #1
- The Sentry (2023) #2-3
- Marvel’s Voices: Legends (2024) #1
- Captain America (2023) #7
Sam Wilson’s Allies: The Patriots
In addition to the many Captain America comics above, here are extra recommendations for Sam Wilson’s compatriots!
- Captain America Isaiah Bradley
- Truth: Red, White and Black (2003) #1-7
- The Crew (2003) #5
- Patriot Elijah Bradley
- Young Avengers (2005) #1-12; Special #1
- New Avengers (2005) #64
- Civil War (2006) The Return #1; Front Line #11
- Civil War: Young Avengers and Runaways (2006) #1-4
- Sensational Spider-Man (2006) #34
- Winter Soldier: Winter Kills (2007) #1
- Young Avengers Presents (2008) #1-2, 5-6
- Fantastic Four (1998) #556, 562
- Secret Invasion (2008) #1-7
- Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers (2008) #1-3
- Avengers: The Initiative (2007) #15, 17, 34
- Mighty Avengers (2007) #14, 21, 23-24, 28-31
- Secret Invasion: Front Line (2008) #2
- Dark Reign: Young Avengers (2009) #1-5
- Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! (2008) #1 [C Story]
- Nomad: Girl Without a World (2009) #4
- Siege (2010) #1-4; Embedded #4; Young Avengers #1
- Avengers (2010) #1
- Uncanny X-Men (1981) #526 [B Story]
- Avengers: The Children’s Crusade (2010) #1-9; Young Avengers #1
- Marvel Comics (2019) #1000 [BO Story]
- Black Panther (2018) #23-25
- Empyre (2020) #4-5; Aftermath Avengers #1
- Falcon Joaquin Torres & Patriot Rayshaun Lucas
- Champions (2016) #16-18
- Champions (2019) #1-6, 9-10
- Champions (2020) #1, 7, 9
Thunderbolt Ross: Red Hulk Comics
Thaddeus Ross became Red Hulk for the first time in the 2000s, which is still pretty recent in comicbook history. But his iconic design and complex storytelling have helped this version of the Hulk endure ever since. The comics below are not a complete reading list for the Red Hulk, but hopefully a satisfactory highlights list that can get you started before Captain America: Brave New World next year!
Be sure to also check out the super fun Thunderbolts series where Red Hulk teamed up with Elektra, Punisher, Deadpool, Flash Thompson Venom, and the Leader!
- World War Hulk (2007)
- Prologue: Planet Hulk (2006)
- Hulk (2008) #1-57
- After #3: King-Sized Hulk #1
- After #12: Incredible Hulk #600
- After #17: Fall of the Hulks (2010), World War Hulks (2010)
- After #52: Avengers vs. X-Men (2012)
- Thunderbolts (2013) #1-32, Annual #1
- Hulk (2014) #6, 10, 13-15
- Captain America (2018) #1-2, 5, 20-29
Sam Wilson in Multimedia
Sam Wilson flew under the radar for a long time, but in the 21st century he really took flight in multimedia. Thanks to strong appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (played by Anthony Mackie) and even animations like Super Hero Squad Show, Falcon has become a well-known Marvel character. And now, thanks to Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson is about to be an A-list movie star!
And don’t forget to check out some of Sam’s video game appearances too!
Sam Wilson in Film and Animation
- Super Hero Squad Show (2009) S1 E1-26; S2 E1-16, 21-26
- Marvel Super Hero Squad (2009 game)
- Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet (2010 game)
- Super Hero Squad Online Game: Hero Up! (2011) #1
- Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (2011 game)
- Marvel Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat (2011 game)
- Marvel’s Avengers Assemble
- Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (2013) S1 E1-26; S2 E1-26; S3 E1-26; S4 E1-2, E8-19, E23-25
- Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (2013) S1 E4
- Avengers Assemble: Tower Rush (2014)
- Ultimate Spider-Man (2012) S3 E1-2, E15, E26
- Ultimate Spider-Man Infinite Comic (2012) #9
- Marvel Universe Avengers Assemble Season Two (2014) #1-16
- Avengers: Storybook Collection (2015) #1
- Avengers Vs. (2015) #1
- Marvel Universe Avengers Infinite Comic (2016) #1-10
- Marvel Universe Avengers Assemble: Civil War (2016) #1-4
- Spider-Man: Storybook Collection (2016) #1
- Marvel Universe Avengers: Ultron Revolution (2016) #1-12
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Age of Ultron Prelude: This Scepter’d Isle Infinite Comic (2015) #1
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War
- Civil War Prelude (2016) #3-4, Infinite Comic #1
- Spider-Man: Homecoming Prelude (2017) #1-2
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War Prelude (2018) #1
- Ant-Man and the Wasp Prelude (2018) #2
- Captain Marvel Prelude (2019) #1
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame Prelude (2019) #2-3
- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021) S1 E1-6
- What If…? (2021) S1 E5, E9
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Extra watching:
- The Avengers: United They Stand (1999) S1 1-13
- Avengers: Forever (1999) #12
- Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! (2009) S1 E15, E17, E31, E33, E35, E43-44
- Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (2010) S2 E9, E20, E26
- Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (2014) S1 E28, E33, E44-51
- Marvel Future Avengers (2017) S1 E14, E22, E24-26; S2 E12-13
- Marvel Super Hero Adventures (2017) S2 E10
- Captain Marvel – Frost Giants Among Us! #1
- Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2023) S1 E12
Sam Wilson in Video Games
- Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2012)
- Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2 (2016)
- Marvel Heroes (2013)
- Marvel Puzzle Quest (2013)
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013)
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload (2013) S1 E3
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Assemble (2014) #1
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Reassembled (2015) S1 E5
- LEGO Marvel’s Avengers (2016)
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (2017)
- LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red (2023)
- Marvel Mighty Heroes (2015)
- Marvel Contest of Champions (2016)
- Marvel Avengers Academy (2016)
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019)
- Marvel Super War (2019)
- Marvel Duel (2020)
- Marvel Future Revolution (2021)
And that’s our guide to Captain America Sam Wilson comics! Are you excited for Brave New World? What are your theories for Red Hulk and other parts of the story? Let me know on X/Twitter @vinwriteswords and remember to follow the site on social media @MyCosmicCircus for more patriotic parables coming soon!
Also check out our full list of comics reading guides here, including Jane Foster, the Mighty Thor! Plus, dive into the Hulk lore with our She-Hulk comics reading guide, too! To learn more about Sam Wilson and Red Hulk Thaddeus Ross in the comics, visit their Marvel official pages!
Mighty Thor Comics Reading Guide
Are you new to comics? Try our Comics FAQ Guide, and find me on Twitter if you have any questions!
All comics images courtesy of Marvel Comics.
