Sam Wilson's return to the stars and stripes is just the latest costume he has worn as both The Falcon and Captain America since his debut in 1969.

Sam Wilson recently returned to his most patriotic role in Captain America: Symbol of Truth. After years as The Falcon, he suited up again as Captain America with his own shield and iconic take on the costume. It’s just one of many costumes Sam Wilson has worn since his debut in Captain America #117 by creators Stan Lee and Gene Colan.

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Wilson’s evolution as a hero has been represented by the ongoing growth and advancements of his Falcon costume. It has been upgraded with new technology that gave Falcon wings while increasing his offensive capabilities. All of these advancements culminated in his modern Captain America costume, which referenced over 50 years of the character’s history.

Sam Wilson first met Captain America while Steve Rogers was actually stuck in Red Skull’s body on Exile Island. Wilson was helping the locals free themselves from the Exiles' enslavement. Steve Rogers saw the immense potential in Wilson after his trained falcon, Redwing, saved him. He convinced Wilson to take on a symbol and a mask for himself, and The Falcon was born.

Falcon’s first costume was quite a bit different than the modern version of the character, though there were similarities. Later versions would also feature a bare chest, extended eye mask and the same suit detailing. However, it lacked wings as Sam Wilson relied on his strength and connection to Redwing. The suit also featured a green and orange color scheme that he soon abandoned.

Sam Wilson’s official debut as Captain America came with an updated version of the suit, but that wasn’t his first time in the role. The first volume of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty explored previously untold stories from Captain America’s history. The racist Sons of the Serpent renamed themselves as the Sons of the Shield to use Captain America's imagery for their own.

Wilson wore Rogers’ Captain America costume and started fighting back in Harlem. He fought the false imagery of the Sons of the Shield by showing that Captain America was against the group’s racist idealogy. He faced a mentally-enslaved Rogers in battle and managed to free the original Captain America. He gave back the suit and shield and returned to his original Falcon costume.

Sam Wilson’s original Falcon costume received an iconic update in Captain America #144, shortly after he began operating as Rogers’ official partner. The suit initially retained the single falconer’s glove and details from his original costume. However, it featured a new red and white color scheme that would remain with the character for the next few decades.

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In Captain America #170 by Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich and Sal Buscema, Falcon asked Black Panther to help give him a power boost. He wanted to be able to fight at the same level as Captain America. T’Challa used advanced Wakandan technology and his own brilliance to create a jet-powered wing harness. It gave Falcon the ability to fly and perfected his classic costume.

When the psionic being known as Onslaught attacked the Marvel universe, heroes like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four sacrificed their lives to stop the threat. They were reborn on a new world in a pocket dimension created by young Franklin Richards. Captain America’s origin played out a bit differently in the Heroes Reborn reality, but he still worked alongside Sam Wilson.

Wilson debuted in a modern red and white take on his classic costume that featured smaller glider-like wings and a full bodysuit. The modern design of the suit also featured a patriotic flag on the chest but didn’t include much else that referenced the character’s original looks. He only appeared briefly in this costume before the Heroes Return event brought them all back to the main reality.

Sam Wilson would modify his original red and white-winged suit a few times over the years with new designs and upgraded wings. However, Black Panther returned with an even more advanced costume that once again gave Falcon an incredible ability boost. The suit still retained the red and white color scheme, though simplified the details of the costume.

The new costume featured an upgraded wing harness that was able to generate energy wings out of hard light just like the MCU's Ms. Marvel, Songbird and other heroes. Falcon could adjust the length and shape of his wings as needed, and he could also create defensive shields to protect himself and others.

The Ultimate universe featured modern versions of popular Marvel heroes who were free to develop without ties to the ongoing continuity. Sam Wilson first appeared when the best version of Ultimate Galactus known as the Gah-Lak-Tus swarm threatened the Ultimate universe in Warren Ellis and Trevor Hairsine’s Ultimate Nightmare series.

He designed an advanced militaristic wing-pack that allowed him to fly. It featured advanced nanotechnology that gave him a mental connection to the wings for even better control. This version of the costume would influence the character’s first look in the MCU as well. Ultimate Falcon got a further upgrade when he joined the Ultimate Future Foundation thanks to Stark’s resources.

Sam Wilson’s red and white costume saw quite a few different variations over the years that served to either simplify the design or reference his classic look in a new way. He exchanged his hard light wings for a more mechanical set of red wings. He also armored up to better handle the world-ending threats the Avengers faced.

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Sam Wilson’s time with the Avengers saw him work with a few different teams in Avengers World. He wore a heavily armored red and white suit that even upgraded his mask. The Avengers fought in increasingly more dangerous events that led to the devastating Builders War, so his armored look made a lot of sense at the time.

Steve Rogers had the super soldier serum that empowered him drained from his body by a villain known as the Iron Nail. He aged quickly to his 90-year-old self, which left the role of Captain America vacant. While Bucky Barnes had stepped in before, Steve Rogers chose his own replacement this time. He asked Sam Wilson to take over as the new Sentinel of Liberty.

Wilson didn’t have the super-soldier serum either, but he had years worth of experience as Falcon with the Avengers. His Captain America costume embraced his new patriotic role but still utilized the wings he wore as The Falcon. While he originally used Steve Rogers' shield, he received his own blue version with upgraded wings when he later returned to the role

Sam Wilson’s time as Captain America was hard for the hero, as he didn’t always have public support. When Steve Rogers regained his youth, he returned to the role and Sam Wilson eventually retired. However, the Red Skull had manipulated Rogers, turning him into a secret Hydra agent. He led the charge and helped Hydra take over the country in the Secret Empire event.

Wilson began leading his own small pocket of the resistance, though in a scaled-down suit that completely abandoned his Captain America identity. He wore a black and grey tactical suit and goggles with body armor and his red wing harness. He focused on saving others in this role, though he soon returned as Captain America to help lead the Avengers Underground.

The Falcon once again turned to Black Panther when it came time to return to his original role as The Falcon. His new advanced suit took on a darker red and black color scheme that featured hints of gold on the goggles that referenced his retro look. It first appeared in Falcon #1 by Rodney Barnes and Joshua Cassara, though the legendary Alex Ross designed the new costume.

The red design on the suit called back to his original costumes, though its dark look matched his new attitude after his time as Captain America. The advanced wing design featured hexagonal extendable plates which gave him added range while also serving as effective shielding and weaponry. He wore this suit until he returned to his role as Captain America in Symbol of Truth.

NEXT: MCU: The Most Heartwarming Moments In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier

Entertainment reporter, writer, and all-around geek, Scoot Allan has written for print and online media sources like Geek Magazine, GeekExchange, GrizzlyBomb, WhatCulture, RoguePlanet.tv and the Urban 30 before joining CBR as a senior writer. He enjoys salad but prefers french fries.

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