Marvel has created some of the best character relationships over the past decade, from romantic relationships like Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter, to brotherly love like Thor and Loki, to father-son relationships like Tony Stark and Peter Parker. But one particularly unique relationship, which doesn't really have a label like the others, is that of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.
Both share a mutual friend in Captain America, but other than that, they don't really have much else in common--though they do keep bumping heads. Their unique, almost odd-couple-like relationship is one of the most entertaining in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially with the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Solider. But in the comics, things weren't quite the same.
10 The Events Of Civil War Played Out A Little Different From The MCU
Captain America: Civil War was one of the most action-packed and entertaining Marvel movies of the past decade, even though it led to the biggest destruction of the Avengers team. In the comics, however, things played out a little differently, especially for Bucky.
Just like the movie, Sam Wilson once again teamed up with Cap in the comics, going against the government. However, the comics took on a very tragic twist in the end when Steve Rogers was assassinated by the mind-controlled Sharon Carter, aka Agent 13. This led to a dramatic change in the mantle of Captain America where Bucky Barnes took over.
9 They Had A Warmer Relationship In Their Own Series
In the movies, and now the Disney+ show, Bucky and Sam aren't exactly two peas in a pod, but deep down they probably do care about each other. The comic book series Falcon & Winter Soldier, which ran in 2020, was the very first collaboration of the two heroes in the comics, and it definitely didn't disappoint.
However, unlike the on-screen relationship that involves a refusal by both of them to admit that they are friends or that they care about the other, the comic gives the pair a much warmer connection as they track down a bunch of HYDRA operatives who tried to kill Bucky.
8 Bucky Barnes Become Captain America Before Sam Wilson
While the MCU Bucky Barnes is still trying to redeem himself and make up for his time as the Winter Soldier, the comic book Bucky Barnes was worthy of the Captain America mantle on various occasions, including after the tragic death of Steve Rogers at the end of Civil War.
Bucky actually became Captain America after Steve's death and served as the role throughout the Secret Invasion part of the comics. While Bucky became Captain America, Sam helped Steve's ally sign on officially as the First Avenger and gave him the shield.
7 Sam Wilson Also Took On The Captain America Mantle
Sam Wilson turned down the Captain America mantle at the start of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but he happily took the role on three different occasions. The most significant of those occasions came during the All-New Captain America comic book series from 2015.
Here, Sam Wilson becomes the latest version of Captain America after Steve Rogers suddenly loses his super-soldier serum and becomes an old man. Unfortunately, Bucky wasn't there to help Sam because he was out saving the day in outer space, as Marvel heroes do.
6 Hoskins Was Actually Meant To Be A New Version Of Bucky Barnes
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced plenty of new characters, and two of the most exciting ones were the pair tasked with becoming the new Captain America and Battlestar, John Walker and Lemar Hoskins. Both were portrayed extremely well by Wyatt Russell and Clé Bennett, but there was a key difference between the comic book version and the MCU version of Battlestar.
In the comics, Lemar Hoskins was meant to serve as a new version of Bucky alongside the new Captain America. This obviously didn't happen in the show but still adds another layer to the Sam-Bucky dynamic, given that Bucky was chosen as Cap's main wingman rather than Falcon.
5 The Winter Soldier Has A Past With The Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts was a major comic book storyline in the 90s and added a new twist to the usual and iconic superhero teams like the Avengers. With iconic members who were usually villains, like Baron Zemo and US Agent, the team was incredibly popular. But one unexpected member of the team was the Winter Soldier.
Bucky's past as the Winter Soldier is very complicated, but he almost turned his back on the Avengers and joined another team like the Thunderbolts. Needless to say, Sam probably wasn't the most pleased with this decision.
4 They Didn't Actually Interact With Each Other That Much
It may come as a big surprise for fans of the MCU, where Sam and Bucky are constantly bumping into each other and disagreeing on almost everything, but their interaction was fairly limited in the comics. In fact, they were the perfect example of a friend of a friend who barely interacted with each other.
Other than the occasional signing off of the shield, where Bucky helped Sam, or in some of the major battles where all the Avengers teamed up to defeat a big bad like Thanos or Dr. Doom, the two barely exchanged many words.
3 They Teamed Up When Facing The Red Skull
While the occasions were rare, Bucky and Sam did have the occasional team up, and the most popular came in The Death Of Captain America by Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting. The sad assassination of Steve Rogers brought his two closest allies together as they struggled to live up to his legacy, similar to the events of the Disney+ show.
The comic story focused on Bucky Barnes who had taken over the mantle of Captain America after an encounter with Tony Stark, and Sam Wilson comes to help him with his newfound responsibility and power. While it's only a short series, it nicely sets up their relationship.
2 Sam Wilson's Origin Story Had Little To Do With Bucky In The Comics
Rick Remender & Stuart Immonen's All-New Captain America #1-6 was a game-changer for the Captain America saga, as Sam Wilson finally became Cap after Steve Rogers suddenly grows old and weak. The series became especially notable thanks to the dramatic reveal of Falcon's true origin story. It was revealed that Sam was actually under the control of the Red Skull thanks to the Cosmic Cube and his memories were altered so that he thought he used to be a villain.
This revelation was very impactful and made Falcon question everything, especially since Red Skull is a massive foe of Captain America. The comic series is nevertheless a great one written by Rick Remender and definitely changed the whole dynamic of the Sam Wilson character.
1 Their Team-Up Was Extremely Bloody
After a new killer was on the loose, the two former partners and ex-Captain Americas were forced to team up in 2020's Falcon & Winter Soldier in their first-ever very own comic series. The pair needed to uncover the identity of the new Hydra leader, who was at large and announced a terror attack on the rest of the world.
The series is surprisingly bloody and brutal compared to what is usually seen in comics, which perfectly suits the Winter Solider and his relationship with Falcon. The action-packed spectacular is definitely worth a read, especially since it was heavily inspired by the on-screen relationship between the two characters.
0 Comments