Falcon (comics)

The Falcon (Sam "Snap" Wilson) is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in Captain America Vol. 1, #117 (Sept. 1969). Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, the Falcon most frequently works with Captain America, and became a member of the superhero team the Avengers.

The Falcon is Marvel's first African American superhero, following the company's first African-American co-starring character, the non-superpowered World War II soldier Gabe Jones, and first regular supporting character, The Amazing Spider-Man's Joe Robertson. Marvel Comics' first black hero, the Black Panther is an African native. The Falcon debuted nearly three years before Luke Cage, Marvel's first African-American series star. The Falcon is also the first superhero of African descent not to have the word "black" as part of his superhero name, preceding the John Stewart Green Lantern by over two years. (The first black starring character in comics is Dell Comics' Old West gunfighter Lobo, introduced in 1965.

The Falcon's deceased nephew was the Incredible Hulk's sometime-sidekick Jim Wilson, one of the first openly HIV-positive comic-book characters.