Captain America’s next possible successor was introduced in recent issues of Falcon and Winter Soldier, and looks to be a natural fit.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Falcon & Winter Soldier #3 by Derek Landy, Federico Vicentini, Matt Milla, and VC’s Joe Caramagna, available now.
Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, better known as Falcon and the Winter Soldier, are two Marvel heroes who have both had long and remarkable careers, including both at some point having taken up the mantle of Captain America. They also share another interesting piece of trivia: They both lost a fight to a kid who is a Captain America superfan called The Natural. The Natural isn’t the only one obsessed with the Star-Spangled Avenger, though, as Sam and Bucky quickly find out.
After tracking down the Natural’s parents, Sam and Bucky decide to pay them a visit in Falcon & Winter Soldier #3. There they find a perfectly nice, middle aged couple who share their sons enthusiasm for Captain America. They love him so much that they’ve even turned their home itself into a literal museum of Cap’s various memorabilia and knick-knacks. While it resembles something more like a hoarders shack than The Louvre, their collection is impressive nonetheless, although Sam and Bucky are less concerned with taking in the sights than they are with finding the Natural, referred to by his parents as Junior.
While speaking with the two Avengers, Junior’s parents tell them that their son has always been a talented child. Especially gifted as a fighter, Junior developed remarkable skills with guns and knives, but his parents are concerned about the friends he has found that have been helping him to cultivate and hone his violent skills. When they offer to give Sam and Bucky the address for the building where their son has been training, they also inform the duo that Junior is unlikely to truly listen to them if they show up in their civilian duds to try and talk some sense into him. Luckily, they have just the thing.
Now dressed in the proper attire (proper attire being itchy, funny smelling, knock offs of their old Captain America costumes), Falcon and the Winter Soldier are back in action, on the trail of the Natural and hopeful that this upcoming interaction won’t devolve into another fist fight. When they find Junior, he is sitting alone, blindfolded and with a pile of pistol parts on the floor in front of him. From their position down the hallway, Sam and Bucky evaluate the situation, asking each other how long it takes for them to put their pistols together blindfolded. When Junior picks up the first piece, the heroes make a break for it, but they’re not fast enough. Junior turns around with his firearm pointed squarely at his assailants, and he lets out a “bang” with a grin.
After exchanging pleasantries and asking Junior why he would want to join Hydra if he loves Captain America so much, the Natural tells them that Hydra is changing. A new Hydra Supreme is going to take over and fix everything. All that needs to happen is for Zemo to die. The conversation doesn’t get much further before a squad of Hydra soldiers show up looking for Falcon and Winter Soldier, though, as the two have shown up at a Hydra training facility the day before it was scheduled to be cleared out.
Once the duo has dealt with a platoon of Hydra foot soldiers, Sam and Bucky find the Natural, and he’s wearing his very own Captain America costume. In fact, he designed it himself. If he can be turned around by the Avengers who have been trying to help him, the Natural could very well be on track to become the youngest hero to carry Captain America’s shield. Being able to go toe-to-toe with not one but two Captain America’s, while not having any superpowers or gadgets of his own is enough to prove that the kid has the skills for the job, but it’s really his unbridled enthusiasm and passion that sells it.
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