CBR: Williams Soars with "Captain America and Falcon"

**CBR News** · 02-03-2011, 08:56 AM

This March, Marvel will release a series of one-shots in honor of Captain America's 70th Anniversary. CBR caught up with Rob Williams about the book, Falcon's past and the character's homecoming.

Full article here.

**SomeBodyAtCBR** · 02-03-2011, 09:50 AM

I had almost forgotten about Snap Wilson until this article brought it up in the first sentence. Can't any black hero in the Marvel Universe not be tied up into any kind of stereotype? I think Black Panther is the closest, but his African nation is portrayed as a stereotypical African tribe. Blue Marvel is rooted on racism. I liked Sam because he was just a normal guy, who's skin just happened to be black. He wasn't a product of the hood, he didn't come from the depths of Africa, and he wasn't the product of racism. He was just Sam Wilson. The Falcon, and overall nice guy.

**Pixie_Solanas** · 02-03-2011, 09:59 AM

Falcon is Cap's "cool" friend.

Steve hangs out with him because it makes him look less whitebread uptight. Falcon hangs out with Cap because he gets paid for it.

**CaptainLiberty76** · 02-03-2011, 10:07 AM

This is good news--like many I am not interested in the 'Snap' Wilson aspect of Falcon. It was and is ridiculous--I have hopes of it being retconned someday as a deception of the Skull to break Steve and Sam. After all 'Snap' is the sort of twisted stereotype that a stupid Nazi like the Skull would think is the truth. Otherwise I am intrigued by this story.

As another point--the art looks to be quite good; but I would hope that Marvel's PTB would have the artist correct the look of Cap's shield. It is drawn wrong--the center star is vastly out of proportion.

**Hypestyle** · 02-03-2011, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by CaptainLiberty76

This is good news--like many I am not interested in the 'Snap' Wilson aspect of Falcon. It was and is ridiculous--I have hopes of it being retconned someday as a deception of the Skull to break Steve and Sam. After all 'Snap' is the sort of twisted stereotype that a stupid Nazi like the Skull would think is the truth. Otherwise I am intrigued by this story.

As another point--the art looks to be quite good; but I would hope that Marvel's PTB would have the artist correct the look of Cap's shield. It is drawn wrong--the center star is vastly out of proportion.

i just hope it won't be ignored that Sam is a licensed social worker... According to a commentary from Priest back when he was writing the Cap/Falc book, you'd have to have six years of school (A Masters) to work for the state of NY in the capacity that Sam did.. And so, Sam's father's murder, his emotional breakdown, and stint as a "hustler" would have to be right after he finished his studies...

**Monty_Cristo** · 02-03-2011, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by SomeBodyAtCBR

I had almost forgotten about Snap Wilson until this article brought it up in the first sentence. Can't any black hero in the Marvel Universe not be tied up into any kind of stereotype? I think Black Panther is the closest, but his African nation is portrayed as a stereotypical African tribe. Blue Marvel is rooted on racism. I liked Sam because he was just a normal guy, who's skin just happened to be black. He wasn't a product of the hood, he didn't come from the depths of Africa, and he wasn't the product of racism. He was just Sam Wilson. The Falcon, and overall nice guy.

to me he's always been a lot like a modern day Steve Rogers; diamond in the rough kind of individual.

**Monty_Cristo** · 02-03-2011, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyle

i just hope it won't be ignored that Sam is a licensed social worker... According to a commentary from Priest back when he was writing the Cap/Falc book, you'd have to have six years of school (A Masters) to work for the state of NY in the capacity that Sam did.. And so, Sam's father's murder, his emotional breakdown, and stint as a "hustler" would have to be right after he finished his studies...

that crap never happened. that was Xorn pretending to be Sam Wilson.

**Vic Vega** · 02-03-2011, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyle

i just hope it won't be ignored that Sam is a licensed social worker... According to a commentary from Priest back when he was writing the Cap/Falc book, you'd have to have six years of school (A Masters) to work for the state of NY in the capacity that Sam did.. And so, Sam's father's murder, his emotional breakdown, and stint as a "hustler" would have to be right after he finished his studies...

Which makes a good case for that stuff never happening. Why would Falc do six years of school just so he could become a drug dealing pimp upon getting his Masters?

Was drug dealing pimphood his secondary ocupation if he couldn't get a job as a Social Worker?

I know it is always good to have a trade to fall back on but geez.

**Tymminator** · 02-03-2011, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

Which makes a good case for that stuff never happening. Why would Falc do six years of school just so he could become a drug dealing pimp upon getting his Masters?

Was drug dealing pimphood his secondary ocupation if he couldn't get a job as a Social Worker?

I know it is always good to have a trade to fall back on but geez.

Indeed, that is a part I wish WOULD get ret-conned/explained away/whatever. I don't care if its the Skrull with the cosmic cube messing wih things, if he was a undercover SHIELD agent and things got messed up, some combo of the two or something else all together. The "six years of school just so he could become a drug dealing pimp upon getting his Masters" part is indeed just beyond silly.

**Zolton** · 02-03-2011, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Agent_Torpor

Falcon is Cap's "cool" friend.

Steve hangs out with him because it makes him look less whitebread uptight. Falcon hangs out with Cap because he gets paid for it.

Also Cap feels free to make unwarranted, borderline racist jokes before following up with "it's okay, see, I got this black friend".

**Monty_Cristo** · 02-03-2011, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Tymminator

Indeed, that is a part I wish WOULD get ret-conned/explained away/whatever. I don't care if its the Skrull with the cosmic cube messing wih things, if he was a undercover SHIELD agent and things got messed up, some combo of the two or something else all together. The "six years of school just so he could become a drug dealing pimp upon getting his Masters" part is indeed just beyond silly.

i think Faustus created this backstory to give Sam an achilles heel.

**StoneGold** · 02-03-2011, 11:25 AM

I still find it funny that the pimp bit was sort of ignoreconned away till Priest brought it back up in CA&TF.

**SomeBodyAtCBR** · 02-03-2011, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyle

i just hope it won't be ignored that Sam is a licensed social worker... According to a commentary from Priest back when he was writing the Cap/Falc book, you'd have to have six years of school (A Masters) to work for the state of NY in the capacity that Sam did.. And so, Sam's father's murder, his emotional breakdown, and stint as a "hustler" would have to be right after he finished his studies...

I really like that he's a licensed social worker. I doubt it makes for interesting comics, but as an adult who's privy to all the misconceptions and stereotypes of black people in America, a black superhero social worker makes me smile.

He doesn't have 14 abandoned kids, he doesn't speak jive, he's just as regular as the rest of the superheroes. He doesn't need any super-stereotypes in order to identify his character.